Good Morning Stanwood Middle School Families!

We wanted to start this Family Message with our Meet The Spartan Staff segment.

This week we are turning our spotlight on the two Veterans on our staff, Mr. Bill Randall and Mrs. Morgen ten Hoopen. These are two examples of staff who are empowering our students everyday!

Mr. Randall is in his first year of teaching! He is teaching art and 6th grade social studies. His favorite thing about Stanwood MS is "everything," especially the students and their energy. He really loves the building itself because it reminds him of when he was a young boy spending time in his father's high school science classroom, where he learned his love of drawing--specifically the animals suspended in formaldehyde.

Mr. Randall served in the Army National Guard from 1987-1993 as a chaplain’s assistant. He worked with people who were having a tough time and helped them get back on their feet and in service to our country. Mr. Randall says he can find the drill sergeant deep within him when he needs to from his time in the military.

Outside of school, Mr. Randall's current hobby is doing school work. He's proud of the fact that now that he's entered the teaching profession after a career in graphic arts, he can be part of a family legacy. Not only did his dad teach high school, his son is a teacher at Stanwood High School as well. The Randalls are a three generation teaching family. Mr. Randall also volunteers as a scout master locally and loves to spend time with his family.

Mrs. ten Hoopen is in her third year of teaching all of which are at Stanwood Middle School. This is her second year teaching 7th and 8th grade science. Her favorite thing about Stanwood Middle School is the students, saying, "When I'm grouchy, they help me turn it around--they're great!"

Mrs. ten Hoopen attended the Naval Academy from 1990-1994, and then served in the Navy until the year 2000. Mrs. t was a surface warfare officer and left the military as a Lieutenant Commander. She served on two ships, the USS Port Royal, a ticonderoga carrier, and the USS Nimitz, an aircraft carrier. Amongst her many accomplishments during her time in the Navy is she is the first woman in the world to drive an aircraft carrier–not to mention, she is also the first woman to dock it in a tricky location, the Naval Base in Bremerton.

Her family has a history of military service, with her brothers, husband and oldest daughter all proud Naval Academy grads. Her father was also a Naval aviator and her grandfather flew blimps in World War II. Her daughter Lael, a senior at Stanwood High School, will attend the Naval Academy in the fall.

Outside of school, Mrs. ten Hoopen spends time with her family, often driving to Corvallis to see her daughter cheer for Oregon State University. She also coaches JV Cheer at Stanwood High School.

Mrs. Anderson wanted to share her student's Wednesday writing project. This is an example of her students not only being artistic, but being thoughtful and showing appreciation during a very tough few days for our community!

Volleyball Registration Open

Volleyball season starts on November 30. Please use this link Stanwood Middle School Athletic Registration to register your Spartan for volleyball season.

Volleyball starts with the first practice on November 30 and the last match on January 26.

In order for an athlete to start a season on time, they must fill out the registration form (link above or hard copy in the office) and be sure to include emergency contact information, insurance and the Athletic Code. 6th graders can participate in Cross Country (XC) and Wrestling only.

Sports Physical: All athletes must have a current sports physical (good for 2yrs) turned into the office BEFORE turning out.

ASB Card/Pay to Participate: Each participant must purchase an Associated Student Body card and Pay to Participate fee before the first contest. The ASB card is $20, Pay to Participate is $50 per sport ($100 maximum per year; Free/Reduced options for those who qualify).

Transportation: In the event that we cannot get a bus to out-of district competitions (due to bus driver shortage), we will have district vans. However, seating is limited, so the Stanwood/Camano School District is allowing families to arrange transportation to and from competitions when this occurs. These families will agree to provide their own transportation to and from away competitions and understand that the district assumes no liability/responsibility for the athletes during the transportation times. The waiver will need to be signed and returned to your athletic director prior to your first out-of-district event. *Hard copies of the waiver can be picked up in the office or from your athlete's coach Parent Transportation Waiver for Middle School Sports

Inclement Weather

As the weather forecasts indicate, we may see cold weather this winter. Our Superintendent, Dr. Rumbaugh, has shared with everyone how we make the determination to delay or close schools due to ice, snow, flooding, etc.

• Safety first! We consider the safety of our children on buses, our student drivers, families driving and walking to school, and the safety of our staff, especially our bus drivers.

• We monitor weather patterns using multiple methods 24/7. In particular, we use a tool called Accuweather that is specifically designed to support school districts in looking ahead at weather patterns.

• When there is a concern about school starting on time, our staff begins driving the roads throughout the district as early as 2 a.m. We take photos, check road conditions, monitor traffic, look for hazards, etc. We typically drive the roads multiple times in the early morning to determine if conditions are improving, worsening, or staying the same.

• We strive to decide about the school day by 5 a.m. Once the decision is made, we begin communicating with families and staff. We communicate through:

• Autodialer (via School Messenger)

• Email (via School Messenger)

• Website

• Flash Alert

Predicting the weather is a challenge, and our primary goal is to ensure that the roads are safe, our campuses are easy to navigate, and the weather does not impede a safe school day.

Have a great weekend!

Tod Klundt

Principal

Stanwood Middle School

360.629.1350

tklundt@stanwood.wednet.edu

This week we announced our first Spartan Pride Awards during lunch. Names and pictures are below. We will continue to announce these weekly during lunch and send the slips home to families for prominent refrigerator display.

For families in need of support or connection to resources/services, please feel free to reach out to our Student Support Advocate, Amy Hart. Amy can help answer questions, connect families to community resources, and share needed information on programs and services that may be helpful. Amy is here to help however possible, and can be reached via phone (call or text) or email: 360-965-8249 or ahart@stanwood.wednet.edu.

Please be aware as we hand out chromebooks that there are fines associated with them if they are not returned and/or returned without damage.

The 2022-2023 student calendar is LINKED HERE and also pictured below.

Our PTO is an amazing group of people working together to support our students. From fundraisers to activities, their work helps our Spartans engage, connect, and thrive at Stanwood Middle School. Please like their Facebook page for all the up-to-date information about our school.

Families can access individual student transportation information online.

Versatrans eLink is the portal to access the bus route, stop time, location, and the bus your child will be riding. The "User Name" and "Password" on the login page is your student's 7-digit identification number.

Click here for instructions on finding bus routes

Click here to go to Versatrans eLink

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.

El Distrito Escolar de Stanwood-Camano School District no discrimina en sus programas o actividades por motivos de sexo, raza, credo, religión, color, origen nacional, edad, condición de veterano de guerra o grado militar, orientación sexual, expresión de género o identidad, discapacidad o uso de perro guía entrenado o animal de servicio, y ofrece igualdad de acceso a los Boy Scouts y a otros grupos de jóvenes especificados. El empleado mencionado a continuación ha sido designado para atender consultas y quejas de supuesta discriminación: Título IX / Oficial de Acción Afirmativa y Coordinador de Cumplimiento de Derechos Civiles, Maurene Stanton (mstanton@stanwood.wednet.edu), o la Sección 504 / Coordinador de la Ley de Discapacidades Estadounidenses, Robert Hascall (rhascall@stanwood.wednet.edu), Distrito Escolar Stanwood-Camano, 26920 Pioneer Hwy, Stanwood, WA 98292. Teléfono: (360) 629- 1200