Mary M. Knight Family Newsletter

Dear Mary M. Knight Families,

What a first week.

Over the past several days, our classrooms, hallways, playgrounds, cafeteria, and athletic spaces came back to life as our OWLS returned for the 2026–2027 school year. It has been great to see students reconnecting with friends, meeting teachers, learning schedules, settling into classrooms, and beginning another year of learning together.

Last week, I shared that a strong school year is not created on the first day. It is built through hundreds of small decisions over time.

Now we begin making those decisions consistently.

As we move into Week Two, our focus shifts from simply learning routines and expectations to beginning to turn those routines into habits.

That means:

• Arriving ready and on time.
• Beginning learning when it is time to begin.
• Participating and asking questions.
• Following directions and routines.
• Taking care of our classrooms and school.
• Treating others with dignity and respect.
• Responding positively to feedback.
• Taking responsibility when we make a mistake.
• Trying again when something is difficult.
• Understanding that our individual choices affect the people around us.

These may seem like small things, but small things repeated consistently become habits—and habits shape outcomes.

That is where our continued focus on GRIT with Intentional Excellence becomes especially important.

• Growth means being willing to improve.
• Resilience means recovering when things do not go as planned.
• Intensity means bringing focus and purpose to what is in front of us.
• Tenacity means staying with something when it becomes difficult.

And Intentional Excellence means understanding that excellence does not happen accidentally. It comes from deliberately making choices that move ourselves and the people around us forward.

One area we will continue emphasizing with students is the importance of protecting learning time.

Not every classroom disruption is loud or dramatic. Sometimes a disruption is a repeated joke, side comment, argument, sarcastic response, refusal to follow a simple direction, or effort to pull the attention of classmates away from instruction. One incident may only take a few seconds, but when those choices happen repeatedly, they slowly take learning time away from everyone in the room.

We want our students to have personality. We want them to laugh, interact, ask questions, disagree respectfully, and enjoy being at school. At the same time, part of growing up is learning to recognize when my choices begin interfering with someone else's opportunity to learn.

That is an important skill in school, in relationships, in the workplace, and throughout life.

I also want to thank our families for the support you provided during our opening week. Establishing routines at home, getting students to school, communicating with staff, asking your children about their day, and reinforcing expectations all make a difference.

We are still early in the year. Not every routine will be perfect. Students are still adjusting. Teachers are continuing to learn about their students. Systems will continue to become smoother.

That is exactly what these opening weeks are for.

Our responsibility is not to expect perfection. It is to teach, practice, reinforce, reflect, and improve.

Let’s keep building.

One day. One decision. One intentional choice at a time.

With OWL Pride,

Last week, we encouraged families to move beyond simply asking, “How was school?”

This week, consider questions that help students reflect on the habits they are beginning to develop:

• What is one routine at school that is becoming easier for you?
• What is something you worked hard on today?
• When did you have to show GRIT this week?
• Did you need to adjust your behavior after a teacher redirected you? What happened?
• Did something you said or did help the class learn—or distract from learning?
• What is one choice you can make tomorrow that will help you be even more successful?

The goal isn't to have the perfect answer.

The goal is helping our students learn to reflect on their choices and understand that growth happens through what we repeatedly choose to do.

Monday, August 31

• First Day of Kindergarten
• Middle School Fall Sports Begin

Tuesday, September 1

• HS Volleyball Jamboree @ Oakville

Wednesday, September 2

• Late Start — School begins at 9:00 a.m.
• Mary M. Knight's birthday

Thursday, September 3

• HS Volleyball vs. Quilcene 6:00 pm

Friday, September 4

• Fall Student Picture Day
• HS Volleyball @ Evergreen Lutheran 4:30 pm

Thank you to the families who completed our MMK Parent Feedback Survey at the Back-to-School BBQ. If you have not had a chance to participate yet, we would really appreciate a few minutes of your time.

As part of our continued Belonging initiative, we want to better understand how our families experience Mary M. Knight. The survey asks about areas such as whether your child feels known, valued, supported, safe, and connected, as well as how welcomed, informed, included, and heard you feel as a family.

Your feedback helps us recognize what is working and identify where we can continue to grow.

Please take a few minutes to share your voice:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeFSd_fs-dPgKWJ75q0OGZ12oR5t3oS_SjFSgribDe8O7MPDQ/viewform

Our goal is simple: every student belongs, learns with purpose, and has the opportunity to achieve their potential—and family feedback is an important part of helping us get there.

As we establish routines during these opening weeks, I want to communicate openly with families about something that has a significant impact on every classroom: protecting learning time from disruption.

When we hear the word disruption, we sometimes picture a major behavior that immediately stops the classroom.

But many of the disruptions that affect learning are much more subtle.

Sometimes disruption is a repeated series of small choices that gradually pulls attention away from instruction.

One comment may seem minor.

One joke may seem harmless.

One argument about a direction may only take a few seconds.

But when those behaviors happen repeatedly throughout a class period, the teacher must continually redirect attention away from instruction—and every student in the classroom loses learning time.

Examples of behaviors that can disrupt learning include:

• Repeatedly responding to routine teacher directions with comments intended to challenge, frustrate, or gain attention.
• Calling out jokes, side comments, or remarks while someone else is speaking or instruction is taking place.
• Making disrespectful or antagonizing comments toward peers or staff in ways that create negative attention.
• Turning simple directions into repeated arguments, debates, or negotiations.
• Refusing to make a reasonable adjustment after being redirected by staff.
• Making comments, noises, gestures, or other actions intended to pull classmates' attention away from learning.
• Antagonizing classmates in ways that distract them or create conflict.
• Using “I was just joking” to dismiss behavior that is distracting, disrespectful, or negatively affecting someone else.

Individually, some of these behaviors may appear small.

Repeated over time, they are not small.

A teacher who has to stop instruction repeatedly to address side comments, arguments, jokes, or antagonizing behavior has less time to teach.

Students who are trying to participate have more difficulty concentrating.

And over time, the classroom can begin to shift from an environment centered on learning to one centered on reacting to the next distraction.

This is why one of the habits we are emphasizing with students is understanding that:

My choices affect everyone around me.

At MMK, we absolutely want students to laugh, connect with classmates, ask questions, respectfully disagree, and enjoy being at school.

A positive classroom does not need to be silent or rigid.

But students must also learn the difference between contributing to a classroom and repeatedly pulling attention away from learning.

This connects directly to our OWLS expectations:

• Ownership means recognizing how my behavior affects others.
• Willingness means making an adjustment when a teacher or staff member redirects me.
• Leadership means helping create an environment where other people can be successful.
• Success means using our time, energy, and attention in ways that move learning forward.

How Families Can Help

We would appreciate families reinforcing this conversation at home.

Consider asking:

• When your teacher asks you to change a behavior, what should you do next?
• How can joking become disruptive even if you think it is funny?
• Are your comments helping the class learn or pulling attention away from learning?
• How would you feel if another student's choices repeatedly interrupted your opportunity to learn?
• What does taking Ownership look like when an adult redirects you?

Our goal is not to remove personality, conversation, or fun from school.

Our goal is to help students develop an important life skill:

Knowing when, where, and how their actions affect other people—and making the adjustment when needed.

When school and families reinforce that expectation together, we protect something incredibly valuable:

every student's opportunity to learn.

Our youngest OWLS begin on a slightly different schedule.

Kindergarten

First Day: Monday, August 31

Mrs. Tracey is connecting directly with Kindergarten families regarding WaKIDS Family Connection meetings before students begin their regular school schedule.

Preschool

First Day: Tuesday, September 8

Mrs. Lohman will communicate directly with Preschool families regarding beginning-of-year information.

We are excited to welcome our youngest OWLS soon!

Get those OWL smiles ready!

Fall Student Picture Day is this Friday, September 4.

Students will have their school pictures taken during the school day. Create an account or login with your picture Day ID

• mylifetouch.com ID: EVTCSSR$V

Families should watch for additional picture-day information communicated by the school.

Picture Retake Day: Monday, November 16

August Theme: Launching with Intention — Growth × Ownership

What a great way to begin the year.

Our first GRIT honorees are already showing what it means to Launch with Intention by taking ownership of their choices, stepping into challenges, helping others, and showing a willingness to grow.

Brielle Mirka | 11th Grade
Brielle earned two nominations for stepping into leadership during team activities and for working through her nervousness about joining Choir. She showed that Growth and Ownership often begin with being willing to step outside your comfort zone.

Stanley Olson | 4th Grade
Stanley started at a new school with positivity, kindness, and a willingness to learn new routines and meet new people. Welcome to MMK, Stanley!

Gage Winkler | 9th Grade
Gage demonstrated strong growth by redirecting himself, staying engaged in math, and identifying meaningful goals for himself this school year.

Marissa Mikeska | 11th Grade
Marissa showed resilience by working through her nervousness about Choir and collaborating with staff and friends to find a way to participate successfully.

Lilly Botha | 4th Grade
Lilly entered a brand-new school with a smile, stayed focused, participated fully, and immediately set a positive example for her classmates.

Grayson McCracken | 3rd Grade
When an assignment felt difficult to begin, Grayson communicated with his teacher, accepted support, and followed through until the work was complete. That is Growth and Resilience in action.

Jasper Garner | 2nd Grade
Jasper arrived ready to learn, stayed focused, followed directions, participated, and showed respect throughout his first day. Great start, Jasper!

Aurora Davis | 1st Grade
As a new MMK student, Aurora jumped into her first day with a positive attitude, asked for help when needed, and showed resilience while learning her new school.

Braden Thomas | 1st Grade
Braden faced a task that felt difficult, regrouped, gave his best effort, and completed it. That is Tenacity.

Dillon Smith | 10th Grade
Dillon started the year with a positive attitude, got right to work, and willingly helped both students and staff.

Launching With Intention

Our first week showed GRIT in many different ways—trying something new, asking for help, setting goals, persevering, helping others, and choosing to re-engage when something is difficult.

Congratulations to our first GRIT Students of the Week.

You are helping set the tone for the year. Go OWLS!

Tuesday, September 1

🏐 HS Volleyball Jamboree @ Oakville — Time TBD

Thursday, September 3
🏐 HS Volleyball vs. Quilcene — Home at MMK, 6:00 p.m.

Friday, September 4
🏐 HS Volleyball @ Evergreen Lutheran
JV — 4:30 p.m.

Varsity — 6:00 p.m.
Team departure — 2:15 p.m.

Looking Ahead

🏈 High School Football continues preparing for its season opener. The Owls host Wishkah on Saturday, September 12 at 1:00 p.m.

🏐 Middle School Volleyball — First competition: September 14 @ Lake Quinault, 5:30 p.m.

🏈 Middle School Flag Football — First competition: September 16 vs. Oakville at MMK, 4:30 p.m.

We are excited to see our OWLS back on the court and field representing Mary M. Knight through teamwork, commitment, and GRIT.

GO OWLS!

Register for MMK Athletics

Families are reminded that student-athletes must complete all required registration information through FinalForms before participating.

MMK FinalForms:
https://marymknight-wa.finalforms.com/