Mary M. Knight

Mission (our purpose):
Our Mission is to ensure that all students have the knowledge, skills, motivation, and confidence to be successful citizens.

Vision (who we must become):
We are a community of learners and leaders united to enrich the lives of all our students.

Dear MMK Families and Community,

As we close out this incredible week and prepare to head into winter break, I find myself reflecting on what makes Mary M. Knight truly special—and this week has given us countless reminders.

A Week of Celebration and Community

What a remarkable week we've had! Our Elementary Winter Concert on Thursday evening was nothing short of magical. Watching our youngest Owls take the stage with such confidence and joy reminded us all why we do this work. The gymnasium was filled with music, laughter, pride, and the unmistakable feeling of community that makes MMK feel like family.

Our Winter Spirit Week brought that same energy to every corner of our campus. From creative dress-up days to decorated hallways, our students embraced the season with enthusiasm and school spirit. Congratulations to our Juniors in the secondary building for taking home 1st place in the spirit competition—your energy was contagious!

Excellence Under Pressure

This week's theme—Maintaining Excellence Under Pressure—has been beautifully embodied by our students and staff. December is demanding: finals, performances, holiday activities, and the general busyness of the season. Yet our Owls have shown up with focus, kindness, and determination.

I'm incredibly proud of the students recognized in this newsletter—from our December Students of the Month to our GRIT award recipients, from those who met their Winter Benchmark goals to those who showed tremendous growth. Each recognition tells a story of a student who chose effort, perseverance, and character when it would have been easier to coast.

Gratitude

To our teachers and staff—Mr. Dewey and Mrs. Thornock, our December Staff Members of the Month, represent the dedication I see in all of you every single day. Thank you for maintaining excellence under your own pressures and for showing our students what commitment looks like.

To our families—thank you for filling the gymnasium Thursday night, for supporting Spirit Week, for partnering with us in your child's education, and for entrusting us with your most precious gifts each day.

And to our community partners, especially Les Schwab—your continued generosity reminds our students that they are surrounded by people who believe in them.

Looking Ahead

As you head into winter break, I hope you find time to rest, reconnect, and celebrate the season with those you love. Our students have earned this break, and so have our families.

We'll see you back in January, ready to start fresh and continue building excellence together. Until then, enjoy every moment with your Owls.

With pride and gratitude,

Monday 12/15/25 - Friday 1/6/26

• No School - Winter Break

A Night to Remember!

What an incredible evening we had at our Elementary Winter Concert on Thursday! Our MMK gymnasium was transformed into a winter wonderland of music, movement, and pure joy as our elementary OWL students took center stage to share their talents with our community.

Each class delivered outstanding performances, showcasing the songs and dances they've been practicing so diligently. The smiles on our students' faces—and yours—made it clear that this was a truly special night for our entire MMK family. The energy in the room was electric, and the pride radiating from our young performers was unmistakable!

A Heartfelt Thank You:

To our elementary students: You were AMAZING! Your hard work, enthusiasm, and courage to perform in front of such a wonderful crowd made us all so proud. Each and every one of you shined brightly!

To our elementary teachers and Ms. Chambless: Thank you for your dedication in preparing our students and creating such a memorable experience. The time, creativity, and care you invested truly showed in every performance.

To our families and community members: Thank you for filling the gymnasium with your support, encouragement, and love. Your presence means everything to our students, and these shared experiences are what make MMK such a special place.

The celebration continued after the performances as we gathered to recognize our elementary stars and enjoy treats together. These moments of community connection are what make Mary M. Knight School District truly unique.

[Photos and video from the concert are included below/attached. Enjoy reliving these special moments!]

We're already looking forward to our next opportunity to celebrate our students' talents!

Dear MMK Families and Community,

What a wonderful week we've had celebrating the winter season together! Our annual Winter Spirit Week brought joy, creativity, and school spirit to every corner of our campus, and I couldn't be prouder of our students, staff, and community.

Spirit Week Success

Our dress-up days were a hit across all grade levels! From Family Photo Day to Santa's Workshop, Bring Your Own Sleigh Day, Let it Snow Day, and finishing strong with Ugly Sweater Day, our students showed incredible enthusiasm and creativity. A special congratulations goes to our Juniors in the secondary building, who took home 1st place in the spirit competition. Your energy and participation were outstanding!

Elementary Highlights

Our elementary students transformed their hallways into winter wonderlands through our door decoration competition. Congratulations to Mrs./Mr. [Teacher name]'s 3rd grade class for creating this year's winning design! The creativity and teamwork displayed by all classes made our building feel truly festive.

The Elementary Winter Concert was a beautiful celebration of our students' musical talents. Thank you to our families and community members who filled the seats and supported our young performers. Your attendance made this event even more special for our students and staff.

Community Partnership

We are deeply grateful to our partners at Les Schwab for their continued generosity and commitment to our students. Their annual gift-giving brings smiles to our students' faces and reminds us of the strong community support that makes MMK special. Thank you, Les Schwab, for being such dedicated partners year after year!

As we head into winter break, I want to thank everyone who made this week so memorable. Our MMK OWLS showed incredible spirit, kindness, and joy throughout all our activities.

Wishing all of our families a restful, safe, and wonderful winter break. We look forward to seeing everyone back in January!

Our December Students of the Month embody this month's theme of Maintaining Excellence Under Pressure. These students stay focused, kind, and responsible even when the days are busy and the distractions are many. Let's celebrate them!

Pre-School: Marigold Guelzo

Marigold is a shining example of what it means to invest your time in learning! She has perfect attendance—showing up ready to learn every single day—and her academic growth speaks for itself. Marigold knows all 26 letters of the alphabet, can identify numerals 1 to 22 (and more!), and can count to 39.

Beyond her impressive academic achievements, Marigold is a kind and polite friend who makes our preschool classroom a joyful place to be. Marigold, your curiosity, consistency, and kindness are wonderful gifts. Keep shining!

Kindergarten: Remi Rivard

Remi has shown incredible growth this month in her ability to maintain focus and believe in herself. She has worked so hard to attempt her work independently before asking for help, and in doing so, she's discovering something powerful: she knows more than she thinks!

Watching Remi's confidence in herself and her abilities grow has been a joy. When she does get confused, she raises her hand and asks for help—showing us that asking questions is a sign of strength, not weakness. Way to go, Remi! Your determination and growing confidence inspire us all.

1st Grade: Tristen Ushman

Tristen shows quiet strength every single day. He follows expectations without needing reminders, uses his time well, and stays on task even when the room gets busy. He may not be the loudest voice in the class, but his steady effort and reliability make a real difference.

Tristen is the kind of student who can always be counted on to do the right thing. He sets the tone for others simply by showing up with consistency, focus, and kindness. Tristen, your quiet leadership speaks volumes. Thank you for being a role model for your classmates.

2nd Grade: Kimber Rivard

Kimber has a gift for being exactly the friend someone needs, right when they need it. She is always there for a student who needs support, showing empathy and kindness in big and small ways throughout the day.

Kimber, your ability to notice when someone needs encouragement or comfort makes our classroom a kinder, safer place for everyone. Thank you for being such a caring and thoughtful friend. You remind us that sometimes the most important thing we can do is simply be there for each other.

3rd Grade: Analea Atwood

Analea consistently shows empathy by sharing in the excitement of her peers' good news and comforting a friend when they're having a rough time. She cares deeply about everyone around her—and she makes sure they know it.

Analea's ability to celebrate others' successes and support them through challenges shows emotional maturity and genuine kindness. Analea, your heart for others doesn't go unnoticed. You make our school community stronger simply by being you. Keep spreading that kindness!

4th Grade: James Horn

James is a focused, responsible student who uses his time wisely and always asks for help when he needs it. Even during exciting or busy moments, he stays on task, follows expectations, and encourages others to do the same.

What truly sets James apart is his willingness to ask questions and offer support to his classmates. Most importantly, he consistently stands up for others and models kindness in every situation. James, your leadership, responsibility, and compassion make you the kind of student every teacher hopes to have in their classroom. Thank you for being a positive force.

5th Grade: Haven Metzger

Haven is incredibly responsible with managing her own space and actions. She actively participates in every aspect of class, follows expectations consistently, and does not waver under pressure—even during the busiest, most stressful times of the school year.

What makes Haven truly special is the empathy she displays every single day. She checks in on her classmates, puts herself in other people's shoes, and shows deep reflection on her thoughts and actions. Haven doesn't just think about others—she takes action to support them. Way to go, Haven! You represent the very best of what it means to be a Mary M. Knight Owl.

6th Grade: Ana Stamper

Ana has mastered the art of balance. She stays focused and produces quality work while juggling basketball, schoolwork, holiday activities—and she even moved past her Stretch Goal in reading by 19 points! That's the definition of excellence under pressure.

Ana pays attention in class, stays on task, and is usually one of the first students finished with assignments—not because she rushes, but because she uses her time wisely and works with purpose. Ana, your ability to manage multiple responsibilities while maintaining high standards is impressive. You're building skills that will serve you well as you move into middle school and beyond. Keep it up!

A Message to Our Elementary Owls

To every elementary student at Mary M. Knight: you are capable of amazing things. Some of you are being recognized today, and some of you are still working toward your next goal—and that's okay. Growth doesn't happen overnight, and every single day you show up and try your best, you're making progress.

Keep being kind. Keep working hard. Keep believing in yourselves. We are so proud to be your teachers, and we can't wait to see all the wonderful things you'll accomplish in 2025!

Congratulations to all of our December award recipients!

December is a month that tests us all—shorter days, longer to-do lists, and the push to finish strong before break. Our secondary students have risen to meet this challenge with determination, focus, and heart. Today, I'm proud to celebrate their achievements.

Winter Benchmark Growth Recognition

This month, we're recognizing students who demonstrated remarkable resilience and tenacity by meeting their growth goals in 3 out of 4 Winter benchmarks. These students set their sights on improvement, put in the work, and showed what it means to commit to getting better.

We're also celebrating those students who showed tremendous growth in any of their Winter benchmarks—students who may have started the year facing challenges but refused to give up, pushing themselves to new levels of achievement.

To every student receiving this recognition: Your growth didn't happen by accident. It happened because you chose effort over comfort, persistence over excuses, and progress over perfection. That's what we mean by GRIT. You should be incredibly proud of yourselves, and we are proud of you.

December GRIT Students of the Month

Our December GRIT award recipients embody this month's theme of Maintaining Excellence Under Pressure. These students demonstrate what it looks like to stay focused, organized, and resilient when the demands are high and the calendar is packed.

Cloey Fletcher

Cloey is the definition of grace under pressure. Even during the most high-stress, high-activity times of the school year, she maintains laser focus and produces quality work—regardless of outside pressures or distractions around her.

Cloey manages an impressive load with maturity beyond her years, balancing academics with extracurricular commitments through exceptional organization and follow-through. She doesn't just meet expectations—she models what it looks like to be dependable, respectful, and self-directed for students across all grade levels.

What truly sets Cloey apart is how she handles challenges. When pressures increase, she doesn't shut down or give up. Instead, she appropriately seeks help, problem-solves her way forward, and keeps moving. This year alone, she has continued to excel academically while serving as an assistant basketball coach—demonstrating leadership and responsibility that will serve her well far beyond high school.

Cloey, you represent excellence through your actions every single day. Thank you for being a role model.

Maelynn Nygaard

Maelynn has shown exceptional focus and composure as a key member of our Yearbook team. In a role that requires juggling multiple tasks, meeting deadlines, and adapting on the fly, Maelynn remains calm and collected—even on the most chaotic days.

Her adaptability shines when last-minute requests come in (and they always do!). Instead of becoming overwhelmed, Maelynn tackles each new task with a positive attitude and steady determination. Her ability to stay organized and productive under pressure is exactly what this month's theme celebrates.

Maelynn, your reliability and professionalism make our Yearbook team stronger. Thank you for your excellent work.

Madilyn Horn

Madi exemplifies efficiency and continuous improvement. She uses every minute of class time wisely and is constantly working to improve her schoolwork and writing. Her commitment to putting her best foot forward, every single day, shows true dedication to her own growth.

What's equally impressive is how Madi balances her academic responsibilities with her extracurricular commitments. She manages both with maturity and consistency, never letting one area slip while focusing on another.

Beyond her individual achievements, Madi is well-liked and serves as a leader among her peers—the kind of student who lifts others up simply by setting a strong example.

Madilyn, your work ethic and leadership don't go unnoticed. Keep pushing yourself—you're building habits that will carry you far.

Peyton Hughes

Peyton has demonstrated excellence and consistency in her Health class, turning work in on time, actively participating in reading and discussions, and performing well on assessments. Her ability to stay focused on what matters—even when distractions or drama swirl around her—shows remarkable maturity and self-control.

This year, Peyton has also rejoined the high school girls basketball team after taking a couple years away from the sport. That takes courage and commitment, and it speaks to her ability to stay engaged in positive activities and challenge herself in new ways. We're excited to see her contribute to what we hope will be another extremely successful season!

Peyton, your focus and your willingness to re-engage with something you love is inspiring. Keep finding ways to stay busy in positive, growth-oriented activities.

A Message to All Our Secondary Students

Whether you're being recognized today for benchmark growth, GRIT, or both—or you're still working toward your next breakthrough—know this: we see your effort, and it matters.

December is hard. You're tired. The finish line feels far away. But you're showing up, doing the work, and choosing to grow. That's what resilience looks like in real life.

Keep going, Owls. We believe in you.

Congratulations to all of our award recipients!

December Theme: Maintaining Excellence Under Pressure

I'm thrilled to share our December Staff Members of the Month, nominated by the people who know them best—our students. These educators exemplify what it means to show up with heart, consistency, and dedication, especially during one of the most demanding times of the school year.

Secondary Staff of the Month: Mr. Scott Dewey

Our secondary students have spoken loud and clear about Mr. Dewey's impact. During a season when many adults would buckle under pressure, Scott has remained a steady, positive force for our middle and high school students.

Even while shouldering additional responsibilities due to staffing challenges, students notice that he continues "staying on top of his responsibility even when there's a lot to do." What stands out most is how he makes time for what truly matters—being there for kids. Students shared that "he has helped me through hard times and he is so nice," and that he is "always nice to me and checking up on me."

In the chaos of December—with finals, performances, and holiday stress—Scott provides the calm and stability our students need. He continues to "help me plan for the future" and has earned the distinction of being called "the most trustworthy person" by his students.

Scott, your grace under pressure doesn't go unnoticed. Thank you for showing our students what professionalism, kindness, and resilience look like in action.

Elementary Staff of the Month: Mrs. Piper Thornock

Mrs. Thornock embodies our school's core value of GRIT through her empathetic and intentional approach to teaching and leadership.

Students recognize her Integrity in how "she listens to me" and helps people when needed. Her Tenacity shines through in her teaching—"she teachs us a lot of stuff"—while never losing sight of kindness and empathy. One student beautifully noted that "she shows empate" (empathy), creating a classroom where students have the Resilience to take risks, make mistakes, and grow.

Mrs. Thornock, you're teaching our youngest learners that their voices matter and their efforts are valued. By listening and supporting them through challenges, you're building the foundation for lifelong learners who know they are worthy of being heard.

Thank you for giving our elementary students the gift of feeling seen, heard, and capable.

To our MMK community: Please join me in celebrating Mr. Dewey and Mrs. Thornock. Their dedication reminds us all why we do this work—for the students who notice, appreciate, and grow because of caring adults like these two.

Thank you, Scott and Piper, for being the heart of Mary M. Knight!

We are thrilled to share this week's GRIT Spotlight—our celebration of students who embody Growth, Resilience, Initiative, and Tenacity. This week, we received an incredible number of nominations spanning from 3rd grade through 10th grade, showcasing the remarkable character of our Owls across all grade levels!

⭐ STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS

Akari Mali | 3rd Grade

Akari consistently sets a wonderful example for her classmates through her dedication and positive attitude. She works hard on all her tasks and brings joy to the classroom by making her teacher laugh and being an exceptional friend. Akari shows us that learning can be both fun and meaningful when we approach it with the right attitude.

Keep up the great work, Akari!

Kynlee Mezzell | 5th Grade

Kynlee is the embodiment of Success with Tenacity! Since September, she has been willing to listen, try, and work diligently each day to grow her Math abilities and brain. Her determination has paid off in extraordinary ways—Kynlee's i-Ready Math Diagnostic score grew by an incredible 150%! She remains committed to continuing her growth journey and expanding her Math skills.

Your dedication is truly inspiring, Kynlee!

Xavier Lingau | 5th Grade

Xavier demonstrates GRIT through his kindness and compassion for others. He goes out of his way to help his peers and has a special gift for making people laugh and brightening their day. Xavier understands that being a good community member means lifting others up with both help and humor.

You make MMK a better place, Xavier!

Koda Mali | 5th Grade

Koda exemplifies what it means to be a caring classmate and friend. He takes the initiative to help others with their work and makes sure no one feels left out. Koda's awareness of others' feelings and his willingness to include everyone demonstrates true character and compassion.

Thank you for being such a thoughtful Owl, Koda!

James Reed | 5th Grade

James shows incredible perseverance by always working hard, even when worksheets seem "IMPOSSIBLE." He refuses to give up and consistently tries his best, no matter how challenging the task. Beyond his own determination, James also makes sure his classmates are doing okay, showing that GRIT includes supporting others along the way.

Way to go, James! Your cousin is proud of you! (And Bob says hi!)

Ben Curry | 5th Grade

Ben has been a tremendous asset to his classroom community! He is always willing to help classmates with their work and offers encouragement and support to those around him. Combined with his excellent behavior and positive attitude, Ben demonstrates that being helpful and kind is just as important as academic success.

Keep being supportive and amazing, Ben!

Jadynn Smith | 6th Grade

Jadynn brightens her classroom with her kindness and dedication to her schoolwork. She demonstrates GRIT by refusing to give up and always doing her best, even when faced with challenges. Her positive attitude and persistence make her a role model for her peers.

We see your hard work, Jadynn!

Dalton Hansen | 6th Grade

Dalton is a student who never gives up—no matter how difficult the work becomes. He consistently tries his best and shows true perseverance by refusing to quit when things get tough. Dalton's determination and work ethic are qualities that will serve him well throughout his life.

Your persistence is paying off, Dalton!

Natalie Hammel North | 10th Grade

Natalie demonstrated exceptional GRIT by showing compassion and quick thinking when her friend Zoie was hit in the head with a hockey stick. Natalie encouraged Zoie to get checked out, showing that sometimes GRIT means caring enough about others to help them make safe and healthy decisions. Her compassion and concern for her friend's wellbeing exemplify the kind of caring community we strive to build at Mary M. Knight.

Thank you for looking out for your friend, Natalie!

Celebrating Our Community

What an incredible week of GRIT nominations! Thank you to the staff members and students who took the time to recognize these outstanding Owls. These spotlights remind us that GRIT shows up in many ways—from dramatic academic growth to quiet acts of kindness, from perseverance through difficult work to compassion for friends in need.

When we recognize and celebrate GRIT, we inspire everyone around us to grow, persevere, and support one another. That's what makes Mary M. Knight special.

Go Owls! 🦉

🔗 District Website: Access to district website

🔗 Skyward Family Access: Access grades and attendance

🔗 Athletic Schedules: MMK Sports Hub

🔗 Character Strong Resources: Available on district website

📧 Questions? Contact us at (360) 426-6767 or visit marymknight.com

Email: jstoney@mmk.wednet.edu
Website: https://www.marymknight.com/
Location: 2987 Matlock-Brady Road, Elma, WA, USA
Phone: (360) 426-6767
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MMKOwls