MSD Weekly Update
Keeping you informed
Your student's growth is on our minds every day, and our commitment to improving our district's academics is at the forefront. From preschool to high school, we are becoming more strategic in data collection, lesson design, and the ways we assess students' mastery of learning standards.
Have a great weekend,
Deborah Rumbaugh, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Shout-Out to our Food Service Team 🍎
Every school day, our food service staff welcome and serve hundreds of students quickly, safely, and with care in one of the busiest spaces in the building. Behind the scenes, they’re tracking meal counts, managing lines, adjusting for late buses and schedule changes, and meeting important nutrition requirements, all while taking time to greet students by name or check in with anyone who needs a little extra care.
Some of our food service team members know every student’s name as they move through the lunch line! Not only is that impressive, but it also creates a meaningful connection with our students. The work is fast-paced, demanding – and provides very little downtime – and it takes real coordination and heart. School days run more smoothly because our food service teams are here, making sure students are nourished and ready to learn.
We’re grateful for the teamwork and dedication they bring to our schools!
Don't Miss the Maritime Program Open House On Monday, March 2 🌊
Join us for a Maritime Open House on Monday, March 2 from 4-7pm at Totem Middle School (building T10)! ⚓ Refreshments will be provided!
This event is an opportunity for students and families who will be attending a middle or high school next year to explore this hands-on woodworking and manufacturing program. Guests will be able to tour the shop, meet the instructor, and see how students develop real-world skills.
At the middle school level, Maritime Foundations builds essential manufacturing and design skills that prepare students for high school Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs offered within the district, including Maritime Trades and other industry-focused pathways.
And for students in high school, the open house is the perfect time to learn how this program prepares students for high-demand careers in the maritime industry. Our Core Plus Maritime program builds foundational engineering skills in measurement, tolerances, quality control, navigation, safety, and industry standards — preparing students for diverse maritime careers in design, engineering, operations, and leadership.
As you and your student prepare to register for courses next school year, come check it out to see if its the right fit! 🔍
Congratulations to this month's Marysville Scholar! 🧸
Congratulations to Elyse from Kellogg Marsh Elementary, who was recognized as her school's Marysville Scholar this month!
🎓 What makes a Marysville Scholar? Students earn this recognition by demonstrating curiosity, leadership, and integrity in and out of the classroom. Scholars are actively engaging in learning each day, building positive relationships and collaborating with their peers and staff, and contributing to a welcoming and safe school culture for all.
🐻 KM Principal Carmen Moeller describes Elyse as an excellent example of what it means to be a Kellogg Marsh Bear, coming to school with a positive attitude, showing kindness to her peers, and quickly offering to help others. "She collaborates well with others and works hard on her assignments," her principal says, "and will ask questions and continue working on the task until she feels she has completed it well."
Congratulations, Elyse! 🤩
Marysville Pilchuck Sign Language Club Connections
This week, students from the Northwest School for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children in Shoreline, a K-8 grade school, spent time cooking up some good times with members of the Marysville Pilchuck ASL (American Sign Language) Club! Students from both schools spent a day this week making delicious food, playing games, and getting to know each other as they learn ASL.
🤝 MP ASL teacher Cori Parks hopes this visit is the first of what will become a long-lasting relationship between the students at MP and the School for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children, to provide meaningful learning opportunities for all of the students involved.
“I know that my students will now have a sense that this isn't just a world language credit for graduation. This is a cultural connection – real people,” Mrs. Parks said.
👉Thank you to the Northwest School for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children, all of the students, Mrs. Parks, and Mr. Tyler Marcus (the STEM Foods teacher who opened up his classroom of 7 kitchens) for making the most of this important connection!
It turns out that the halls of Cedarcrest Middle School are full of some friendly Timberwolves who always seem to be on the lookout for something…and they have cameras.
We’re talking about the yearbook team, of course!
Making a school yearbook – which becomes a type of time capsule for each school – is no simple task. It takes months of planning, dedication, and hard work.
At Cedarcrest, the yearbook is produced by a team of student editors and staffers who design pages, write stories, and take photos throughout the school. Their dedication is nothing to howl at – they attend school events and visit classrooms to capture the moments that might otherwise go unseen, and work hard all year long to ensure each student sees themselves in the yearbook, beyond just their official school picture.
As part of their efforts, these yearbook students are learning and using a wide range of new skills: from interviewing techniques to get a juicy quote about the school play, photography skills to frame the perfect shot, to organization skills to make sure that their visits to other classes capture student learning in action. They also learn essential skills around page design and are constantly practicing their writing skills to get the stories featured in the yearbook just right.
"Students who have never been on my yearbook staff rarely believe me when I say that it's the hardest thing you can do in middle school,” said teacher Nathan McGehee. “We try to run our program like a high school program, so the intensity and skills needed aren't asked of typical middle schoolers.”
Mr. McGehee, who has advised on more than 10 yearbooks and joined the team at Cedarcrest at the start of this school year, went on to add that this year’s class of student yearbook staffers is incredibly capable – and that he thinks this year’s edition will be a fantastic start to a new era at CMS!
After months of organizing and thousands of photos taken, the yearbook design and its pages will be shipped off for print in the coming weeks. If you’re a member of the Timberwolf pack, stay tuned for the theme reveal after spring break!
