District Update
January 21, 2022
A hot reward!
Ms. Brown's fifth graders at Big Lake Elementary School celebrated the hard work they have been doing with a much needed and deserved reward for their hard work.
The class has been working hard this month to earn a reward and they decided they wanted to have a hot chocolate party. They spent the last few weeks focusing on their work, completing all their assignments, and following class expectations to earn enough magnets on their reward board. It was wonderful to see them have some fun and feel proud of themselves and their classmates.
Washington State Audit
Last week, a Lead Audit from the Office of the Washington State Auditor met with Superintendent Mickelson and Executive Director of Business, Operations and Technology, Brett Greenwood, to discuss the process for this year's audit, given that Dr. Mickelson is new to the district and to her role.
The Office of the Washington State Auditor conducts an annual audit of school district finances and grant compliance, among others. They report findings such as significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in internal controls; misappropriation; and material abuse or non-compliance with laws, regulations or policies. You can find audit reports on their website (https://sao.wa.gov/reports-data/audit-reports/) and search for Sedro-Woolley School District.
In the last three years, the district's audit results have been stellar - a testament to the district's commitment to responsible fiscal stewardship. The audit found only one finding: "The district did not have adequate internal controls to ensure compliance with assessment system security requirements for its Title 1 program." The finding was not monetary in nature.
As Superintendent, it is Dr. Mickelson's goal to continue this school district's history of responsible handling of finances. The district will continue to use taxpayers' money very wisely for the benefit of students.
WSDA Farm to School Grant
Evergreen students observe salmon eggs
The third graders at Evergreen STEM are super excited for their fish to hatch!
The third grade classes of Ms. Bogue, Ms. Garrett and Ms. Neva are involved in a months-long project raising Coho salmon. Together with the support of Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group of Skagit County, the classes have learned about the life cycle of the salmon, the various kinds of salmon in the Skagit River, and have visited Hansen Creek, on the Northern State grounds, to complete water quality testing and habitat exploration.
They now have a tank of salmon eggs about to hatch, which they will raise until they are in the Fry stage, which should be around the end of March. At that point, the classes will return to Hansen Creek to release them, once they are all named of course!
The salmon project was developed from our Science Standards, in which the students learn about lifecycles, adaptations to the environment, and the traits animals inherit and pass down to their offspring.
Fair Start for Kids Act Information
If you weren’t eligible for child care benefits in the past, you could be now!
A family of four whose income is less than $5,086 per month can get child care benefits. A family of three whose income is less than $4,275 per month will pay no more than $115 per month for child care. Full-time student parents can receive child care assistance without working.
To see if you qualify, go to washingtonconnection.org or call 1-800-446-1114.
Miss Washington discusses mental health during online assemblies
Maddie Louder, 2021 Miss Washington, visited Sedro-Woolley Virtual Learning Academy (SWVLA) students this week during virtual a Zoom assembly.
Louder is a graduate of Oklahoma City University with a bachelor's degree in psychology. After graduation, Louder returned to Seattle where she was able to work with eating disorder patients as they journeyed toward recovery from their illness. Louder, fully recovered from her own battle with anorexia nervosa, spends every day advocating for radical self-acceptance and breaking down societal stigmas of how people should feel in their own bodies.
Through the Miss America Organization, Louder has been awarded more than $30,000 to further her education and hopes to attend graduate school one day to obtain her doctoral degree in counseling psychology.
On Thursday, Sedro-Woolley students learned about mental health and mindfulness.
Louder reminded students it is important to be kind and accepting of everyone, wherever they might be in their mental health journey.
Louder defined the term “mental health” as a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being.
She also talked about what a mental illness is and provided examples, reminding students that if they have a mental illness, it doesn’t make them a bad person, it just makes them human.
“It’s okay not to be okay,” she said.
SWVLA students described what emotions were.
“It’s when you’re happy or sad.”
Another student talked about how emotions can be expressed through art or music.
Louder gave students examples of coping mechanisms, such as meditation, exercise, talking to someone they trust, making a plan to do a fun activity with a friend, setting social media to the side and practicing positive affirmations.
SWVLA students are not the only students who will get to hear from Miss Washington. She will be doing more virtual or in-person presentations in our district as the year progresses!
Polygon modeling at Big Lake
Lyman Walk to Read
Ninety-four students in first to fourth grades participate in Lyman's Walk to Read program. Students are placed in 12 small groups based upon their reading level and needs and receive targeted reading instruction and support. The groups meet Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday for 50 minutes per day.
The school is seeing strong gains in phonemic awareness, fluency, comprehension, and student confidence in reading.
Page to Stage
Congratulations!
Harnessing the wind
After reading "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind," by Bryan Mealer, the students wanted to know more about what they could do in their own communities. They began looking at renewable energy and how we could harness it. Students researched a stem project they could make to demonstrate energy.
They looked at jobs in the community and the high need of STEM knowledge. Students worked in groups or independently to make material lists of items they would need. They discussed safety concerns and then began creating their STEM projects. Once the STEM projects were completed they shared their knowledge with other second grade students. It was a great experience!
Replacement Levy Information
Levy-funded costs
This brief list gives an example of what some of our current levy dollars pay for in the Sedro-Woolley School District.
What happens if voters don't approve the measure?
If the Feb. 8th levy fails to garner the required 50% vote to approve, two things will happen concurrently: The school board will have to decide whether or not to run the levy again in the April 26th special election and at the same time decide how to substantially reduce programs and services to balance the 2022-2023 budget. The district would have to identify the programs/positions to be reduced/eliminated before the April 26th levy results are known/certified in order to notify staff.
Federal funds helps carry district through COVID
Sedro-Woolley School District most recently received about $5 million through the Elementary & Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) III funding from the federal government to address learning gaps and pandemic-related costs.
As per the federal mandate, twenty percent of the money has been dedicated toward learning loss — the district dramatically expanded its summer school offerings. This portion of the money will also be used for before- and after-school tutoring for students who need additional support, along with I-Ready personalized instruction. The district is also using the money to fund the Sedro-Woolley Virtual Learning Academy for students who do not yet feel ready to return to in-person learning.
The other 80 percent of the expenditures will be spent on curriculum, supplies, additional staffing hours, interpretation services, additional chromebooks as well as PPE and other supplies necessary because of COVID-19.
Unlike state and local levy funding, ESSER funding is one-time money provided by the federal government to help tide districts over until the pandemic ends and school districts can overcome losses in revenue from state funding due to lower enrollment. ESSER funding is on a reimbursement basis, the district has to make a grant application with OSPI, and then must extend its own current resources before ESSER funds can be received. Districts go through a claims process to be reimbursed.
Sedro-Woolley used the Cares Act funding ($647,000), for personal protective equipment and food service.
The district received $2,225,770 as part of ESSER II, using the funds for the 2021 summer school to address learning loss, preparing the schools for reopening, buying student laptops, providing hotspots.
Levy is capped
If property values go up, local schools will not receive more funding. While property taxes may fluctuate, the district only collects the total amount approved by voters as part of the capped amounts.
Property values may rise or fall, but according to state law, schools collect no more than the total dollar amount voters approve. SWSD's replacement levy will continue to collect $2.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value. The proposed replacement levy will collect $11,919,069 in 2023, $12,515,023 in 2024, $13,140,774 in 2025 and $13,797,813 in 2026. These are the capped amounts or lids based on a 5% growth projection per year of the community’s assessed value.
When property values rise then the levy rate of $2.50 per $1,000 decreases. Conversely, if property values fall, the levy rate could only rise to the lid of $2.50 per $1,000.
Dear Parents and Guardians,
I’m really excited to tell you about our new tutoring services for students in grades 7-12, provided by Paper.
Paper is a secure, online tutoring service that provides students with unlimited, 24/7 academic support. Whether they’re stuck on homework, studying for a test, or need someone to read and make suggestions to their essays, there will always be experts available online to assist students in over 200 subjects and more than 4 languages.
Paper tutors have been specially trained to conduct expert, academic support in a secure, chat-based platform. With a commitment to helping students learn, they’ll never give students answers, but rather interact with them in an encouraging tone to lead them forward.
This is a free service that we’re providing (paid for with ESSER funds), so students are encouraged to use it as much as they need, whenever they need. Our teachers also have accounts and will be able to review all student activity to see what they’re working on and provide more targeted instruction as needed.
If you’d like to learn more about Paper you can sign up for a Paper hosted Parent Info Session, available in both English and Spanish. Or if you’d like to speak to a member of the Paper team directly, you can reach them at parents@paper.co.
To see Paper and the help it offers firsthand, we encourage you to login with your students. To get started, simply visit PAPER’s student login page, type your school’s name, and login via Google using your school credentials
We’re thrilled to offer our students the unlimited, 24/7 support that Paper provides and we can’t wait to see what we’re able to accomplish together.
These Tutorial Videos are also helpful for students and families!
Sincerely,
Mike Olson
Assistant Superintendent
FEMA opens Disaster Recovery Center in response to flood events
Beginning today, FEMA and the Washington State Military Department of Emergency Management Division will open a Disaster Recovery Center at the old Sedro-Woolley Library (802 Ball Street, Sedro-Woolley, Washington 98284).
Today, the Center will be open from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Beginning on January 21, hours will change to Monday- Saturday 9 a.m. – 8 p.m., and Sundays from noon - 6p.m. There is not currently an end date to DRC operations.
Recovery specialists from FEMA, the U.S. Small Businesses Administration and Washington State agencies will be available to help those impacted by November 2021 flooding.
“While individuals do not need to go to the center to apply for assistance, we encourage those who are seeking help to utilize this service while it’s here,” said Commissioner Peter Browning, who currently serves as Chair of the Board of Commissioners. “The folks staffing the DRC can help make sure you’re accessing every available recovery funding source. They’re experts who are ready to help.”
Residents in Skagit can still apply for FEMA individual assistance online at www.disasterassistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362. Residents can apply for Small Business Administration assistance by visiting https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/ , calling the customer service center at (800) 659-2955 or emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Please note, US SBA also offers some assistance for impacted homeowners and renters.
Adverse Weather
The 2021-2022 Emergency Communications Bulletin has been updated for this school year. Please review for changes.
This Newsletter has information on how to sign up for information and where to go for news.
As you will see in the documents, we make decisions about whether to have a two-hour late start or to cancel school as early as possible because we know how difficult it is for our families to juggle a last-minute call. Our transportation director and transportation coordinator both drive some of our more challenging bus routes starting at 3 a.m. We also typically consult multiple weather forecasts and also try to take staff commutes into consideration as well as teenage drivers when making the final decision by 4:45 a.m. Safety is paramount and we try our best to make the right call. Ultimately, in adverse weather, families make the final call on whether or not to send their children to school.
SWSD COVID-19 testing hours expanded
Sedro-Woolley School District Health Services team has expanded access to timely diagnostic testing for SWSD students with symptoms of COVID-19.
The testing will be free of charge and will only be offered to ONLY students and staff showing symptoms. To schedule an appointment and complete pre-test paperwork, visit https://form.jotform.com/213156543945055. Testing will be available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday on regular school days. All appointments will need to be scheduled, as drop-ins cannot be accommodated at this time.
We will have a drive-up, outdoor option for convenient access outside the front doors of the Admin Annex (201 N. Township, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284). Once you have filled out the paperwork online and arrived, please do the following:
Park in the designated COVID-19 testing space located at the front of the building.
Call 360-855-4453 to let us know you have arrived and remain inside your vehicle.
Results take approximately 15 minutes to process and we will use the phone number given on the form to report the results back to you, as well as answer any questions you may have.
Health Services will then report all COVID-19 results – positive and negative – within 24 hours to the Health Department using the web-based reporting tool called US Digital Service’s SimpleReport.
Please note this is NOT the Test to Stay program. We do not currently offer testing for those who are NOT presenting with symptoms. As testing supply availability increases, we hope to expand the testing opportunities. We will be sure to keep you updated on any changes.
Extended Testing Hours at the Fairgrounds
Skagit County Public Health announced that hours of operation for COVID-19 testing at the Skagit County Fairgrounds will be extended. The site will now be open to testing every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from noon to 7 p.m.
Public Health put the call out for volunteers on Friday afternoon and residents answered with more than 50 individuals reached out to our Volunteer Coordinator about assisting at the site.
“The response from the community was incredible,” said Jennifer Johnson, Skagit County Public Health. “With your help, we have been able to extend our hours at the site, potentially doubling the number of people we can test each day.”
Rapid antigen testing is provided for free and is available to anyone 5 years and older who lives, works, or goes to school in Skagit County. Individuals must be symptomatic or have had recent exposure to COVID-19 to qualify for service at the site.
For testing, please come to the South Gate entrance at 501 Taylor Street in Mount Vernon. Note that gates open at 11:30 am, with services starting at noon. Even with the new extended hours, please expect long wait times. Please do not block public or private driveways and be mindful of pedestrians.
For a full list of other testing providers in the region, go to https://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/COVID19/TestingforCOVID19/TestingLocations.
Vaccinations at the Fairgrounds will continue to be offered weekly from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Both pediatric vaccines and boosters are available by appointment only. To make an appointment, go to www.skagitcounty.net/COVIDvaccine. Please come to the North Gate entrance for vaccinations at 1409 Virginia Street in Mount Vernon.
Boosters are also available at the downtown Public Health office at 700 S 2nd Street (3rd floor) in Mount Vernon—by appointment only. For appointments, go to www.skagitcounty.net/COVIDvaccine.
For more information about Public Health’s testing and vaccination services, go to www.skagitcounty.net/coronavirus or call (360) 416-1500.
At-home COVID-19 Testing Options
The federal government has officially launched its online ordering portal. Residential households in the U.S. can now order one set of 4 free at-home tests. Here’s what you need to know about your order:
- Limited to one order per residential address
- One order includes 4 individual rapid antigen COVID-19 tests
- Orders will ship free starting in late January and will take 7-12 days to ship.
As of Wednesday, Jan. 19, Skagit County Public Health was out of at-home testing kits.
If testing at home and you receive a positive test result, please call the state’s COVID-19 Hotline as soon as possible at 1–800–525–0127 or the Skagit County Public Health office at (360) 416-1500.
At present, testing demand is far exceeding availability throughout our state. If you cannot get access to testing, please refer to the CDC's Isolation and Quarantine Guidance found here: https://bit.ly/3JQLIwF
- IF YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS but do not need medical care and can't get a test, you might have COVID-19 and you should isolate for at least 5 days to keep from spreading the virus to others. Monitor your symptoms.
- IF YOU WERE EXPOSED to someone with COVID-19 and need to quarantine and are unable to get a test 5 days after your last close contact, you can leave your home after day 5 if you have not had symptoms; wear a mask for 10 days after last contact.
COVID-19 Information
The district nursing staff is in constant communication with the Skagit County Public Health regarding COVID-19 cases in our schools. Decisions on who needs to quarantine is made by the county in coordination with the district.
The health, safety, and well-being of our school community remains our top priority. We are following sound protocols aligned with Skagit Public Health guidance to ensure we are doing everything we can to protect the health or our school community. We also want to take this opportunity to remind everyone of the importance of wearing masks, physically distancing from others, and regularly washing your hands.
The primary symptoms of COVID-19 are:
• Fever (defined as subjective or 100.4°F or higher)
• Cough
• Loss of sense of taste and/or smell
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Muscle or body aches
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea (defined as two or more loose stools in 24 hours)
If your child or anyone in your household develop(s) any of the above symptoms, all unvaccinated household members should stay home, contact a provider for medical evaluation and testing, and notify childcare/school/work/etc. Additionally, if you're awaiting test results for COVID-19, do not come to school until you have received confirmation of a negative test. Staying home when experiencing symptoms also helps our schools' close contacts and quarantine numbers. Following these everyday preventative actions helps reduce the spread of COVID-19 and other communicable diseases.
We sincerely appreciate all your help and support as we work together to mitigate risks and ensure the learning process continues in our school community.
For more information about COVID-19 protocols in the district, including the district dashboard, please visit our COVID-19 Information website.
Email: covidquestions@swsdonline.com
Phone: (360) 855-3841