Please Welcome Jeanne Willard, Interim Principal
As many of you are aware, Belinda Mountjoy, Principal of SHS, PGS & OnlineHS is currently out on leave. We are so grateful to welcome Jeanne Willard, Executive Director of College & Career Readiness and Extended Learning Options for Everett School District as our Interim Principal.
Please read this short message from Jeanne:
I am excited to be here to help support Sequoia High School, OnlineHS, and Port Gardner during Belinda’s absence!
My “other” job is Executive Director of College & Career Readiness and Extended Learning Options. In that other job, you will see me working with staff to support students to be able to graduate on-time and to be able to reach their postsecondary goals. I am hoping that during my time with you I will have a chance to get to know all of you better and to get to know students so that we can all continue to support students to graduation and beyond.
If you need me, I am very accessible. Please email me or call the main office at 5100. Please know that you are my priority!
We look forward to seeing your child at school every day. Regular school attendance is important, and we will work with you to ensure your child is present to benefit from an excellent education. If your child is absent, please email the school at SequoiaAttendance@everettsd.org
If email is not possible, and even if you leave a message with the school attendance line at 425-385-5105. Please send a written note to the school office within 30 days after your student returns to school.
Is my child too sick to go to school? It is no fun being sick, but we also care about protecting students and their families from contagious diseases, so we ask you keep your student home when they are sick.
Keeping ill students at home and encouraging frequent hand washing protects us all. While we regret any inconvenience this may cause, following these guidelines will result in fewer absences and less illnesses overall.
Please visit the district’s website to learn more. If you still have questions about whether your student is healthy enough to come to school, contact the school nurse or your child's health care provider.
If you missed a call from your school, please first check your voice mail, email or mobile app for the message rather than calling the school. Schools are often inundated with phone calls from parents after they send an automated call and cannot answer all the calls. If messaging is still not being delivered, then you will need to update your contact information at your school. If your contact information has changed, please let your school know so they can update the system to be able to successfully reach you.
Veterans Day Free Concert
The United States Army Field Band is performing a free concert at the Everett Civic Auditorium on November 11 at 7 p.m. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. The maximum number of free tickets per transaction is four.
Please visit GoFan to get your tickets today.
Native American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month
November is Native American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. What started at the turn of the century as an effort to gain a day of recognition for the significant contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the U.S., has resulted in a whole month being designated for that purpose.
Harvest of the Month
This month, the Food and Nutrition department brings you squash grown in the PNW! Be sure to give them a try this month in our roasted squash or pumpkin custard!
Did you know there are two groups of squash, winter and summer? Find out more by checking out the Harvest of the Month flyer on the district website.
May the gourd be with you!
Modest Free Market
Modest Family Solutions is an organization that is working to create a more just and equitable food system. They provide produce to families and communities in need across western Washington sourcing product from local growers, with an emphasis on supporting and building a BIPOC food value chain.
Emerson Elementary School
8720 7th Ave SE
Everett, WA 98208
Produce available the 1st and 3rd Saturday of every month from 9 to 11 a.m. Cultural, home-grown, fresh foods. Stay in your car and pick up in the drive thru loop or come to the walk-up area.
There is still time to enroll your preschooler!
There is space available in our Early Childhood Education & Assistance Program (ECEAP)! This incredible program is for 3- and 4-year-old children from families with limited income and are enrolled in our schools. Learn more at www.everettsd.org/ECEAP.
Important FAFSA/WASFA Changes
Big changes are coming to financial aid applications this year! The 2024-25 FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) will not be available until December 2023. The WASFA (Washington Application for State Financial Aid) will also be delayed until the FAFSA opens.
Applications usually open October 1 of a student’s senior year, so this is a major shift in the college planning process. The good news is that this delay is due to positive changes. The FAFSA form will be shorter and less complex, more students will be eligible for federal Pell Grants, and the average Pell award will be larger. Stay tuned for more information and find resources from the Washington Student Achievement Council.
Play and Learn
Play and Learn is a free program for children from birth thru age five and their parents or caregivers to have fun playing together, creating art, listening to stories and singing songs! Sessions are held five days a week from 10:30 a.m. to noon at four locations. Click to learn more and see calendar.
Kids in Transition Program
Kids in Transition (KIT) program supports students who qualify for two federal programs which provide support for children and youth whose housing is highly mobile: those who meet the more inclusive definition of homeless under the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Act and those who are eligible for Foster Care Education support.
Students who are in foster care placement (where a child welfare agency has placement, care and authority) or those who are without a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence may qualify for this additional support.
The KIT program works to eliminate barriers to students’ academic success and extra-curricular involvement. We ensure eligible students have access to free school meals, school supplies and uniforms. KIT may help students access extended day or summer school classes or coordinate access to additional academic support or tutoring when needed. The KIT Program may also cover, or coordinate waivers for, fees required to take part in activities such as school-sponsored sports, clubs, and required class fees. KIT can also help set up transportation for eligible students to maintain school stability, as long as the commute is feasible and in the best interest of the student. We also partner with the Family Resource Center and other community agencies to connect families and students to resources as needed.
Last year, Everett Public Schools served over 1,350 students through our KIT support at some time during the school year. For more information, visit www.everettsd.org/KIT to learn who your school’s KIT support staff is; or contact the KIT Office at 425-385-4032.
Online Safety Tips
- Keep the computer in a busy area of your home.
- Use an app to keep an eye on your child’s online activity on their device.
- Talking about cyberbullying; ask if someone they know has been a victim. Ask if they have been victimized.
- Set up email and social media accounts with your children. Know their screen names and passwords and explain the reasons for not including any personal information in profiles.
Know who is in the “buddy lists.” Get to know the cyberfriends just as you do those who visit your home. Parents and guardians may find the following resources helpful to begin a conversation about the dangers of engaging in cyberbullying and how to stay safe online:
Find out what Everett Public Schools students learn about digital citizenship on the district website.
School Safety Begins with Teamwork
Everett Public Schools recognizes that schools should be a place where our students, staff and community feel safe. Teamwork makes this possible. We employ security staff and school resource officers (SROs) who work collaboratively with our school communities to ensure safety and security across the district.
Safety and security staff work to build healthy, positive relationships with our students, staff and community to ensure a safe school environment for learning.
Campus Security Officers (CSOs) perform checks of campuses during school hours to prevent unauthorized access, deter illegal activity, assist with investigations, assist with student supervision and share information with staff and students concerning safety measures.
School Resource Officers (SROs) are police officers that serve secondary school campuses while schools are in session and partner with principals to improve safety by identifying, investigating, deterring and responding to incidents that present a significant threat to safety and security.
District Security Staff perform checks of campuses after hours and on weekends to prevent unauthorized access, ensure campuses are secure, deter illegal activity and respond to alarm notifications.
For more information, visit www.everettsd.org/safety.
Have a safety concern related to schools? Report it!
You can call, text or email your concern.
If there is reason for concern about safety on a designated walkway to school, call 9-1-1 immediately for authorized, quick help. We have strong partnerships with local law enforcement who share our interest in safe schools and neighborhoods.
Student safety is a priority for all of us. Working together, we can help make our neighborhoods and schools nurturing places for students to safely learn and grow.
News Around the District
Like knowing what’s happening in the district? Follow us on social media! Visit our social media directory for a list of schools, club or teacher accounts.
Want eflyers of student and family opportunities? Go to Peachjar and register a free account to receive eflyers emailed directly to you! And don’t forget to check out the district’s news releases.
Receive information the way you prefer
This is a friendly reminder that parents and guardians can select their preferred method of communication so they will not get the same message in multiple formats unless they choose to. Below are some steps to take:
- Download the district’s mobile app. One of the many features is to select your delivery preferences. Once you have signed into your account, click on your profile tile and then “Edit Delivery Preferences” at the top.
- Click on the icon for app, text, phone or email to turn off that mode. Green indicates the mode is turned on. Some modes are locked, as indicated with the lock in the upper corner of the icon.
- Keep your contact information current by updating the “Annual Student Update Form 2023-2024” in Home Access Center or by letting your school office know anytime there is a change.
- Please visit the communications department webpage for a list of timely and relevant information to strengthen connections among families, staff and community.
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Have you Downloaded our Mobile App?
News and information about our schools are as close as your smartphone. Download and log into the district app to access your student’s info quickly and easily. See top stories, Parent University, Canvas, books checked out from the library, and find the staff directory, school websites, calendars and more.
Available for Apple and Android devices and can be downloaded in 3 easy steps:
1. On your smartphone, go to the iTunes App Store® or Google Play®
2. Search Everett Public Schools
3. Then select our app for free download
Once you’ve downloaded the app, log in to “student info” with your LMS password to see student-specific information for each of your children. Read content in one of many languages available in the settings.
Belinda Mountjoy Principal
Email: bmonroe@everettsd.org
Website: www.everettsd/Sequoiahs
Location: 3516 Rucker Ave Everett, WA 98201
Phone: (425) 385-5100
Twitter: @Sequoia_HS
