Mary M. Knight Family Newsletter

Dear Mary M. Knight Families,

Quarter 1 is complete. Thank you to every family who sat down with teachers at conferences last week to look at the quarter together and set a goal for what comes next. Now the work on those goals begins. Quarter 2 carries us to the end of the first semester on January 20, and the habits students build over the next several weeks will shape how they finish.

In September, we built our foundation. In October, we practiced owning our learning. This month, our focus is Embracing Challenges with Purpose, and our theme is “Lean In, On Purpose.” In our students’ words: “I lean into hard things instead of avoiding them.” That is Resilience and Willingness working together. Leaning in means choosing the hard thing on purpose: working through frustration, asking a specific question, trying a new strategy, and trying again after a setback.

One of the most important places to lean in right now is attendance and missing work. We are seeing a clear connection between the two. When a student misses a day, they miss more than the assignment. They also miss the teaching, the practice, and the questions that make that assignment doable. One absence can quickly become two or three missing assignments. The longer that work waits, the harder it is to catch back up, and falling behind can make a student want to avoid school even more. We want to break that cycle together, early in the quarter, while it is still easy to fix.

Timing matters here too. Next week is a three-day week, with no school on Wednesday, November 11, or Friday, November 13. Short weeks leave less room to recover from a missed day, so every day in class counts.

Here’s what families can do this month:

• Check Quarter 1 grades in Skyward together. Quarter grades are posted in Skyward Family Access, and report cards are not mailed home. Look for anything missing and make a plan to finish it.
• Protect attendance. Every day your student is in class is a day they don’t have to catch up on.
• When an absence happens, get the work right away. Call the office at 360-426-6767, email your student’s teachers, and check Google Classroom or Skyward for what was missed. Make a catch-up plan before the work piles up.
• Use “lean in” language at home. When homework gets hard, try: “This is hard, and you can figure it out.” Ask a guiding question instead of giving the answer, and praise the effort, not just the result.

It’s also a busy week at MMK. Middle school basketball begins Monday, our K–3 students head to the Hands On Children’s Museum on Friday, and Friday afternoon our students come together for our Veterans Day assembly to honor those who have served. You’ll find more on Veterans Day in next week’s newsletter.

Let’s lean in this month, on purpose and together.

With OWL Pride,
Mr. Stoney
K–12 Principal

“What’s one hard thing you’re going to lean into this week instead of avoiding?”

Later in the week, follow up: What did you do when it got hard? What helped you keep going? If your student has been absent, add one more: Is there anything you missed that you need to catch up on?

Students who can name the hard thing, and their plan for it, are already leaning in.

Monday, November 2

• Middle School Basketball practice begins (grades 5–8)

Tuesday, November 3

• SkillsUSA meeting, 3:00 p.m.

Wednesday, November 4

• Late Start: school begins at 9:00 a.m.
• Board Game Club, 3:00 p.m.

Friday, November 6

• K–3 Field Trip: Hands On Children’s Museum, Olympia
• Veterans Day Assembly, 2:05 p.m.

Saturday, November 7

• High School Football @ Evergreen Lutheran, 6:00 p.m.

Looking Ahead

• Wednesday, November 11: No School (Veterans Day)
• Friday, November 13: No School (Professional Day)

Quarter 2 is a fresh start, and the best time to stay caught up is now, before anything piles up.

Why it matters: Absences and missing work are closely connected. Each missed day means missed instruction and practice, which makes the work harder to complete later. Small gaps grow quickly when they wait.

Check Quarter 1 grades: Final Quarter 1 grades are available in Skyward Family Access. Report cards are not mailed home for quarter grades, so Skyward is the place to look. Sit down with your student, look for missing assignments, and ask: What’s your plan to finish this?

When your student is absent:

1. Call the school office at 360-426-6767.
2. Email your student’s teacher(s) to ask what was missed.
3. Check Google Classroom or Skyward for assignments.
4. Make a catch-up plan with your student, with a day and time for each item.

Plan ahead: Next week has school on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday only. There is no school on November 11 (Veterans Day) or November 13 (Professional Day).

K–3 Field Trip: Hands On Children’s Museum

On Friday, November 6, our K–3 students are heading to the Hands On Children’s Museum in Olympia. Please make sure your student’s permission form is signed and returned to their teacher so they can attend.

October’s theme, Taking Responsibility for Excellence: “Own It, On Purpose,” asked every Owl to take ownership on purpose: tracking our own progress, owning our mistakes, and choosing improvement over excuses. Teachers nominated these students for showing Ownership as we closed out the first quarter. Our staff honorees were chosen by student vote.

🌟 Staff of the Month

Mr. Johnston, Kitchen Staff (Elementary): For taking ownership of every meal, every day. Students, led by our elementary Owls, recognized Mr. Johnston for his kindness, for lunches that keep getting better, and for showing GRIT in the kitchen so every student is fed and ready to learn.

Ms. Bingham, Math (Secondary): For helping students take ownership of their learning. Students recognized Ms. Bingham for helping them understand their progress and what to work on next, for trying a new approach when something isn’t working, and for returning feedback when promised.

⭐ Elementary Students of the Month

• Justin Ushman (PreK): Takes initiative to do his best work, asks for help when he needs it, and follows through on what he promises teachers and friends.
• Marigold Guelzo (K): Takes pride in doing the right thing without reminders: caring for materials, following routines on her own, and helping classmates clean up.
• Remi Rivard (1st): Takes initiative to improve the quality of her work and asks for help when she needs it, owning her learning every day.
• Jasper Garner (2nd): Owns his learning with hard work and a positive attitude, taking on challenges, fixing mistakes, and learning new words every day.
• Aaliyah McCartney (3rd): Responsible and dependable. She welcomes every new challenge with her best effort and no complaints, and is quick to help a classmate.
• Grace Johnson (4th): Always does her best, pushes through challenges, quickly fixes her mistakes, and cheers on her classmates to do their best too.
• Jayce Lingnau (4th): Showing real growth in ownership by completing all of his work and listening to feedback to make his corrections.
• Abby Botha (5th): Set a goal to work faster and turn work in on time, then owned it, encouraging classmates to focus right along with her.
• Haven Metzger (6th): Owns her mistakes and works to fix them, taking initiative to improve the quality of her work and seeking help when she needs it.

⭐ Secondary Students of the Month

• Rhea Paulsen (7th): Committed to understanding every math skill. She asks for help when stuck, works independently when she can, and keeps trying.
• Madi Cook (10th): Consistently shows responsibility, initiative, and a strong work ethic, taking pride in her work and following through on commitments.
• Natalie Hammel North (11th): Owns a demanding load of high school and college courses plus volleyball, seeking feedback and staying ahead of deadlines.

This month, our CharacterStrong focus is Gratitude: choosing to appreciate the people and things in our lives. Practicing Gratitude can increase our well-being and even our happiness.

Gratitude is one of three traits we focus on throughout the year that help students Be Well. Across grade levels, students will build skills like emotion regulation, positive self-talk, and stress management.

Gratitude also pairs naturally with “Lean In, On Purpose.” Leaning into hard things takes energy. Noticing what’s good, and who is helping us, keeps students steady when the work gets tough.

What Gratitude looks like at MMK:

• Thanking a classmate or teacher who helped you through something hard
• Noticing one good thing, even on a frustrating day
• Using positive self-talk: “This is hard, but I’ve got people helping me.”
• Taking care of our classrooms, materials, and shared spaces
• Telling someone specifically what you appreciate about them

Conversation Starters for Home:

• Can you share or show what it means to practice Gratitude?
• What is something you are grateful for every day?

PurposeFull Pursuits: Try These Together as a Family

1. Notice the small things. As a family, try to name at least 10 small, specific things you’re grateful for, like a favorite water cup, the way the cat sleeps on the chair, or a grandparent’s banana bread. Then choose to notice them this week with a smile.
2. Start a Gratitude Jar. As promised last week, here’s how. Set a glass jar somewhere in your home with small slips of paper beside it. Each week, add the people, places, events, and memories your family is thankful for. Younger students can draw their gratitude, and you can help them write it. On a gloomy day or a hard week, pull out the slips and read them aloud together.

This week’s GRIT students are a perfect start to November. Each was recognized for choosing to keep going when something was hard and for lifting up the people around them. That’s what “Lean In, On Purpose” looks like.

Elementary

Kynslee Lingnau | Kindergarten
Kynslee is kind, does nice things for others, and helps classmates with math and classwork, always ready to share what she knows. Helping others grow is a big part of being an OWL. That’s Leadership with Intensity.

Luna Jones | 5th Grade

Luna never shies away from a struggle in math. She launches into the problem, looks for more than one way to solve it, and comes up with her own ideas that inspire classmates to try too. She doesn’t make excuses. She perseveres, and she asks for help when she needs it, but always after trying first. That’s Willingness with Resilience and Success with Tenacity.

Abby Botha | 5th Grade

Abby keeps trying when things get hard, works through challenges, and is a great friend to the people around her. Choosing to keep going, and staying kind while doing it, is exactly what leaning in looks like. That’s Willingness with Resilience.

Keep noticing the good, OWLS.

Saturday, November 7: High School Football @ Evergreen Lutheran, 6:00 p.m. This is our final regular-season game. Come out and cheer on the Owls!

Middle School Basketball Begins (Grades 5–8)

Practice starts Monday, November 2. Before the first practice, every athlete must have a completed FinalForms registration and a current sports physical on file: https://marymknight-wa.finalforms.com/

Week 1 (November 2–6)

• Girls: 3:00–5:00 p.m.
• Boys: 5:00–7:00 p.m.

Week 2 (November 9–13)

• Boys: 3:00–5:00 p.m.
• Girls: 5:00–7:00 p.m.

Waiting for a later practice? Supervised after-school spaces are available only for students who can’t go home and come back for the 5:00 p.m. practice:

• Week 1: Boys wait on the Stage.
• Week 2: Girls wait in [Mr./Mrs.] Chambless’s room.

No-school days: Coaches will share practice plans for November 11 and 13.

Once high school basketball begins, middle school practices will move to a split-gym schedule from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.

Thank You, High School Volleyball

Our high school volleyball season has wrapped up. Thank you to our athletes for competing with effort, heart, and pride all season, and to the coaches and families who supported them every step of the way.

Come out, cheer on our student-athletes, and help create a positive, respectful environment that represents MMK with pride.

GO OWLS!