Back to School
What You Need to Know for September 1–7
Together, we make every ride a great one!
Students can help make our school buses safe, welcoming places by remembering three expectations: Be Respectful, Use Safe Choices and Show Responsibility.
Be Respectful
- Use kind words.
- Listen the first time.
- Respect others.
- Keep hands, feet and objects to yourself.
Use Safe Choices
- Stay seated.
- Face forward.
- Use a quiet voice.
- Keep the aisle clear.
Show Responsibility
- Follow directions.
- Take care of your belongings.
- No eating or drinking.
- Help keep our bus clean.
- Keep technology in bags.
Every ride. Every student. Every day.
We don't just drive buses. We build bus communities.
Whether students ride the bus, walk, bike or use an e-bike, getting to and from school safely requires everyone to pay attention, follow traffic laws and watch out for one another.
Families are encouraged to talk with students about the safest route to school and review these important safety reminders together.
Walking to School Safely
Students who walk to and from school should:
- Use sidewalks whenever possible. If there is no sidewalk, stay as far away from moving traffic as safely possible.
- Use designated crosswalks, especially when crossing busy streets or highways.
- Stop, look and listen in all directions before crossing. Do not assume a driver will stop simply because you are in a crosswalk or have the right of way.
- Make eye contact with drivers before stepping into the street. Make sure the driver sees you and the vehicle is stopping.
- At traffic signals and stop signs, wait until vehicles have stopped before entering the crosswalk.
- Stay alert. Avoid looking at a phone or using headphones or earbuds in a way that prevents you from hearing traffic and other potential hazards.
- Never dart between parked vehicles or enter the roadway where drivers may have difficulty seeing you.
***Students need to dismount from ALL Personal Transporters (PEVs) on school grounds & walk with their device until they are off school grounds for their own safety and the safety of others. This includes bicycles, skateboards, skates and motor or electric powered as well such as e-scooters, e-bikes or electric skateboards.***
Bicycle Safety
Students riding bicycles should follow traffic laws and use extra caution around vehicles, intersections, school entrances and parking lots.
- Wear a properly fitted helmet.
- Ride in the same direction as traffic and obey traffic signs and signals.
- Watch carefully for vehicles entering or leaving driveways and parking lots.
- Slow down when approaching intersections and crosswalks.
- Get off your bicycle and walk it across the street at busy intersections and school crossings.
- Make sure drivers see you before crossing in front of a vehicle.
- Avoid distractions such as phones, headphones or earbuds while riding.
- Use lights and reflective clothing or equipment when riding in low-light conditions.
E-Bike Safety
E-bikes can travel much faster than traditional bicycles, which means riders have less time to react and drivers, pedestrians and other cyclists may have less time to see and respond to them. Students riding e-bikes should use additional caution, particularly near intersections, crosswalks, school parking lots and areas with heavy vehicle or pedestrian traffic.
The Sedro-Woolley Police Department has emphasized education for young riders and families as the community adjusts to increased e-bike use and local e-bike regulations.
Students and families should know:
- Helmets are required when operating an e-bike in Sedro-Woolley.
- E-bike riders must follow Washington traffic laws and rules of the road.
- E-bikes may NOT be operated on sidewalks within Sedro-Woolley's Central Business District.
- Riders should slow down around pedestrians, intersections, crosswalks and school zones and never assume a driver sees them.
- Students should make eye contact with drivers and make sure vehicles have stopped before crossing in front of them.
- Students should get off and walk their e-bike through busy intersections and school crossings rather than riding through the crosswalk.
- Phones, headphones and other distractions should be put away while riding.
Not every electric two-wheeled vehicle is legally an e-bike. According to the Sedro-Woolley Police Department, vehicles over 750 watts that generally do not have operable pedals may be classified as motorcycles. Motorcycle requirements include being at least 16 years old, having a driver's license with a motorcycle endorsement and properly registering the vehicle.
Parents and guardians should make sure they understand what type of vehicle their student is operating and whether their student can legally operate it.
Bringing E-Bikes to School
E-bikes may not be permitted on some Sedro-Woolley School District campuses because appropriate, secure storage is not available. Students and families should check with their school before riding an e-bike to campus.
Where e-bikes are permitted, students are responsible for following school expectations for where and how the e-bike is stored during the school day. Schools are not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged bicycles, e-bikes or other personal property.
As we prepare for the new school year, now is a great time to make sure you have the Sedro-Woolley School District app installed on your phone.
The district app is the easiest way to stay informed with school news, alerts, calendars and announcements. In addition, more and more of our teachers are using Rooms within the app to communicate directly with families, making it easier to receive classroom updates and messages in one convenient place.
Download the free app today:
Apple (iPhone/iPad): https://apple.co/3pG1BRD
Google Play (Android): https://bit.ly/44ni0cx
Resources for students and families
Don't miss important messages
To receive notifications when your student's teacher or school sends a message, please take a moment to check your notification settings.
Turn on app (push) notifications
- When you first open the app, tap Allow when prompted.
- If you previously skipped that step:
- iPhone: Go to Settings → search for the Sedro-Woolley School District app → Notifications → turn on Allow Notifications.
- Android: Go to Settings → Notifications → App notifications → select the Sedro-Woolley School District app → turn notifications on.
Choose how you receive notifications
Open the app and tap More (bottom menu) → Settings (gear icon) → Notification Preferences.
You can choose to receive notifications by:
- Push notifications through the app
- Text message
You can also choose whether text messages are delivered instantly or as an hourly or daily digest.
Watch for a Rooms invitation
The district will send invitation emails to guardians who have not yet activated their Rooms accounts. If you receive an invitation, simply follow the instructions in the email to activate your account and begin receiving teacher and school communications through the app.
If you've already activated your Rooms account, you should not receive another invitation. However, if one does happen to arrive in your inbox, we apologize for the inconvenience. You can simply disregard the email—your account is already set up and no further action is needed.
Thank you for partnering with us to keep communication simple, timely and accessible. We look forward to another great school year!
One of the ways we help keep students safe is by using the Standard Response Protocol (SRP), a nationally recognized system that gives students, staff and first responders a common language during emergencies.
You may hear your child mention one of these safety terms throughout the school year:
- Hold – Stay in the classroom while hallways are cleared.
- Lockout – A situation outside the school requires the building to be secured, but learning continues inside.
- Lockdown – Used when there is a potential threat inside or immediately around the school. Students move out of sight, remain quiet and follow their teacher's directions.
- Evacuate – Move safely to another location.
- Shelter – Take protective action during severe weather or another environmental emergency.
Students and staff practice these procedures throughout the year so everyone knows what to do if an emergency occurs. These drills are conducted in age-appropriate ways to help children build confidence rather than fear.
Stay Connected During Emergencies
One of the most important things you can do as a parent is make sure we can reach you.
The Sedro-Woolley School District sends emergency notifications by email, text message and phone for situations such as school emergencies, weather-related schedule changes, power outages and other important safety information.
Please:
- Verify your phone numbers and email addresses are current with your child's school.
- Make sure you are opted in to receive text messages.
- Please do not unsubscribe from district emails. During an emergency, email is one of our primary ways to provide families with timely, accurate updates.
You can learn more about our Standard Response Protocol, view parent resources and download the family guide at:
https://sedrowoolleywa.sites.thrillshare.com/page/standard-response-protocol
Do you have questions about your young child's development? Sedro-Woolley School District offers free Child Find screenings to help families identify their child's strengths and determine whether additional support may be beneficial.
Child Find is a free developmental screening for children who live within the Sedro-Woolley School District boundaries. The screening looks at several areas of development, including:
- Large muscle development
- Fine motor skills and eye-hand coordination
- Communication and language skills
- Basic concepts and early learning skills
- Personal-social development
- Self-help skills
During the screening, children participate in age-appropriate activities such as stacking blocks, drawing, counting, naming colors, jumping, and other fun tasks. Following the screening, a trained professional will review the results with parents or caregivers, answer questions, and provide suggestions for supporting their child's development. The entire process typically takes about 45 minutes.
Who is Eligible?
Any child living within Sedro-Woolley School District boundaries whose family or caregivers would like more information about their development may participate.
Schedule a Screening
Children ages 3–5 years
Contact Good Beginnings Preschool at (360) 855-3868 after the center reopens in September.
Children ages birth–2 years
Contact Skagit Preschool and Resource Center (SPARC) at (360) 416-7570.
Early identification can make a significant difference in a child's success. If you have concerns about your child's development—or simply want reassurance that they are on track—we encourage you to schedule a free screening.
The Sedro-Woolley School District has a preschool, seven elementary schools, one middle school and two high schools, averaging more than 4,200 students. We proudly serve Sedro-Woolley and its smaller surrounding communities.
Email: swsdcoms@swsd101.org
Website: https://www.swsd.k12.wa.us/
Location: 801 Trail Road, Sedro-Woolley, WA, USA
Phone: 360-855-3500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SedroWoolleySchoolDistrict/
Superintendent — Brett Greenwood
Assistant Superintendent of Teaching & Learning — Brian Isakson
Exec. Director, Educational Support Services — Anthony Smith
Exec. Director, Human Resources & Student Support — Daniel Lee
Director of Curriculum & Instruction — John Slagle
Assistant Director of Finance — Amy Weppler
IT Director — Byron Haner 360-855-3587
Public Information Officer – Ruth Richardson
Transportation Director – Tracy Gugel 360-855-3504
Food Service Director – Allison Johnston 360-855-3515
Facilities & Maintenance Director – Michael Stephens (360) 855-3505
Jim Kallio
District 1
Lindy Mullen Doyle
District 2
Michelle Moser
District 3
Ashlee Johnson
District 4
Eric A. Johnson
District 5