North Mason School District

💙Recognizing Empathy💙 First up in our series of staff being nominated by the building administration for the trait of 'Empathy' is Deb Swaser, Career & College Counselor for our high school students. Principal Alexia Hadfield nominated Deb, sharing, "Deb takes the time to ensure everyone she works with feels supported. She is genuine when asking about staff and their families and listens with an empathetic heart.” Congratulations, Deb, on this recognition, and a big THANK YOU for all you do for our students as they prepare to go out and make their mark on the world!

💙 Before we dive into celebrating our employees who have been nominated by admin for the trait of 'Empathy,' we have one more employee to highlight for the trait of 'Gratitude.' Apologies to Michele Peterson for not sharing this recognition prior to the break. Assistant Principal Kevin Pattison, Hawkins Middle School, shared this: “Michele exudes gratitude every day in her role running our Huskies Solution Project (HSP) room and she always works hard to do what is best for students.” Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition, Michele! Next up we will be highlighting staff members nominated by administration for bringing the trait of empathy to their role with the district. Stay tuned!

💙"I practice my gratitude every day, being in this position, because I know it's an extra. Today we're doing the Pawsitive Shop and every student participates. Then in a few minutes, I get the privilege of opening the doors and saying hello to everyone." This is how Andrew Shifrin, Library Tech at Sand Hill Elementary, starts his day. He beams with pride, knowing he is impacting the students each day and recalls when he was that student, going to Sand Hill as a young boy. "Every day I remind myself I'm in the most beautiful room in the school." He motions to the ceiling where the light is flowing in, "Look at that. They don't build schools like this anymore." After a few moments of being lost in his memories, he adds, " I remember the wonder I felt as a student coming to the library. And now I feel that every day."

🧟 The REAL Zombie 🧟 The invasion of the zombies is coming next week to our elementary schools. No, not THAT kind of zombie but rather the gooey, delectable, cheesy goodness kind. So when you hear your student talking about the zombies at school, now you know, it's a GOOD thing! Thank you to our Child Nutrition Director Mackenna Long for this public service announcement!

DECA students competed at the competition at the Washington state fairgrounds in Puyallup yesterday. Graduation specialist Autumn Perry shared, "It was truly amazing to see this group DECA students in their element at the competition. A few of our students will be moving forward to the DECA state competition." We will keep you posted on their progress as they advance! Thank you, Autumn, for sharing this wonderful student accomplishment!

👋Greetings & Goodbyes 👋 Administrators and teachers make connections with students each day, by standing at the doors, or by the buses, saying good morning or goodbye. Principal Collins explains how they use ‘optimistic greetings and goodbyes’ at the high school to encourage. “If a student is late, they are welcomed with, we’re glad you’re here.” One student standing nearby interjected, “it’s reverse psychology!” Though he was teasing his principal, the student admitted it’s an effective approach. This is just one of the many ways administrators and teachers strive to connect positively with their students and create a culture of optimism. To learn more about district discipline policies, please visit https://app.eduportal.com/share/e867dae595551bb8

CTE Careers Highlighted by West Sound Tech Guest Speaker West Sound Tech came to speak to 8th grade science and 7th grade computer science classes today! Tony Sharpe, who teaches the animation and video game design program at WST came and talked about the offered programs and opportunities for students coming up in their near future. West Sound Tech offers programs such as welding, cosmetology, medical careers, construction, video game design, and more coming with the addition of their new building: dentistry, HVAC, early childhood, and more. Got kids thinking about careers in CTE! Thank you to teacher Hannah Kidd for sharing this with our community and highlighting the power of this partnership between North Mason and West Sound Tech that provides our students so many amazing CTE career opportunities to explore!

January is School Board Recognition Month. What a great opportunity to thank our elected community members who selflessly give their time and energy to support high-quality public schooling for our youth. School boards are charged with making decisions that can sometimes be quite difficult, or require sifting through a great deal of information. They also bear responsibility for developing a vision that will guide the school district for years to come. Through collaboration as a team, and with school district staff, their governance and advocacy are building the future of education in Washington state. This January, we’re encouraging all members of the community to thank a board member. Please thank them for volunteering their time and playing a critical civic role that helps form the bedrock of our democracy—public education. As a crucial bridge between the local community and the school district, their efforts are instrumental in helping all of us realize the hopes and dreams we have for the children of our community. Thank you, Erik Youngberg, Arla Shephard Bull, Nicholas Thomas, Nicole Gonzalez Timmons, and Leanna Krotzer, for all you do for NMSD and our students.

Students participated in a Robotics ROV challenge at Olympic High School today, presenting the ROVs they have been working on in class for the last 6 weeks. Next up is preparing for a high school competition in the spring. Another exciting project planned for next year is having the Advanced ROVs monitor their salmon net pen. Thank you, Sommer Landers, for highlighting this complex project, and congratulations to all your student presenters!

THANK YOU to Shumaker Chiropractic for collecting and organizing donations for teens experiencing homelessness in NMSD, in partnership with the North Mason Giving Tree. These generous donations connected over 80 of our high school students with hats, socks and toiletries. We are grateful for the generosity and partnerships in our North Mason Community that make such a difference to our students. If you know a student in need of toiletries or other basic needs, please contact our Family Liaison, Laura Pugh, at LPugh@northmasonschools.org or 360-277-2241.

🔵 DO-IT: Advancing the success of people with disabilities in education, research, & careers 🔵 The DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) Center is dedicated to empowering people with disabilities through technology and education. It promotes awareness and accessibility—in both the classroom and the workplace—to maximize the potential of individuals with disabilities and make our communities more vibrant, diverse, and inclusive. The DO-IT Center strives to: ➡️ increase the success of people with disabilities in challenging academic programs and careers; ➡️ promote the application of universal design to physical spaces, information technology, instruction, and services; ➡️ freely distribute online content, publications, and videos for use in presentations, exhibits, and the classroom; and ➡️ provide resources for students with disabilities, K-12 educators, postsecondary faculty and administrators, librarians, employers, parents, and mentors. ➡️ promote the application of universal design to physical spaces, information technology, instruction, and services; ➡️ freely distribute online content, publications, and videos for use in presentations, exhibits, and the classroom; and ➡️ provide resources for students with disabilities, K-12 educators, postsecondary faculty and administrators, librarians, employers, parents, and mentors. Visit the website to learn more about the program and rolling deadlines for scholarships: https://www.washington.edu/doit/ Thank you, Deb Swaser, for sharing this program information!

Core Plus Maritime Students Tour Local Facilities Did you know that just a few miles down the road SAFEBOATS employs 300 people to build emergency response boats from the ground up? They ship orders all over the world. SAFEBOATS is looking for dedicated workers who show up to work, work hard, and can think outside of the box. School is a great place to build your employability skills for life! Show up. Work hard. Innovate and be a flexible thinker. Our group of 26 students also visited DEFIANCE BOATS and observed fiberglass boat manufacturing. Thank you, Gavin Forseth, Autumn Perry, and Deb Swaser for providing information about this great field trip our students had, providing them an invaluable opportunity to meet with industry leaders and see, first-hand, the relevance of the skills they are learning.

💚 Leading with Gratitude 💚 This week we highlight Julie Moosman, recognized by the administration for the trait of gratitude and what she brings to her role as Board Certified Behavior Analyst for the district. Amber Nygard, Director of Inclusive Education, shares, "Julie is in a role that is new to North Mason this year and has stepped in and done amazingly with students and staff. She is always professional and gracious for the opportunity to serve the students in any way that she can. She is working with our staff as well and helping us all learn ways to appreciate the uniqueness of the students we serve and helps our educators be better each day. Julie truly seems to be grateful for the opportunity to work at NM but we are the ones that are grateful that she has chosen to work with us!” Thank you, Julie, for making an impact with our students and staff!

🥠🍗🥕🥔🥧Students in the Adulting in Our Community classroom hosted a beautiful meal, bringing together special guests over three sessions that included families, teachers, community members, the superintendent and school board members. They called the event "Yuletide meal," and served holiday classics such as turkey, sweet potatoes, and other delicacies that went with the theme. The careful thought students put into every detail of the meal, and the décor, showcased their skills in menu planning and preparation, along with the social etiquette skills required when hosting a large event. Every guest was made to feel welcomed and included! Students even thought of having a cozy sofa against a fireplace backdrop, for those wanting to relax a bit after the eating and socializing. Perfectly planned and executed! Congratulations AIOC students! Empty plates + smiling faces = SUCCESS!

💚 Leading with Gratitude 💚 Celebrating Jana Hoberg, 4th grade teacher at Sand Hill Elementary, who is being highlighted as part of our administrator appreciation series for how she approaches every interaction with gratitude! Nominated by Tyler Lunde, assistant principal, he shares that "Jana is so appreciative of everyone's efforts and she expresses gratitude to her students for the assets they bring to her classroom. She makes them known they are appreciated, too." Congratulations on earning this recognition, Jana!

Real-World Connections "Last Thursday, Jon and Rebecca Hobson visited 6th grade science in Mr. Wells, Ms. Kivi, and Ms. Kidd's classes to talk about Hecla Mining, what Jon's job is like up in Alaska, and how science connects to his daily job. 6th graders have been learning about rock types and how they form, so learning about what minerals miners look for was a great connection to what we've been working on. Thank you to Jon and Rebecca, who took time out of their lives to spend their day with 6th grade! " Thank you, Hannah Kidd, for sharing this glimpse into the interesting learning opportunity our 6th grade science students experienced, and for taking the time to highlight two guest volunteers!

💚 Leading with Gratitude 💚 Congratulations to Sand Hill Elementary paraeducator, Jillie Mauer, on being nominated by Principal Jessica Collins as part of our building administrator staff recognition series. Thank you for all you do for our students!

💚 Leading with Gratitude 💚 Today we highlight Rob Thomas who was nominated by two building administrators for embodying the trait of gratitude in his role as athletic director for NMHS. "Rob has been graciously learning the AD role and supporting students and community so well." Principal Chad Collins "Rob has a great servant's heart and will do anything for the staff and students at North Mason. He is the definition of selfless. Rob truly bleeds blue n white!" Assistant Principal Steve Hackett Congratulations on this recognition, Rob! #GoBulldogs

💉 FREE Vaccine Clinic for children 18 years and younger - No Insurance Required ⚫ WHEN: December 11th ⚫ WHERE: 345 6th Street, Suite 300, Bremerton ⚫ TIMES: 9:00 -11:00 am, and 1:00-3:00 pm No appointment required for COVID or flu vaccines but all other vaccines require an appointment. To book an appointment, please call (360) 728-2007, scan the QR code on the poster, or visit kitsappublichealth.org/clinic. Thank you to Nurse Jaclyn for sharing this information with our community.

📖 Mrs. Varick's first grade class had a special visitor today when Superintendent Rosenbach stopped by to read them one of her favorite Christmas stories, "Santa's First Christmas," by Mac Barnett. Before getting into the story, students raised their hands to share their observations in a thoughtful discussion about elves, Christmas magic, and their favorite holiday memories and traditions. Most adorable book-club ever!