WSD Weekly

This week, Wenatchee School District welcomed Congresswoman Kim Schrier to Wenatchee High School for a firsthand look at two programs drawing attention well beyond our valley.

Phone-Free Schools 📵
Congresswoman Schrier requested the visit in part to learn about WHS's successful implementation of Yondr pouches for phone-free learning. WHS has been at the forefront of this movement, creating a calmer, more focused environment for nearly 1,900 students and serving as a model for districts across the region.

Student Energy Managers 🔋
The Congresswoman also toured the Student Energy Managers program a partnership between WSD, Advanced Energy Management and Chelan PUD that employs WHS students in paid internships supporting clean energy compliance. Last year the program helped WSD avoid an estimated $433,000 in fines from the Washington State Department of Commerce. SEM interns are now supporting Tier 1 and Tier 2 building compliance across the region and have been identified as a hub for expanding this model statewide.

Congresswoman Schrier's visit is a testament to what our students and staff build when they take on challenging solutions that start in Wenatchee and reach well beyond it.

Keeping students safe on the bus starts before the wheels ever turn and this week Superintendent Kory Kalahar and Executive Director of Learning, Teaching and Schools Eric Anderson took that commitment literally, jumping on board with elementary and middle school students to test out the district's bus rider RFID card system firsthand.

The system is simple and powerful. Every time a student taps their bus rider card at pick up and drop off, the district gets a real-time picture of exactly who is on every bus. In an emergency, that information is everything.

Watching Kalahar and Anderson ride along with students was a reminder that safety in Wenatchee School District is not just a policy it is something our leadership shows up for personally.

Bus rider cards are required on every ride. If your student needs a replacement card, contact your child's bus driver or school office. Replacement cards are available for $5

Gesa Credit Union presented a $7,000 check to our School Board of Directors for Wenatchee High School and WestSide High School ASB funds. This generous contribution is the result of our debit card affinity partnership with Gesa. When community members use a WHS or WSHS branded Gesa debit card for everyday purchases, Gesa donates a portion of each transaction back to our students at no extra cost to the cardholder.

It is community support that adds up! Get your card at our local Wenatchee branch today.

The proposed Wenatchee bond was developed through three years of study and community input.

The district’s Long-Range Facilities Planning Committee spent 15 months reviewing building conditions, construction costs, educational needs, and long-term facility plans. The committee included parents, staff, students, community members, and local leaders.

After considering different options, the committee recommended focusing the bond on two priorities: replacing most of Wenatchee High School and upgrading aging HVAC systems at seven schools across the district.

Bond FAQ Friday video #1 - "How did we get here?" walks you through this process. Watch it below.

Panther Fans, mark your calendars! The Wenatchee Athletics & the Panther Booster Club will be honoring the 2026 Hall of Fame inductees during halftime at the first home football game of the season, on Friday, September 19 at 3:00pm.

Since its founding, the Hall of Fame has honored 117 athletes, coaches, and administrators who have represented the best of Wenatchee High School Athletics. 2026 marks 30 years since the founding of the Hall of Fame. We will honor 4 athletes, 3 contributors, and for the first time, 5 teams. Learn more about the hall of fame on the Wenatchee Athletics website

The Wenatchee Panther Pod is a brand-new podcast all about Wenatchee Panthers athletics and activities. Hosted by Eric Granstrom, the voice of the Panthers and one of the most trusted and recognizable voices in the Wenatchee Valley, the Panther Pod takes you behind the scenes with the coaches, athletes, officials, and fans who represent why it takes more to be a Panther.

New episodes drop every Thursday. Find the Wenatchee Panther Pod on YouTube or your favorite podcast provider Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more or follow Wenatchee Athletics or KKRV on social media for links and updates.

🎤 👀 This Week's Episode: On the 4th episode of the Wenatchee Panther Podcast, host Eric Granstrom visits with the first Panthers of the Week Logan Grosdidier and Jaxson Garrett as well as Cross Country & Track Coach Steve Roche, future Hall of Famer Dale Blair, Slowpitch Softball Coach Taylor Files and senior shortstop Haidyn Delaney.

Congratulations to the first recipients of Panther of the Week: Logan Grosdidier and Jaxson Garrett! Each week during the 2026-27 school year, Wenatchee Athletics will be celebrating two Panthers of the Week in collaboration with the Wenatchee Panther Podcast. Athletes are nominated by coaches and receive a medal courtesy of Haglund’s Trophies.

Logan Grosdidier, Varsity Girls Soccer

Logan is entering her 3rd season as captain, cementing herself as an outstanding leader for Panther Soccer. She opened this year’s season with 5 goals against Selah and has been a top contributor to the program since her freshman year. Logan shows up daily, outworks everyone, constantly raises the bar for her team, encourages players, leads by example, and academically maintains a 4.0 – all while traveling across the world to compete in skiing.

Jaxson Garrett, Varsity Football

Jaxson is a supportive teammate, never complains, and works extremely hard. He shows up to practice every day with a great attitude and is always striving to become a better football player by raising the bar at both practices and games. Jaxson has worked extremely hard in the offseason to improve as a player and it’s evident on the field. He had his best performance as a Panther last week in the football game at Linfield Christian, leading the team in tackles and playing with tremendous effort throughout the entire game. The best part was that it was also his birthday!

This award is based on athletes’ work toward being a great teammate, driven competitor, and responsible communicator. For those teams taking part in the LeadEmUp program, athletes will also be evaluated on whether they are in the “green”. When athletes work hard, they excel on and off the field!