Mission (our purpose):
Our Mission is to ensure that all students have the knowledge, skills, motivation, and confidence to be successful citizens.

Vision (who we must become):
We are a community of learners and leaders united to enrich the lives of all our students.

Dear Mary M. Knight Families,

As we move into another exciting week at MMK, I'm energized by the many opportunities ahead for our students to learn, grow, and showcase their Owl spirit!

Spirit Week kicks off Monday with our Green Out OWL Pride day, followed by a week of themed activities designed to build community and create joyful memories. I love seeing our hallways filled with students expressing their creativity and school pride through these special events.

I'm especially proud to announce that our SkillsUSA Club members will be representing Mary M. Knight at the State Competition in Tacoma from March 27-29. These talented students have worked diligently preparing for their American Spirit and Entrepreneurship events. Their dedication exemplifies our mission of developing knowledgeable, skilled, and confident students.

Spring parent-teacher conferences are just around the corner on March 26-27. These conferences provide valuable opportunities to discuss your child's progress and partner in their educational journey. Conference scheduling is now open through Skyward Qmlativ, and we look forward to connecting with you.

I'd like to also highlight the success of our Farm to School program. Our recent beef stew taste test was a tremendous hit, with nearly 89% of students rating it highly! Comments like "Can we have this every day?" and "This is so delicious!" confirm we're on the right track with providing nutritious, locally-sourced meals that students genuinely enjoy.

Finally, congratulations to all our GRIT award winners this week. These students exemplify the Growth, Resilience, Intensity, and Tenacity that we value and celebrate at Mary M. Knight.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. Together, we are enriching the lives of all our students.

Go Owls!

Mr. Stoney

Monday 3/17

• Green out OWL Pride day (Dress up in your green)

Tuesday 3/18

• HS Golf @ Winlock 3:30 PM
• Baseball vs. Oakville 4:00 PM

Wednesday 3/19

• Late Start
• Baseball @ Wishkah 4:00 PM

Thursday 3/20

• HS Track @ South Bend 3:30 PM

Friday 3/21

• Baseball vs. Taholah 4:00 PM

March 26-27, 2025

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

• Wednesday, March 26: 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM

• Thursday, March 27: 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM and 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

• Friday, March 28: Early Release Day (No Conferences)

HOW TO SCHEDULE YOUR CONFERENCE ONLINE

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Login to Skyward Qmlativ

• Visit: https://www.q.wa-k12.net/mmknigSTS/Session/Signin

• Enter your username and password

2. Find the Conference Icon

• Click on the "2024-25 Spring Conferences" icon

3. Select Your Teacher

• Your student's teacher will appear on the left side of the screen

4. Choose an Available Time

• Available time slots will be shown on the right

• Click the green plus (+) button next to your preferred time

5. Confirm Your Selection

• A row will appear at the bottom of the screen

• Click the "Done Scheduling" button to finalize

CONTACT INFORMATION

Need help with Skyward login?
Contact Shantel Freeman
360-426-6767 ext 101
sfreeman@mmk.wednet.edu

Questions about your child's conference?

• Elementary (PK-6): Contact your child's classroom teacher

• Secondary (7-12): Contact your child's advisory teacher

IMPORTANT NOTES

• Conference scheduling is now open

• If you cannot attend during scheduled times, please contact your child's teacher directly

• For families with multiple children, please schedule separate conferences for each child

We look forward to meeting with you to discuss your child's progress!

It's time to show your school spirit! Next week, March 17-21, we're celebrating Spirit Week at Mary M. Knight. This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to express their creativity, have some fun, and build school community.

Daily Themes:

Monday, March 17: OWL Pride / Green Out Day
Wear your favorite MMK gear or dress in green from head to toe to show your school pride!

Tuesday, March 18: Jersey Day
Sport your favorite team jersey or athletic wear – professional, college, or local teams welcome!

Wednesday, March 19: Tourist Day
Grab your cameras, sun hats, and maps as we transform into tourists for the day!

Thursday, March 20: Mismatch Day
The wilder the better! Mix patterns, colors, and styles for a truly unique look.

Friday, March 21: Beach Day
End the week with beach attire! Hawaiian shirts, sunglasses, and summer vibes (appropriate for school, of course).

We encourage all students to participate and show their Owl spirit! Remember that all outfits should still follow school dress code guidelines.

Looking forward to a fun-filled week of school pride and creativity!

Go Owls!

Our young astronomers in Mrs. Jewett's class have been on an exciting journey through space! After learning about planets and our solar system in their classroom, students expanded their cosmic knowledge with a special art project in the library.

Each student created their own unique canvas artwork featuring planets of their choice. It was truly inspiring to hear them thoughtfully explain which planets they selected and why. Some budding scientists even added black holes and stars to their cosmic creations!

These beautiful space-themed canvases will be coming home with students this upcoming week. We encourage families to ask your children about their artwork and what they've learned about our fascinating solar system!

At Mary M. Knight, we believe in connecting classroom learning with creative expression. Thank you to Mrs. Jewett and our library staff for providing this wonderful hands-on opportunity for our students to showcase their learning.

#MMKPride #SpaceExplorers #StudentArtists

Our creative problem-solvers from Ms. Niles' class took on an exciting engineering challenge in our library recently! Students wondered if they could connect bendy straws together and stretch them all the way around the room - and through teamwork and perseverance, they made it happen!

It was wonderful to see the enthusiasm and collaboration as students positioned themselves strategically around the library, arms raised high, carefully holding their sections of the connected straws. This hands-on activity fostered teamwork, spatial awareness, and brought joy to our young learners.

At Mary M. Knight, we celebrate these moments of curiosity and collective achievement. When our students ask "What if?" and work together to find answers, they're developing important skills that extend far beyond the classroom.

Special thanks to Ms. Niles for encouraging our students to think creatively and supporting this fun learning opportunity!

#MMKPride #TeamworkMakesTheDreamWork #HandsOnLearning

We're excited to announce that our talented SkillsUSA Club members will be representing Mary M. Knight at the SkillsUSA State Competition in Tacoma from March 27-29, 2025!

Our dedicated students have been preparing diligently to showcase their skills in various categories. The Mary M. Knight team will be competing in two events:

• American Spirit: Cloey, Andiana, and Logan
• Entrepreneurship: Bella, Hayden Roberts, Lexi, and Hayden Hughes

This prestigious competition provides an incredible opportunity for our students to demonstrate their technical abilities, leadership skills, and career readiness on a state level. They'll join hundreds of other talented students from across Washington in events that challenge both their technical and professional skills.

While at the competition, our students will participate in specialized contests, leadership development activities, and networking opportunities with industry professionals. The event culminates with an awards ceremony on March 29th, where we hope to celebrate their achievements!

Our SkillsUSA advisor, Mr. Garrett Johannes, has been working tirelessly to prepare our students for this opportunity. The team will depart on March 27th and return to Mary M. Knight on March 29th.

We're incredibly proud of these students for their dedication and commitment to excellence. Please join us in wishing them the best of luck as they represent our school and community at this prestigious event!

We'll be sure to share updates and photos from the competition on our social media channels. Go Owls!

Our March 6, 2025 Farm to School/Harvest of the Month event was a tremendous success! The taste test of Hearty Beef and Vegetables Stew (adapted from Vermont FEED's New School Cuisine) received overwhelmingly positive feedback from our school community.

Impressive Results

The numbers speak for themselves:

• 88.9% of participants (112 out of 126) rated the beef stew at 7 or higher, enthusiastically liking it
• 7.9% (10 participants) rated it at 5 or 6, generally liking it
• Only 3.2% (4 participants) rated it between 1 and 4

The highest rating (10) received an impressive 61 votes, showing just how much our students enjoyed this nutritious meal!

Student Feedback

Our MMK Owls had plenty to say about the stew:

• "Can we have this every day?"
• "This is so delicious! I can't stop eating it! Can I have the recipe?"
• "Perfect as it is! Best stuff ever!"

Students also offered suggestions, including adding rice or noodles, more beef, cheese as a topping, and adjusting spice levels.

Behind the Scenes

This special meal was prepared by ESD 113 Regional Farm to School Coordinator Margaret Garrett, alongside Mary M. Knight's Shantel Freeman. They created this scratch-made beef stew with locally sourced ingredients, expertly cut into bite-sized pieces perfect for student enjoyment.

The taste test station was coordinated by ESD 113 Farm to School and WSU Grays Harbor/Mason SNAP-Ed in our cafeteria, where students could sample the stew and provide feedback through surveys.

What's Next?

A big thank you to all 126 MMK Owls who participated in this taste test! Based on the overwhelmingly positive response, we look forward to incorporating more locally sourced, nutritious meals into our school menu.

Stay tuned for more Farm to School events as we continue to explore new tastes together!

Support Future Entrepreneurs at Mary M. Knight High School! Our Entrepreneurship class is launching innovative projects and needs your help with funding for materials and mentorship. Every donation makes a difference. Email us at mmkstore@mmk.wednet.edu for more information. Thank you for investing in our students' future!

Did you know that as a parent or guardian you have access to Skyward to see your child's grades, attendance, discipline, and much more?

As parent of a child at Mary M. Knight, families have access to a parent portal of skyward where you can log on. From there you can access to see what your child's most updated grades are, their attendance as well as excuse them through family access, and much mor information. This is a great communication tool to help families stay on to of their child's progress at MMK. You can access the Skyward family access link at the district website or click on the link bellow. We have also included a short video on logging in and the information you can find.

For any question regarding your family access account, please contact Shantel Freeman at (360)426-6767 or sfreeman@mmk.wednet.edu

For March, our Character Strong character trait that we will be studying is cooperation. See the newsletters bellow for more information as we strengthen our social-emotional skills this month.

Dear MMK Families,

Our secondary tutoring program continues to provide academic support for students in grades 7-12. The program runs Tuesday through Thursday from 3:00 to 4:30 PM, offering students direct assistance from teachers on assignments and assessments.

Students must attend the full session unless prior arrangements for early pickup are confirmed by parents. While this is a valuable opportunity for academic support, families need to arrange transportation at 4:30 PM, as bus service is not available. Please note that tutoring should not be used as a waiting period for after-school events.

For questions about the program, please contact the main office.

For any questions, please contact Athletic Director, Tom Kerr at (360)426-6767 or tkerr@mmk.wednet.edu

Find updates at the Mary M. Knight Athletic Web-Page

Spring Sport Start Dates

HS Baseball, Golf, and Track - Monday, Mar. 3rd

MS Baseball and Track - Monday, Mar. 10th

If you have not registered your student-athlete through FinalForms, please do so ASAP using the link below.

Last year, we had a theme of Above-The-Line and recognized student that were that demonstrated characteristics or actions of being Above-The-Line. This year we will continue our student recognition program as part of our PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) program with our positive referrals and weekly GRIT awards.

GRIT Awards - In the 2024-25 academic year, we're all about embracing 'Nurturing Resilience, Inspiring Excellence' as our guiding principle. We believe that having GRIT – Growth, Resilience, Intensity, and Tenacity – is key to creating a culture where challenges are seen as stepping stones to greatness. We want to foster a growth mindset in our students and ourselves, understanding that hard work and dedication can help us develop our abilities and intelligence. Student will be nominated weekly if they are demonstrating characteristics of GRIT. Student will receive a certificate and shared out.

Elementary: Mattew Mock, Jackson Short, Mason Haskins, Wyatt Bartell, 2nd grade class, Analea Atwood, Ian Weaver, Meika Garcia, Alaina Dunnington, James Reed, Andrew Ushman, James Horn, Thomas Mataya, Xavier Lingnau, Luka Thomas, Lewis Baughman, Koal Reed, Hunter Vogland, Keith Johnson, Brieele Dunnington.

Secondary: Riot Coleman

If you are interested in helping us with the Mary M. Knight PTO, don't hesitate to get in touch with pto@mmk.wednet.edu or Josh Stoney at jstoney@mmk.wednet.edu

PTO updates and information will be posted on the district website at https://www.marymknight.com/domain/25

• Next Meeting: March 12, 2025 at 3:30 pm in the elementary library

Email: jstoney@mmk.wednet.edu
Website: https://www.marymknight.com/
Location: 2987 Matlock-Brady Road, Elma, WA, USA
Phone: (360) 426-6767
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MMKOwls