November 2024

The third community meeting to talk with Superintendent Troy Oliver has been rescheduled to 6:00–7:00 pm on Wednesday, November 13, at Timberline High School. Troy has hosted meetings at various times and locations around the district to meet with and hear from community members.

We hope you can join us! RSVP: communications@nthurston.k12.wa.us

There is no school Wednesday, November 27 through Friday, November 29 for Thanksgiving break. District offices and school buildings will be closed.

Military-connected families and staff: Join us for a Military Cookies, Cocoa, and Crafts afternoon from 2:00–4:00 pm on Saturday, December 14, in the NTPS District Office Boardroom. All ages are invited (childcare is not provided). RSVP for the Military Cookies, Cocoa, and Crafts event so we can provide enough supplies and refreshments. Questions? Email militarysupport@nthurston.k12.wa.us

RSVP

The Highly Capable Program is available to identified students in kindergarten through 8th grade who require advanced learning and enriched instruction. High school students can choose more challenging classes through their counselor. The services offered depend on the grade and need, and students must meet certain standards in testing and academic performance to qualify. Families can submit applications for the program now through Sunday, December 15. Learn more about the Highly Capable program and application process.

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 included student musical performances, flag processionals, veteran guest speakers, and more.

We are so proud that Lydia Hawk Elementary 3rd-grade Teacher Maribel Vilchez has won the prestigious 2025 Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence!

One of only five educators in the nation to receive this honor, Maribel was selected by an expert panel for her excellence in the classroom, dedication to equity and diversity, engagement with families and communities, commitment to professional development, and advocacy for the teaching profession.

She is a National Board-Certified Teacher and a specialist in bilingual English and Spanish education. Congratulations, Maribel! We are proud to have you representing our district!

Kudos to our Timberline High School Associated Student Body, which hosted more than 500 student leaders from around the state during the Association of Washington Student Leaders (AWSL) fall conference on October 26! The conference focused on empowering student leaders to recognize their potential and inspire change within their schools and communities.

“The ASB Students from Timberline created a conference experience that was second to none,” said AWSL Director James Laymen. “Our hope as an organization is to create opportunities for students to lead and see what they are capable of. The Timberline crew did that, and then some. They knocked it out of the park, and we could not be prouder of their efforts.”

Watch this student-produced video to see some highlights of the day. Way to go, Blazers!

We continue construction and modernization efforts around the district thanks to voter support!

• We are well into Phase 2 of 3 at River Ridge High School. We expect the new commons and kitchen to open in January 2025. Check out some new construction photos and a project timeline.
• We have begun work at Nisqually Middle School to add a turf field, rubberized track, lighting, and seating to provide more capacity for school and community athletics events.
• Work is well underway to replace the southern portion of the Raj Manhas Activity Center on Sleater-Kinney Road! This will enable us to increase enrollment at our Ignite Family Academy for the 2025-26 school year and provide beautiful new space for our Family & Youth Resource Center, the South Sound Reading Foundation, and NTPS Student Records.

Learn more about current NTPS construction and modernization efforts on our Building Our Future webpage. 

As part of his entry plan, Superintendent Troy Oliver would like to meet with recent North Thurston Public Schools graduates to hear their reflections on their educational experience. If you are or know of a recent graduate (2020-2024) who would be interested in meeting with Troy in December, please email superintendent@nthurston.k12.wa.us.

Winter weather is just around the corner, so it’s a good time to review the school closure and delay information on our website. 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. 

The Fall 2024 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 our Teacher Academy program, expanded free breakfast and lunch options, construction updates, and more. Read the latest issue!

Check out some highlights from this season’s high school athletic events! There’s still time to “catch” a game or two before the fall sports season ends—see upcoming events and purchase tickets ahead of time on each school website.  Visit our district’s Facebook and Instagram pages for more examples of learning and fun in our schools!

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 October 1 meeting, where the Board: 

• Recognized our partnership with Intercity Transit. 
• Heard from Salish Middle School student leaders about their experience starting a Future Business Leaders of America chapter. 
• Got an update on NTPS Strategic Plan Goal 5: Preparedness for Post-Secondary Success. 

Local leaders are working to make Martin Way a more pedestrian-friendly, accessible corridor. Pedestrians and bicyclists face high traffic volumes, high speeds, wide travel lanes, and few opportunities to cross the street safely. Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) is working on a project to identify up to 10 locations for crosswalks along Martin Way.

TRPC wants to hear from NTPS families: Where should those crosswalks go? And what other safety improvements are important to you? Please share your feedback in this brief survey.

• National School Psychology Week is November 11-15. 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 18-22. This week honors many who work in our schools, including Education Support Professionals Day on November 20 and Substitute Educators Day on November 22. Thank you for all you do to keep our schools thriving!