Message from Principal Collins
Hello Evergreen Families,
I would like to begin this letter by thanking our students, teachers, and families for the great start to the 2024-2025 school year. As we welcome the fall season, we embrace a month filled with opportunities for learning, growth, and engagement within our school community. October brings with it an increased focus on the academic workload and expectations that are placed on our students. Please encourage your students to stay on top of their coursework and to practice good study habits. Parents can monitor student progress in ParentVue. Parents/guardians can log in to ParentVue and see their student(s) assignments, coursework, grades, and attendance. Students have been very busy this first part of the year. In the classroom I see scholars creating, collaborating, and critically thinking. Many students are involved in afterschool activities such as Anime, Cross Country, Softball, and Football just to name a few! Parents, please continue to encourage your child to become active at Evergreen. Scholars who are involved in an activity feel a connection to the school and in turn, their learning improves.
This week our scholars participated in the Discover U Week! During Discover U Week, Evergreen will join other educators and youth-serving organizations in Seattle and South King County in leading college and career activities that help students explore their futures. Each day centers a theme the whole community can participate in. Let’s connect student aspirations with the pathways to get there!
October is the beginning of the Autumn season and seasonal changes. During this time, students tend to get sick with the flu as the season changes. Parents, please keep your students at home if they are sick to ensure the safety of others. Although we understand Covid is so much better to handle today than it was in the past, it still has devastating effects on individuals with immunity challenges. Please remind your students to wash their hands or use a hand sanitizer to reduce their risk of illness.
Embracing the power of mini habits- While you may believe that big changes are the only way to achieve results, small lifestyle changes can make a big difference to your overall health and well-being. Mini habits are small, manageable actions that require minimal effort and time to complete. The key principle behind mini habits is their simplicity, making them easy to incorporate into daily routines. The effectiveness of mini-habits lies in their ability to overcome psychological barriers associated with larger goals. Mini habits capitalize on the power of consistency and progress, providing a sense of accomplishment with each small step taken.
FALL FOR SELF-CARE As the weather gets cooler the days get shorter, and all things pumpkin spice are appearing everywhere. It can only mean one thing: fall is here! It can be easy to let self-care fall by the wayside. However, taking care of yourself is just as important in the fall as at any other time of year.
GET OUTSIDE- Autumn is a great time to go for a hike, go apple picking, or just take a walk in the park. Being in nature can help to clear your mind and boost your mood.
GET COZY- Take some time to relax at home with a cozy blanket, a cup of your favorite hot beverage, a good book, or a good movie.
October is also National Bullying Prevention Month. During this month, we want to bring a heightened awareness to ensure bullying is not acceptable and tolerated. We want to provide support to our students and their families if and where bullying exists. We want to ensure that everyone understands the harm of bullying. Parents, we want you to remind your students of this and we will develop resources in our building to inform and advise our students. Our goal is to help students to be kind, safe, and responsible for their peers without ridicule.
Our expectations at Evergreen are in full effect and what we are seeing is certainly positive. One of the core foundations is that we stop focusing so much on grading and homework and focus on learning. You might notice that your child has fewer grades in the grade book, which is intentional. We want to focus our time on teaching and learning. There will be a measurement of your child’s ability to learn the standards and that will be reported in the grade book. Next month we will hold our student-led conferences which would be a great time to talk to your child’s teachers about grades.
If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to contact me.
In partnership,
Mrs. Collins
Principal Evergreen Middle School
253 945 5100
