MSD Weekly Update
Keeping you informed
We are grateful for the efforts taken to support these programs, but are even more thankful to be funding these as a matter of principle. These additional expenditures will be offset by overall district reductions as determined between now and the end of June.
Thank you for your continued partnership and support.
Deborah Rumbaugh, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Shout-out to our Tribal liaisons!
Our Tribal Liaisons play an important role in our schools. Tribal Liaisons are staff members who work closely with students, families, and school teams to help build strong relationships and provide support where it’s needed most.
They connect with students to help them feel welcomed, supported, and successful in school. They also partner with families and staff to strengthen communication and ensure that students’ needs are understood and met.
In addition, our Tribal Liaisons work closely with the Tulalip Tribes, helping us build strong, respectful partnerships and ensuring that tribal voices, culture, and perspectives are honored in our schools.
Much of their work happens behind the scenes, but the impact is meaningful and lasting. We are grateful for their care, advocacy, and commitment to supporting students and families every day.
6th Grade and Middle School Band
Do you have a musically inclined student entering 6th grade at one of our elementary schools next year? If they're interested in joining band, fill out our 6th Grade Band interest form HERE.
If your student is entering 7th grade at Totem or Cedarcrest, be on the lookout for more information about how to register for band in the coming days.
Questions? Reach out to:
Totem Band Teacher Sasha Schumacher at sasha_schumacher@msvl.k12.wa.us
Cedarcrest Band Teacher James Orr at james_orr@msvl.k12.wa.us
At Quil Ceda Tulalip Elementary, some 6th graders are having a mini-microphone moment, making a splash across their school.
That’s because, since January, 6th graders in Miss Ava’s class have been writing and starring in The Orca Current, a student-led news show.
Miss Ava started the project to get more students to work together and socialize outside of their friend groups. While she supervises and provides minimal support, students take the lead in researching events and topics to explore within their school and community. Each student present is actively involved, whether it’s through the research process, script drafting/publishing, exploring possible segment focuses, or speaking. They even have a designated orca mascot!
“We have received a ton of positive feedback from younger students and I think the episodes unite the school. The 6th graders are learning that younger ones look up to them and I think its helping them to become better leaders,” said Miss Ava.
Students are invested in the show and care deeply about how each episode turns out. They’re learning how to collaborate with peers for a shared goal, gaining more experience researching and writing, and exploring new ways to express themselves creatively. The effort reaches past one classroom, with interview segments bringing in more of the school community each episode.
“One student was testing the microphones and asked another student what they were most excited about for our project. They responded, ‘We’re working as a team and this is bringing all of us together,’ and I think this shows exactly why we’re doing this and what they’re learning,” Miss Ava added.
So far, her class has done one episode per month since January, but she hopes that they will become more frequent as students become more familiar with the process and that The Orca Current continues to grow beyond just this school year!