North Mason School District

📣Share your voice, North Mason! Possip Pulse Checks® are a great way to keep us updated on your needs! Next survey coming October 2nd! Learn more by watching these videos: English: https://youtu.be/P5Zcy4an3qM Spanish: https://youtu.be/Im5RJ3ZdNdk

🐟 Marine Biology students from NMHS went on their first work-based learning field trip today as part of the newly launched Natural Resource Management CTE Pathway. They visited Minter Creek Hatchery where they learned to spawn salmon, examine the incubation trays, learned about the wire coded tags, intakes and fish raceways. Essentially, they were introduced to the complete process of working at a hatchery! Thank you, Ms. Landers, for sharing this information so we can see the opportunities our students are benefitting from as part of the CTE offerings in our district. For more information on the CTE programs available, please contact Alexia Hadfield, CTE Director or visit our website at https://www.northmasonschools.org/o/nmhs/page/career-technical-education

Hawkins MS ended the week with their first spirit assembly of the year that more resembled the opening ceremonies at the Olympics. Students sat with their advisories, waving posters and cheering to celebrate the launch of their Olympic theme. The festivities began with a timed trivia challenge that had the volume in the room increasing after every answer. The year-long competition groups students by their advisories and is designed to increase participation, boost charity drives, and highlight other projects that will be rolled out over the course of the year. Let the games begin! #GoHuskies

Students were very proud to show off their (almost) completed flag projects today in Ms. Cole's 5th grade class. They've put in a lot of effort: selecting a country, conducting in-depth research to compile data, then creating posters to present these facts. Beyond the facts, students looked into the cultural diversity by exploring the food and customs of their chosen country. One of Ms. Cole's goals with this in-depth project was to create an awareness and appreciation of different cultures; something clearly on display when hearing the students speak about their countries. Impressive! Well done, Bobcats!

Students and their families learned important details associated with having a successful high school career at the Freshman Orientation Night held yesterday in the Commons. Career counselor Deb Swaser explained the 'ins and outs' of all things high school, including credit checks, classes and graduation requirements. The well-attended evening provided a wealth of knowledge for students and their families. Thank you to our high school counseling team for hosting this valuable session, and Assistant Principal Hackett for sharing this information. And, a BIG thank you to all who attended. Participation = Student Success! #GoBulldogs

NMSD Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month September 15th - October 15th Happy Independence Day to our students and families from Mexico (9/16), Guatemala (9/15) and Honduras (9/15)!

🥧 It was a fun-filled Friday at the NMHS student assembly celebrating all things Bulldogs. Not as much fun for the teachers getting a pie in the face! The teachers came up short in the staff vs. student competitions at 'Rise Above Day' on the first day of school, where students heard expectations about the district's four pillars: Responsible, Respectful, Safe and Kind. Rise Above Day also included a review of the student handbook and learning all about HOW to be a BULLDOG. Thank you, Principal Collins, for sharing this fun end to the week at NMHS!

📢 GATES Scholarship applications due September 15, 2024 @ 2:00 PM PT ! Visit the website to apply: https://www.thegatesscholarship.org/scholarship 🔴 About The Gates Scholarship The Gates Scholarship (TGS) is a highly selective, last-dollar scholarship for outstanding, minority, high school seniors from low-income households. Each year, the scholarship is awarded to exceptional student leaders, with the intent of helping them realize their maximum potential. Selected Scholars will receive funding for the full cost of attendance to earn a bachelor’s degree, that is not already covered by other financial aid and the Student Aid Index, as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), or the methodology used by a Scholar’s college or university. Costs covered include tuition, fees, books, and food and housing, and may include additional personal costs.

4-H Starts October 1st! Open to youth ages 5-18. Contact Pam Pettingill to join. nanaladyof2@gmail.com

🔴 Bear Creek Dewatto Road Closure Extended 🔴 We received an update from Mason County that the closure at the Bear Creek Dewatto twin culvert replacement project has been extended due to an equipment breakdown. The road is now scheduled to reopen at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 11, 2024. For more information and detour maps, please visit the Mason County website https://masoncountywa.gov/public-works/road-closures.php. We will continue to pick up and drop off students at the alternate stop until the road opens. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

🍏🥙🥞CNEEB Form Due September 6th! The CNEEB form was sent home on the first day of school with your student. Please fill this out and return to your school no later than September 6th. The information you provide helps qualify the district for free and reduced meal benefits. Thank you for your attention to this matter!

📢Your Voice Matters!📢 We are still accepting community members for the Replacement Levy Committee. Please consider being part of this important discussion about the future needs of our district. 🔴 Apply here https://forms.office.com/r/KF7HtvU0c0 🔴 Next scheduled meetings: September 4th and 18th @ 6:00 pm in the district board room. Light refreshments will be served and the meeting will begin at 6:30 pm.

🖐️Welcome to Kindergarten/Bienvenidos a Kinder🖐️ Today we welcome our Kindergarten students! Please drive safely and watch for our students and buses. Thank you for helping us keep our students safe!

Dear Parents and Guardians, The Child Nutrition Eligibility & Education Benefit (CNEEB) form was sent home on the first day of school with your student. Please fill this out and return to your school no later than September 6th. The information you provide helps qualify the district for free and reduced meal benefits. Currently, all North Mason students are eligible for free meals. For more information about CNEEB, visit the OSPI website https://ospi.k12.wa.us/policy-funding/child-nutrition/school-meals/washington-school-meals-application-finder or see below: Child Nutrition Eligibility and Education Benefit Application The Child Nutrition Eligibility and Education Benefit (CNEEB) Application merges the free and reduced-price meal application and the Family Income Survey. Through submission of the CNEEB Application, households may qualify for: Free and reduced-price meal benefits, Summer EBT benefits (if enrolled in an NSLP/SBP school), Reduced fees for other programs and activities, and/or Help secure other educational funding for the Local Education Agency.

Welcome back! We are excited to see our students back on campus. Please remember to drive with caution in school parking lots and school zones. We are committed to student safety and appreciate your cooperation. Please see the attached map for drop off/pick up instructions for Hawkins Middle School. There is no student drop-off or pick-up in the middle school’s upper campus parking lot. Students who do not ride the bus need to be dropped off and picked up in the Stadium lower parking lot off of the Victor Cutoff/Hwy 302. There is a safe walking path for students to reach North Mason High School and Hawkins Middle School. Please refer to the map attached. The green arrows highlight the driving directions for student drop-off/pick-up. The green star is where parents can drop-off/pick-up students. The yellow highlighted area is the walking path for students. Student drop-off/pick-up is not permitted where there are red X’s. We appreciate your cooperation as we work together on keeping our kids safe.

Our teachers have been busy preparing for our students' return and last week engaged in two days of intentional professional development designed to enhance their teaching practices. The day started with long-service awards presented by Superintendent Rosenbach after which she introduced the keynote speaker, Blaire Penry, Washington State's 2024 Teacher of the Year AND a North Mason alumni. "Passionate about empowering students, she uses her lived experiences and activism work to boldly shape the culture of the learning community. She understands that every student comes in with a wealth of knowledge and life experiences and she makes it a priority to encompass their stories and passions into the curriculum." In her keynote speech, Blaire spoke very personally to our teachers, through her lens as an educator but also, most powerfully, as an alumni. She highlighted the importance of equity for students, how it is imperative that they are truly being seen, and how these efforts elevate students' positive sense of self so they are prepared for the future that they choose. Thank you, Blaire, for coming back to share your journey with our staff and administration! To learn more about Blaire's accomplishments, please visit https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/WAOSPI/bulletins/3737074 We look forward to having our students return to campus, Wednesday, August 28th. Please note, there will be no early release the first day back.

🚌 Fill the Bus was a HUGE success with nearly $3,000 raised (and climbing!) in cash donations, along with boxes and boxes of school supplies. Thank you to everyone in our community who supported this fundraiser. What a tremendous show of support! This is our bus drivers' biggest fundraiser of the year, their labor of love, and it completely benefits North Mason students. Thank you, bus drivers! (If you, or someone you know, needs assistance getting school supplies for the upcoming school year, please contact Laura Pugh, Family Community Intervention Liaison, LPugh@northmasonschools.org , 360-277-2241)

Incoming Freshmen & New Student Orientation When: August 27, 2024 from 9 am - noon Where: North Mason High School gymnasium Please note: this orientation is for students only. Parents should direct any questions to Dannette Hull at (360) 277-3003

🚌 It's happening! 🚌 Come on down and support our students! Bus drivers are set up in the QFC parking lot until 1 pm for their biggest fundraiser of the year. Any school supplies and cash donations will be gratefully accepted! Thank you for your support!

It's almost time! Return to School is August 28th for 1st-12th grade and September 3rd for Kindergarten. We can't wait to see our students! Save this link to the calendar for the 24/25 school year https://www.northmasonschools.org/documents/parents%2Fcommunity/calendars/454993