News & Publications from NTPS

NTPS Community Relations travels the district reporting on just a small portion of what our students, staff and volunteers are doing. Here you will find the latest news from around the district:

our email newsletter, NTPS Buzz

our mailed paper newsletter, NTPS Community Connections

our wall calendar

and a repository of local media coverage about NTPS Schools

Check out the great things going on in our district!

Stories from Around the District

Career & Technical Education (CTE) to the Rescue

There are certain things that can be easily adapted for a Zoom session. Demonstrating chest compressions and taking blood pressure are not those things. Stephanie O’Dell, CTE Sports Medicine, Anatomy, & Health teacher at River Ridge, has worked to provide a realistic and meaningful experience for both students and staff in this world of remote learning. Read more >>

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Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Council: Building Our Future, Hybrid Learning and Bell Study Update

Superintendent Debra Clemens, along with other district leaders, met recently with the Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Council to seek their input and ideas on several of our schools conceptual designs, hybrid learning and the recent bell study. Read more >>

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Wendy Cooper breaks down language barriers and self doubt in young ELL students

Meet NTPS staff member, Wendy Cooper, English Language Learner (ELL) teacher at Lacey Elementary and Mountain View Elementary, brings compassion, structure, and fun to her unique learning environments. Read more >>

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Staff prepares buildings for safe return to school

As students and staff begin to transition back to the classroom for in-person learning, our Maintenance and Operations team have been hard at work getting buildings cleaned and ready for their safe return. Read more >>

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Empowered Learner: Hermit Crab expert Lucy Johnson

When Lucy Johnson, 9, decided to get some hermit crabs from a pet store, she learned the hard way that they take a lot of special care. Lucy’s love of research and her crab family (she now has four) led her to make a YouTube video to teach other kids how to care for hermit crabs. Read more and see the video >>

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Food & Nutrition honored for their family outreach

Food & Nutrition Director Alicia Neal and her team won the rotating Key Communicator award from Community Relations for their amazing work on a daily basis as well as public information on meals during the pandemic and remote learning. Read more >>

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Artist Spotlight: Aleema, Timberline 9th grader

Our latest artist spotlight is the talented Timberline 9th grader Aleema. She finds inspiration in just simple media like the pencil and knows the importance of art in schools as an outlet for student expression and growth. Check out their spotlight artist piece >>

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Staff Spotlight: Seven Oaks Paraeducator Amanda Harris

Seven Oaks Elementary paraeducator Amanda Harris loves to play! “My life motto is never, ever lose your childlike enthusiasm,” she said recently in an interview. Even over the phone, you can hear her smile. Read more >>

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Tribute to Hank Adams (1943-2020)

Henry “Hank” Lyle Adams was a Native American rights activist. He was very successful in his work and was known for his negotiating skills, strategies and tactics. After 1960, he worked in settling crucial conflicts between Native Americans and State and Federal Governments. Read more >>

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Artist Spotlight: Lydia Hawk 1st Grader Azaria

Our latest artist spotlight is talented Azaria - 1st grader at Lydia Hawk. Her art teacher John Pirie says, “Azaria is a very creative 1st grader. Her paintings really show her love of creating and painting.” Check out her spotlight artist piece >>

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Compassion Spotlight: Seven Oaks PTA grant promotes student mental wellness, family fun

The pandemic has been hard on everyone, especially where mental and emotional health is concerned. When the school year began remotely, parents, students and teachers needed reminders that it was going to be okay. At Seven Oaks Elementary, those reminders came in the form of little treats, positive messages, and fun activities provided by the Seven Oaks PTA through a national COVID relief grant. Read more >>

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Compassion Spotlight: K-Kids at Horizons Elementary

When it comes to service, the K-Kids at Horizons Elementary don’t let anything stand in their way of service — even a pandemic! 4th & 5th graders in the chartered Kiwainis International service club at Horizons help their community, school, and friends. Read more >>

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NTPS celebrates all-time high grad rate of 92%

Advisories. Relationships. Interventions. These combined key factors, along with a dedicated teaching and counseling staff, helped North Thurston Public Schools (NTPS) reach its highest on-time graduation rate of 92 percent for the Class of 2020! That’s a full 12 points higher than the graduation rate from 2014. Read more >>

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Artist Spotlight: December 2020

Meet the artist of our featured art spotlight, and 8th grader from Salish Middle School. See their art piece and read more about what inspires them. Read more >>

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Parent advisors share feedback on remote learning, resource officers

Superintendent Debra Clemens, along with other district leaders, met recently with the Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Council to seek their input and ideas on Remote Continuous Learning and our School Resource Officer program. Read more >>

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Envision Career Academy promotes innovation

The new choice high school opened this fall, amidst COVID-19 and the district’s necessary move to remote learning. Described as an “innovate, choice high school utilizing a project-based approach to career-connected learning,” Envision has mostly freshmen and sophomores enrolled, with plans to grow. Read more >>

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Student leaders share feedback on remote learning

As part of the district’s Student Voice initiative, Superintendent Debra Clemens met recently with student leaders from all 22 schools to gain their perspectives on a variety of topics. Read more >>

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Key Communicators help bridge gap for Spanish speaking families

Community Relations honored paraeducator liaisons Nancy Cutlip and Carmen Lopez with the Key Communicator award for their joint work on the district’s Spanish call center. This message line for our Spanish-speaking community helps families get answers to their questions about our services, resources, technology, or school information. Read more >>

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Bus drivers brush up on safety skills at first transportation “Road-E-O”

Our transportation staff recently participated in North Thurston Public Schools’ first mini-skills bus Road-E-O! training staff set up a five-station course in the bus barn parking lot. Following the social distancing guidelines, bus drivers went through the Road-E-O course in small groups. Over 100 of the specialists participated. Read more >>

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NTPS Community Relations receives several awards

Congratulations to the district’s Community Relations Department for taking home several awards from the Washington School Public Relations Association that included materials from the 2020 Bond/Levy Campaign, the district’s Mental Health Campaign and more! Read more >>

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Back to School from Home (Community Connections)

There were no bus rides, backpacks, or hugs on the first day of school this year due to COVID-19, but that did not stop students, staff and families from actively engaging in remote learning for the start of 2020-2021 with improved attendance and technology. Read more >>

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Alumni Spotlight: Winehouse

Made of several NTPS alumni, meet the band Winehouse and learn more about their inspiration, their motivation, and their drive to share their music with everyone. Read more >>

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NTPS mechanics honored for outstanding school bus safety

For the sixteenth year in a row, North Thurston Public Schools achieved “outstanding” results in the Washington State Patrol annual inspections of school buses. “This is just another example of the ongoing commitment our mechanics and staff have towards student safety. We could not ask for a better team of mechanics than the team we have,” said Deanna Maddux, Transportation Director. Read more >>

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NTPS Celebrates International Week of the Deaf

Did you know NTPS provides PK-12 Deaf Education services and teaches American Sign Language? During International Week of the Deaf help us celebrate inclusion of Signed Languages and our deaf population around the world! Read more >>

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Lacey, Mountain View, and Evergreen Forest named America's Healthiest Schools

Lacey, Mountain View and Evergreen Forest are among the 518 schools nationwide to earn a spot on the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s (Healthier Generation) 2020 list of America’s Healthiest Schools” for their commitment to promoting quality nutrition, regular physical activity and strong wellness policies. Read more >>

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Pilot program helps give students a head start towards their electrician apprenticeship

On Friday, August 25, 2020 North Thurston Public Schools recognized three North Thurston High School students who have recently received their certification for advanced placement as electrician apprentices. Read more >>

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