Skyview Family Newsletter March 11-15

Skyview Family Newsletter March 11-15
     
 
     
 

Skyview Weekly News

Service-oriented Optimistic Active Respectful

Week of March 11-15

 

Weekly Message from Principal Edwards

Happy Friday, Eagles!

Today was all about the Square Dance Assembly. Students and staff had a great time showcasing all the square dance moves and techniques taught in PE. Tonight kicks off the SMS Spring Drama Performance with two performances this weekend. See performance times on the school website. It is a priority to engage students in fun, challenging and rewarding activities. Drama, drama, drama! 

*** Mark your calendar. Happening this Friday, March 15th SMS MultiCultural Night sponsored by the Skyview PTSA. Bring your whole family and join the wonderful evening of celebration and pride. Doors open at 6pm - 8:30 pm. More information shared below. 

Next week we will welcome incoming 6th grade students and families to Skyview at our Incoming 6th Grade Registration Night on March 13, 2024 at 6:30 pm in the Skyview Gymnasium. Do not forget that we have parking behind the school and you are welcome to use the Canyon Creek Elementary parking lot if needed. 

Important communication:

In the spirit of transparency, recently, we have had a handful of escalated “unsafe” and “disruptive” student behavior 6-8 from a small percentage of students that is impacting the learning environment of others. On February 28th, I put SMS on a “modified” safe inside for two hours to allow school administration to support multiple unsafe & disruptive student incidents happening all at one time. Staff got the following communication: At this time, if you could please lock doors, cover windows and limit movement in and out of your classrooms as admin works to assist a student throughout campus. Staff were asked to please help students get to their next class smoothly and then relock doors and limit movement. By 10:23 am Staff got the final communication that school can proceed as normal; the earlier precautions are now lifted. Unfortunately, this precautionary action happened on the same day as a pre scheduled Sky/Creek Campus wide safe inside drill. This caused confusion for Skyview students and staff, prompting questions and raising anxiety with two safe inside actions all in one day. Normally, you would not call for two status designations in one day and would use the first unscheduled status designation as documentation for a status completion. I would like to apologize for any confusion and/or uneasiness that may have been caused for not communicating to the SMS community in a timely manner  and modifying a status term, calling for a “modified” safe inside status designation. My intent and actions were to protect the safety and security of staff and students on campus immediately while school administration dealt with the situation(s) at hand. It is highly important to me that student dignity, health and safety are prioritized when a student is in need of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) support on campus, having a challenging day and/or may be eloping throughout the campus causing a disruption to the learning environment. 

The Northshore School District has the following building designations and only four status terms are used districtwide in emergency situations as listed and defined on the NSD Website:

  • Lockdown - The most significant of events -  Staff should be aware of alert/avoid/deny/defend.

  • Safe Inside - Education process can be continued but do not leave security of building.

  • Shelter in Place - Address atmospheric hazards - turn off ventilation system. 

  • Evacuation - When students and staff are safer outside than in building: fire/gas/structure issues. 

Typically, when a Safe Inside/Shelter in Place is called we ask staff and students to do the following 1. Listen for announcements 2. Sweep students into classroom from hall. 3. Lock door and cover windows. 4. Take attendance. 5. Email missing students and pulled students to designated staff. 6. Continue teaching. 7. Keep emails open and close to you. 8. Administration will continue to communicate important information through email. 9. Listen for further announcements or end of safe-inside/shelter in place. We take these steps seriously and will continue to make communication and reflection around emergency procedures an important practice.

In the future, I will not call for a modified safe inside and will follow the designated status options deemed necessary to protect the safety and security of staff and students on campus. In the meantime, I am in the process of working with the SMS School Department Leadership Team (SDLT) and the SMS EPREP coordinator to implement SMS operational considerations for a school wide communication and response to unsafe and disruptive student conduct across all grade levels and programs on campus. This is important so that staff, students and families are informed and communication and clarity are an expectation. I look forward to this important work as we have seen an upward trend in adolescent misbehavior, disrespectful behavior and disruptive behavior creating challenges within our schools. I ask all parents/guardians to please talk with your student about the importance of being kind, respectful and engaged at school to avoid being a disruption to the learning environment. I do understand that some students may require more support and resources as they navigate the daily nuisances of middle school. Together We’re Better!

In close, Skyview Middle School is a “Big” school with over 1100 students across three grade spans. We have three building administrators and one dean of students to respond to student concerns and incidents daily. When we are down one of these units and/or a situation requires more than one of us, it can be challenging to get to everything all at one time. We often do not hear or see all that is happening on campus and continue to ask for your partnership and support in keeping our campus safe. If your student has a concern please do not hesitate to have them reach out to a school administrator for guidance. 

It is my hope that we can partner and champion this work together so that all students feel a sense of belonging and support at Skyview Middle School. If you have any questions or would like to participate in championing this work please do not hesitate to contact me directly at 425-408-6805.

Respectfully Yours,

Mrs. Jolene Grimes Edwards

 

Week at a glance

Monday, March 11th: Non-Block Schedule (1st-6th, Advisory)

  • 6th Girls Basketball v. KMS at Skyview

  • 7th/8th Girls Basketball at KMS

Tuesday, March 12th: Non-Block Schedule (1st-6th, Advisory)

  • Co Ed Wrestling v. NMS and TMS @ Skyview

  • Math Olympiad

Wednesday, March 13th: Early Release Bell Schedule (1st-6th, no Advisory)

  • No after school activities

Thursday, March 14th:  Block Schedule (1st-3rd, Advisory)

  • 6th Girls Basketball @ NMS

  • 7th/8th Girls Basketball v. NMS @ Skyview

  • Science Olympiad

Friday, March 15th: Block Schedule (4th-6th, Advisory)

  • Co ed Wrestling v. NMS and LMS @ LMS

  • Multicultural Night 6:00 - 8:30 PM

Important dates - looking ahead

  • March 15th - Multicultural Night 6:00 - 8:30 PM

  • May 6 - 17 State Testing

  

Important reminders and announcements

Upcoming state testing

State testing at Skyview Middle School is scheduled for May 6 - 17. Please do not schedule travel or appointments during this time. If you have questions or concerns, please contact Mrs. Haver at shaver@nsd.org. 

Donations Needed

Donations Needed. Parents, we need your help. We are in need of basketballs, volleyballs, soccer balls, footballs, frisbees and tether balls. Students use these daily during their lunch time. We do not need anything fancy, we just need extra equipment. All supplies can be dropped off at the main office. If you want to send supplies directly to Skyview, ship it to Bret Geller, c/o Lunch time supplies. Skyview's address 21404 35th Ave SE Bothell, WA 9802.  If you have questions, or would like a recommendation on what to buy, please email Mr. Geller.  bgeller@nsd.org Thanks in advance for the support.

SMS Multicultural Night!

The Skyview PTSA is excited to bring back Multicultural Night (after 5 years) on March 15th, from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM at the Skyview Cafeteria!  If you plan to participate, kindly register before February 16 (extended deadline). Register (or use the Spanish form) soon to provide us with sufficient time for planning! Everyone is welcome to attend. Visit the PTSA page for more details. 

Math Olympiad Congratulations!

The scores are in for the AMC 8 competition; Bell Jiang was not only the top scorer for Skyview with a 25 out of 25 he is also in the top 5% and 1% of the students who took the test nationally.

Rishabh Chinni and Shresta Srinivasa were the 2nd and 3rd top scorers for Skyview.  

At the Math is Cool Championships a 4 member 7th grade team and a 4 member 8th grade team were invited to represent Skyview at the Master Competition on April 27th.  And Sahithya Vellanki received a top individual award in the Algebra division.

National Junior Honor Society

National Junior Honor Society applications are now open for submissions HERE!  NJHS is an annual recognition for students who excel in the classroom (cumulative GPA of 3.5 or above) and outside of the classroom (10 community service hours or more). To apply, students must be logged into their own NSD Google account to make a copy of the application in their Google Drive. Students must also be logged into their own NSD Google Account to submit the application.  Applications are due by April 1st.

If students are interested in applying for Honor Society recognition this year, please review all of the application requirements on our website and join the Schoology group for updates (NJHS Schoology Group Access Code: CBJR-2869-ZD5CK). Updated volunteer opportunities and ideas are posted HERE and in the Schoology group. 

Questions? Email Tanya Subcleff at tsubcleff@nsd.org.

 

Spring Drama One Act Plays

Drama will be performing their spring one act plays “Hard Candy” and “Inanimate”  on March 8th at 7pm and Saturday March 9th at 3pm and 7pm.  Tickets will be on sale starting February 26th in the main office or through your touchbase account. Tickets are $6 with ASB and $8 without. 

After-School Activity Campus Expectations

If students plan to stay after school for any reason, they must be in the library. If they are staying to attend a sports game or competition they can leave the library for the event at 3:30.  Roaming the campus, breezeway, academic buildings, fields and/or courtyards is not permitted.

After-School Library Expectations

Students who choose to work in the library after school must follow the following rules:

  1. Whisper if you need to talk. The library is a quiet place for students to work or study.

  2. No eating in the library

  3. No cell phone use in the library. If you must use your cell phone, please step outside of the library.

  4. No gum

  5. Follow all instructions from staff and be respectful to everyone in the library

Drop Off/Pick Up Safety

  • Please do NOT use the parking lot to park and drop off your student(s).  We have students and staff walking through the parking lot and it creates a dangerous situation with people trying to back up and turn around. Please ONLY use the drop-off loop. Be sure to pull all the way forward and keep traffic moving. 

  • Please do NOT drop off or pick up your students in the bus parking lot  (between the tennis courts and baseball fields)  before school, after school, or after athletic practices/events. This interferes with our buses and their ability to maneuver. It is also a safety concern for students.

  • Safety is our number one priority, so please help us keep everyone safe by  limiting distractions while you are driving and  slowing down.

  • We have had several reports of  students riding their bikes in the street. Please review the  bike safety tips with your students.

  • Please follow all posted signage  and be respectful of our neighbors.

  • Getting to school tips from NSD

 

The Skyview Yearbook

Our yearbook team has been hard at work designing and planning an AWESOME yearbook, but we need your help!! Please encourage your students to fill out the Yearbook Forms, they can check their email (sent by ldoty@apps.nsd.org) for the surveys.

 

Skyview Athletics

Third Season Sports

Basketball and Wrestling are well underway!  Payment for third season sports is now due. The sports participation fee is $130 and $30 for ASB if you do not already have ASB. Please login to Touchbase to make a payment or bring cash, check or credit card to the main office.  If you need your Touchbase login information reach out to Julie Archer at  jarcher@nsd.org and please provide your students name or ID number in the email.  Lastly, if your child has decided not to participate, please update your student’s records in Finalforms.

News from the attendance office

Visit the Skyview Middle School  Attendance webpage .

Good attendance is important to support your student to learn responsibility and to attend school regularly for their potential for success. Please help your student(s)  arrive at the school campus on time - note the first bell rings at 7:55 am and teaching begins at 8:00 am. every school day.

Excused absences or late arrivals excused by parent(s)/guardian(s) within 48 hours (State Law RCW 28A225)

  • EMAIL:  smsattendance@nsd.org  or

  • CALL:  425-408-6810  (Attendance Line)  

  • Include student first & last name, student ID #, date and reason for the absence

 

First Bell rings at 7:55 am - Class begins at 8:00 am -allow extra time to drop off students  to arrive on time.

Late Arrival:  Students arriving late must go to the Attendance Office before going to class

  • Students: bring a student  photo ID card  to login to the Tardy iPad to receive a hall pass for their teacher.

  • Parents/guardians must excuse the late arrivals

Early Dismissal:  Plan ahead by notifying the Attendance Office, preferably on the same day of early dismissal:

  • Send a signed note with your student to turn in before school to the Attendance Office staff or 

  •  Email to smsattendance@nsd.org  as soon as possible on the same school day of the early dismissal.

  • Parents/Guardians meet your student in the Attendance Office and provide a Valid photo ID.    

Note: Allow ample time for your student to be dismissed during lunch breaks or PE class to change out of gym clothes. Early dismissals during the  last 15 minutes of the school day must be pre-arranged.

Extended Absences:  See important information for extended absences on SMS Attendance webpage .

  • A  Pre-Arranged Absence Form  is required for absences of 5 or more school days  and submitted to the Attendance Office at least TWO WEEKS in advance for our Principal to review.

  • Note: Absences of  20+ consecutive days may result in withdrawal per NSD and WA State policies.

News from the nurses

March is National Nutrition Month – Info. From the NIH

We Can!  (Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition) is a national education program designed to give parents and communities a way to help children learn to eat nutritious foods.  As parents, you can do a lot to help your children learn healthy eating habits and maintain a healthy weight.  Involving them in meal preparation and cooking can motivate them to try new foods – and is a good way to spend time together as a family.

What is a “healthy” diet?

·         A healthy eating plan is one that :

·         Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or fat-free milk products.

·         Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts.

·         Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, sodium/salt, and added sugars.

·         Stays within your calorie needs.

Hungry for more?   Visit the WE CAN! Web site at http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov 

Free “Keep the Beat Recipes: Deliciously Healthy Family Meals”

-https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/resources/keep-beat-recipes-deliciously-healthy-family-meals 

 

Current Illness Recommendations:

  • Your child  must be fever-free for 24 hours  (without the use of fever-reducing medications) before they can return to school.

  • Your child must  not have any episodes of vomiting or diarrhea for 24 hours  before they can return to school.

Is my child too sick to go to school?

Covid 19

If your student tested  POSITIVE for COVID, the link below is a return to school calculator:  https://doh.wa.gov/emergencies/covid-19/isolation-and-quarantine-covid-19/isolation-and-quarantine-calculator  

Covid 19 Decision Tree

 

Ptsa Publications

Join the PTSA today  and support our initiatives! Here are the latest updates:

  • PTSA Multicultural Night: The Skyview PTSA cordially invites you to join us for Multicultural Night on Friday, March 15th, from 6:00 to 8:30 pm in the Skyview cafeteria! Although the registration deadline has passed, we are keeping our registration form accessible and actively monitoring it for any submissions received within this week. We hope to accommodate any late registrations to enhance the event.  Visit the PTSA page for more details. 

  • PTSA 8th Grade Party: The PTSA will be hosting the 8th Grade Party on May 31 at McMenamins Anderson School in downtown Bothell from 6:30-9:30 PM. For more details and to get your tickets, click here. For any questions, email us at skyview8thgrade@gmail.com.

  • Food Pantry Delivery: The next food pantry delivery is scheduled for March 13th. Sign up here using the 2024 form if you're in need.

 

Family Engagement updates

Support is available in person on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm.

Sign-up to volunteer at Skyview (linked to this post)! First, you must complete the district volunteer paperwork  here .

  • Campus Clean-Up/Beautification:

    • Pick up trash, tend to landscape, create posters or other decorative items for the school, etc.

  • Recess/Play:  

    • Monitor students and encourage students to play

    • Play four square, basketball, tag, kick a soccer ball, or throw a football with the students

    • Create sidewalk art with chalk with the students

    • Play chess/checkers/cards etc. with the students

    • Ensure balls are shared and put back

  • Have other ideas  for volunteer work that could be done here at SMS?

Skyview middle school information

  • Website: https://skyview.nsd.org/

  • Office Hours: Monday - Friday: 7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

  • Cafeteria Opens for Breakfast: 7:25 a.m.

  • Academic Buildings Open: 7:45 a.m.

  • School Hours:

    • Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 8:00 a.m.. - 2:35 p.m.

    • Wednesday Early Release: 8:00 a.m. - 1:05 p.m..

    • SMS Bell Schedules 2023-24

  • Main Office Phone: 425-408-6800

  • Attendance Voicemail Line: 425-408-6810, Attendance Office Email: smsattendance@nsd.org

  • Address: 21404 35th Ave SE, Bothell, WA 98021

  • Mission Statement: The mission of Skyview Middle School is to collaboratively educate and support students as they develop into lifelong learners by providing a nurturing environment where academic and personal excellence are achieved.

SMS School administrators

  • Mrs. Jolene Grimes Edwards, Principal

  • Mrs. Kayla Andrews, Assistant Principal 

6th grade A-K and all 7th grade

  • Mr. Nico Bonder, Assistant Principal 

6th grade L-Z and all 8th grade

  • Mr. Charles Chirieleison “Mr. C.,” Dean of Students

SMS Office staff

  • Melissa Kline, Office Manager: 425-408-6801

  • Julie Archer, A.S.B. Secretary: 425-408-6803 

  • Lindsey Richards, Support Secretary: 425-408-6877

  • Vicki Madsen, Attendance Secretary: 425-408-6819

  • Tara Weyrick, Registrar: 425-408-6818 

  • Mayela Martinez, Family Engagement Specialist: 425-408- 6022 

Family & student resource links

 

Thank you for your support of Skyview Middle School

“Home of the eagles”

headshot of an Eagle

 
  View, Appreciate or Reply  
     
 
     

 

Recent Bulletins