August Newsletter

We hope your summer has been filled with sunshine, rest, and precious family moments! As we look ahead to August, we're counting down the days until our hallways are filled with laughter and learning again. I'm Holly Sullivan, your new Principal, and I wanted to reach out now to introduce myself and our fantastic new administrative team. I have been here at North serving as the assistant principal and am excited to continue to support our students as Principal in the upcoming school year.

As with the last few years at North, each administrator is connected to a grade level, I will be supporting our 8th graders this year. Michael Moore comes to us from Lake Stevens where he worked as a Dean of Students. He believes that with proper support, students can achieve their absolute best, so he sees his role as supporting students, teachers and the learning community. He will be supporting our 7th graders. Monika Tabor also comes to us from Lake Stevens as a Leadership/Choir teacher. Her hope is that every student finds a way to connect, participate, and shine at North. When students and families get involved, our whole community grows stronger.

She will be supporting our 6th graders. Each of us are excited to support the growth of your child during the time here at North. The remaining part of our newsletter will cover all the need to know information to help you and your child have a strong start to the school year.

As always, thank you & go North!

With Gratitude,

Monika, Michael & Holly

(please visit our page)

North Middle School

MTabor@everettsd.org - MMoore2@everettsd.org - HSullivan@everettsd.org

Phone: 425-385-4800

Upcoming Dates/Events of Note:

Back-to-School Dates/Events:

• 8/10: North Office Reopens (9:00am to 3:00pm, closed 12:00pm to 1:00pm)
• 8/24: Normal Office Hours Begin (7:30am to 4:00pm)
• 8/28: 2026 Opening Orientation (2:30pm to 5:00pm)

• 9/2: TENATIVE: Opening Day 2026 - First day of the 2026/2027 school year

• 9/7: No School (Labor Day Holiday)

• 9/8: Fall Athletics Season Begins (Cross Country, Softball, and Football)

• 9/8: Picture Day

• 9/8 - 9/11: Fall Reading and Math Diagnostic Testing

• 9/17: Curriculum Night '26 (5:00pm to 7:30pm)

For updates related to our forthcoming 2026/2027 calendar, please visit the calendar/update section of our Everett Public Schools website.

Ahead of our first week of school, please take a look through the below notes for schedules and opening logistics.

• Student/Family Handbook: Our 2026/27 Student/Family Handbook will be up on our website later this month and you can review the last year handbook on our North website. As part of our back-to-school opportunities, we will spend time with our students in reviewing pertinent sections of this handbook. As in the past, we anticipate updates to our handbook as the year progresses. For this reason, updates will be included in our monthly newsletter with current versions available in multiple locations across our North website.
• Opening Week Schedule: We will utilize a slightly modified version of our REGULAR BELL SCHEDULES across our first three days of school (9/2, 9/3, 9/4). The only modification involves us not hosting our STAR block until our third week of school. On our Opening Day (Wednesday, 9/2) our students will report to their first period class at the normal reporting time of 8:10am (first period bell, signaling start at 8:15am). Across the first two days of school, we utilize common period-by-period plans as an in-house orientation to help acclimate all of our students to our school, classes, staff, and each other. Our first Friday is dedicated to opening class-by-class content including overviews, expectations, syllabus information, technology platforms, etc. As noted below, our second week of school includes a modified schedule to allow for diagnostic assessments. Normal bell schedules begin as we launch our third week of school (9/14).
• School Meals - Breakfast & Lunch: North provides free breakfast and lunch meals of all of our students. Many of our STARs do eat both our school breakfast and lunch but there is no schoolwide expectation to do so. Students are also welcome to bring a lunch from home as doing so provides some additional time to eat as lunch lines take a few minutes to resolve. Please know that students/families are not required to pay for school meals in any regard as students simply enter their school number prior to entering our kitchen. Additionally, students are not required to predesignate whether they plan on eating a school meal and may pick/choose by day and meal. We do ask all families to continue to fill our the Child Nutrition Eligibility and Education Benefit application, as this provides needed information that helps our school.
• Transportation, Arrival, & Dismissal: As your family prepares for the coming school year, it is important to create a transportation plan for before and after school. We ask that each student/family clearly understands how they will be getting home each day (bus, walking, or getting a ride from an adult). For North specific arrival/dismissal information, please
• click here. Should you need help with bus/transportation information, please click here to access EPS Transportation and our district partner, Durham Transportation. Bus routes for the school year will be continually refined across the opening weeks of our school year
• Chromebook Distribution: Our students will receive their school provided Chromebooks on our first Friday of the school year, September 4th. That afternoon, your child will bring their device home for use/charging for the first time. As part of our in-school orientation across the first two days of school, our students will learn about their device, including expectations for use and care. We ask that devices are charged each evening so that each student is ready to use their Chromebook as needed the following day in their classes. Should you have any questions about our Chromebooks, please reach out as we would be happy to answer and/or find an answer to your question.
• Fall Diagnostic Testing: During our second week of school (9/9 - 9/11), our STARs are scheduled to participate in our fall Reading and Math diagnostic assessments. These baseline assessments help us better understand where each student is starting in terms of academic strengths and needs. These results inform our academic planning including needed intervention efforts. Students will participate in two assessments, reading and math across three (possibly four) days. Testing will occur in 90 minute sessions, using the above-referenced Chromebooks that our students were newly provided the prior Friday. Following these testing windows each morning, students will proceed through a modified six-period schedule.

Please CLICK HERE for our school supplies list, also available on our website and back-to-school hub.

As you consider this list, please know that we are happy to help students/families with supplies and/our any back-to-school needs. Through the generosity of our local Everett Public Schools Foundation, we have new backpacks and supplies available to

Our Welcome Back Orientation is Friday, 8/28 from 2:30pm to 5:00pm. As in previous years, this is a flexible, open-house type event so please come by when convenient.

Additionally, if you cannot make our Orientation, please do not worry as our students will be provided all of this information and access to services across our first week of school.

During orientation on August 28nd, you will be able to:

• Pick up your class schedule
• Grab a bite to eat, courtesy our North PTA
• Purchase limited-time North gear from our PTA
• Connect with student and family groups, clubs, and organizations
• Register for athletics
• Collect any needed supplies
• Tour the campus and preview your classroom locations
• Turn in medications and health forms (including any of the below forms, as needed). Please remember that we cannot accept medications without the below, required Medication Authorization Form (please see below, #1).
• Note: Student/school pictures will not be taken as part of orientation. Our fall picture day is 9/8 and student IDs and ASB cards will be updated at this time.

We’re excited to welcome new and returning North Stars for another amazing school year!

The North Middle School PTA is here to support our students, staff, and families through fun events, volunteer opportunities, teacher appreciation, and programs that help make North a great place to learn.

Become a PTA Member

Join us in making a difference for North students and staff!

Membership Sign-Up:
North Middle School PTA Membership⁠: https://northmiddleschoolpta.givebacks.com/shop

Volunteer at North Middle

All school volunteers must first complete Everett Public Schools’ volunteer application.

District Volunteer Application:
Everett Public Schools Volunteer Page⁠: https://www.everettsd.org/families/volunteer

We can’t wait to meet you and make this a fantastic year together.

Go North Stars! ⭐

We are only a few weeks away from the beginning of our fall athletics seasons with practices/tryouts beginning on Monday, September 8th. Our three fall sports are cross country (*6th, 7th, and 8th) softball (7th/8th), and football (7th/8th). Before participating in any games/competitions, student-athletes must become eligible. If you have a child interested in any one of our fall sports, please be advised of the needed process to be eligible/cleared for participation including registration through Final Forms. For information in this regard, please CLICK HERE to access our North Athletics page. For our schedules by sport, please CLICK HERE.

Quick Note from Our Cross County Coach-

Dear North Middle School Families,

Cross Country registration is now open! We are excited to welcome students who are interested in joining our fall season.

Cross Country is a great opportunity for students to build endurance, develop healthy habits, make new friends, and represent North Middle School. Students of all ability levels are encouraged to participate—no prior running experience is necessary.

Practices are Mon-Thur 3-5pm

To register, please visit the Everett Public Schools Athletic Registration page:

Everett Public Schools Athletic Registration & Fees

Please note that all student-athletes must have a current sports physical on file before they can participate in the first practice. Physicals must be uploaded through FinalForms as part of the registration process. Families are encouraged to schedule physical appointments as soon as possible to avoid delays in participation.

If you have any questions about registration or the upcoming season, please contact our school athletic director Monika Tabor (MTabor@everettsd.org) or our head cross country coach Casey Cheever(ccheever@everettsd.org)

We look forward to a great Cross Country season!

Go North!

When will my child receive their class schedule? Students/families may receive their 26/27 class schedules at the above-referenced orientation (8/28, 2:30pm to 5:00pm). On 8/28, schedules will also be live via Synergy ParentVUE. To access schedules via ParentVUE, families will need to create an account. In the coming weeks, parents/families will receive an activation email to set-up their ParentVUE account. Please check our Synergy website for more information: https://www.everettsd.org/Page/43251

Are backpacks required for all students? Yes. At North, we do not utilize lockers beyond PE. Backpacks are critical for carrying needed supplies/materials including Chromebooks and class specific folders. If your child needs a backpack for the coming year, please contact our office (phone or email) and we will quietly and happily connect with them to provide several middle school specific options.

What is the best way to meet/connect with each of my child's teachers? Teachers are always interested in connecting with families and two important opportunities in this regard occur shortly after the start of our school year. Please add our forthcoming Curriculum Night on your calendars for the evening of Thursday, September 17th (5:00pm). We certainly applaud you reaching out to establish a connection early in the school year. Contact information for all of the members of our North Team is available via our school website, specifically the Our Staff page.

Are cell phones, earbuds, headphones, and other forms of personal technology still not allowed at North? Correct - Per EPS Policy 3246 and Procedure 3246P, cell phones, Bluetooth earbuds/headphones, personal videogame consoles, and other forms of personal technology may not be out/in use during school hours. At North, students are required to power off and store any personal technology before entering our building. They are free to use these devices again after our 2:50pm dismissal bell (1:35pm on Fridays) as use is sometimes needed to coordinate after school transportation, etc. Please know that we strictly enforce these personal technology expectations as the absence of these devices is beneficial to our needed teaching/learning and social-emotional environment. Additionally, the absence of personal technology during school hours is critical to school safety and student wellbeing. Please look for specifics in our student and family handbooks (online with revised versions forthcoming this August).

Does North have a school store for apparel and gear? Yes, our digital storefront will be open around the time school starts and information will be included in our first day packet information. Our PTA plans to also have t-shirts for sale at the Orientation. In addition, shirt and sweatshirt sales often occur through our North PTA, ASB, TSA, and other school-related clubs and groups.

Is there a school store for purchasing food during the school day? Currently, we do not have a school store at North. Prior to this year, students had access to vending machines but those have been disabled as the managing company is no longer active (machines will be removed). Students may bring snacks as part of their lunches. In addition, we serve breakfast, lunch, and provide after school snacks as part of every school day.

Picture Day '26 is scheduled for Tuesday, September 8th. All students will take pictures on this day including the image needed for our school identification cards. Families can order pictures online at mydorian.com before our 9/8 picture day and up to four days afterwards. Please take a moment to consider the Dorian site before our forthcoming school pictures date.

Is your student interested in bicycles? North is partnering with Sharing Wheels Community Bike shop for a third year of Youth Bike Club - inspiring safe, confident riders in our community. This 8-week program will be offered 3 times this school year - Fall, Winter and Spring, and summer too. Students meet weekly after school on Tuesdays and walk to Sharing Wheels for Club, then return to our North campus for our 5:00pm activity bus.

Students participating in this terrific program learn bike maintenance and repair skills, practice safe city riding and build confidence and connection as a group. Upon completing the program, students are eligible for a free bike, helmet, lights, lock and more. Registration is open but space is limited. We are especially in search of female students interested in this program. Once the Fall Club is full, families will be placed on a wait list for Winter and Fall sessions. To register, please CLICK HERE or pick up materials in our front office.

Youth Bike Club is supported with funding from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act.

Click here to register: Enter Philip for your Travel Agent.

Everett Public Schools does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, homelessness, immigration or citizenship status, disability, neurodivergence, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination:

Title IX/Civil Rights Compliance Officer and ADA Coordinator, Shawn Bryant, 425-385-4117, SBryant@everettsd.org

Section 504 Coordinator, Dave Peters, 425-385-4063, DPeters@everettsd.org

Gender-Inclusive Coordinator, Joi Odom Grant, 425-385-4137, JGrant@everettsd.org.