North Mason School District

“We would like to enthusiastically nominate Irina Bailey for Staff Member of the Month! Irina truly goes above and beyond. Despite the whirlwind of changes that come with new administration, she has embraced every new task with grace, humor, and unwavering diligence. Not only is she incredibly hardworking but Irina also brings a joyful and positive attitude to everything she does. Whether she’s handling new challenges or simply sending out one of her famously fantastic emails, she does it all with a smile and a sense of humor that brightens everyone’s day. Her commitment and energy are nothing short of inspiring, and we couldn’t think of anyone more deserving of this recognition.” Jessica Collins, Principal, Sand Hill Elementary

NMHS students had the chance to tour the campus of Pacific Lutheran University on Thursday. Students heard about the admissions requirements and process, programs of study and student life as a Lute. PLU is a Guaranteed Admission University for our students. Learn more here: https://www.plu.edu/admission-first-year/apply/aap-info/

🎃The Fall Festival at Belfair Elementary was the place to be last night! Our North Mason community brought next-level Halloween spirit, showing up for the highly-anticipated event decked out in super creative costumes. Families and friends enjoyed food, fun, and games against a backdrop of the most amazing Halloween decor. Thank you, Belfair Elementary PTA for putting on this jam-packed night of fun for our community. Thank you to all the teachers and volunteers who made it possible. And, a big thank you to the businesses who sponsored the event: Shumaker Chiropractic, Gutter Boss, Scott McLendon's Hardware, Valley Feed, Watts Family Insurance, Watson Fitness, Rick Biehl Law, The Shumaker Real Estate Group.

Try-A-Trade Day North Mason students from boat building, wood working, and other CTE courses joined in exploring career and apprenticeship opportunities from numerous trades at the "Try-A-Trade Day" yesterday. The interactive fair, sponsored, by Core Plus Maritime, gave students an incredible experience to meet with knowledgeable industry professionals in their field of interest. Thank you, Autumn Perry and Deb Swaser for sharing these field trip photos! (If you have questions about CTE pathways available to our students, please visit our counselors at tonight's "Beyond Bulldog Night." See poster attached for details.)

Beyond Bulldog Night! Please join the NMHS Counseling team TODAY for informative sessions on graduation pathways and post-secondary planning! Details on the sessions, with time and location, can be found on the attached poster. Still have questions? Email Deb Swaser, dswaser@northmasonschools.org, or Autumn Perry, aperry@northmasonschools.org

📅 Please note the following schedule for this week: Elementary Schools - October 21st-25th - 1/2 day schedule. Early dismissal 12:50 PM each day. Secondary Schools - October 24th/25th - 1/2 day schedule. Early dismissal - 11:25 AM both days.

📅 Please note the following schedule for next week: Elementary Schools - October 21st-25th - 1/2 day schedule. Early dismissal 12:50 PM each day. Secondary Schools - October 24th/25th - 1/2 day schedule. Early dismissal - 11:25 AM both days.

🎺🥁 Good luck to the NMHS Marching Band and Color Guard as they travel to Kelso, WA tomorrow for the Northwest Youth Music Games Competition. They will compete against eight different bands from across SW Washington and Oregon. Performances begin Saturday, October 19th at 11 am and tickets can be purchased at the gate. For the full program, with performance times, visit https://contestdynamics.com/printschedule.php?EventID=154 Thank you, Chris Drewry, for sharing this information. Good luck to all!

💙 Recognizing Respect 💙 Naree Crabb, Office Coordinator for JTHS, has been nominated by administration for always demonstrating respect. Principal Alexia Hadfield shares, "Naree always treats every individual with respect no matter the circumstances. She is a positive presence in our building." Congratulations, Naree, on this recognition, and thank you for all you do for staff and students!

The Community Bond Advisory Committee rounded out the site visit portion of their work last week by visiting the bus garage, James A. Taylor, North Mason High School, Hawkins Middle School and Phil Pugh Stadium. Principals Chad Collins, Alexia Hadfield, Robert Kalahan, assistant principal Kevin Pattison and Director of Transportation, Maurine Simons, led the informative tours and answered the committee's questions. Members of district leadership and the school board were also part of the tours and conversation. This special committee was formed to assess the needs of our district and provide recommendations to the board. Their focus is on the bond proposition, which will address the current state of our facilities and necessary improvements required to ensure the students of North Mason receive every opportunity. Next CBAC meeting is scheduled for November 13th. For those interested in being part of one of two advisory committees underway, please visit the district website for more information: Bond - https://www.northmasonschools.org/page/cbac Tonight at 6 pm, the Replacement Levy Advisory Committee will meet via zoom. Please contact Jackie Young, jyoung@northmasonschools.org, for the link. The committee is still looking for members and is actively discussing district needs, so join now to have your voice heard. Visit Replacement Levy - https://www.northmasonschools.org/page/rlac for more information and past meeting notes.

Indigenous Peoples Day

In observance of Indigenous Peoples Day, there are no classes for students this Monday, October 14, 2024, NMSD Staff will have a Professional Development Day.

🥎 HMS fastpitch played at home yesterday on what was a perfect fall evening with the sunlight streaming through the trees. The team had a convincing win against Cedar Heights but what the score doesn't show was the incredible teamwork amongst our players, the amazing support of family, friends and coaches, and the genuine sportsmanship and camaraderie that existed between the two teams. It was North Mason at its finest. Well done, Huskies! Seen in these photos are rising freshman being celebrated after playing their last ever middle school home game. Good luck to our future Bulldogs!

💙 Recognizing RESPECT 💙 Congratulations to Deb Boad, Secretary at Belfair Elementary, for being nominated by Admin for demonstrating respect. "Deb shows respect every day and in every way to our families, students and staff. She listens without judgement and never speaks an unkind word of another." Deb Boad will be retiring at the end of this month after being with the district for 24 years. Half of that time she has spent at Belfair Elementary, being the welcoming face our staff, students and families see when they walk into the office. We will miss you, Deb!

📅 SAVE THE DATE!! "Beyond the Bulldog - Career & College Information Night." On October 24th our high school counselors are hosting an informative evening covering the following topics: 4:00 - 6:00 pm - Careers & Colleges (CTE Hallway) 4:15 pm - NCAA Eligibility (Career Center) 5:00pm/6:00pm/7:00 pm - Financial Aid Information (Career Center) 3:15 pm & 6:30 pm - Graduation Requirements & Pathways (Room 126) Please see attached posters for details and contact information.

The North Mason School Board hosted the first in a series of conversations on district/state policies that our community members have expressed interest in. Facilitating the meeting was Superintendent Rosenbach who introduced the board members and administration team, then presented a slideshow on the topic of locker room safety. Included in the presentation were district and state policies that specifically address creating a non-discriminatory educational environment for all students. The lively discussion was conducted in a "world-café" style, with one board member at each table taking notes while 2-3 community members answered a specific question. Groups rotated between tables and questions, spending approximately 7-10 minutes in each conversation. Thank you to all who attended to share their voice! The NMSD board of directors really appreciated the opportunity to meet you all and speak in this small group format. Next up will be our January 15th, 2025 conversation about cell phone policies and restrictions. More information will be shared closer to that time.

💙 Recognizing RESPECT 💙 Dannette Hull, NMHS Office Coordinator, nominated by Admin for demonstrating respect at all times, going above and beyond to help, and, always, with a SMILE! "She is amazing!" Congratulations, Dannette!

Happy National Principals Month! Sending a huge thank you to our incredible principals who lead with dedication and inspire our students every day. Your impact is invaluable! #ThankAPrincipal #NationalPrincipalsMonth

Community Conversation: Locker Room Safety This is the first in a series the district will be hosting to discuss topics of interest to our community. Please RSVP to Jackie Young, jyoung@northmasonschools.org, if you are planning to attend. When: October 2nd, 2024 from 6-8 pm in the NMHS Commons.

🎉TIME FOR A PARTY! 🎉 Students collected staff signatures throughout the month of September when they were recognized as being Prepared, Always Respectful, Working Hard or being Safe. At the end of the month they exchanged their PAWS cards for admission to the PAWS party! Activities students could choose from included drawing, Kahoot, gym sports, field sports, board games, movies and music. Feedback about the event was really positive, some students saying that they enjoyed spending time with friends doing a favorite activity, while others shared that they felt rewarded for completing their work. These PAWS parties will be held each month to acknowledge, and CELEBRATE, students who model these Hawkins' principles. Great job, Huskies! (Thank you to Laura Pugh for sharing these photos and information.)