THE VIEWS | November 2024

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Dear FPS Community:

I just need to say it: Franklin Pierce Schools students are awesome.

I have had the opportunity to see many students in their element over the past month and I am never disappointed. Whether a Veterans Day assembly, football or volleyball game, concert or performance, dropping in on a class or showing up at recess time, I am always impressed.

While local news and social media sites often highlight negative things about children and youth in our society, they are often missing the mark. With very few exceptions, I find students to be thoughtful, empathetic, perceptive, funny, truthful and overflowing with possibility. These are traits that I wish more of us embodied as adults.

• Thank you to the 4th grader who set up a meeting with me to share their truth about what would make their school better.
• Thank you to the 7th grader who is using their leadership skills to bring others together to support a struggling peer.
• Thank you to the 11th grader who is using their voice through elected officials to advocate for change that will impact all residents of our community.

As we head into the months of the year that are a little darker, longer, colder and wetter, I hope that we can step back far enough to draw energy and light from the children and youth in our midst.

With gratitude and appreciation for each child in our community,

Dr. Lance Goodpaster

Superintendent, Franklin Pierce Schools

FPS Mission: Every student thrives on their path to graduation and beyond

• Native American Heritage Month November 1-30
• Substitute Appreciation Week November 18-22

Franklin Pierce Schools celebrates Native American Heritage Month as we recognize that we live, learn and work on the ancestral lands of the spuyaləpabš (Puyallup), Nisqually, and Coast Salish people. This celebration provides an opportunity to recognize and honor the rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories of Native people, and commit to a pathway of solidarity that leads to a better future for indigenous communities.

Franklin Pierce Schools is home to Native students representing over 65 tribes. We are proud to host the Puget Sound ESD Native Education Program that provides cultural education, connection with other Native students and elders, academic and personal support, and post-secondary preparation for Native FPS students.

Franklin Pierce Schools continues to work with local tribes to better understand the history of our community, to learn about ways that we can enhance our curriculum, and continuous conversations about how we can honor local tribes through the usage of imagery, mascots and names.

Collins Elementary was recently recognized by the Washington Association for School Leaders and the Association of Washington School Principals for their work in fostering a positive school culture and a strong sense of community. They stood out among other schools for their work in incorporating student voice and decision making into school guidelines and intentional programming to kick off the year with events that set a tone for a positive school culture, strong sense of community and connections with families and the broader community. Way to go Coyotes!

It was a busy season for our Franklin Pierce Schools athletes! We are proud of all our athletes for representing their respective schools this Fall. Being an athlete is more than playing a sport, it is about learning valuable lessons about teamwork, time management, leadership and overcoming adversity.

Here are some highlights from the season, please note that these are not exhaustive of all of the great athletic accomplishments we see throughout the district:

• Franklin Pierce Cross Country Boys team finished 9th overall at State
• Washington Cross Country had several PRs and their coach was named South Puget Sound League (SPSL) Coach of the Year
• Washington Football finished 5th in the SPSL
• Franklin Pierce Football is in the playoffs! Don’t miss the next game on Friday the 22nd at 7pm, purchase tickets here
• Washington Golf had one athlete qualify for the state tournament in the Spring
• Franklin Pierce Girls Soccer finished 5th in the SPSL and made it to Districts
• Washington Girls Soccer finished 8th in the SPSL
• Franklin Pierce Boys Tennis had one single and one doubles team qualify for Districts
• Washington Boys Tennis had one athlete qualify for Districts
• Washington Girls Swim had one athlete compete at Districts
• Franklin Pierce Girls Volleyball finished 5th in the SPSL and made it to Districts
• Washington Girls Volleyball finished 1st in the SPSL and is playing in the state tournament on 11/15 in Yakima

Congrats to all our athletes on a great season!

Construction was recently completed on our Agricultural Resource Center (ARC) at The Farm at Franklin Pierce! The ARC will provide both classroom and community space, allowing Franklin Pierce Schools to continue providing hands-on learning in quality facilities for students, staff, and community members. This project was made possible with funding allocated through the Washington State Capital Budget, championed by Senator Steve Conway.

The Farm offers a place of connection for students, staff and community members alike. Did you know that each year, student and community farmers grow over 50,000 pounds of produce at The Farm for our school cafeterias, classes, and community! In collaboration with Pierce Conservation District and Harvest Pierce County, the Farm at FP links K-12 students with other members of our community interested in learning about farming practices.

Last month, GATES High School staff coordinated a Day of Service for students to connect with local community organizations. This GATES tradition allows students to get connected in their community beyond their school while fulfilling volunteer opportunities required for graduation. This year, students scattered into the community to connect with L'Arche Farm, Amara, Our Savior Lutheran Church, Pierce County Library, the Farm at FP and Collins Elementary. Way to go GATORS!

Every year, each school at Franklin Pierce Schools hosts a Veterans Day assembly to recognize and honor the bravery and dedication of our veterans. Students planned assemblies at the middle and high schools and it was wonderful to see students step up to appreciate all that our veterans have done and sacrificed. We are grateful for this opportunity to highlight veterans, both local and national, and also to educate students on the importance of this recognition.

Franklin Pierce Schools is delighted to announce a new partnership with Communities in Schools (CIS) of Lakewood at Ford Middle School. Communities in Schools is a national organization comprised of local affiliates throughout the country.

CIS surrounds students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. This looks different at each school, but in short, it means providing relational support to students who are struggling in school, linking students and families with resources in the local community, and working with school staff to enhance school culture and climate. Goretti Davila and Alyssa Reeves come to us with years of experience in other local schools and are now serving as the site coordinators at Ford. Welcome CIS Lakewood and welcome Goretti and Alyssa!

Franklin Pierce Schools is proud to announce that in partnership with United Way of Pierce County and Tacoma Community House, the Franklin Pierce Center for Strong Families is open! The Center for Strong Families provides employment and financial coaching for individuals to support financial stability and independence. The center will offer trainings, one-on-one coaching, and referrals to other employment resources. We are fortunate to have a multilingual staff to serve our beautifully diverse community and services will be available in English, Spanish, Ukrainian, and Russian.

To get connected to the center contact Mary Vargas, Financial Coach, at mvargas@tacomacommunityhouse.org or (253) 383-3951 ext. 135 or Viktoriia Tkachov, Resource Navigator at vtkacho@tacomacommunityhouse.org or (253) 383-3951 ext. 118.

SPYA has had a great start to the school year! 50 Jr. Cheerleaders, 14 Flag Football teams, and 8 Volleyball teams have just finished their fall season. A highlight from this past season was our Jr. Cheerleaders performing at WHS and FPHS football games.

We just started our winter basketball season and are looking forward to watching our almost 500 athletes grow in this sport. If you missed signing up for basketball, please plan to get your student-athlete signed up for spring soccer or volleyball. Registration opens on January 6th.