SBLSD News
Dec. 15, 2022
Holiday Break reminder; facilities closed
We’re excited for our Holiday Break, Dec. 19-Jan. 2. All schools, district offices, Panther Field and Sunset Stadium will be closed.
BLHS Chefs Dinner a delicious delight
Nearly 100 people attended the Dec. 8 BLHS Chefs Dinner, which was hosted and prepared by 23 culinary students under the guidance of Culinary Instructor Kahale Ahina and Featured Chef Mike Higgins. Along with an expertly executed seasonal winter menu of poached pear salad, pork shank, scalloped potatoes and panna cotta dessert, attendees also participated in a silent auction fundraiser for the school’s Family, Career and Community Leaders of America club. There were 87 items in the auction, which raised $4,400 for the club. Way to go, BLHS culinary and FCCLA students! You put on a wonderful event for families and the community.
Sumner High School Community Dinner a success
The 20th Annual Sumner High School Community Dinner held last Saturday was a tremendous success, serving more than 350 meals. Special thanks goes to SHS junior Alyse Haft and her group in Core Leadership for their collective efforts in planning the event and the more than 100 ASB students who volunteered their time to serve the community with a holiday dinner, SHS jazz band entertainment, pictures with Santa, gifts, face painting, hair braiding, and cookie making. Also available were warm coats, socks, hygiene products and food. We thank all who have volunteered their time, including the SHS kitchen staff who prepared the food, and those who donated and sponsored this treasured community event. It’s a great example of the SHS community serving the community.
Firefighters keep students warm and safe with new coats
East Pierce Fire & Rescue firefighters visited some of our schools this month to provide students with new coats as part of the Operation Warm: Coats for Kids program.
Firefighters visited eight SBLSD schools and gave out about 140 coats!
Thank you for keeping our students warm and safe.
BLHS senior wins STEM Fair poster contest
Please congratulate our 2023 STEM Fair and Art Show poster contest winner, Caitlynn Wohlford!
Caitlynn is a senior at Bonney Lake High School and an accomplished artist. Art teacher Melissa Deckman had the following to say about Caitlynn: “Of all the art students I have taught, I would place Caitlynn Wohlford in the top 5 percent. As an artist, Caitlynn is meticulous and detail oriented. She challenges her skills by mastering a wide variety of mediums and increasingly difficult subject matter.”
Students from across the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District were invited to design original art to be used in all promotional materials for the 2023 STEM Fair and Art Show. We received over 200 entries from 11 schools, with grades K-12 being represented in the contest. After an extensive voting process that determined the top 3 designs, the winning art was selected by Superintendent Laurie Dent.
Caitlynn’s artwork will be featured on our poster for this year’s event, as well as other promotional materials. Congratulations, Caitlynn!
For more information about the 2023 STEM Fair, visit sumnersd.org/STEMFair.
Rhyan Baker, 8th Grade, MMS
Lillian Barrett, 8th Grade, MMS
Calling all scientists! Submit your project for the STEM Fair
The Sumner-Bonney Lake School District is hosting its annual STEM Fair in February. Students are encouraged to enter the following types of projects:
- Science Project (K - 5 packet) and (6-12 packet)
- Engineering / Invention Project (K-2 and 3-5 packet) and (6-12 packet)
- Technology Project (K - 5 packet) and (6 - 12 packet)
- Reverse Engineering Project (K - 12)
One project per student, please. Project registration is due Jan. 13. To register, complete the form at this link.
The 2023 STEM Fair & Art Show is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 25 at Sumner Middle School, 1508 Willow St.
Celebrating Hanukkah with the Kosowskys
‘Be the candle that lights the others, the one that helps other people shine’
By Keylee Kosowsky, SBLSD parent and member of the Equity Advisory Council
Happy Hanukkah! Eight nights of celebration, lighting candles, spinning dreidels and eating foods fried in oil like latkes and sufganiyot! Hanukkah is the Festival of Lights to celebrate the miracle of the oil lasting eight nights when there was only enough for a single night! Our family gathers each holiday evening and we light our Hanukkah Menorah (Hanukkia) together and sing blessings. We don’t exchange extravagant gifts — think PJs, chocolate and maybe some silly socks.
Some nights we play dreidel and eat some gelt (chocolate coins), which is the favorite treat of
our three daughters! Our house is often referred to as the “Hanukkah House” during the holiday season because we love to share our traditions with the community and light our 14-foot-tall menorah outside on the back of our house. The menorah candles are lit with a special candle called the Shamash (the helper candle). I always remind our girls every year to be the Shamash. Be the candle that lights the others, the one that helps other people shine. Happy holidays from our family to yours!
-The Kosowsky Family
Winter holidays
There are various holidays celebrated this time of year. Here are a few with the meaning behind them:
Hanukkah
"The Jewish festival of lights, called Hanukkah, is celebrated around the world today. But the inspiration for the holiday dates back thousands of years in what is today the country of Israel." Learn more here.
Christmas
"Christmas, an annual holiday that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, is celebrated in unique ways in different countries, even those with few Christians." Learn more here.
Kwanzaa
"Celebrated every year from December 26 through January 1, Kwanzaa is a week of festivities honoring African American culture and heritage. Friends and family gather each day to give thanks, exchange gifts, and share feasts." Learn more here.
Equity Advisory Council shares updates at second meeting
About 30 members of the Equity Advisory Council met for their second meeting of the school year on Dec. 8. Members of each of the five work groups shared an update on the goals they’re working toward this year:
- Curriculum: Discussed review of human growth & development curriculum and U.S. History curriculum for adoption; members are looking ahead to future curriculum adoptions
- Discipline: Identifying ways the District is providing proactive positive starts to school for high-needs learners and students new to the U.S., access to interpreters, and reducing barriers to education
- Community Celebrations: Seeking opportunities for student groups to express their culture, such as assemblies, and bridging communities between SHS and BLHS
- Retention and Recruitment: Identifying ways to support multilingual staff by preventing burnout and reducing barriers of retention
- Staff Professional Development: Connecting with department directors, identifying practices to restore and strengthen relationships
The Equity Advisory Council is set to meet quarterly this year, with work groups meeting separately on a regular basis to establish goals and set a work plan for taking action. Learn more about the Equity Advisory Council at sumnersd.org/equity.
School board meeting highlights
The public is invited to attend School Board study sessions and meetings, which are held at 6 p.m. virtually and in person at the Central Office Boardroom (1202 Wood Ave). Dates, times and locations are subject to change. Agendas are published a day prior to each meeting.
Dec. 14 school board meeting highlights
Adopted
Policy 2110: Transitional Bilingual Education Program
Policy 5011: Sexual Harassment of District Staff Prohibited
Policy 6220: Purchasing/Bid Requirements
Policy 6222: Relations with Vendors
Resolution No. 07/22-23: MRSC Rosters Model Small Public Works, Consultant, and Vendor Rosters
Resolution No. 08/22-23: Mountain View Middle School Damages Declaration of Emergency
Presentations
Reports
Recording: Link (Passcode: H+WKt4H^)
Upcoming meetings
Jan. 11: Study session
Jan. 18: Board meeting