Connections
DISTRICT NEWSLETTER for September 14, 2018
Strengthening Our Community Through Excellence in Education
Learning into the future!
From the Superintendent

Hello Team Northshore, 

What a beautiful September day we have enjoyed and what interesting and exciting times we are experiencing in our many and varied schools and departments. So many amazing and well attended Open House and Curriculum Night events. We are truly well connected and making a difference for thousands!!  

It turns out that this is National Arts in Education Week. The transformative power of the arts can not be overstated and is an integral part of the Northshore educational experience. The national theme for the year centers around the topics of celebrate, advocate and participate. "The arts are an essential part of a complete education, no matter if it happens in the home, school, or community. Students of all ages—from kindergarten to college to creative aging programs—benefit from artistic learning, innovative thinking, and creativity. Celebrating National Arts in Education Week is a way to recognize this impact and share the message with friends, family, and communities." Imagine the possibilities...

In news from Ana Loera Foy, our Truancy & Community Truancy Board Coordinator, it turns out that September is Attendance Awareness Month. Did you know a student who misses 10% or more of their school days which can mean just two days a month for any reason is considered chronically absent? Northshore uses a multi-tier approach to support our students. Our schools foster a positive and engaging school climate. We have incredible staff at our buildings who offer early intervention efforts to address barriers to attendance. We are fortunate to have a positive relationship with King County Prosecutor's Office by providing Re-engagement workshops throughout the year to our students who find themselves truant. Last year, we developed Northshore Community Truancy Board for our student and families as a Tier 3 intervention. Our goal is to support our students to attend, be engaged and be successful in attaining their full potential. We know that students who miss school miss out on great opportunities for success and appreciate everyone who is working so hard to support healthy attendance patterns for our students; it matters.  

The Smithsonian Institution is hosting free admission at hundreds of museums across the country, including 43 in Washington and 20 in Oregon, on Saturday, September 22. You can look up participating museums and start planning your visit now.  Museum Day is an annual celebration of boundless curiosity hosted by Smithsonian magazine.  What a great Goal 4: Innovative, Creative, Critical Thinkers connection; Imagine the possibilities...

In exciting news from our Food and Nutrition Department, according to Juliana Fisher, the department’s director, the Northshore School District’s Food Services department will begin piloting “from scratch” recipes at select schools. Currently, some items that the District offers are “box-to-oven” meals. Fisher said the initiative is an effort to begin moving away from processed foods, so the kitchens at the pilot schools will prepare more items from scratch. “We’ll be offering more variety in our secondary schools this year, with a focus on adding scratch elements to certain menu items, as well as testing more from-scratch recipes,” Fisher said. Fisher added that the District will work with families and the community to get feedback on the new items and to figure out the best way to roll them out to the rest of the schools. In addition, the District will make more fresh fruits and vegetables available at all schools. Fisher said the District increased the availability of those items during the summer meal program at Northshore Middle School, and that proved to be very successful. The new recipes will be piloted at Leota Middle School and Wellington Elementary School. I can't wait to visit and provide taste testing expertise.

I am mindful that this week was the remembrance of the tragic events of that fateful September day seventeen years ago forever etched in our hearts and minds. In his Presidential Proclamation, the President shared; "On Patriot Day, we honor the memories of the nearly 3,000 precious lives we lost on September 11, 2001, and of every hero who has given their life since that day to protect our safety and our freedom. We come together, today, to recall this timeless truth: When America is united, no force on Earth can break us apart. Our values endure; our people thrive; our Nation prevails; and the memory of our loved ones never fades." As you have occasion to do so, please take time to thank a first responder or service person who work so hard to protect our safety and freedom. 

I wish each of you a fabulous late summer weekend as we know fall is fast approaching...

Warmest regards,

Michelle Reid, Ed.D.
Superintendent 
News & Updates
Early Release on Wednesdays
As a reminder to families, Northshore schools dismiss early on Wednesdays. You can download the district's 2018-19 one-page calendar as a reference. Dismissal times for each school can be found on the district's 2017-18 Schools Directory webpage.
Help Us Share Important Information Quickly
When there is a power outage, school delay, bears on campus or reason to quickly communicate with families, our schools and District offices must have accurate contact information for every student. Here's how you can help:

Updating Contact Information

We encourage parents to take a few minutes to check their contact information, including phone numbers and email addresses. Not only do schools use parent email addresses to create school mailing lists, the district also uses email and automated phone calls as tools for sharing important information with families, including safety and emergency messages.

Parents can check their contact information in ParentVUE. Please contact the school if help is needed in accessing ParentVUE or if there are updates to contact information.

Setting Your Preferred Communications Language

The District and our schools use a communication platform called Blackboard to send messages to our families. Families whose preferred language at home is listed in the Student Records database as a language other than English may receive Blackboard communications in that designated language. Most communication platforms use auto-translation services that are often incorrect. We apologize for any errors shared as we research a better translation system.

If you are comfortable receiving important and sometimes urgent school and District communications in English, please contact your student's school office and to update the primary language to English found on the Parent screen in the student records database.
Fresh from the Kitchen
Northshore School District’s Food Services department has begun piloting “from scratch” recipes at select schools in an effort to begin moving away from processed foods.

To learn more about pilot programs at Leota Middle School and Wellington Elementary School view the full story here.
Safety and Security
Building Safety Designations
It is important that you and your student are familiar the different building safety designations so you will understand what it means and how to respond if one is ever announced. 

Lockdown - Reserved for the most serious of situations, such as a weapon on or near campus. All students are brought indoors, classroom doors are locked, students may hide, staff may barricade doors and cover windows, and the normal education process stops.

Safe Inside - A designation in Northshore that is used when situations do not require a full Lockdown, such as wildlife near campus. Students are brought indoors and exterior building doors are locked but the educational process and interior activity may continue.

Shelter-in-Place - A designation meant to address atmospheric hazards, such as a gas leak. All students are brought indoors; windows are closed, locked and possibly taped, fans are turned off and towels may be placed under doors.

Evacuation - A designation where it is safer for students to be outside than inside, such as an unstable building structure. Students and staff leave the building following similar procedures they would use in a fire drill.


For more information about Northshore Safety and Security, please visit the website here.
Keeping Students Safe from Outside Hazards
Your student’s safety is our top priority. We take every precaution to ensure your students are safe and secure at school, and we want to help ensure that students are safe when they travel to and from school and in our community.

Please take this opportunity to talk with your child about personal safety and security.

  • Do not walk alone and walk in groups of two or more.
  • Never get into a vehicle with a stranger—fight, shout, scream, kick, bite, run and tell.
  • Never take anything a stranger offers you—do not accept candy, food or money from a stranger.
  • Do not walk alone in the dark.
  • Stay away from abandoned places—do not go alone into deserted buildings, empty parking lots or places where there are few people around.
  • Remain on school grounds during school hours.
  • Immediately tell responsible adults about any suspicious activities or people encountered while going to or from school and give as many details as possible.

For more safety tips or reporting information visit these sites:
Upcoming Events
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Coffee with the Superintendent
Families and other community members are invited to join Dr. Michelle Reid for an open chat on Wednesday, October 10 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at McMenamins Anderson School, Thorndike Room. Please come with questions, comments, concerns or discussion topics.  
Conversations with the Board 
Conversations with the Board takes place on Monday, October 15,
7-8:30 p.m., in the Inglemoor High School library. This evening forum is open to everyone and designed to allow for two-way conversation in an informal setting.

Attendees are invited to share their ideas about opportunities for Northshore and priorities for the district over the next 3-5 years.
Family Meet and Greet with the Superintendent
Throughout the school year, Dr. Michelle Reed will spend a morning at each one of our schools. She invites parents and guardians of each school to join her at 8:30 a.m. for a meet and greet prior to her visiting with students and classrooms. 

Sept. 21: Canyon Creek cafeteria
Sept. 27: Cottage Lake library
Sept. 28: Moorlands library

Stay tuned for the October Meet and Greet dates and locations.
Partnerships and Volunteers
Calling All Volunteers
Are you interested in volunteering this year? Volunteer applications for the 2018-19 school year are live. We encourage families, higher education students, alumni and community members to submit your applications if they plan to volunteer this year.

Volunteer oppportunties include:
  • Classroom help
  • Playground supervision
  • Tutoring and mentoring
  • Art Docent Program
  • Field trip chaperones

Northshore families, connect with your school office to learn more about your school's needs.

Community members, alumni and students make sure to submit your application to the District Office to be matched with a school.

Click here to start your volunteer application.
Join the Equity & Diversity Committee
The Northshore School District invites all students, parents, staff, and community members to consider serving on Equity & Diversity Committee.

The Equity & Diversity Committee serves as an advisory to the School Board and Superintendent, and advocate for our community at large. The committee’s aim is to provide these stakeholders with support, guidance, and information to fuel equitable practices in our district overall.

There are 10 membership spots open. Northshore students, parents, staff, and community members are encouraged to apply here.

Applications will be accepted until Friday, September 28, 2018.

School Board News
2017-18 school board members with superintendent
School Board Meeting Information
School Board meetings are held on the second and fourth Mondays of most months.

Please note, School Board adjusted date for November:
Tuesday, November 13, 2018

For information on School Board meetings including minutes, agendas videos and live streaming, visit the
Quick Links
Key Dates
Sept 12: Wednesday Early Release
Sept 17: First Day of School for Sorenson Early Childhood Center
Sept 19: Wednesday Early Release
Sept 24: School Board Meeting, 7 p.m.
Sept 26: Wednesday Early Release

Northshore School District prohibits discrimination on the basis of age, sex, marital status, genetic information, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, honorably discharged veteran or military status, or the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability, unless based upon a bona fide occupational qualification, in all its employment procedures, training, programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employee(s) have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged unlawful discrimination: Director of Human Resources (Title IX, ADA and Civil Rights Compliance), Director of Career and College Readiness (Section 504), 3330 Monte Villa Parkway, Bothell, WA 98021, 425-408-6000.