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Bill Mester Dedication - March 23
"Relationships aren't the most important thing that matter. They are the only thing that matters." ~ Bill Mester
A dedication event for Bill Mester will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 23, at the Snohomish Aquatic Center (516 Maple Avenue in Snohomish). Cookies and punch to be served following the dedication. Click for additional information. -
Spring teacher conference information
This year’s spring teacher conferences will be held the week of March 27. Please watch for school-specific conference details that will be communicated directly by our schools. Tuesday, March 28 through Friday, March 31, are half-day early release for elementary, middle and high schools. Click here for more information.
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Education Support Professionals Week (March 13-17)
Join us in celebrating our district’s classified employees during Education Support Professionals Week (March 13-17)! Our 500 classified employees play essential roles in many aspects of education.
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Students make connections with delegates from around the globe
A group of about 20 European delegates recently met with Glacier Peak High School students as part of their AP Comparative Government classes. The European delegates are participants in the U.S. Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program, and the students are part of Ryan Hauck’s AP Comparative Government classes.
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Spring Into Kindergarten - March 1
Mark your calendars for our Spring Into Kindergarten event. All 2023-2024 kindergarten families and students are highly encouraged to attend. Spring Into Kindergarten will be held on Wednesday, March 1, from 4-7 p.m. at district elementary schools. Families should complete and return their kindergarten registration paperwork that day. Each school will also be conducting school tours and having important information available for families (WaKIDS, PTA/PTO/parent organizations, bus transportation, special services and more). Learn more at www.sno.wednet.edu/kindergarten.
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Students to receive Panorama survey in spring
We will again be asking our 3rd through 12th grade students to participate in the Panorama survey for social-emotional learning. This survey was given to students last school year and in the fall 2022. Panorama helps schools and districts transform their approach to education, so that every student thrives in school, every student benefits from an excellent education, and every student graduates prepared with the knowledge, skills, and mindsets they need to thrive in the modern, ever-changing world. Through our work to improve education, we help create a world where every child has equitable access to opportunities in school and in society more broadly. Panorama is a tool used by the district in conjunction with multiple other resources, such as attendance, behavior, grades, etc.
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Color Me Important works to engage students by celebrating and recognizing diversity
Snohomish School District kindergarten and 1st grade teachers will soon be one step closer to having additional tools in their classrooms that help provide students with the creative supplies that more closely represent who they are. Thanks to the local Color Me Important project, which is organized by Marnie Gray, the Snohomish Lions Club and others from the Snohomish community, Snohomish School District’s youngest students will have some new tools that will help make it easier to express themselves creatively.
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Inclement weather info for families
We know that our Pacific Northwest weather can be unpredictable. Please take a few minutes to review this information, which includes our limited transportation (snow) routes and schedules, so you know what to expect when there is a weather event. It’s difficult when things happen that are out of our control, and we thank you in advance for your patience and flexibility.
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District remembers and recognizes veterans, named a Purple Heart District
The Purple Heart designation is an “Outward expression of an internal desire to recognize and Honor recipients of the Purple Heart.” The Purple Heart is presented to men and women of all military services that have been injured or killed in action against an enemy of the United States. At its October 26 meeting, the Snohomish School District Board of Directors approved Resolution 11-22 making the district a Purple Heart District. Members of VFW Post 921 and Ward Roney Jr. VFW Post 7511 were in attendance for the declaration.
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School Veterans Day assemblies
Many of our schools have planned Veterans Day assemblies in early November. All veterans, families and community members are welcome to attend any or all of these events. There is no school on Friday, November 11.
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District teams busy maintaining schools and campuses
Our district’s maintenance and custodial teams have had an incredibly busy summer and the first few months of school! Below are just some of the summer and early fall projects that were completed or will be completed in the immediate future. As additional projects are completed in the months ahead, we will share information in future Dear Friends newsletters. Projects were made possible through funding provided by our local voter-approved levies. Thank you, Snohomish, for your ongoing support of our schools and campuses!
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Help us chart our course!
Help us chart our course! The school district is engaging in a strategic planning process and would like your feedback. Your feedback will help us outline the goals for the future of the Snohomish School District. At each session, participants will discuss: What is Snohomish School District doing well? What could the Snohomish School District do to improve the outcome of the goals for our child/children? The majority of sessions will be held over Zoom. We hope you will be able to attend one of the sessions so that you can provide feedback that will help us improve the education and services for our children.
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Calling all Snohomish School District high school students!
Calling all Snohomish School District high school students! Are you interested in serving as a representative on the Student Advisory Council for the School Board? We have 10-member Student Advisory Council representative positions open for the 2022-2023 school year and invite you to submit your application by October 14, 2022. Four students (one per grade level) will be selected from each Glacier Peak High School and Snohomish High School, and two students will be selected from AIM High School. Students selected to the Student Advisory Council will receive community service hours for their involvement. Learn more and apply at www.sno.wednet.edu/studentadvisory.
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Kids' Café has successful summer
This year’s Kids’ Café Summer Meal Program was a tremendous success! We served 4,431 breakfasts and 10,572 lunches (for a total of 15,003 meals) to young people from our community.
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Adams selected to School Board
Sarah Adams has been selected by the Snohomish School District Board of Directors to fill the post recently vacated by Brandy Hekker. Adams was sworn into office at the Wednesday, August 24, School Board meeting.
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2022-2023 calendar & handbook
The 2022–2023 district calendar includes important dates for many school district events and activities, as well as information we must legally provide and information we feel will be important to you. Please note that the events in the calendar are accurate as of July 2022, but may change due to unforeseen circumstances. Our websites and school newsletters are an excellent way for parents to stay informed of any changes or newly-added, adjusted or canceled events and activities. A pdf version of the 2022-2023 district calendar is available at www.sno.wednet.edu/calendar
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Join our team!
We are looking for teachers, nurses, paraeducators, custodians, bus drivers, kitchen staff, pool team members, and other positions! Visit www.sno.wednet.edu/jobs or call 360-563-7233 today!
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821 students to graduate from Snohomish
Commencement exercises for all three district high schools will soon be held, and 821 students will receive their diplomas. Our graduates have much to be proud of! Together, this group of students received millions of dollars in scholarships from school and community scholarship funds, community organizations, colleges, and regional and national organizations. Click for an alphabetical list of graduates by high school.
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2022 WASA award recipients
The Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA) – Sno-Isle Region 109 recently recognized these local groups for their unique contributions to the Snohomish School District. Citizens for Snohomish Schools received the 2022 WASA Community Leadership Award, and the Snohomish School District nursing team was the recipient of the 2022 WASA Staff/Student Leadership Award. We are thankful for their contributions to our district and community!
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Kathy Purviance-Snow receives national recognition
Congratulations to Snohomish High School teacher Kathy Purviance-Snow who has been named 2022 NEA Member Benefits Award for Teaching Excellence national award winner! This award from the NEA Foundation is one of public education's highest honors.
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School immunization reminder
It is important to make sure your child goes to their regularly scheduled wellness appointments, which often include immunizations. The summer months are a great time to get your child caught up with immunization requirements before the 2022-2023 school year. Schedule your appointments early, as health care providers’ schedules quickly fill up in August and September. Make sure to turn in your updated immunization paperwork to the school by Wednesday, September 7.
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Senior & graduation information
Congratulations graduates! Learn more about our AIM High School, Glacier Peak High School and Snohomish High School 2022 graduation ceremonies.
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Thank you Snohomish Lions Club!
Members of the Snohomish Lions Club recently presented the district with a second Spot Vision Screener. These devices, which cost about $7,000 each, are essential to school nurses who use them to screen students, monitor on-going vision concerns presented by staff and families, and provide data for evaluations.
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Glacier Peak High School student theatre presents Cinderella
Are you ready for a little magic in your life? Come see the musical Cinderella presented by theatre students at Glacier Peak High School (7401 144th Place SE in Snohomish). Cinderella premiers Friday, April 15 at 7 p.m. Other dates include Thursday, April 28; Fridays on April 22 and April 29; and Saturdays on April 16, April 23 and April 30. Showtimes are 7 p.m. with additional 2 p.m. matinees on Saturdays. Click here for ticket information.
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Snohomish High School student theatre presents Once Upon A Mattress
Snohomish High School student theatre presents Once Upon A Mattress. Based loosely on the fairy tale, “The Princess and the Pea,” this family-friendly musical has been delighting audiences for over 60 years! Performances will be held May 6, May 7, May 13, May 14, May 20, and May 21 at Snohomish High School (1316 Fifth Street in Snohomish). Evening performances each day at 7 p.m., Saturday matinees at 1 p.m.
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Speak Up!
Rather than focus on or highlight hate, we would like to take this opportunity to look at how we can continue to move forward and work to be better with one another. We can start with increasing our awareness of hate speech and engage in conversations around how to address it and support those impacted by it. To be clear, hate negatively impacts everyone.
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Snohomish students outperform state testing averages
The percentage of Snohomish students who took the Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) and Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS) in fall 2021 and met the state standard in English language arts (ELA) exceeded the state average at every elementary, middle school and high school grade level.The percentage of Snohomish students who took the Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) and Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS) in fall 2021 and met the state standard in English language arts (ELA) exceeded the state average at every elementary, middle school and high school grade level.
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District to implement Test to Stay Program
The Snohomish School District, the Snohomish Health District and the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) recognize the importance of students remaining in school after potential exposure to COVID-19 at school but are not showing any signs or symptoms of the virus. The Snohomish School District is participating in the DOH Test to Stay Program. The program will be implemented in our schools beginning Monday, December 6.
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Free ACT opportunity - Juniors
The Snohomish School District will be offering the ACT (American College Test) free of charge for all high school juniors on March 8, 2022 during the school day. This is an amazing opportunity for students to take a college entrance exam at no cost to families and for our schools to collect data that will help improve student learning.
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Are you ready for inclement weather?
We know that our Pacific Northwest weather can be unpredictable. Please take a few minutes to review the information below so you know what to expect when there is a weather event. It’s difficult when things happen that are out of our control, and we thank you in advance for your patience and flexibility.
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Sad news
It is with sad news, we share the passing of retired Snohomish School District Superintendent Bill Mester. Mester died peacefully with his family by his side on Monday, November 1, after battling pneumonia. In late spring/early summer, he and his wife Fran moved to the Baltimore area to be closer to family. At age 73, he leaves behind his wife of 50 years, his two children, his daughter-in-law and his two grandchildren. Mester retired as Superintendent of the Snohomish School District in 2015, ending a 43-year career in education and 35 years leading school districts. 14 of those years were in Snohomish.
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Kathy Purviance-Snow recipient of Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence
A huge round of congratulations to Snohomish High School teacher Kathy Purviance-Snow who was named one of five educators across the nation to receive one of public education’s highest honors, the Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence! The award from the NEA Foundation recognizes educators for their diligence and dedication to students, colleagues, communities, and their profession.
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Follow-up communication rRegarding GPHS incident
We wanted to share with district families the message Principal Jeff Larson sent to the Glacier Peak High School community earlier today. Discrimination has no place in our schools. In the Snohomish School District, we stand with our LGBTQ+ students and honor and value the lives of each and every student, staff, and community member regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, neurodiversity, social class or disability.
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Possible transportation impacts
The district is preparing for the possible impact that our regional and state-wide labor shortage may have upon our bus driver workforce. The possible shortage combined with normal absences due to illness and personal leave could create a situation where bus routes would have to be altered.
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School ventilation
Last evening (September 20, 2021) on KING 5, there was an investigation report regarding statewide K-12 school HVAC systems. In their investigation, data from the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) shows that nearly 800 school buildings across the state have “poor” ratings for their heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. The data used to create the report was self-submitted by school districts. Snohomish School District submitted its data during the 2018-2019 school year. Districts submit scores regarding their heating systems, HVAC distribution and ventilation. We are unaware how KING 5 formulated its database and overall scores using those three data points. Click here for specifics regarding Snohomish School District ventilation.
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Kids’ Café has successful summer
This year’s Kids’ Café Summer Meal Program was a tremendous success! We served 7,302 breakfasts and 7,954 lunches (for a total of 15,256 meals) to young people from our community.
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Letter from the Superintendent - August 13, 2021
As we continue our preparations for the coming year, I want to assure our families that our #1 priority is safely returning our students to our schools and classrooms full time. As we continue to finalize those back-to-school plans, health and safety remain the utmost priority. And as we work hard to maintain a safe and healthy environment for our students and staff, we are working hard to balance that with creating as normal as possible school environment.
As we work through the details of the return to school, I want you to be aware that our district continues to have regular discussions with the Snohomish Health District, Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal’s office and leadership from other school districts in Snohomish County and the region.
Some current examples of decisions that have been made and communicated to us by the Washington State Department of Health are included in this letter. -
Back-to-School News (2021-2022)
As we have shared with our school community, we are planning for a full-time return to in-person learning for the 2021-2022 school year.
As we continue to finalize our back-to-school plans and adjust to any new guidance, our students’ and staff’s health and safety continues to remain our highest priority. Back-to-school information is located below. Please watch for details from your child’s school regarding additional school-specific information. In addition, more information is available on our school and district websites. We can’t wait to welcome you back to our schools and classrooms soon! -
Important family back-to-school message
We want to continue to keep you updated as we prepare for the return of all students to be in-person all day, five days per week this fall. We are excited that students will be in their classrooms with their teachers and peers.
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Communication from the Superintendent - June 25, 2021
As a follow-up to the conversations occurring in our community, I wanted to provide you with information about what is/is not occurring in the Snohomish School District in regard to Critical Race Theory (CRT), sexual education curriculum and use of masks/face coverings. And more importantly, I want to emphasize that the Snohomish School District is dedicated to each and every student’s education and strives to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for all. Our goal is to ensure that any student who entrusts us with their education earns their diploma while having a safe and positive experience in our schools.
