Friday Family Message
Hello Families
As we head into Spring Break, I want to take this opportunity to thank our educators and staff across the district.
I appreciate their resilience and unwavering efforts to serve our students, families, and community. Over the course of the school year, whether things are running smoothly or challenges are on the horizon, our staff remains committed to our promise and the success of our students.
For schools, spring brings a renewed sense of excitement as we approach the final stretch of the school year.
We have ample sunny days, more time outside, and begin our end-of-year celebrations. I encourage our students and families to connect with their schools as much as possible these last few months.
If you want to volunteer, spring is a great time to do that! April is National Volunteer Month — learn more about helping in our schools on our Volunteer webpage.
Philanthropists of the Year
SCAF celebrated their 18th annual Philanthropist of the Year Awards on March 22, at the Floyd Norgaard Cultural Center.
The breakfast event was served by student volunteers from Lincoln Hill High School!
Sam Reed, Washington’s Secretary of State from 2001-2013, was the keynote speaker. He spoke about public service and his deep connection to Camano Island, where his grandmother was the first teacher at the Camano Schoolhouse!
Congratulations to the winners and a huge THANK YOU for your amazing contributions to our community:
- The Heritage Bank Organization Making a Difference Award — Tom & Laura Byers
- The Floyd & Delores Jones Spirit of Philanthropy Award — The Crab Cracker
- The Tom Eisenberg Pay It Forward Award — Clarene Ricarte
- Hometown Hero Award — Karissa Bodnar, CEO and Founder of Thrive Causemetics
Clarene is a retired teacher who has a passion and drive to support others. She has given her time to many organizations in Stanwood, including Kiwanis, Key Club, the Stillaguamish Grange, and International Student Exchange. Clarene is a firm believer that you can make a difference one student at a time. Thank you Clarene!
Congratulations to our students
Baking & Pastry Arts
Stanwood High student Kyla Nekuda earned a state championship earlier this month!
Kyla placed first in the SkillsUSA Baking & Pastry Arts competition at the state SkillsUSA Championships where she had to bake a variety of different items in a 4-hour window.
This is the first time Stanwood has competed in SkillsUSA, which is one of the eight recognized Career & Technical Education (CTE) student organizations in the state.
Knowledge Bowl
Stanwood High School had three teams participate in Knowledge Bowl this year, and Team 007 recently advanced to the state competition in Wenatchee. More than 90 schools were represented at state and Team 007 placed 13th among 3A schools!
Congratulations to team members (from left in the photo) Aiden Hagglund, Logan Connolly, Colin Manzuk, Asher Pedersen, Matthew Mendez, and Blake Almanza.
Survey ends Sunday
This is your last chance to take our annual Community Survey.
Your voice truly helps us plan for and prioritize for the years ahead as we adjust our practices in several ways to meet the needs of our students, staff, families, and community!