Port Susan Middle School
Family & Student Update 02/12/2023
Thank you, counselors!
Keli Niegemann, 7th/8th Grade
Jayde Piggott, 6th Grade
Emily Bowne, School Psychologist
Amy Hart, Student Support Advocate
Tia Wheatley, Mental Health Counselor
Annual Action Plan (AAP)
Our staff took some time this week to discuss the importance of learning from one another as well as learning from our students. In partnership with our parents, I encourage you to talk with your students and/or have them reflect on a couple of questions related to the engaging practices they've tried at school. When do they feel that the information "sticks"? What do they appreciate and/or find valuable in your classroom instruction? What is making learning difficult at this time that you can help support?
Engaging Practices
Less reading, more teaching and labs/hands-on activities
Stop and discuss a text throughout the reading so there are regular checks in and you can make sure students are understanding
Group discussion/ share out
Break learning into different types of tasks: puzzles, games, group tasks,...
Have kids work in groups, shoulder partners
Sharing problem solving strategies
Asking and answering questions as we move through the lesson
Accountability for group work – “After 5 minutes you will present your answer to…” or “When you think you are finished, bring it up to me and we’ll check your work / talk about it”
Don’t always teach from your chair - Either teacher or students move!
Student choice in assessments / how they demonstrate their learning (choice of method, choice of alone vs with a group)
Provide activities that give immediate feedback.
Allow students opportunities to share answers (explain or do a problem)
Use student examples/demonstration
Our students inform the work we do. Taking the time to listen to their concerns and reflect on our practice, expectations and current systems, will allow us to work together for continuous improvement. As students transition through their middle school years, reflecting on what works well for them to be successful is important. Thank you for all of your support!
Attendance Matters
Please reach out if you need support and/or have questions regarding attendance concerns. We are here to help!
Did you know?
- Students should miss no more than 9 days of school each year to stay engaged, successful and on track to graduation.
- Absences can be a sign that a student is losing interest in school, struggling with school work, dealing with a bully or facing some other potentially serious difficulty.
- By 6th grade, absenteeism is one of three signs that a student may drop out of high school.
- By 9th grade, regular and high attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than 8th grade test scores.
- Missing 10 percent, or about 18 days, of the school year can drastically affect a student’s academic success.
- Students can be chronically absent even if they only miss a day or two every few weeks.
- Attendance is an important life skill that will help your child graduate from college and keep a job.
Office Request - Snacks
Free internet hotspots available
The Stanwood-Camano School District, through a grant from T-Mobile’s Project 10Million, has hotspots available to those students who do not have internet access available at their homes and need service to extend their learning.
The hotspot allows for 100GB of data. That’s enough data for 140 hours of streaming school videos or 5,000 hours of internet research or 200 hours of online college test prep!
Please let your school know if this is a need your student has.
Student Involvement
Spring Combined Play with Stanwood Middle School
The combined dinner theater spring play is back!
There is a quick parent meeting on Tuesday, February 14 for parents and students interested in being a part of the spring play. The meeting is at 4:00 p.m. in the Port Susan cafeteria and director Kandyce Hansen promises it will be quick!
Reminder: Testing Dates
AimsWeb Testing Schedule:
March 27th & 28th through ELA/Math (finish up during ½ days)
Tentative SBA Testing Schedule:
8th Grade Science (120 min) *May 1st - 2nd
Math CAT (40-60 min) *May 8th - 12th
ELA CAT (100-180 min) *May 8th - 12th
Math PT (40-90 min) *May 15th - 19th
ELA PT (40-60 min) *May 15th - 19th
Make up testing
Science by June 2nd
ELA/Math June 9th/6th
Week of February 13th through February 17th
Monday 02/13
Regular Schedule
Advisory SEL Lesson
Tuesday 02/14
Regular Schedule
Academic Support Advisory
Girls Basketball @ LaVenture
Spring Play Parent Meeting (Cafeteria)
Wednesday 02/15
White Schedule
Thursday 02/16
Regular Schedule
Academic Support Advisory
Girls Basketball @ Anacortes
Friday 02/17
No School *Midwinter Break
Monday 02/20
No School * Midwinter Break
See you Tuesday, 02/21!!
Linked below are previous communications. Please continue to reach out with any questions you have. You can email me directly (calmanza@stanwood.wednet.edu) or call our office at 360.629.1360
Have a relaxing weekend!
Cherae Almanza, Principal calmanza@stanwood.wednet.edu
Crysty Auckland, Assistant Principal/Athletic Director cauckland@stanwood.wednet.edu
Teacher Emails
Dave Austin (6-8 Fitness & 6 Leadership) daustin@stanwood.wednet.edu
Jonathan Bletscher (6-8 Band) jbletscher@stanwood.wednet.edu
Joan Campbell (6-7 Math) jcampbell@stanwood.wednet.edu
Tamara Pedersen (6-7 Math) tpedersen@stanwood.wednet.edu
Lori Stunz (7 ELA & 6-8 Art) lstunz@stanwood.wednet.edu
Grace Gale (6 Science & 6-8 STEM/Robotics) GGale@stanwood.wednet.edu
Chelsea Hanson (6-8 ELA/Humanities) CHanson@stanwood.wednet.edu
Nate Hanson (6-8 Computers/Digital Effects) nhanson@stanwood.wednet.edu
Audrie Harrington (6/7 ELA & 7/8 Leadership) aharrington@stanwood.wednet.edu
Joshua Keaton (7/8 History) jkeaton@stanwood.wednet.edu
Seth Hills (6 Social Studies) shills@stanwood.wednet.edu
Lori Johnson (6-8 Assist) ljohnson@stanwood.wednet.edu
Wade Johnson (7/8 Science) wjohnson@stanwood.wednet.edu
Rebecca Klein (6/7 Science) rklein@stanwood.wednet.edu
Meghan Lawrence (6-8 PBS) mlawrence@stanwood.wednet.edu
Ellianna Martin (6-8 Math) emartin@stanwood.wednet.edu>,
Daniel Mccrumb (6 Math/Science & 7/8 Outdoor Ed) DMccrumb@stanwood.wednet.edu
Sarah Oldow (6 ELA/Social Studies) soldow@stanwood.wednet.edu
Catherine Perry (6-8 EL) cperry@stanwood.wednet.edu
Tracy Riley (6-8 ELA) TRiley@stanwood.wednet.edu
Kelcie Rocha (7/8 Math) krocha@stanwood.wednet.edu
Brad Rochon (7/8 Science) brochon@stanwood.wednet.edu
Connie Schmidt (6-8 Health) cschmidt@stanwood.wednet.edu
Sheri Schroeder (8 History & ELA) sleeschroeder@stanwood.wednet.edu
Kym Shoemaker (7/8 Math) kshoemaker@stanwood.wednet.edu
Crystal Titus (6-8 Fitness) ctitus@stanwood.wednet.edu
Kayte White (8 ELA & 6 Cultures) kwhite@stanwood.wednet.edu
Julia Zurcher (7 History & 7/8 Home Ec) jzurcher@stanwood.wednet.edu
Office Support
Jayde Piggot (6 Counselor) jpiggott@stanwood.wednet.edu
Keli Niegemann (7/8 Counselor) kniegemann@stanwood.wednet.edu
Emily Bowne (School Psychologist) ebowne@stanwood.wednet.edu
Kandyce Hansen (Speech Language Pathologist) khansen@stanwood.wednet.edu
Sara Harlan (Librarian) sharlan@stanwood.wednet.edu
Amy Hart (Student Support Advocate) ahart@stanwood.wednet.edu
Tia Wheatley (Mental Health Therapist) twheatley@stanwood.wednet.edu
The Stanwood-Camano School District does not discriminate in employment, 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. Inquiries regarding compliance and/or grievance procedures may be directed to the District's Title IX/Affirmative Action Officer and Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator, Maurene Stanton (mstanton@stanwood.wednet.edu), or the Section 504/American Disabilities Act Coordinator, Robert Hascall (rhascall@stanwood.wednet.edu) Stanwood-Camano School District, 26920 Pioneer Hwy, Stanwood, WA 98292. Telephone: (360) 629-1200.