Sentinel Snapshot

We had a great week back from Winter Break!

The end of the semester and finals are next week, and it's critical that you check in with your student daily about their grades and if they have any missing work. As always, please reach out to your child's teachers with any questions or concerns or to devise a plan.

Over the next few weeks, Wednesday's Advisory/WIN Schedule will be different as we enter finals and the second semester. 11th-grade Running Start Students must attend the Entire Advisory period on the days for registration if they do not have classes at Running Start.

January 17th - ADVISORY: No WIN - Study for Finals

January 24th - ADVISORY: No WIN - Study for Finals

January 31st - ADVISORY: No WIN - Registration (11th Grade Running Start Students Need to Attend)

February 7th - ADVISORY: No WIN - Registration (11th Grade Running Start Students Need to Attend)

February 14th - ADVISORY: No WIN - Registration (11th Grade Running Start Students Need to Attend)

During Finals Week, we will hold a Regular Bell Schedule during the week, but certain periods will be assigned "Testing Time."

Beginning Monday, January 8, 2024, we began enforcing new Entry and Exit Procedures to help ensure the safety of our building. Thank you to all the students and visitors who come and go throughout the day to help us follow this.

Anyone who enters or exits the building must:

1. Have a Photo ID. Photo ID could include a student's SHS ID card or an adult driver's license.
2. Use the Front Door of the School only. The East Door will no longer be accessible to enter and exit between 7:35 AM and 2:05 PM.
3. Running Start Students must Check In when they arrive and Check Out when they leave every day.
1. Check-In and Check-Out will be located at the Reception Desk for now.

As was mentioned in December, We have closed the Sentinel Center to help protect student privacy and supervision.

Running Start students who elect to be on campus when not at Pierce College will now utilize the library. This will provide a supervised and comfortable location for students who do not have their own transportation to complete academic work. Students must remain in the library when they are not in a SHS class. Failure to follow this may result in discipline for the student.

Winter Session for Running Start started on 1/3/2024. We are asking all Running Start students to bring a printed copy of your Running Start Class Schedule to SHS. You can drop it off with Mrs. Carla at the Reception Desk.

Students will be released at 11:05 AM on January 26th to allow teachers to finalize grades from semester 1 and prep for the start of Semester 2.

In the Steilacoom Historical School District, we recognize that everybody plays a role in ensuring children attend school regularly and have made the promotion of regular attendance a key goal area.

Recently, I met with our Superintendent Student Advisory Committee members at each school. I am so lucky to be able to talk with these students regularly to learn their ideas about how to improve our school system.

At our most recent meeting, we shared the startling research from a national non-profit initiative called Attendance Works with the students: “Starting as early as preschool and kindergarten, regular attendance is essential for students gaining the academic and social skills they need to thrive. Research shows that when students are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of the school year or 18 days over an entire year), they are less likely to read proficiently by third grade, achieve in middle school and graduate from high school.

Chronic absence has more than doubled since the start of the pandemic, from 8 million to an estimated 16 million students nationwide. That’s one out of three students. Absenteeism has risen among all student groups, at every economic level.”

We asked for our Superintendent Student Advisory Committee members’ ideas on how to ensure that everyone recognizes chronic absenteeism as a serious issue that our school system is working to address with a positive, problem-solving approach.

As always, these student leaders offered great insight about encouraging good attendance. Many of their thoughts echoed the recommendations/key messages of the Attendance Works organization:

• Respond to absences with care and support, not blame. Commit to a positive, problem-solving approach driven by data to improve attendance.
• Emphasize the value of regular attendance for maintaining routines that support well-being, building relationships and accessing resources, as well as gaining opportunities to learn.
• Use absence data to help identify which students and families need extra support.
• Build trusting relationships that promote belonging.
• Recognize families as essential partners through trusting relationships that support student learning at home and in school.
• Recognize students are more likely to engage in learning and attend school if they feel safe, connected and supported.
• Share chronic absence data so everyone is aware of the size and scale of the challenge.

Our efforts will continue and we look forward to partnering with our community to best support students and families as we improve attendance, a sense of belonging and achievement.

A reminder that school starts at 7:35 AM. Its expected that students are in class ready to learn at 7:35 AM. Students who arrive late to the school building, need to check in to the Attendance Office and get a Tardy Slip.

Parents/Guardians:

If students need to leave early during the school day for an appointment. Please call the Attendance Line in the morning with the time you want your student to leave.

Students will receive an Early Dismissal slip to their classroom and they will meet you @ Attendance Office at the time specified. This will help students be ready to go when you arrive.

Students MUST sign out with the Attendance Office when they leave the building early.

Attendance Line: 253 983-2303

All students now have a School ID card. Students are required to have these on them during the school day. Any student who enters the building after the start of the school day is REQUIRED to show their Student ID/ASB Card when entering the building and must check in with the Attendance Office. This includes all Running Start Students who come onto campus. A picture of the Current Student ID Card on the student's phone is acceptable. This helps make sure we know who is on campus.

If you have any concerns or questions about your students academics or classes, please reach out to their teachers first. Most questions and concerns can be answered by the teacher best. You can find their email on on SHS Staff Directory or directly though Parent Square.

Visit https://steillyathletics.com/ for schedules, registration, and to purchase tickets.

Reminder: Students must have a Current ASB Card to enter games for free.

Monday, January 15

Tuesday, January 16

Boys Varsity Wrestling Home - 4:30 PM

Boys JV and Varsity @ Franklyn Pierce High School - 5:15/7:15 PM

Wednesday, January 17

Girls Varsity Wrestling @ Washington High School 5:00 PM

Thursday, January 18

Boys Swim and Dive Home - 3:30 PM

Boys Varsity Wrestling @ Orting High School 7:00 PM

Friday, January 19

Boys JV & Varsity Basketball vs Enumclaw - 5:15/7:00PM

Girls JV & Varsity Basketball @ Enumclaw - 5:15/7:00PM

Steilacoom Historical School District uses ParentSquare for school communication, primarily with email, text and app notifications. ParentSquare automatically generates an account for each parent, using their preferred email address and phone number. We encourage parents to access their accounts so they can download the mobile app and update their preferences on when and how they are notified.

Email: steilacoomhsoffice@steilacoom.k12.wa.us
Website: www.steilacoom.k12.wa.us
Location: 54 Sentinel Drive, Steilacoom, WA, USA
Phone: 253-983-2300
Instagram: @bigsteilly

Facebook: Steilacoom Sentinels

Daily Schedule: Bell Schedule