Edmonds School District News
April 19, 2022
Let’s talk tech: A virtual town hall Thursday, April 28
Join Superintendent Dr. Gustavo Balderas at our virtual town hall, “Let’s Talk Tech.”
Hear from our district technology team about how to keep your students safe and responsible online.
We will also share information with families about how to complete the student and family information update in Skyward.
ASL interpretation will be available along with Spanish, Vietnamese, Arabic, Amharic and Korean.
Let’s Talk Tech Town Hall
When: 6-7 p.m. Thursday, April 28Where: Zoom information is available on our district calendar: bit.ly/ESDcalendar.
Summer Music Program returns after two-year hiatus
Students interested in music performance can once again register for Summer Music School!
It’s scheduled to run from June 28 to July 15 at Meadowdale High School, 6002 168th St. SW Lynnwood.
The program had been on hold since 2019 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tuition is $350 per student, which includes all courses, music and a camp T-shirt. The registration deadline is June 17.
Visit the Visual and Performing Arts page on the district website for details and to register.
COVID-19 vaccine not required for students next fall
The State Board of Health (SBOH), which determines immunization requirements for students in all of Washington’s K–12 schools, voted last week to not require Washington’s students be vaccinated against COVID-19 for school attendance.
This means this fall, immunization requirements for our students will remain unchanged.
24/7 Tutoring – Free for high school students!
A new, free chat-based tutoring service for 24/7 unlimited academic support is available for high school students! We have partnered with the online tutoring company, Paper, to provide assistance with homework, test prep, and essay feedback.
Staff at Paper are specifically trained to provide academic support in over 200 subjects. Services are available in English, Spanish, French and Mandarin and we are working with Paper to add additional languages.
To see Paper’s platform, students can visit Paper’s student login page, type their school name, and use their district Google account credentials.
We are excited to see how this tool will support the amazing work our teachers and students are doing in our classrooms each day!
IB art at Edmonds-Woodway: A look beyond the canvas
State-required updates for your student
New requirements from the state mean each family in our district needs to update race and ethnicity information for their student in Skyward before June 3.
Why should I update my student’s ethnicity and race information?
The state now has more categories for families to select when it comes to ethnicity and race information.
The most accurate method of updating this information is for parents or guardians to choose the student’s ethnicities and races from the updated list.
Having more details creates a more equitable learning opportunity for all students.
What happens if I do not update my student’s information by Friday, June 3, 2022?
If families do not update their student’s information by the deadline, the district is required to assign an ethnicity category and race category for the student.
We recognize the sensitivity of this situation, and the district will follow OSPI guidelines in applying ethnicities and races and will use the information families already have in Skyward.
How do I update my student’s information?
You may do so by logging on to Skyward Family Access.
While you are in Skyward Family Access, please consider doing the following:
Verifying your military family status
Applying for meal benefits
Updating your student’s health information
Learning about an affordable connectivity (internet access) program.
Speech Language Pathologist earns top state honor
Melissa Petersen, a district Speech Language Pathologist at Maplewood Parent Cooperative, recently earned the 2022 Washington Educational Staff Associate of the Year!
Candidates are nominated by colleagues and final selection is determined by a committee of Washington Education Association members.
Petersen is also an assistive technology expert for the district and believes freedom means being free to communicate, to “say what you want to say when you want to say it, and to be heard when you do that.”
Congratulations, Melissa!
Three district teachers earn board certification
We want to extend a virtual standing ovation to our teachers highlighted below for earning their National Board Certificates and those who recently renewed their certifications! This certification is the most respected in K-12 education and we are so proud to have these teachers right here in the Edmonds School District.
Our district has 214 teachers with National Board Certification.
Teachers renewing their National Board Certifications include the following:
Alecia Aillaud – Oak Heights Elementary
Deborah Dunne – Meadowdale Middle School
John Elsener – Edmonds Woodway High School
Angel Ericksen – Alderwood Middle School
Katherine Fain – Meadowdale Middle School
Catherine Feller – Lynndale Elementary
Bobby Hinnenkamp – Lynnwood High School
Sara Kaleo – Oak Heights Elementary
Heather Lippert – Mountlake Terrace Elementary
Kathryn McGreenery – College Place Elementary
Juli Moe – Lynndale Elementary
Lindsay Parker – College Place Middle School
Megan Teeter – Terrace Park School
Brenda Torres – Lynnwood High School
Stephanie Wittenbrink – Mountlake Terrace High School
March High School Students of the Month
Congratulations to these 13 students!
Each month, our high school programs recognize students for their accomplishments and achievements. The photos and names of the March students are included below, and more information about each of these students is available on the Edmonds School District News website.
April is Celebrate Diversity month
We are celebrating diversity during the month of April, and if you and your family are looking for ways to celebrate at home, here are a few ideas:
Eat at a local restaurant that serves food from another country. Read about the food and the area the food is from.
Act out a folk tale from another country (you can find folk tales online or at your school/local library).
Create artwork from another culture.
Explore types of dance, exercise and sports from other countries. These activities will also give kids a much-needed brain break as they move their bodies.
Research money from around the world (draw coins or bills on paper and set up a pretend market).
District DECA students headed to International Career Development Competition
Students from Lynnwood and Edmonds-Woodway high schools are headed to the DECA International Career Development Competition (ICDC) this weekend in Atlanta after medaling in the state competition earlier this year!
DECA is a career and technical student organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges around the globe. DECA has more than 225,000 members in the U.S., Canada, China, Germany, Poland, Guam, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Spain.
Edmonds School District – one of the best for music education
Edmonds School District is once again recognized as one of the country’s “Best Communities for Music Education!”
While you don’t have to tell us twice, the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation recognized our district for the 14th time in the 23 year history of the award. ESD is one of only seven districts in the state of Washington to be recognized in 2022.
This is a reflection not only of the quality of the program, but also the district and community support which demonstrates a strong commitment to the Arts.
Thank you to our staff and student musicians for sharing your musical talent!
Q&A with DOL: Help your student get their driver’s license
Join our webinar with the Washington State Department of Licensing to learn more about supporting your student through the driver’s licensing process.
Participants will learn:
How to apply for a driver’s license
Acceptable proof of identity documents
Requirements for under-18 and 18+ applicants
Know your options when getting a driver license
Zoom meeting information:
When: Wednesday, April 27
Time: 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Register: https://forms.gle/HVNo3EKyWJsJeNYb7
Need interpretation? Register at least 3 days in advance.
If you need an ASL interpreter, email to ASLrequests@edmonds.wednet.edu
Questions? – Preguntas? – 질문? – Câu hỏi? – Вопросов? – ጥያቄዎች? – أسئلة: https://forms.gle/HVNo3EKyWJsJeNYb7
School Board meetings
Join our next School Board meeting at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday April 26.
You can participate in person at the Educational Services Center (district office), or online via live stream.
To watch the meeting online, find the agendas, and review the meeting minutes, please visit our website: https://go.boarddocs.com/wa/edmonds/Board.nsf/Public.
Save the Date
See the upcoming events below. You can also view our district’s online calendar for the latest information on our website – bit.ly/ESDcalendar.
Tuesday, April 26; 6:30 p.m. School Board Meeting
Wednesday, April 27; 6:30-7:30 p.m. p.m. Driver’s License Meeting
Thursday, April 28; 6-7 p.m. Let’s Talk Tech family webinar
Friday, May 6; Districtwide Early Release
What’s new at the Foundation for Edmonds School District
For all the details and to learn more about the foundation’s mission, watch their video
Book signing reception for retired Superintendent, Dr. Nick Brossoit: Join the foundation, Edmonds Education Association and retired District Trustee Ann McMurray, from 3-5 p.m. May 7, for a special book signing to raise funds for the Foundation for Edmonds School District’s “Dr. Nick Brossoit Scholarship.” For more details and to RSVP, click here.
Summer meals: Join us June 27 – August 25 for free day camp activities and lunches! Four locations are available in Lynnwood, times TBD.
Home-delivered Nourishing Network weekend meal kits: Are you in need of supplemental food over the weekend for your child? Contact your child’s school to get connected to the Nourishing Network. Meal kits contain a weekend’s worth of meals per child as well as some supplemental family staples delivered directly to families. Click here for the application portal.
Edmonds School District
Email: communications@edmonds.wednet.edu
Website: edmonds.wednet.edu
Location: 20420 68th Avenue West, Lynnwood, WA, USA
Phone: 425-431-7000
Facebook: facebook.com/edmondsschools
Twitter: @EdmondsSchools