Each year, NTPS joins our partners at the City of Lacey and the Lacey South Sound Chamber to lead a Compassionate Community project. The Compassionate Community initiative helps make our district a place where everyone belongs and feels safe.

For our project this year, we aim to achieve and celebrate 100,000 acts of kindness!

It’s early November, and we already have recorded more than 6,000 acts of kindness in our community, such as:

• NTPS students, staff, parents, and community members stuffed almost 2,000 backpacks with supplies donated by the Little Red Schoolhouse.
• Horizons Elementary K-Kids Club students spent a day cleaning and labeling books at the South Sound Reading Foundation.
• North Thurston and River Ridge High School students volunteered at the Stuff the Bus event to gather food and home supplies for those in need.
• Lacey Police officers joined the Mountain View Elementary trunk or treat event.
• The Lacey Lamplighters delivered hundreds of dictionaries to NTPS third graders.
• Thrivent and St. Mark Lutheran Church donated more than $1,600 in leggings, joggers, hoodies, underwear, and socks to our Family & Youth Resource Center.
• The North Thurston Education Foundation and partners held a kids' coat event where they made thousands of warm winter coats available for NTPS families.

For every act of kindness reported, we can be sure thousands more are happening around our community. During this month of giving thanks, consider reporting your acts of kindness, and help us reach our goal by the end of the school year! Whether your act impacts one person or 100, it helps us build a Compassionate Community.

Deb

Thank you to all veterans in our NTPS community and beyond! We are grateful for your sacrifice, your bravery, and your service. Our schools recognize Veterans Day through activities that honor the veterans among our staff, families, and community. This year, assemblies throughout the district will include student musical performances, flag processionals, veteran guest speakers, and more.

We're collecting the photos on the Military Support page. Check back often!

Join us from 6:00–7:00 pm on Wednesday, November 15, on Zoom for the next in a series of family webinars about our secondary grading practice improvement initiative. During this webinar, you will learn about the district’s changes in grading practices at the secondary level and how the 4-point grading scale will support learning.

Join the webinar >>

Learn more about secondary grading practices, and read a new Q and A >>

NTPS is excited to present the Special Education Parent Network meetings for the 2023-24 school year. Join us as local agencies come together to showcase the wide range of services and activities available to families in our community. Our first virtual session will be from 5:30–6:30 pm on Thursday, November 16. This session will focus on exploring learning enrichment and valuable community resources. We look forward to seeing you there!

Winter weather is just around the corner, so it’s a good time to review our school closure and delay information. Notice of any school closure or delay will be posted to our website by 6:00 am. We will also send messages via School Messenger (email and text) — please be sure to check your settings in Skyward and School Messenger.  

Read inclement weather guidance on our website >> 

The North Thurston Public Schools Board of Directors is being honored as a 2023 Board of Distinction by the Washington State School Directors’ Association. This prestigious recognition celebrates school boards around the state that demonstrate exceptional leadership and commitment to student success.

We are proud of our Board’s hard work to support students in our district!

WSSDA also featured the NTPS Board in its most recent issue of Direct Magazine. Interested in understanding more about the NTPS Board’s policy governance model? Read about it here >>

The NTPS School Board has approved an agreement with Bezos Academy to open a tuition-free, Montessori-inspired preschool housed on the Seven Oaks Elementary School campus. The preschool, to be named Bezos Academy Lacey – Southeast, will feature three classrooms and have room for 60 students.

The school is slated to open in 2025 after renovation is complete. It will prioritize students from families up to 400 percent federal poverty level, students in foster care, and students experiencing homelessness. The program will partner with our early childhood special education staff in supporting students with special education needs within the Bezos Academy.

NTPS has a strategic plan goal of increasing the number of students who receive high-quality preschool programming before they begin kindergarten. To reach this goal, we offer preschool programs in our school buildings, and through a variety of partnerships.

Bezos Academy will join a group of ongoing NTPS preschool offerings, including:

Free preschool programs for all students with special education needs, with typically developing children enrolled on a tuition basis. Students who are in foster care or McKinney-Vento are eligible to attend tuition-free. (Offered at Meadows, Mountain View, Pleasant Glade, and Woodland Elementary Schools.)

Future Ready Kindergarten, a free transitional program that offers essential academic and social-emotional skills for children the year before they are eligible to attend kindergarten. (Offered for children in the enrollment areas of Chambers Prairie, Horizons, Lacey, Lakes, Lydia Hawk, and Seven Oaks Elementary Schools.)

Existing NTPS preschool partnerships include:

ECEAP and Head Start programs managed and staffed by ESD 113. (ECEAP is offered at Pleasant Glade Elementary, and Hawks Prairie Head Start is offered on the Nisqually Middle School campus.)

Capital Forest Cooperative Preschool, which provides play-based learning for ages 2 to 5 with a family education and engagement component. (Housed in the NTPS Partnership Center.)

Learn more about early learning in NTPS >>

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) determines eligibility for student financial aid. Big changes are coming to FAFSA this year, including more eligibility, a simpler application, and an adjusted timeline. The applications will be available in December 2023. Learn more >>

Thank you to everyone who attended the October 17 Community Conversation on Growing Strong Readers. Community members and partners discussed the science of reading, reading achievement in our schools, NTPS participation in a federal reading study (MTSS-R), and ongoing work to adopt a new elementary reading curriculum.

The NTPS School Board held a work session on October 19 to debrief. It will issue a Board Determination to help guide our district's work in the NTPS Strategic Plan Goal 4: Continuous Growth—All Students, All Subjects, Outcome b: Increased percentage of students demonstrating proficiency on standards.

We will share the Board Determination on the Community Conversation webpage.

Watch the video of the conversation:

Our School Board meetings are an excellent time to hear the latest news from around the district. Be sure to review our Board meeting highlights to learn about:

• The October 24 meeting, a joint meeting with the Lacey City Council, during which they discussed the district’s proposed levies on the February 13, 2024, ballot; the Compassionate Community project for 2023-24; and the NTPS/city partnership that supports school safety.
• The November 2 meeting, which included presentations about school improvement plans.

Flu shots protect against influenza and its potentially serious complications. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends everyone ages 6 months and older get an annual flu shot, with few exceptions.

Flu shots are available and covered by insurance at many local pharmacies and clinics. Talk to your healthcare provider or visit the Washington State Department of Health flu vaccine finder.

The Fall 2023 Community Connections newsletter is hitting about 40,000 mailboxes in our community. This quarterly publication shares many of the great things happening in NTPS with our local community – including acts of kindness and community service, partnerships with the Nisqually Tribe and local law enforcement, construction and design updates, and more. Read the latest issue >>

Local school superintendents reflected on the start of the new school year, social-emotional learning, and current construction projects during the September 15 Superintendents Roundtable. Watch below!

National School Psychology Week is November 6-10. Thank you to all our school psychologists for the important work you do to help our students be successful at school, at home, and in life!

American Education Week is November 13-17. This week honors many who work in our schools, including Education Support Professionals Day on November 15 and Substitute Educators Day on November 17. Thank you for all you do to keep our schools thriving!

Next up in our school video series is Olympic View Elementary!

Watch the Welcome to Olympic View video to learn about how the Eagles community helps students soar as lifelong learners!

Each month, we spotlight a staff member who embodies our 2023-24 district theme, Culture of Kindness. This month we are featuring South Bay Elementary School paraeducator Tom Harn, who goes above and beyond in creating a positive, welcoming environment for South Bay students, staff, bus drivers, and visitors. Read more about Tom >> 

We strive for a safe and positive learning environment at every NTPS school. As part of that environment, we want students, staff, and families to be empowered to resolve conflicts respectfully and constructively. Resolving conflicts is an important skill that takes practice!

We can be proud as a district to open restorative centers at our high schools this month. These are places where trained student volunteers offer peer-based mediation to students under an adult's supervision. There is great power in telling students we believe in their ability to resolve conflicts with the right tools and support.

An Envision Career Academy student who participated in restorative center training in September shared, “My experience there was amazing. We practiced our affective statements and the different types of empathy and how to show it. We also learned how to use the script for restorative circles and what to do in situations where we might be meeting with the group or the two people involved and sitting in a circle and talking about what happened, what questions to ask and what questions to avoid. It was good to learn and start working with my peers this October.”

The restorative centers are the latest step in a multi-year effort to shift our approach to discipline from one that excludes students to one that focuses on repairing relationships and establishing clear behavior expectations. In 2009, we adopted Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS); in 2019, we implemented our social-emotional curriculum.

Visit any NTPS school, and you will see this work in action. Whether it is morning circle time in an elementary school to talk about managing emotions or two high school students resolving a conflict in a restorative center, we promote positive discipline, focusing on the power of relationships and community. That is a Culture of Kindness!

Deb

Our next Community Conversation will focus on Growing Strong Readers. Join other community members from 6:00–8:00 pm on Tuesday, October 17, in the NTPS District Office Boardroom (305 College Street NE) for a conversation about reading instruction and achievement. Register soon >>

The conversation will focus on:

• The science of reading.
• Reading achievement in our schools.
• NTPS participation in a federal reading study (MTSS-R).
• Ongoing work to adopt new elementary reading curriculum.

This conversation aligns with NTPS Strategic Plan Goal 4: Continuous Growth—All Students, All Subjects, Outcome b: Increased percentage of students demonstrating proficiency on standards.

The NTPS School Board hosts Community Conversations to help inform future Board Determinations and keep our district focused on our commitments to our students and families.

Families of students in grades 5-12 are invited to a Human Development & HIV/AIDS Parent Education Night from 6:00-8:00 pm on Wednesday, October 18, at the NTPS District Office Boardroom (305 College Street NE). Families can learn more about the health-related education provided at our schools, review the curriculum, and speak to a school nurse. Mark your calendars >>

We could be anywhere when an earthquake strikes: home, school, work, even at the grocery store. The Great Washington ShakeOut is an annual event to practice earthquake safety. This year’s ShakeOut will be at 10:19 am on Thursday, October 19. Nearly 1 million people around the state participate each year by holding Drop, Cover, and Hold On drills and thinking about how to be better prepared. How to participate in the ShakeOut >>

Does your family need warm winter coats? The North Thurston Education Foundation and other community partners have 2,400 new coats for NTPS students! Drop in from 10:00 am–2:00 pm on Saturday, October 21, at the Horizons Elementary School Gym. Limit of four coats per family. Mark your calendar >>

The SmileMobile dental clinic is back in Lacey! The dental team serves babies, children, teens, and pregnant/postpartum people on Apple Health or uninsured. Now taking appointments for October 23–27. The clinic will be parked at Mountain View Elementary (1900 College Street SE). Call 1-888-286-9105 to make your appointment today! Details & Info >> 

Conferences are a great way to discuss student progress and opportunities. All schools will be on a half-day schedule. Please check your school website for specific release times.

Your school will announce when conference times are available in Skyward Family Access. View scheduling instructions >> 

The Highly Capable Program parent application for kindergarten and 1st grade students is due by October 31. Please submit your application by the deadline if you feel your student would benefit from participating in the Highly Capable Program. Learn more and apply >> 

Active-duty military and federally employed families: Please return your Federal Impact Aid surveys to your child's school by Monday, October 16. Survey responses are confidential and provide our district with federal funding for military support staff, school events, and more. Learn more and download the form >>

Do you remember a special person in your life who positively impacted your childhood? You can make that same difference in a student's life by volunteering one hour a week as an NTPS Lunch Buddy.

A Lunch Buddy provides weekly support to a student who needs extra one-on-one attention from a caring adult. Mentors are positive role models who can help with decision-making, goal setting, social awareness, and relationship skills.

After piloting the Lunch Buddy program at Pleasant Glade Elementary School last spring, it is expanding to more schools this fall. Pleasant Glade Principal Jessica Flanick said mentors have made an impact. "Some students have grown their confidence, some students have grown in their ability to trust, but all students light up when their mentor comes to spend time with them," Flanick said.

Fill out a Lunch Buddy mentoring interest form today >>

If your service club, business, or faith-based organization is interested in a presentation about NTPS mentor opportunities, please email mentoring@nthurston.k12.wa.us.  

We are now accepting Future-Ready Kindergarten applications for the 2023-24 school year. Classes will begin in December 2023 and are available for students who reside within the attendance areas of six elementary schools:

• Chambers Prairie
• Horizons
• Lacey
• Lakes
• Lydia Hawk
• Seven Oaks

Future-Ready Kindergarten is a free program to help students enter kindergarten with the social-emotional and academic skills for success! The program is available for children eligible to start kindergarten in the fall of 2024. Learn more and register >>

Several local school districts are looking at the potential of forming a new Thurston County-focused sports league. Potential benefits could include:

• Reduced overall student and coach travel.
• Reduced time out of classroom.
• Reduced travel costs.
• Reconnection to positive regional relationships among schools and athletes.
• Greater parent/relative/community access to games without significant travel.
• Greater ability to schedule sub-varsity events.

Superintendents and athletic directors are exploring the concept throughout the fall and will work with the community as the conversation progresses.

NTPS students in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12 will voluntarily and anonymously participate in the Healthy Youth Survey along with more than 200,000 students in Washington State this month. The survey focuses on health risks and outcomes and helps guide statewide youth policies and programs. If your student is participating, look for communication from your school about the survey or visit your school’s website. See past results and more information >>

You can order four free rapid COVID-19 tests to be delivered to your home this fall. Visit www.covid.gov/tests to place your order and check if the expiration date has been extended for tests you already have.

Our School Board meetings are an excellent place to hear the latest news from around the district. Be sure to review our Board meeting highlights to learn about:

• The September 19 meeting, which included good news from Meadows Elementary School, a conversation about the Summer Scholars Program, and an update on Strategic Plan Goal 4: Continuous Growth–All Students, All Subjects.
• The October 3 meeting, which included good news from Evergreen Forest Elementary School, an update on Strategic Plan Goal 5: Preparedness for Post-Secondary Success, and the approval of two proposed levies for the February 13, 2024 ballot.

October is National Principals Month. NTPS is grateful for our outstanding principals and assistant principals for everything they do for students, staff, and communities.  

October 2 is National Custodian Appreciation Day. Thank you to our incredible custodians for working hard to keep our schools and buildings safe and clean!

Each month, we spotlight a staff member who embodies our 2023-24 district theme, Culture of Kindness. This month, we are featuring Autumn Cummings, assistant principal at Pleasant Glade and Chambers Prairie elementary schools, who supports positive behaviors and actively gives back to our community! Read our October Culture of Kindness spotlight >>

Welcome to the 2023-24 school year!

As a district, we work hard to make the back-to-school experience warm and welcoming for all families. Each fall, elementary students and their families meet one-on-one with their teacher to talk about the student’s strengths and growth areas. These Family Connections meetings are a great way to build relationships that are cultivated throughout the school year. At the middle and high school level, we provide extra time in advisory as we kick off a new school year to help our students build relationships with their classmates.

In addition, each of our 24 schools hosts special welcome-back events that help students get excited and feel confident about the new school year. For example, the Lacey Elementary open house in early October is a time for students and families to get classroom updates, meet specialists, and participate in a fun activity! Ignite Family Academy hosts an ice cream social for families to play games and get to know one another. And incoming Timberline High School 9th-graders participate in a “Freshman Orientation Extravaganza” filled with surprises and adventures to set the tone for their high school experience. Check your school’s website if you need more information about welcoming events.

Taking care to welcome students intentionally is one way we foster a Culture of Kindness where students feel encouraged, supported, and part of a community. Through our social-emotional learning curriculum K-12, we strengthen relationships between students in the classroom and the school community. Our intentional focus creates an environment where all students feel safe and welcome.

Thank you for embracing a Culture of Kindness. Join us in celebrating the kindness you witness in and around our schools by reporting students' acts of kindness! If you are new to our district, I extend a special welcome to the NTPS family. You can expect to hear from me monthly as we partner to provide students with an excellent education.

Deb Clemens
Superintendent

Join us for a webinar about a proposed Educational Programs & Operations levy and a proposed Capital Levy for technology, safety, and facility improvements at noon on Wednesday, September 27. Superintendent Deb Clemens will provide an overview of how the measures would support our schools with refreshed technology, safety upgrades, and program support, and there will be time for a live Q&A with district staff. Pre-registration is required. We hope to see you there! Register to attend >>

Stop by our annual Stuff the Bus event from 9:00 am–2:00 pm on Saturday, September 30, at the Hawks Prairie Walmart (1401 Galaxy Drive NE) to help support NTPS families in need. Win prizes while donating school supplies, backpacks, toiletries, canned and packaged food, children's books, and household cleaning supplies to help our families in need throughout the school year. Learn more about Stuff the Bus >>

Join us at Lacey Children’s Day from 11:00 am–2:00 pm on Saturday, October 7, at Huntamer Park (618 Woodland Square Loop SE). The theme this year is Bugs! Stop by the NTPS booth to enjoy a bug-themed activity. Rain or shine, we will be there! 

The Skyward Family Access upgrade is complete! Please take a moment to log in and familiarize yourself with the new user interface. While you’re there, you can review your family’s contact information for accuracy and complete back-to-school forms.

Did you know you can report student absences in Family Access? Use the Attendance tile to report absences and even copy the request to multiple students, if needed. This automatically sends a message to your school office – no phone call is required! Read Family Access absence reporting instructions >>

The NTPS School Board approved the 2023-24 school year budget at the August 15, 2023, meeting. The budget includes funding for employees, equipment, and supplies while maintaining a necessary reserve. Read more about our district budget >>

This year, students at eight NTPS schools will receive free breakfasts and lunches!

• Chambers Prairie Elementary
• Envision Career Academy
• Lacey Elementary
• Lydia Hawk Elementary
• Mountain View Elementary
• Nisqually Middle School
• Pleasant Glade Elementary
• Seven Oaks Elementary

No-cost meals are available due to the USDA’s Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) and a new state law. We are thankful for this extra support for our students as we head into the new school year!

Students at all other district schools can qualify for free meals using the Free & Reduced-Price Meals Application. Qualifying students at all schools can waive their ASB fees by completing a Consent to Share form in Skyward Family Access. Learn more about free and reduced-price meals >>

Families who have filled out the Free & Reduced-Price Meals application will have their eligibility notification posted in Family Access. Please log into Skyward Family Access to check the status of your application under the Portfolio tile. Look for an attachment type of Food Service Letter.

More information about free and reduced-price meals >>

You will see more buses on the road as the school year kicks off. We want to be sure our students, drivers, and community members are safe in and around school buses. Please do your part by refreshing your understanding of state laws about when you, as a driver, should stop when around a school bus. We recently posted a helpful school bus safety video from the Washington State Patrol to our Facebook page (see below).

Families should also review the student rider expectations in the Student Rights & Responsibilities Handbook.

We love our volunteers! Volunteering is a great way to support NTPS schools, and there are many opportunities throughout the year to make a difference. New volunteers must submit an application, which includes a background check. Find out more about volunteering and apply today >>

September is Attendance Awareness Month! Consistent attendance helps students thrive in school and sets up good habits that last a lifetime. Regular attendance is missing up to one school day a month, whether excused or unexcused. Good school attendance means:

• Preschoolers learn the good habit of showing up on time.
• Elementary students read well by the end of 3rd grade.
• Middle schoolers pass important courses.
• High schoolers stay on track for graduation.

You can support good attendance by:

• Making attendance the expectation.
• Using early release or days off to schedule appointments when possible.
• Setting a regular bedtime and morning routine and schedule.
• Preparing for school the night before.

When a safety-related incident occurs on or near an NTPS school, we strive to communicate quickly and accurately with families. Here are some things to know as we start a new school year:

• A lockdown means all campus doors are locked, and students remain inside their classrooms.
• A lockout means all exterior doors are locked, and the school day proceeds inside the building.

In the event of a safety-related incident, the top priority is ensuring staff and students are safe. After that occurs, school leaders will communicate with families through School Messenger to keep them updated as appropriate.

If there is a safety-related incident at your child’s school:

• Please do not go to the school unless directed.
• Please do not call your child’s cell phone. Depending on the incident, a ringing phone is a safety hazard.

We have thorough plans and processes in place to keep our school community safe. Learn more about Safety in our Schools >>

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and community members can register for free suicide prevention training offered this fall by Family Education & Support Services and CHOICE Regional Health Network. The Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) training is a 90-minute evidence-based training providing practical suicide prevention strategies for work, school, home, and community. Learn more and register >>

IT Professionals Day is September 20. We begin the school year by recognizing the hard work of our district technology team. We appreciate your dedication to keeping us all connected and our systems running smoothly! 

Summer greetings!

While we are still enjoying summer's warmth and longer days, our thousands of student athletes are gearing up for the fall sports season! Sports are about so much more than competition: They offer students the opportunity to excel, overcome adversity, and learn about leadership and collaboration with teammates. Student athletes also learn important life skills to balance sports commitments with their academic requirements. It is clear why our Board of Directors adopted a Strategic Plan that invites all students to participate in at least one positive school or community-based activity! The research is clear – students who are engaged in prosocial organizations do better in school and life!

We are committed to offering a wide variety of activities; athletics is one way that we attempt to match student interests with a strong program. The fall season kicks off with girls soccer, boys tennis, cross-country, volleyball, and football. Annually we review our program offerings and we recently added Esports for our students. You may recall that North Thurston High School Rams took home the state title in the Rocket League spring of 2023!

Another amazing program that North Thurston Public Schools is so proud to offer is Unified Sports. Our Unified Sports program is an inclusive club that allows high school students with and without disabilities to participate in basketball and soccer together. We have Pack the Gym nights that are filled with fans cheering on our student athletes, enjoying the festive music provided by the pep band, and feeling immersed in a culture of inclusion. If you’ve never attended a Pack the Gym night, I encourage you to prioritize it in your busy calendar.

Also, thanks to voter support, we are regularly refreshing our athletics facilities to ensure students have safe experiences. For example, we recently enhanced the lighting at South Sound Stadium and refreshed the field at Komachin Middle School. And as part of the modernization at River Ridge High School, we are finishing a new weight room and installing new tennis courts as well as refreshing the locker rooms, gym, and pool. Later in the modernization, we will create new football and athletic fields.

Reach out to the athletic director at your school if you’d like to learn more about the enrichment that sports can provide students!

Deb 

Get your student’s immunizations up to date before school starts! There are several free clinics offering all school-required and recommended vaccines. See required vaccinations >>

• 4:00–8:00 pm on Tuesday, August 15, at North Thurston High School
• 4:00–8:00 pm on Thursday, August 17, at Tumwater Middle School
• 9:00 am–1:00 pm on Saturday, October 7, at Sea Mar Lacey Medical Clinic. Call 360-359-4840 to schedule.

Is your student riding the bus this year? All bus riders must register to ride the bus by Friday, August 18, to ensure they have a seat for the first day of school. Registration form & more information >>

Thanks to voter support, the Family & Youth Resource Center is getting a refresh. The FYR Center (including the Kids’ Closet) is temporarily relocating during construction. Our new location at 6620 Carpenter Road SE (NTPS Service Center) will open to the public on Monday, August 21. You can call 360-412-4484 now to schedule an appointment for when it reopens.

The SmileMobile dental clinic is back in Lacey! The dental team serves babies, children, teens, and pregnant/postpartum people on Apple Health or uninsured. Now taking appointments for August 21-24 and 28-31. The clinic will be parked at Timberline High School (6120 Mullen Road SE). Call 1-888-286-9105 to make your appointment today! Details & Info >>

Did your family participate in the South Sound Reading Foundation’s summer reading challenge? Way to go! Celebrate by turning in your child’s form and picking up the prizes at one of the following locations:

• 1:00–3:00 pm on Tuesday, August 22, at the NTPS District Office (305 College Street NE).
• 9:00 am–1:00 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays or 2:00–5:30 pm on Wednesdays at the South Sound Reading Foundation office (2830 Willamette Drive NE, Suite A).

• Middle and high schoolers, your first day of attendance will be Wednesday, September 6.
• 1st-5th graders, your first full day of attendance will be Friday, September 8 (Family Connections meetings will take place September 6–7).
• Kindergarteners, your first full day of attendance will be Monday, September 11 (Family Connections meetings will take place September 6–8).

What are Family Connections meetings? Teachers schedule these one-on-one sessions with your family to learn more about your student's needs and to help get the year off to a great start.

Attend your school’s open house! Open houses are a great opportunity for students and families to get to know the school space and learn about services, including specialists, school lunches, counseling, and more. Dates will be scheduled and announced by your school.

We choose a district theme each year, which offers a common focus for the school year. For the 2023-24 school year, the NTPS theme is Culture of Kindness! We provide opportunities for students to practice kindness daily and encourage everyone in the community to celebrate kindness in its many forms.

Examples of how we ensure a Culture of Kindness are featured in each month of the 2023-24 printed calendar, which we are distributing now to schools and will be available at NTPS community events throughout the year. Examples of Culture of Kindness in action include:

• Volunteering and mentoring.
• Practicing relationship building through social-emotional learning curriculum.
• Helping all students achieve success through the Universal Design for Learning framework.

Watch our video about what Culture of Kindness means in our school community!

Need a quick list of back-to-school tasks and information? Visit our online Back to School Checklist! Get info on the first day of school, bus registration, school supplies, and more. This page is updated frequently with the latest information!

NTPS students needing free school supplies may pick up backpacks and supplies at their school beginning the last week of August while supplies last. This NTPS partnership with Little Red School House helps ensure every student starts school with pride! Contact your school for more information >>

The Skyward Family Access upgrade is in its final stages, and we expect service to be restored to all district families by mid-August. Thank you for your patience during the disruption!

Look for a district email announcing restored access and updated login instructions. Updates will also be posted to our Skyward Upgrade webpage.

The online payment portal is back up and running to purchase school supply kits, add money to lunch accounts, and more. You will need to set a new password on your account (using your email address or username) to log in after this summer’s upgrade.

There is currently a known issue affecting the payment portal accounts of some staff members who are also district parents. Those affected can make in-person payments via check or cash at the district office or any open school building until the issue is resolved.

The River Ridge High School modernization is in full swing! Areas of focus this summer include the tennis courts, parking, stormwater improvements, and a new athletic entrance, weight room, and locker room. Watch this video update of what has already been completed and what’s coming this fall and winter:

As a reminder, the RRHS campus is closed to the public this summer. 

Visit our Building Our Future page for construction updates from around the district. 

Starting this fall, we have partnered with the South Sound YMCA to offer extended Y Care at Horizons and Seven Oaks Elementary Schools. Morning care will begin at 5:30 am. This is meant to support military-connected families who need earlier drop-offs (other families may also register for this option). Learn more and register for Y Care >>

Active-duty military families may also transfer their students to attend Horizons or Seven Oaks. Families should fill out a 2023-24 intra-district transfer request and select the option to transfer for military students' before/after-school care in the transfer type section of the form.

View our annual legal notices, service announcements, procedures, and Student Rights & Responsibilities Handbook information. https://ntps.news/districtnotices

Each year, we update our Strategic Plan, which provides a roadmap for our work to ensure all students are empowered and future-ready! The plan defines student outcomes and related accountability measures. We regularly update the NTPS Board on our progress. Thank you to the students, parents, staff, community members, teachers, and district administrators who provide input on the plan.

Another successful year of Summer Scholars wraps up this month!  

Preschool students participated in a three-week camp, working on fine motor skills through arts and crafts, social skills through circle time and free choice time, preliteracy skills through reading groups, and more!

Elementary students advanced their skills and knowledge through small-group math and ELA instruction and visits from the South Sound Reading Foundation and the 555th EN BDE Lunch Brigade.

Middle school students attended a science-based camp that integrated math and literacy skills, and high school students worked on reviewing concepts and credit retrieval and advancement.

Summer Scholars is a free program that helps students be ready for the new school year while still having plenty of summer fun!

According to the statewide Healthy Youth Survey, the use of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco continues to fall. However, the emergence of vapor products (electronic cigarettes or vape pens) has raised serious concerns around the state and nation. Vapor products are the most common nicotine product used by youth. These products produce an aerosol by heating a liquid that usually contains nicotine, flavorings, marijuana (THC), or other chemicals. Users inhale the aerosol into their lungs. Vapes come in many shapes and sizes. Some look like cigarettes, cigars, or pipes. Others look like everyday objects, such as flash drives or asthma inhalers.

According to the survey, students around Washington report they are most commonly vaping nicotine, marijuana (THC), flavor only, or they don’t know what they are vaping.

 
Resources to help talk with your student:

• You Can WA >> (information about marijuana use and teens)
• The American Lung Association Helping Teens Quit website >>

NTPS is above the state percentage in immunization compliance: 95% of students are current on their 2022-23 school year immunizations! The state average is 91% compliant.

"This demonstrates the amazing job our nurses and health room assistants do to keep kids healthy," said NTPS Director of Student Support Leslie VanLeishout.

Does your child need immunizations? Find immunization resources >>

NTPS nurses and health room assistants support students in getting the immunizations they need to be healthy in many ways, including:

• Connecting with families by phone, email, and at school open houses.
• Sending home information on immunization clinics in the area and encouraging families to attend.
• Volunteering at Medical Reserve Corps immunization events.

Being a Compassionate Community is woven into the fabric of North Thurston Public Schools. Our Strategic Plan reflects the ways we as a community ensure students are prepared for compassionate global citizenship.

Since launching the Compassionate Community effort in 2015 in partnership with the City of Lacey and the Lacey South Sound Chamber, we have seen countless acts of compassion throughout our community. This school year was no different! Under the theme of “The Spirit of Giving Back,” our staff, students, and families engaged in a wide variety of community service opportunities during the 2022-23 school year.

We kicked it off last fall with a School Board resolution recommitting to our district’s belief in the importance of kindness, respecting differences, and fostering feelings of belonging and safety. Throughout the year, the acts of compassion in our community have been truly inspiring.

Here are just a few examples:

• Evergreen Forest Elementary collected more than 400 boxes of cereal to donate to the Thurston County Food Bank.
• Residents of Panorama City donated an entire van full of new clothing and school supplies to the Family and Youth Resource Center.
• High school students from around the district volunteered at Tech Teen Genius events at Jubilee and Alonda Villa to answer community members’ tech questions.
• Hundreds of NTPS staff and students volunteered at the 2023 Kiwanis Day of Champions.
• A Timberline senior built four garden boxes at Woodland Elementary.
• Five NTPS elementary schools earned a Heart of Gold Award from the American Heart Association for participating in the Kids Heart Challenge.
• Mountain View Elementary students helped plant and tend the St. Mark Community Garden, with produce shared with the community.
• River Ridge High School Key Club held a food drive and collected 25 boxes of food for Lacey’s Food Pantry.
• Students from around the district made Valentine’s Day cards to send to veterans and first responders in our community.
• The Komachin Middle School HOSA Club donated socks to YWCA Olympia.
• Summit Virtual Academy students spent Martin Luther King Jr. Day helping clean up Woodland Creek Community Park.

While summer is a time to relax and enjoy family and friends, consider how you might encourage your children to participate in an act of compassion! Whether watering a neighbor’s plants while they’re on vacation or volunteering at a community organization, acts of compassion bring a sense of satisfaction to even the youngest learners. 

Deb

Free summer meals are available to anyone 18 years old and younger at select NTPS locations during the summer. No registration is required. Just show up! June 26–August 18. See dates, times, and what’s available at each location >>

Attention NTPS athletes: Olympia Orthopaedic Associates is hosting a free sports physicals clinic for middle and high school athletes from 5:00–7:00 pm on Wednesday, July 26, at their West Olympia offices. Forms and more information >>

Join NTPS students and staff at the Thurston County Fair from July 26-30. See animals shown by Future Farmers of America (FFA) and 4-H students from around the district. Visit our Transportation and Food & Nutrition booths to meet staff and learn about job opportunities. Take the fair shuttle, and you’ll get to ride one of our school buses! Find more information about the Fair >>

A proposed 2023-24 school year budget will go to the NTPS School Board in August. The NTPS team has managed costs in a variety of ways this past school year. If the district had not acted to reduce supplies spending, limit staff travel, hold some positions vacant, and reassign others, we would have faced an estimated $13 million budget shortfall going into the 2023-24 school year. 

As a result of managing costs, we can present a balanced budget proposal to the School Board as required by law. Read more about the district budget >>>

Thanks to voter support, the south portion of the Raj Manhas Activity Center (RMAC) is undergoing modernization. Because of this, the Family & Youth Resource Center will be temporarily relocated.  

The Kids’ Closet, which provides clothing and other essentials to families in need, will temporarily be located at 6620 Carpenter Road SE (NTPS Service Center) and closed to the public until August 21, 2023. You can call 360-412-4484 now to schedule your appointment for when it reopens on August 21.

Our Skyward Family Access upgrade is now in process, and the system is currently unavailable to families. We expect service to be restored on Friday, August 4.

Our online payment portal is also offline during the upgrade, and payments will be accepted beginning Tuesday, August 1.

Read more on the Skyward Upgrade webpage >>

Is your student riding the bus in the new school year? All bus riders must register to ride the bus by Friday, August 18, to ensure they have a seat for the first day of school. Registration form & more information >> 

Keep learning this summer!

• Lacey Timberland Library Summer Reading Program: A FREE book, an activity log, and a certificate of completion at the end of the summer!
• Read Off the Path with South Sound Reading Foundation: Complete reading challenges and pick up a prize on August 22 at the NTPS District Office!
• NTPS Summer Learning webpage has STEM activities, math practice through Khan Academy, and much more!

NTPS leaders recently hosted legislative staff on a site visit to Horizons Elementary. In addition to providing an opportunity for us to thank them for the 2023 Legislature’s work on K-12 education issues, legislative staff also:

• Learned about the district’s school meal program.
• Visited a classroom to observe the district elementary social-emotional learning curriculum (Second Step).
• Visited a classroom to observe reading instruction. NTPS is one of just a handful of school districts nationwide participating in the MTSS-R (multi-tiered systems of support for reading) study to evaluate promising strategies.

Our School Board meetings are an excellent place to hear the latest news from around the district. Be sure to review our Board meeting highlights to learn about the June 20 meeting, where the Board recognized many staff and student accomplishments from this spring: state powerlifting champion, Esports state champions, state art award winner, winner of the Bonnie Evans Award, and more!

New to the community? Be sure you’re registered to vote! Visit the Thurston County Auditor online >>

A big thank you to our partners at the North Thurston Education Foundation, which awarded scholarships totaling $191,000 to 49 NTPS graduating seniors this year! The scholarships range from $2,500 to $14,000 and help set students up for success post-graduation. Learn more about the 2023 scholarship recipients >>

Congratulations to our 2023 Varsity Letter in Community Service recipients, who have volunteered more than 250 hours during high school. This year, nine students earned this award: Sopeara Chay, Celeste Martin, Alejandra Plascencia, and Michaela Renick of North Thurston, Maria Cassandra Claudio, Lacey Hunt, and Logan Hunt of River Ridge, and Madison Hehemann and Jenna Nguyen of Timberline. Read about their amazing volunteer work! >>

NTPS honored TwinStar Credit Union with a Community Leadership Award at the Washington Association of School Administrators Awards. In her remarks, NTPS Superintendent Deb Clemens shared just a few examples of how TwinStar is an active community leader, such as:

• Paying off $13,000 in lunch debt so NTPS families facing financial hardships could have a fresh start after the pandemic.
• Purchasing books for all our elementary schools for the One School, One Book program, which promotes a culture of reading through monthly discussions.
• Sponsoring Read Around the House during the pandemic and continues to sponsor this initiative to encourage summer reading!

"From gift cards for staff recognition events to delivering pies to NTPS employees on Pi Day, TwinStar is woven into the fabric of our district community," Deb said.

North Thurston Public Schools recently completed its annual audit with the Washington State Auditor’s Office (SAO). SAO reviewed the 2021-22 fiscal year, including accountability for public resources, financial statement for the district, and federal grant compliance. It was a clean audit: SAO found no misstatements, no deficiencies in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting, and no instances of noncompliance. These results reflect our efficient and accountable use of public funding!