PORT ANGELES SCHOOL DISTRICT
NEWS AND NOTES - SEPTEMBER 2023
WELCOME BACK!
Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year! We warmly welcome our returning families and those new to the Port Angeles School District. We look forward to a positive partnership with you this year as our teachers, support staff, and principals work to provide students with a quality educational experience.
Students receive free haircuts at the Annual Port Angeles Back to School Fair.
Elisa Simonson from First Security Bank stopped by Stevens Middle School with a special delivery.
CELEBRATE EDUCATION FUNDRAISER DINNER
Please support the Port Angeles Education Foundation by attending the "Celebrate Education" dinner on October 20th. Your donations support students and educators in countless ways. We are beyond grateful for the PAEF and our community donors. See you there!!!
PORT ANGELES BACK TO SCHOOL FAIR
The 15th Annual Port Angeles Back to School Fair was a huge success. We are so grateful to our community partners, donors, and volunteers who made this event possible. Lutheran Community Services secured donor funding and provided school supplies and backpacks to over 900 Port Angeles students!!! Attendees were also able to connect with 28 different community organizations to support families sending students back to school.
SEPTEMBER 11TH IS PATRIOT DAY AND A NATIONAL DAY OF SERVICE AND REMEMBRANCE
On 9/11, the AmeriCorps team will hold a candlelight vigil to honor and remember those who lost their lives in the attack on the Twin Towers. The public is invited to join them at the 9/11 Memorial Waterfront Park at 811 Caroline St. (the end of Francis Street). Candles will be lit at 9:11 am and extinguished at 9:11 p.m. Local law enforcement will raise the flag at noon and offer personal remembrances. We hope community members will join us to remember and share the events of that pivotal day with their families.
FREE BREAKFAST AND LUNCH!
We are participating in a National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program called Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). This program allows all students attending school in person to receive breakfast and lunch at no charge throughout the 2022-2023 school year.
Families do not need to fill out Free and Reduced Meal Applications, but we must still collect family income information. The state uses that information to determine to fund for some of our education programs. Depending on your household income, your family may also be eligible for other benefits and waived fees. Click here to learn more and fill out your family's form today!
NOLS IS OFFERING FUN ACTIVITIES FOR TEENS
The Port Angeles Main Library is launching Teen Tuesdays, a new after-school program with activities and snacks every Tuesday from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Activities alternate between Game Club with board and card games, Teen Advisory Board meetings, Book Club, and the Free Association creative writing club. Click here or call 360-417-8500 to learn more.
REFERRAL WINDOW FOR HI-CAP STUDENTS
Highly capable (Hi-Cap) students perform or show potential for performing at significantly advanced academic levels compared to others of their age, experiences, or environments. Click here to learn more.
THE LITTLE HURT RACE FOR 1ST - 9TH GRADERS
The Little Hurt is a multi-sport event designed to expose youth to competitions that include multiple sports and to encourage participation in healthy activities. Check it out!
FREE PARENTING CLASSES AVAILABLE
First Step Family Support Center is offering an all-ages parenting class using the Parenting Journey evidence-based curriculum. Peninsula College credit is available for participation!!!
YOUNG VOICES CHOIR SEEKS NEW MEMBERS
Young Voices Youth Choir is seeking new members for its fall season. The program hosts a Kids’ Choir for children ages 3 to 10 and a Youth Choir for ages 10 to 18. Spaces are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, call 360-452-2323 or email htlc@olypen.com.
SUBSTITUTE BUS DRIVERS NEEDED!!!
The Port Angeles School District is URGENTLY hiring substitute bus drivers for the upcoming school year. We are currently very short-staffed. Substitute bus drivers are an important part of our team. They help us make sure students can participate in athletics and other important events.
This is the perfect part-time job for retirees, stay-at-home parents, and anyone who loves workings with kids. Interested applicants should call 360-452-9714.
SNAP MARKET MATCH
The Washington State Department of Health and other organizations across the state are working together to offer SNAP Match programs that make fruits and vegetables easier to buy. If you use SNAP/Basic Food/EBT to buy food, these programs are for you. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Match programs increase your food benefits so you can purchase more fruits and vegetables.
Port Angeles families can DOUBLE their benefits by purchasing their fruits and vegetables with an P-EBT card at the Port Angeles and Sequim Famers Markets. Click here to learn more.
SEPTEMBER IS SUICIDE PREVENTION AND AWARENESS MONTH
Let's take some time to raise awareness of this stigmatized and often taboo topic. If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988 immediately.
If you are uncomfortable talking on the phone, you can chat with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988lifeline.org.
For more resources, visit our district's suicide prevention and crisis resource page. We care about you and your family.
UPCOMING DISTRICT EVENTS
- September 21: School Board Meeting, 6 pm, Lincoln Center
- September 30: Orange Shirt Day
- October 31 - November 1: Parent-Teacher Conferences (1/2 day for students)
- November 10: Veterans Day (No School)
- November 23 & 24: Thanksgiving Holiday
Port Angeles School District is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Port Angeles School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Title IX Coordinators, Civil Rights Compliance Coordinators: Scott Harker, 905 W. 9th Street Port Angeles, WA 98363, (360) 457-8575, sharker@portangelesschools.org, for Section 504/ADA Coordinator, Dr. Rachel Summers, 905 W. 9th Street Port Angeles, WA 98363, (360) 457-8575, rsummers@portangelesschools.org.