What a great start to the year! There has been so much wonderful work going on inside and outside our classrooms that has had an impact on student learning and student success.

Some Great Wins

Last month the Puget Sound Business Journal listed the top 100 elementary schools in the Puget Sound Region. Not only did our district have six schools listed (Cedar Wood, Garfield, Mill Creek Forest View, Penny Creek and Whittier), but Cedar Wood Elementary was named #1 – outstanding! Congratulations to Principal Bruce Rhodes and the amazing teachers and staff!

Recently, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) released the 2018-19 statewide assessment scores. I am so proud of our students who, once again, academically outperformed the state average and demonstrated year over year improvement in most categories. And, thanks to our hardworking educators, success is within reach for all of our students with an increased emphasis on reading at early levels, strong monitoring and collaboration, and core focus on climate, culture, systems and instruction.

Our 4-year graduation rate improved again this year, moving up to 95.9%! An outstanding accomplishment.

Attendance Matters

Students who miss many days of school are academically at risk. Chronic absenteeism, missing 10 percent or more of school days due to absence for any reason (excused, unexcused absences and suspensions) can translate into third-graders unable to master reading, sixth graders failing subjects and ninth graders dropping out of high school. Chronic absence is a solvable problem. To find out more about the effects of absenteeism and tips to help get your child to school, visit our Attendance Matters web page.

Safety

Keeping our students safe is of utmost importance, as well as keeping you informed. The recent news about vaping illnesses emphasizes the dangers this poses to our students and our community. The Everett School District is partnering with Snohomish County Health District to host three vaping information nights for parents. Please attend one of these important sessions to get all of your questions about vaping answered:

• Nov 7 Eisenhower Middle School cafeteria, 7 p.m.
• Nov 18 Heatherwood Middle School cafeteria, 7 p.m.
• Nov 21 Community Resource Center, 7 p.m.

Thank you for your support of Everett Public Schools. 

Dr. Ian B. Saltzman, Superintendent
425-385-4019