Jan. 2023

• Martin Luther King Jr. Assembly - Jan. 13
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day - Jan. 16 (No School)
• End of First Semester - Feb. 2
• Semester Break Day - Feb. 3 (No School)

As the new calendar year begins, we are entering the season to start planning for the 2023-24 school year. 

Current Spokane Garry Middle School 6th & 7th grade students will be registering for their 7th & 8th grade classes, respectively. During the first couple of weeks in February, students will participate in Advisory lessons to preview class offerings and fill out their registration forms to sign up for classes for the 2023-24 school year. Spokane Garry registration information will be available on the school’s website.

Current 8th graders will be working with Spokane Garry grade-level counselors and counselors from their move-up high school to register for their 9th-grade classes. 



• Shadle Park High School - Incoming Freshmen Parent Night on Wednesday, January 25, 2023, at 6:00 pm, in the Shadle Park theater

• John R. Rogers High School - Incoming Freshmen Parent Night on Thursday, February 9, 2023, at 6:00 pm, at Rogers HS

Spokane Garry Middle School will also be working with Arlington, Whitman, and Lidgerwood Elementary to help current 5th graders register and transition to 6th grade during the month of February. 

January 16th is a day off from school, but we are challenging students to not make it a day off. Leading up to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, students in Advisory will learn about the life and teachings of Dr. King. Students will gain a deeper understanding of Dr. King’s enduring legacy and teachings.

Happy New Year Garry Families! January is the time a lot of people start preparing for the next school year. As a parent, sometime this seems crazy, but early January is when the schools start to prepare students and families for the next school year.

For our incoming 6th grade families, this means having discussions about moving up to Spokane Garry. Having conversations with your students about what this will look like and what to expect can help prepare them for success. Start talking about things like switching classes and how to manage work for multiple classes. For our current 6th and 7th grade families, the transition between grades might not seem so drastic. However, it is important to remember that in middle school we are preparing students for success in high school. Now is the time to think about what went well this year and what didn't go well so better choices are planned for success next year.

For our current 8th grade families, the transition from middle school to high school can be scary. There is an understanding that high school is a vital time for life long success. I remember when my oldest son in special education transitioned. I was worried I didn’t know everything I needed to know so my son could have the best chance to succeed. As a matter of fact, the district realizes they need to do more to help families be knowledgeable about class choices as their students start the last leg in their academic journey. I can’t possibly write everything you need to, should, or could know in this article. Start having in-depth conversations with your student about what they want to do in the future will help them make the right class choices during the upcoming registration process.

In addition, SPS has a variety of diverse programs across multiple schools to meet the unique needs and interests of all students. Your child could do what is called a choice transfer into a high school that offers programs that align with their future goals. The importance of thinking of this now is that there is an application process, and it has already opened. The window to apply to choice into a specific program is January 3-February 15th. You can look here to see what specialty programs are offered. We also have our five comprehensive high schools which provide specific class choices that may not be found at other schools, and you can choice into those as well. Finally, if you decide a program at a different high school or at one of our choice schools would best meet the needs of your child, you can find the application for a choice transfer here.

For some families none of this will be new information, but for some of you this might be a lot to digest. I am always available and eager to help with any questions you may have. Never hesitate to reach out if I can help in any way!

Devony Audet

Family Engagement Coordinator 

devonya@spokaneschools.org

509-354-5170

Office Hours: Monday-Friday 8:45 am-4:00 pm

Located in Room 125W/Spokane Garry Community Center

Miranda Adair

CIS Community in Schools

MirandaA1@spokaneschools.org

509-354-5132

8:00 AM to 8:55 AM Tuesday through Friday

and

Monday through Thursday from 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM

Ashley Bartels

21^st CCLC Site Coordinator

509-354-5133

January's trait of the month is Commitment. Commitment is sticking to your choices. A willingness to practice and fulfill your obligations or goals even when it is challenging or you don't feel like it.

"Commitment is an act, not a word.”

— Jean-Paul Sartre,

French Playwrite and Philosopher

November Students of the Month

7th Grade Volleyball

The 7th-grade volleyball teams ended their year with a record-breaking season. The 7th grade JV team ended their season 6-1 with the help of coach Jon Suzukawa, while the 7th-grade varsity team ended their season undefeated (7-0) with the help of coach Mrs. Sargent.

The following players won the following awards which were chosen by their coaches:

JV Awards:

• MVP: Monica Cing
• Most Improved: Eliza Dragomir
• Spirit of Garry: Kelsey Fritchen
• Coach’s Award: Lilly Lukenbill

Varsity Awards:

• MVP: Kelly Rasmusson
• Most Improved: Audrena Mendoza
• Spirit of Garry: Nevaeh Bothwell
• Coach’s Award: Kahlei Reiher
• Most Inspirational: Gracie Butters

Describe what you do at Spokane Garry Middle School and how long you’ve worked here.

I currently teach 7th and 8th-grade math. I have worked at Garry for 10 years.

What do you love about your job?

I love working with students and helping them get to the “ah-ha!” moment. I love working with middle school students – they are quirky, moody, dramatic, and darling!

How do you like to spend your time when you’re not at work?

I enjoy spending time with my husband and son. We like to ski and ride our e-bikes. I love camping at Priest Lake and taking my two black labs to the river. My other hobbies include cooking and learning to golf.

What’s something people don’t know about you?

Something most people don’t know about me is that when I was growing up, my dad worked at Great America theme park in Santa Clara, CA. My sister and I would spend most Friday nights and Saturdays at the park, riding roller coasters over and over. When we got tired of it, we would sneak into the employee area and go find our dad’s office because he always had candy and popcorn available. Sometimes we would wander over to the security station and ask an officer to give us a ride back to the front of the park and we would do it all over again until it was time to go home.

What are some pets you’ve had or would like to own?

I have two of the best dogs in the world! Ladybear and Bodhizafa (Bodhi) had puppies last year and it was a TON of work, but also a lot of fun. We’ve had many pets over the years, including, lots of chickens, a Chinese Water Dragon, and too many fish to count.

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What's happening next month:

• End of 1st Semester - Feb. 2
• Semester Break-Day - Feb. 3 (No School)
• School Counseling Week - Feb. 6 to Feb. 10
• President's Day - Feb. 20 (No School)
• Teacher's Learning Day/PLID - Feb. 21 (No School)