Cascade Bulletin
April 26th 2024
Next Early Release Day
Wednesday May 8th at 1:53
Choosing classes for next year!
Students will soon be choosing classes for next year with their counselors. Here are the binders with course offerings. Please review and discuss these with your students.
Current 7th grade, next year's 8th graders
State Testing
Annual State Testing is happening from 4/30/24 to 5/10/24. Please see this INFORMATIONAL LETTER for more information.
SBAC Letter in English
SBAC Letter in Spanish
SBAC Letter in Russian
Nothing Bundt Cake Fundraiser
It’s Nothing Bundt Cake Time!! Our last Bundt Cake fundraiser was a huge success and this one is just in time for Mother’s Day delivery!
Sales will start Wednesday, 4/17 and run through Wednesday, 5/1. Your Bundt Cakes will be ready for pick up on Friday, May 10th. Order forms will be available in the budget office beginning Monday, April 15th. Thank you for your help to raise much needed funds all while surprising your favorite mom or anyone else with a sweet treat this spring! Proceeds will go to support athletics and activities at Cascade Middle School. For more details or questions please e-mail Antoinetta.Bagnall@evergreenps.org .
8th Grade Farewell Celebration
It is time for our 8th Grade Farewell Celebration! On Friday, June 14th, we will be celebrating our three years with our 8th grade students from 1:30 PM to 4:08 PM at Cascade Middle School. The cost of this event is $20.00. Each $20.00 ticket includes a trip to the Kona Ice Truck or other option if available, a special dessert, unlimited activities and games with prizes, and a photo booth with free pictures. Students will also have a BBQ lunch option, and we will have a special motivational guest speaker. Cascade student behavior expectations apply at this event. Please be on the lookout for a permission slip on May 1st. If you are interested in volunteering at this event, and you have completed the district volunteering requirements, please contact the CMS Main Office.
Picture Day is coming!
Football, Cross Country and Cheer Pictures will be after school on 5/9/24
Staff Members of The Week
Ryan Chiodo
I am currently working on my 9th year as a school psychologist, and in my 7th year working within Evergreen Public Schools. When I am not at work, I enjoy spending time with my Siberian Husky, Colt! Colt loves the snow, long walks, relaxing in the yard, and daydreaming of chasing squirrels on the other side of the fence. Colt was named after my favorite character in my favorite childhood movie, The 3 Ninjas.
My primary hobby is Bouldering , which I have been doing for about 4 years and is the most mentally and physically challenging sport I have ever tried, which is what keeps bringing me back. I am hoping to return to frisbee golf this summer (any excuse to be active outside).
I have traveled all around the United States, Caribbean, Mexico and Canada, however, I have never left North America. My two dream vacations would be exploring Japan and regions of southern Italy where my father's side of the family is from. In regard to family, I have one sibling who is a few years older than me and two nieces who are full of life, energy and imagination!
Suzanne Bell
I started working at Cascade in March 2023 as a classified substitute and later got hired on for a paraeducator position in the beginning of this school year. I enjoy getting to work with the staff and students here at Cascade and the students never make my job boring!
I grew up attending schools in the Evergreen School District and graduated from Mountain View H.S. in 2020. I've lived in Washington since I was 4 years old and I'm originally from Gulfport, MS. I have 2 younger brothers and I also have a dog named Jack who is my pride and joy. He's a 12 year old rat terrier chihuahua mix who loves sitting in the sun when it's nice outside and telling all the big dogs who's in charge, even in the triple digit heat.
In the summer, my family and I travel to either Anacortes, WA where my Aunt lives or to California where most of my other relatives live. This Summer we're planning a big family trip out in Couer d'Alene, Idaho where we can enjoy the Silverwood Theme Park for a few days and visit with family we don't get to see often.
Outside of work, I enjoy working out and usually do every day before work. I also really enjoy being outside during spring/summer whether it's walking my dog or finding a viewpoint to watch the sunsets when I have time. In the colder seasons when football is on, I enjoy sitting on the couch with my dog watching the San Francisco 49ers play.
My favorite food is any sort of Italian food but especially my father's home made lasagna.
The current book I'm reading is Atomic Habits by James Clear which is about how the tiny changes you make in your daily routine can benefit you in the long run and he shares his personal experience on the topic as well.
Cormac Diggins
I was born by two excellent humans, Carol and Doug, & a pretty awesome sister, Kelly. Growing up in Phoenix, Arizona, my childhood was split between exploring the city & surrounding desert. I always loved the outdoors & took that with me when I left home to go to university in 2011.
By 2016, I had two Bachelor degrees from Iowa State University & University of Edinburgh in both Landscape Architecture & Environmental Studies. The main-street-USA vibes of Ames, Iowa & the fantastical city of Edinburgh were so different to the hot, arid environment of home. I studied hard & came away with a sincere sense of independence & design for public spaces.
After university, I worked briefly in Philadelphia, New Orleans & Phoenix, before landing in Seattle, Washington. It felt like a dream come true to be able to design parks, smart streets, schoolyards, waterfronts, town master plans, multi use trails, environmental restoration, green stormwater infrastructure, bicycle networks all across Western Washington. I promised myself that I wouldn’t own a car & bought an old, beat-up Gary Fisher mountain bike that became my daily commuter.
My commute between work & home grew to compensate for a demanding job & love of cycling. A friend gave me the book “Escape by Bike” in 2017 & soon after I packed up my jalopy of a bike for my first overnight adventure in Snoqualmie Pass. I quickly became addicted to bikepacking.
In late 2019, while bikepacking across Washington, I was thrown into a passing car on Agate Pass Bridge on Bainbridge Island. I was lucky to survive & that moment crescendoed into a massive wake-up call. After ten months of recovery, I set out on my packed bike, now a Marin Four Corners gravel bike. I was determined to live nomadically & focus everything on learning from the world first hand.
For 3 years I lived on that, and 2 other bikes. I rode & learned & grew & sweated across 20 different countries (including our own, twice), finding more human kindness & novel experiences than I ever thought possible. I had 3 more near death experiences & survived. I pushed my physical & emotional limits to places I never thought I could. I met the love of my life, who joined me for 16 countries & I’m lucky enough to be marrying her in the Spring. I made countless friends across 4 continents who I still keep in contact with.
But 3 years is a long time to travel on a very lonely road without the comforts of home & old faces.
Now I’m here in Vancouver, where my partner grew up, learning & loving my new career in paraeducation. Everything I’ve experienced has helped me in this new life, and it doesn’t hurt to actually be able to sleep in the same bed every night (plus dishes & a non-river shower)! It feels wonderful to be excited to come to work everyday & feel like I’m giving back a little kindness & spirit that was allowed to me over the course of my life.
I’m one lucky guy :)
Summer School Courses for 2024
First Tuesdays
“First Tuesdays” Parent Partnerships Nights happens the first Tuesday of each month at Cascade! This is a night for parents and guardians to come find out how you can best support your student academically, as well as socially and emotionally, make common connections with our school community, gather tips to help your student thrive, and become informed about the EPS District guaranteed and viable curriculum.
This night is free, at Cascade Middle School, and from 5-7 pm. Childcare from Kindergarten-5th grade is provided as well as snacks.
May 7th, 2024, will be our next “First Tuesday” Parent Night. We will be watching the movie “Screenagers” to:
Develop awareness about the frequency of substance imagery exposure in the media they consume
Identify and correct popular myths about substances including cannabis, alcohol and nicotine
Become aware of how alcohol, cannabis dispensaries and nicotine brands use social media to market their products to young audiences
Understand a safety-first approach when it comes to drugs and alcohol
Learn strategies to help keep themselves and their friends safe around drugs and alcohol
Please fill out the REGISTRATION FORM to let us know if you are able to attend. We hope you can come!
**On June 4, 2024, we will dive deeper into other preventative resources.**
Spirit Gear
Get some Cascade Cougar spirit gear! Click this link to place your order. Orders will be processed every 2 weeks and will be delivered to students at school.
Cascade Middle School PTO
Moving? Already moved?
Did you know that Box Tops have gone digital?
Just download the Box Tops app on your phone and set Cascade Middle School as your school. Then scan receipts from places like Walmart, Winco, Safeway, and Costco inside the app. The app will automatically tally up eligible purchases.
Food Pantry
The Cascade Food Pantry is now open to support our families.
Parents can request a monthly food box which they pick up on the
third Wednesday of the month at Cascade between 1:00 and 5:00 PM.