The WOLFPACK Bulletin

Coupeville Team,

Enjoy this last quiet weekend. Next week we kick off a year built on shared leadership, collaboration, and intentional work on our culture. It is the kind of year that asks all of us to dig in for our students, and I am genuinely excited to start it with you.

Here is the week at a glance. The times below reflect certificated schedules. Classified staff, your start and end times differ, so please follow the hours set with your supervisor.

Monday, August 31

New Staff Orientation. Floater day for returning certificated staff.

Tuesday, September 1 (All Staff)

7:30 a.m. Breakfast, optional

8:30 a.m. Our time begins in the PAC

8:30 to 11:30 a.m. District program

11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Lunch provided by the Coupeville Schools Foundation

12:00 p.m. Staff follow principal published schedule for the remainder of the day-Certificated staff day ends at 4:00 p.m.

Wednesday, September 2

MS/HS 7:20 a.m. to 2:50 p.m. Elementary 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Morning: building directed nuts and bolts. Afternoon: teacher directed.

Thursday, September 3

MS/HS 7:20 a.m. to 2:50 p.m. Elementary 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Morning: building directed, MTSS at MS/HS and CKLA at the elementary. Afternoon: teacher directed.

Evening: Elementary Back to School Night and Ice Cream Social, 5:00 to 6:30 p.m.

Friday, September 4

6th Grade WEB Orientation at MS/HS, 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Students return Tuesday, September 8.

See you Tuesday morning in the PAC.

Shannon

At Thursday night's board meeting, the board recognized three staff members whose work goes well beyond what any job description asks of them.

Grace Castle was honored for her dedication to theater at Coupeville Elementary. Grace has spent countless hours working with students to stage full productions at the elementary level, which is an enormous amount of work and not something every district can say it has. Principal Ferguson shared that she has already heard from staff about how much they appreciate Grace's professionalism and her commitment to the arts.

Elizabeth Bitting was recognized for her work as our cross country coach. Elizabeth runs alongside our athletes rather than watching from the sideline, and she brings a positive presence to every practice and every meet. Athletic Director Willie Smith spoke about the many ways she has strengthened our program.

Megan Austin was honored for her work with the Leo's Club. Megan volunteers at community events throughout the year and provides the guidance and support that keeps the club thriving. Principal Cays described the club's contribution across our community and Megan's role in making that happen.

Congratulations to all three. What a way to start a school year, with staff like these already showing our students what commitment looks like.

At Thursday night's board meeting, Marin Winger was sworn in as our newest student board representative, beginning a two year term. She joins Lindy Sylvester, who is starting her second year in the role.

If you have wondered what our student representatives actually do, the answer is quite a lot.

They sit with the board. Marin and Lindy participate in board meetings alongside our directors, which means they learn school district governance from the inside. Budget, policy, facilities, program decisions. They see how the work actually gets made.

They connect across the state. Washington's student board representatives can join WSSDA's Student Representatives Network, which meets monthly from September through May to connect student reps to K-12 education issues across the state. The network links reps with their counterparts statewide and offers opportunities to collaborate with WSSDA, including testifying before the Legislature. Network members elect their own chair, vice chair, and secretary each November at WSSDA's annual conference. Coupeville students are in the room with reps from districts many times our size.

They advise the superintendent. Both serve on the Superintendent's Student Advisory Committee, where we talk through what is actually happening in our schools. Not a suggestion box. A working conversation about real issues, and often about what is going well and should be protected.

They carry student voice into decisions. That is the whole point. When this board makes a decision that affects students, students are at the table when it happens.

Congratulations, Marin. Thank you, Lindy, for a strong first year. If you have something students should be weighing in on this year, these two are the ones to talk to.

Our certificated evaluation forms have been updated for the 2026-27 school year. The district and the Coupeville Education Association signed Memorandum of Understanding 2026-01 on August 27, 2026, adopting revised Appendix C evaluation forms aligned to the Danielson Framework for Teaching (2022). These replace the Marzano-based forms that have been in Appendix C of the 2025-2027 Agreement. I have attached the full document so you can look it over.

WHAT CHANGED

The component lists inside Form I (Professional Reflection and Goal Setting) and Form II (Comprehensive Evaluation Report). The old Marzano component numbers have been replaced with the twenty-two Danielson 2022 components. The instructions on Form I now reference the Danielson rubrics instead of the Marzano rubrics.

WHAT DID NOT CHANGE

The eight Washington State criteria are the same. They are set in WAC 392-191A-060 and are identical under either framework. The Danielson components are simply grouped underneath them.

The five student growth rows (SG 3.1, SG 3.2, SG 6.1, SG 6.2, and SG 8.1) are unchanged. These are state rubrics and are not affected by the framework change.

Every scoring band is unchanged. Criterion totals remain 8-14, 15-21, 22-28, and 29-32. Student growth totals remain 5-12, 13-17, and 18-20.

The number and form of anything you are asked to complete is unchanged. Form I remains the only form completed by the employee. Form IV remains optional and is yours to use if you find it helpful.

All timelines, observation minimums, conference requirements, and the movement rules between the comprehensive and focused cycles are unchanged.

Forms VI and VII are unchanged. Under Article 17.2, employees who are not classroom teachers remain on the current evaluation system pending the work of the joint labor management subcommittee described in Article 17.3.

WHERE THE RUBRIC LANGUAGE LIVES

The Danielson 2022 rubric language is published by OSPI and is not reprinted in our forms, the same way the Marzano rubrics were not reprinted in the prior version. Both the district and CEA work from the OSPI document "Danielson Framework for Teaching (2022) Rubrics by Washington State Criteria" for component scoring, and from "Final Revised Student Growth Goal Rubrics" for student growth scoring. Both are available on the OSPI Teacher and Principal Evaluation Program site under Frameworks and Rubrics. The attached forms include a reference sheet on the last page showing which Danielson components sit under which Washington State criterion.

OUR PLAN

Because the instructional framework itself is changing, it is not enough for only evaluators to be trained. If we are all going to be scored against Danielson rubric language, we all need to know that language and read it the same way. The district is therefore offering framework training to certificated staff who did not receive it last year.

Format. Three two-hour sessions, always offered at the elementary and at the secondary. The content is identical. Attend whichever session works better for you, regardless of your building.

Who should attend. Any certificated staff member who has not yet completed Danielson framework training. That includes staff on a focused or comprehensive evaluation who did not take the training last year, and certificated staff new to the district. If you completed the training last year, you do not need to repeat it. Administrators and principals will attend as part of meeting the evaluator training requirement.

What we will cover. The four Danielson domains and the twenty-two components; how those components map to the eight Washington State criteria; working directly with the OSPI rubric language; and the calibration practice on what counts as evidence.

Dates and locations. I will be working with principals to establish these dates soon. From there, we will communicate with you on how to sign up.

The permanent language of Article 17 and Appendix C will be a bargaining topic for the successor agreement. This MOU covers the 2026-27 school year.

If you have questions, please reach out to your principal or supervisor directly.

As we open the year, a few board policies are worth a second look. All district policies are posted on our website.

Policy 5161, Civility in the Workplace, commits the district to mutual respect as a core value and applies to everyone: board members, employees, parents, volunteers, contractors, and visitors. It sets clear expectations, including treating one another with dignity and respect, using clear and courteous communication, modeling respectful problem solving, and being respectful even in disagreement. It also defines uncivil conduct so that the standard is specific rather than a matter of opinion.

Two things in the policy are worth naming directly. First, uncivil conduct does not include the expression of controversial or differing viewpoints, even viewpoints some people find offensive, as long as ideas are presented respectfully and do not materially disrupt the educational process.

Disagreement is not incivility. Second, the policy states plainly that retaliation for reporting allegations will result in discipline.

Policy 5131 and Procedure 5131-P, Resolution of Employee Complaints, describe how to raise a complaint that a district policy or administrative procedure has been violated, misapplied, or misinterpreted. The process has three steps and starts with a written complaint to your immediate supervisor within 15 days of the incident. If the complaint is against your supervisor, you may take it directly to the superintendent. Your written statement should include the facts as you see them, the policy you believe was violated, and the remedy you are seeking.

Policy 5131 also provides that all documents, communications, and records related to a complaint are maintained in a separate file and are not kept in the personnel file of the person who raised it.

These policies do not replace, limit, or change any right you have under your collective bargaining agreement, including the grievance procedure and your right to association representation. Concerns about contract language continue to go through the process in your agreement. Nothing here limits any right you have under state or federal law.

The 2026-2027 Vector Solutions (formerly SafeSchools) training modules became available on August 1, 2026.

Annual training is required for all Coupeville School District employees, substitutes, and coaches.

Training Deadlines • Current CSD employees: Complete all assigned training by October 15, 2026. • Employees hired after September 30, 2026: Complete all assigned training within 30 days of your hire date.

You will receive an email from Vector Solutions, our online training platform, with instructions for accessing your assigned courses.

The State of Washington requires school districts to provide annual compliance training. In addition to these state-mandated courses, the district may assign other training modules on a rotating basis.

Completion of all assigned training is mandatory for all employees, substitutes and coaches.

Training topics may include required annual compliance courses such as: • Health Emergencies (Asthma, Diabetes, Allergies and Seizures) • Bloodborne Pathogens • Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying Prevention • Bullying • Abuse • And other state and district-required safety and compliance training

These trainings help ensure a safe, healthy, and compliant learning environment for our students and staff.

If you have questions or need assistance accessing your training, please contact the District Office.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

As we prepare for the new school year, please take a moment to review your contact information.

If you have recently moved, changed your mailing address, have a new phone number, or have a new personal email address, please notify me as soon as possible so I can update your personnel and payroll records in Skyward, SEBB & VEBA.

Keeping your contact information current ensures that you receive important district communications, payroll and benefit information, tax documents, and other official notifications without delay.

If you have any changes to report, please email me at your earliest convenience.

Thank you for your assistance!

Vicki Owen-Gailey HR/Payroll Specialist

• Maintaining or renewing certification
• Salary advancement (Certificated staff)
• Expanding professional knowledge and skills

The Coupeville School District will provide clock hours for qualifying professional development activities in accordance with OSPI guidelines.

If professional development is offered by an outside agency, it is the employee's responsibility to verify that the provider is approved by the Washington State Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) to issue clock hours. If the provider is not approved, the hours cannot be used for certification renewal or salary advancement.

Please note that certificates of completion are not valid proof of clock hours unless they are accompanied by official clock hour documentation from an approved provider.

Please see the attached Clock Hour sheet for additional information.