Greetings Envision Friends and Families, 

Here’s What’s Hot at Envision this month: 

In this issue you will find: 

• What’s Hot at Envision? 
• Calling All Volunteers! 
• Yearbook! Get your Yearbook! 
• Principal Check-In Survey 
• Upcoming Important Dates to Calendar 
• Important School Phone Numbers 

We are excited to be collaborating with more community partnerships and career experiences! 

Yes! In addition to partnering with the Food Bank, Pleasant Glade Elementary, and Seven Oaks Elementary to provide service-learning opportunities. We added Black Dog Farm and Animal Sanctuary to the list.  

Similarly, Envision has hosted several guest speakers to share with students their expertise as well as provide guidance and potentially ongoing career mentorship.  In addition to regular monthly sessions with PUSH for Dreams Mentoring, we recently hosted 

• Guest Speaker: Jim Swortz from Boeing- Environmental Health and Safety 
• Guest Speaker- Eugene Brown- Edward Jones (Financial Education) 
• Guest Speaker: Adam Conkle- Web Designer 
• Guest Speaker: Katrina Swenson-Olympic Therapy 
• Guest Speaker: South Puget Sound Community College (Tusalava Kuaea) 
• More to Come! 

We also hosted our first ever Women Leaders Symposium! Local women leaders joined us in a panel presentation to students followed by a breakout session for smaller groups of students.  

Our Women Leaders Panel included: 

• Denise Sawatzky – Owner of TAGS Awards and Specialties and Envision’s official Partner in Education 
• Lara Anderson – Founder and Principal Designer of Red Door Interiors 
• Jaquelin Earley – Sierra Pacific Industries Human Resource Coordinator 
• Brooklyn Hooper – CPA with a small local firm, Bliss and Tuttle. She is passionate about her role serving as a small business liaison in Boston Harbor, supporting young entrepreneurs. 

This month, February 8th, in honor of Black History Month, Envision is proud to host our first ever Black Leaders Symposium!  We will be joined by a few local Black Leaders and small business owners. Stay tuned for more information on these amazing people and their bios! 

Opportunity #1: 

North Thurston Public Schools is looking for volunteers to help with our community café for Multiracial families on February 28. If you are interested in helping with this event or joining the café as a participant, please visit the event information on our district calendar. This has both the registration and volunteer sign-up links. 

In addition, you may contact either principal Brody LaRock or Courtney Schrieve in the NTPS Equity department at the following email addresses:  

• Brody LaRock: blarock@nthurston.k12.wa.us 
• Courtney Schrieve: cshchrieve1@nthurston.k12.wa.us 

Opportunity #2: 

Envision seeks a few family volunteers to join us for our school accreditation visit on February 23.  The Association of Educational Service Districts (AESD) is sending a few people to Envision to interview students, staff, and families about what is going well at Envision and how it can improve.  If you are interested in serving as a family member on our accreditation team, please contact either the Office Team at Envision or principal Brody LaRock at: 

• Envision Office Team: ecaoffice@nthurston.k12.wa.us 
• Brody LaRock: blarock@nthurston.k12.wa.us 

The last day of the winter yearbook sale is Tuesday, January 31st. This is the last chance to purchase yearbooks with specialized cover personalization, including student name, activity/club icons and grad year, plus ordering additional options, such as signature pages. After January 31st, yearbooks will not be on sale again until May, and at an increased price. Families of seniors, please also note that Wednesday, February 8th is the last day to place a commemorative graduation ad in the yearbook. 

Purchase a yearbook and ads >>  

Once on the webpage, all you need to do is scroll down to see all school spirit purchase options through Jostens. 

How am I doing as your principal? A super-short survey >> 

• February 3: Semester 1 Ends – 1/2 Day Dismissal at 10:10 
• February 6: Semester 2 Begins 
• February 8: Black Leaders Symposium at Envision 
• February 8: ACT Day Early Dismissal at 12:25 
• February 20: No School – Presidents’ Day 
• February 22: ACT Day Early Dismissal at 12:25 
• February 23: Association of Educational Service Districts (AESD) School Accreditation Visit to Envision 

• Envision Office: 360-412-4880
• Health Room: 360-412-4886
• Counselor: 360-412-4884

Greetings Envision Friends and Families,

Here’s What’s Hot at Envision this month:

In this issue you will find:

• What’s Hot at Envision?
• What’s Up with Wednesdays? Permission Forms Still Available!
• Upcoming Dates to Calendar
• Important School Phone Numbers

We are excited to be moving forward with more community partnerships and career experiences!

Yes, Envision has been partnering with the Food Bank, Pleasant Glade Elementary, and Seven Oaks Elementary to provide service learning opportunities. We are adding Black Dog Farm and Animal Sanctuary to the list.

In addition, Envision has hosted several guest speakers to share with students their expertise as well as provide guidance and potentially ongoing career mentorship. So far, we have heard from:

• Members from our own NTPS Facilities Department: Plumbing, HVAC, and Construction
• South Puget Sound Community College
• Evergreen State College
• uMass Global
• John Harris – Starbucks Recruiter
• Members from PUSH for Dreams Mentoring
• More to Come!

In January, Envision is hosting several speakers including our first ever Women Leaders Symposium! Local women leaders will be joining us in a panel presentation followed by breakout sessions for smaller groups of students. We will then travel over the coming weeks to some of these businesses (and more) to begin establishing additional career experiences like job shadows, career mentorships, and internships.

Our Women Leaders Panel includes:

Denise Sawatzky – Owner of TAGS Awards and Specialties and Envision’s official Partner in Education

Lara Anderson – Founder and Principal Designer of Red Door Interiors

Jaquelin Earley – Sierra Pacific Industries Human Resource Coordinator

Jasmin Smith – flying in from Alaska – Entrepreneur, Small-Business Consultant, Community Organizer, owner of Baby Vend Unlimited.

Brooklyn Hooper – CPA with a small local firm, Bliss and Tuttle. She is passionate about her role serving as a small business liaison in Boston Harbor, supporting young entrepreneurs.

Stay tuned for our February Black Leaders Symposium! If you or anyone you know would like to present at this, please contact Brody LaRock at: 360-412-4880.

Envision Supports Pleasant Glade

Envision Supports the Food Bank

Envision Supports Seven Oaks

Please see the permission letter and form linked here. We are asking that the forms be returned to the Envision Office before winter break (December 20th). If you have filled it out once, you do not need to complete again for this school year.

Thank you for helping us streamline our process!

Families of graduating 12th graders, there is still time to order your graduation packets at a discount! Please see this message from our friends at Jostens:

Welcome Class of 2023 Students / Families:

We are excited to be a part of your journey this year and look forward to celebrating with you moments that matter. Your senior order week to receive discounted pricing and other promotions has been extended until Wednesday, DECEMBER 30, 2022. Click here and go directly to your school ordering HUB https://jostensss.com/envisionhub Senior Order week is the only time we will be waiving shipping fees.

If you have any questions about graduation, please contact our co-coordinators:

• Matt Monnastes: mmonnastes@nthurston.k12.wa.us
• Jackie Foster: jfoster@nthurston.k12.wa.us

• December 19 & 20: School IS in session! All Day!
• December 21 – January 3: Winter Break
• Wednesday, January 4: School Resumes
• January 11 & 25: ACT Days – Early Dismissal at 12:25
• January 18: Women Leaders Symposium from 8:50-10:25
• February 3: Semester 1 Ends – 1/2 Day Dismissal at 10:10

• Envision Office: 360-412-4880
• Health Room: 360-412-4886
• Counselor: 360-412-4884

Greetings Envision Friends and Families,

Here’s What’s Hot at Envision this month. In this issue you will find:

• Welcome New Staff!
• Envision Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony!
• What’s Up with Wednesdays? Permission Forms Now Available!
• Conferences
• Upcoming Dates to Calendar
• Important School Phone Numbers

Please join us in welcoming the newest staff member to our team!

Charlene Sandifer is our new Positive Behavior Intervention Systems and Library Educator. She will be in classrooms supporting students and, among many other things, helping us to publicly recognize all the great contributions that students are making to our Envision community. 

This is the first official year we have all 4 grade levels and all 4 career pathways at Envision. Now is the time to celebrate (finally!) our opening!  
Please join us this Wednesday morning, October 19, 2022 at 9:00am for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony, light refreshments, visits with school board, superintendent, staff and students and take a short stroll through our building.  

We look forward to seeing you there!

Please read and complete the permission letter and form linked below for our Wednesday 5 Key Experiences. We are asking that your completed forms be returned to the Envision Office by the end of next week, October 21, 2022. 

• Download the Wednesday Permission Letter & Form

Thank you for helping us streamline our process!

Student and family conferences are coming up soon, October 24-27 from 10:30 am–2:25 pm. We will host additional evening conferences on Wednesday, October 26 until 6:25 pm.  

We have streamlined the sign-up process, making it easier for families to coordinate times with their other students in other schools as well. All of this will be done through Skyward Family Access starting next week. We will let you know when sign-ups are available.

• October 19: ACT Day – Early Dismissal @ 12:25 pm
• October 24-28: Half Days – Conferences – Students dismiss at 10:10 am
  • Link to sign-ups will be sent out in a few days!
• November 10: Last Day of the 1st Quarter
• November 11: No School – Veteran’s Day
• November 16: ACT Day – Early Dismissal @ 12:25 pm
• November 23-25: No School – Mid-Fall / Thanksgiving Break

• Envision Office: 360-412-4880
• Health Room: 360-412-4886
• Counselor: 360-412-4884 

Greetings Envision Friends and Families, 

Welcome to the 2022-2023 School Year! We have many important updates to share with you as we get ready to head back into the classroom. Read on for details about our first days of school, schedule changes, and more.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our school office at ecaoffice@nthurston.k12.wa.us or 360-412-4880.

Proud to be a Fyre Gryphon!

Principal Brody LaRock

As many of you know Michael Dallas and Maria Sed said good-bye to students at the end of the year last year and are moving on to new adventures.   

• Theresa Wilkerson, our nurse last year, will be at one school next year, not multiple schools and so will not be here. Theresa Riness, our Health Room Assistant is still here!!! 
• Our mental health specialist, Alina Kohnen, who shared us with other schools will be in those schools full-time and so will not be returning.   
• And a new farewell goes to Mike Lunde, our former Dean of Students. Mike was very committed to Envision and torn between choices offered him this summer. In the end, he accepted a position closer to home and family.  

Please join me in sending kind thoughts to these individuals who gave so much to our community.  

And now, please join me in welcoming some new members to our Team! 

• Jackie Foster is our new full-time counselor! 
• Tanya Azarenko-Schram is our new Biomedical Sciences Pathway CTE Teacher! 
• Kent Johnson is our new Agricultural Sciences Pathway CTE Teacher! 
• Fatima Mbarki is joining our special education team and will be in classrooms supporting students! 
• Kim Hively is our new school Psychologist, here 1 day a week (likely Mondays)! 
• Heather Hancock is our new nurse, here 1 day a week! 

Please join me in also welcoming our new 9th grade class of students and families as well as our new 10th grade students and families!   

Finally, welcome to our first official class of 12th graders! Whoop! Whoop! 

I am so proud to be walking with you all through everything this year brings! 

Bookmark our ECA 2022-23 bell schedule page! >>

One of the things that sets us apart from any other high school in North Thurston Public Schools is the fact that we offer students the opportunity to take part in 5 Key Experiences: 

1. Career Planning 
2. Job Shadowing 
3. Career Mentoring 
4. Internships 
5. Service Learning 

These 5 Key Experiences are designed, in part, to give students an opportunity to explore career pathways that interest them. Through these experiences, students may just as easily find their career path as find out what they are not interested in pursuing. Both experiences are extremely valuable. Based entirely on both student and staff input last spring, to best provide these opportunities, we will be re-envisioning what school looks like on Wednesdays.  

This year, students will have a consistent 6-period day schedule on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. While these are distinct periods and classes, teachers are teaming and collaborating in several ways to ensure a cohesive, cross-content program. On Wednesdays, students will be engaging in the 5 Key Experiences in 1 of 3 ways:  

• Engaging in one of the 5 Key Experiences off campus on occasion 
• Engaging in one of the 5 Key Experiences on campus on occasion 
• Engaging in a comprehensive, problem-based project on campus 
• Receiving additional supports on campus 

What students will be doing and where they will be going on any given Wednesday will be closely monitored by their advisor, our full-time counselor, our PBIS Coordinator, our Principal, and in collaboration and consultation with families.  

In addition, as student safety is our paramount concern, we will be working closely with the district, our district partners, and the local businesses and organizations our students wish to work with to make sure every measure is taken to ensure student physical, mental, and emotional safety. 

More information about our What’s Up with Wednesdays will be shared at our upcoming Open House. 

All incoming 9th graders and new 10th graders will be receiving Chromebooks here on Day 1.  

All returning Envision students, please bring your Chromebooks with you on Day 1, charged and ready to go.

We believe in using Restorative Practices to help resolve conflict. Restorative Practices (RP) is a social science that focuses on positive relationships through participatory learning and decision-making. The use of Restorative Practices helps to 1) reduce crime, violence, and bullying, 2) improve human behavior, 3) strengthen civil society, 4) strengthen relationships, and 5) repair harm.  

Students who are in conflict and/or are not meeting our EMBER Code / our Envision Way school-wide expectations are given the opportunity to reflect on their choices, share their truth about the situation, feel listened to and ultimately repair harm and correct behavior. By working together with the student(s) using Restorative Practices tools, we are able to repair harm done, rebuild relationships and successfully restore and enhance the learning community.  

With few exceptions, the entire Envision staff is and continues to be trained to use basic restorative practices. We also have a Restorative Center this year for small restorative circles to take place. Because we believe student voice and participation is the key to our school and community success, students who are interested and demonstrate a certain level of responsibility and sensitivity will also be trained in facilitating restorative practices.   

Read more information on Restorative Practices in North Thurston Public Schools >>

• September 7: First Day of School 
• September 15: Envision Open House, 4:00-5:00pm – IN PERSON! WHOOP! WHOOP! 
• September 21: Picture Day! + ACT Day – Early Dismissal @ 12:25 
• September 30: No School – Teacher Professional Development Day 
• October 5: ACT Day – Early Dismissal @ 12:25 
• October 19: ACT Day – Early Dismissal @ 12:25 
• October 24-28: Half Days – Conferences – Students dismiss at 10:10