Dragon News

June 2026

Message from the Principal

Greetings Findley Community~

As we wrap up the 2025-2026 school year, I want to express my deepest gratitude to all of our students, staff, and families. Thank you for your hard work, dedication, and incredible support throughout the year. It has been an honor to watch our Findley Dragons grow, learn, and succeed together.

I hope you all have a safe, relaxing, and fun-filled summer break. Enjoy the sunshine, make wonderful memories, and we look forward to welcoming you back for another fantastic school year! Keep an eye out for our return to school edition of the Dragon News in early August. Until then...

With Gratitude,

Sherry Marsh, Ed.D

Principal

Findley

Every Student Belongs Board Policy ACB

Equal Educational Opportunity Board Policy JB

Educational Equity Board Policy JBB

Supporting Immigrant and Refugee Students and Families

Serving LGBTQIA+ Students

Staffing Updates for 2026-2027

The winds of change were upon us this year, as several treasured Findley teachers and staff retired, transferred or moved on to new adventures across the globe. In August, we will be welcoming several new staff members from across BSD to Findley. In addition, some of our current Findley staff will be starting in new roles in the new year.

Here is our 2026-2027 Licensed Staff List:

Kindergarten

Jennifer Falkowski

Traci Higdon-from West TV

Shauna Westra & Carissa Lemons

1st Grade

Hailey Schlachter

Nicole Hastings-from Mckinley

Lori Hesson-from McKinley

2nd Grade

Elizabeth Dow

Kristin Antich

Audrey Laasko-from Terra Linda

3rd Grade

Jessica Canessa

Ed Rodriguez

Laura Doolittle-from Beaver Acres

4th Grade

Jordan Blincoe

Melanie Driessen

Andrea Vardi-Jones

Laurie Calafet-from Fir Grove

5th Grade

Mary Jo James

Terri Buckley

Katie Lukins-from Beaverton Education Association

Behavior Health & Wellness Team

Emily Gotfried-Counselor

Sara Mesler-Student Behavior Specialist

Amy Clay-Instructional Coach

Shannon Bauck-Language Acqusition Specialist

Todd Hoodenpyle-English Language Development Teacher

Victoria Sharan-Social Worker

Special Education Team

Lindsay Eisenhart-Learning Specialist

Heather Arch-.5 Learning Specialist from William Walker

Aylin Gann-School Psych

Kris Jensen-Speech & Language Pathologist

Specialists

Ryan Lindell-PE

Brian Gorton-.5 PE

Lindsey Newby-Music

Maria Mihaescu-.5 Music

THPRD Summer Event

All are welcome to THPRD's annual kickoff to summer! Thursday, June 26 from, 6:30-8:30pm at Mt. View Champions Park. The event features Beaverton Safe Routes to School Bike Rodeo (bike skills course, free helmet fittings & bike mechanic tune-ups... kids don't forget your bikes)

Other festivities include, live music concert, Rec Mobile (inflatable/crafts), Nature Mobile (education/activities), yard games, face painting, community partner organization outreach, and more!

¡Todos son bienvenidos al evento anual de THPRD para dar inicio al verano! Jueves 26 de junio, de 6:30 a 8:30 p. m., en el Mt. View Champions Park.

El evento contará con el "Bike Rodeo" (Rodeo de Bicicletas) del programa *Beaverton Safe Routes to School* (Rutas Seguras a la Escuela): un circuito de destrezas ciclistas, ajuste gratuito de cascos y puesta a punto mecánica de bicicletas... ¡niños, no olviden traer sus bicis!

Otras actividades festivas incluyen: un concierto de música en vivo, el *Rec Mobile* (juegos inflables y manualidades), el *Nature Mobile* (educación y actividades sobre la naturaleza), juegos al aire libre, pintura de caras, puestos informativos de organizaciones comunitarias colaboradoras ¡y mucho más!

For Future Tumwater Rapids!

Join the Tumwater Rapids Science Olympiad Team!

Calling all science enthusiasts!

The Tumwater Science Olympiad Team is recruiting new members for the 2026-27 season.

Science Olympiad is a premier national STEM competition featuring 23 diverse events, ranging from engineering and building challenges to application-based problem solving.

Key Details:

- Competition: The state competition is expected to take place in Portland around March or April 2027.
- Commitment: Students should commit approximately 6 hours per week starting in August 2026, with increased intensity from January through the competition date.
- Preparation: Teams of 2–3 students prepare for their specific events by meeting after school or on weekends.

- Events: Encompass a diverse range of activities, including both written tests and build events.
- Cost: Each student is expected to contribute approximately $100–$150 (exact amount TBD) to cover registration and materials.
- Parent Involvement: As a parent-led team rather than an official school program, every event requires a parent coach. No prior experience is necessary—just enthusiasm!

How to Join:
The team can include up to 15 students. We currently have a mix of rising 6th to 8th graders and are looking for additional members (with preference given to rising 8th graders).
If interested, please email tumwaterso2026@gmail.com or message via WhatsApp at (323) 443-4782 with the following information:

1. Student's name and grade level for the 2026-2027 school year.
2. Parent phone number.
3. A brief note on why the student wants to join and any relevant experience (none required).
4. Confirmation of whether one or both parents are willing to volunteer or coach an event.

For a full list of events, please visit: https://www.soinc.org/events/2026-division-b-events

Join us for a rewarding STEM adventure!