SLHS Newsletter

• 10/22 - Home Coming Game
• 10/23 - Home Coming Dance
• 10/28 - 10/30 - Conferences
• 11/11 - Veterans Day (no classes)
• 11/25-27 - Thanksgiving break

• Monday: Pajama Day
• Tuesday: Dress your type
• Wednesday: Beach Day
• Thursday: Twin Day
• Friday: Neverland/Enchanted Garden

Planning ahead? We are! The key dates for the 2026-2027 school year have been announced!

• October 28-30, 2026: Fall Conferences

• November 11, 2026: Veterans Day (no school)

• November 24, 2026: End of Trimester 1 - Early Dismissal

• November 25-27, 2026: Thanksgiving Break

• December 21, 2026 -Jan 1, 2027: Winter Break

• March 31- April 2, 2027: Student Led Conferences

• April 4-9, 2027: Spring Break

• June 15, 2027: Last Day of School

You can find these dates, along with the full 2026/27 calendar HERE

280 students had perfect attendance the month of September (go SWAY!)

Additionally, Freshman had 89.5% attendance. Sophomores 88.4% attendance. Juniors 88.2% attendance. Seniors 88.2% attendance.

Way to go, SWAY Scholars!

Tennis player Andrew Gonzalez won his match against the GK 3rd Singles in Tennis this week! Go SWAY athletes!

82% turn-in rate for our first 10th-grade ELA summative - all four classes combined! Go SWAY scholars!

Home Coming Football Game will be in the Art Crate on 10/22. Please remember the limit in size of bags (clear bags preferred).

Home Coming Dance will be in SLHS on 10/23.

• Please remember to bring your tickets and an ID. Without an ID we won't be able to let you in!
• Same expectations and rules apply to the Dance as to the school:
• No vapes of any kind, nicotine products, or other substances
• Do not bring any kind of harmful object.
• Respect the dress code (included in the STUDENT HANDBOOK)
• Any violation to these expectations may result on being asked to leave the dance

Seniors, it is FAFSA/WAFSA time! The application opened in October 1st. For the FAFSA go to https://Studentaid.gov. For the WASFA go to https://wsac.wa.gov/wasfa

All students keep their iPads for the incoming 2026 - 2027 school year. If there are issues with missing or broken iPads, please go to the SLHS Library to receive support.

The stand is Cowgirls Coffee on 176th and B Street, Spanaway, WA 98387

Dear SLHS Class of 2027 Parents,

We are beginning to collect Senior Portraits, Baby/Toddler photos, and Recognition

Ads, for the Class of 2027.

These items are due by January 31 st , 2027.

At the links below you will be able to upload one free senior portrait to be placed in

the senior class section, one free baby/toddler photo for the Senior baby page, and

the information to purchase a special recognition page for your graduate, highlighting

their years at SLHS.

The senior portrait should be a head shot (head and shoulders) portrait in the setting

of your choice. The photo needs to be high resolution (min 300 dpi/ppi).

The baby/toddler photo needs be digital.

Attached you will find a flyer with the prices & instructions for the Ads.

LINK: Senior Portrait/Baby Photo: HERE

Please upload your favorite Senior Portrait, remember headshots only, needs to be high resolution

(300 dpi).

We would also love for you to share a photo of your graduate as a baby or toddler.

Each year the Centurion Yearbook offers seniors the opportunity to make this a year special

memory. Below you will find the links to yearbook publisher, Jostens, website for Spanaway Lake

High School. Also attached is a flyer.

LINK: Parent Recognition Ads: HERE

Once you are in this website you will have access to all the SLHS Jostens material. For the Yearbook

you are looking for the Yearbook Ads (please scroll down).

AGAIN, all senior materials are due by Jan 31 st , 2027.

Thank you so much for your interest.

Cari Goree

Yearbook Advisor​

Email: cgoree@bethelsd.org

This week, the SLHS College and Career Team is thrilled to host Senior Workshops in the Career Center! These workshops are designed to be action-packed and student-focused, giving seniors the chance to take meaningful next steps toward their future.

During their English classes, seniors will come to the Career Center and choose from three interactive stations:

• Station 1: Applying to a 4-year college
  

• Station 2: Applying to a 2-year community or technical college
  

• Station 3: Exploring career, apprenticeship, or military pathways
  
  

At each station, students will receive hands-on guidance and support from college, university, and career representatives, ensuring they leave with tools and knowledge they can use right away.

Bethel School District and its 3 high schools will be cashless and using GoFan for ticketing during the 2026/2027 School Year for all Volleyball, Basketball and Wrestling events. No cash will be accepted while purchasing tickets for those events.

This ticketing process will be similar to what we see at all postseason events throughout the WCD and State Playoffs. I also wanted to share that it will be best to purchase your tickets prior to arriving at the event, as cell phone reception may not be the fastest once you enter the building.

Please consult the link HERE for further information about Athletics.

GO SWAY!

Cell phones can take away valuable learning time by breaking students’ focus, increasing off-task behavior, and slowing down how long it takes to complete work. At SLHS, we have a no cell phone policy in classrooms, and we’re asking for your partnership in supporting this expectation at home.

Please talk with your student and let them know you support this rule and understand why it matters. This is not about punishment—it’s about:

• Protecting valuable learning time

• Reducing stress and social pressure

• Helping students stay focused and present

• 
  

Your support truly makes a difference in helping students build healthy habits and succeed in school.

First consideration deadline for accepting student transfer requests for the 2026-27 school year will be March 13, 2026 for all grades, K through 12. Requests received after the deadline may not be considered until the week of August 10. Requests submitted after August 17 will be reviewed after September 5 when actual enrollment counts are in. All transfer requests for 2026-27 will be done electronically. Click HERE for more information.

We know that transitioning to a new school district can be both exciting and difficult. So, we have created a webpage to assist our military families who are moving to the Bethel School District. Welcome! And thanks to you and your family for your service to our country! Click HERE for more information.

The Superintendent’s Student Leadership Council recently led discussions with our School Board on staff diversity and the need for more multicultural programs and interpreters. They also brought practical solutions to the table, requesting updates to the advisory curriculum to include "real-life skills" like financial literacy. While algebra has its place, they want to graduate knowing how to handle loans, credit, taxes, and mortgages, while also mastering professional skills like resume building and interviewing. Read more HERE.

For absences of 4 or more consecutive days a Pre-Arranged Absence Form is required. It must be signed by teachers and reviewed, approved or not approved by Admin - please turned it in prior to leave dates.

Parents, If your student is marked absent by their teacher(s) and your student reports they are in class, it is your student responsibility to reach out their teacher to clear the absence.

For Early Dismissal please utilize ParentVue or send in a note to attendance and have your student pick up an Early Dismissal Pass (prior to class start) to give to their teacher. This reduces class interruptions.

Class of 2027:

See below for post high school planning that you should be doing now!

Connect with Us

• Want a 1:1 meeting with College & Career staff? HERE

• Stay up to date with the full weekly update Here

SLHS College & Career Center Snapshot (Grades 9–12)

Seniors – FAFSA & WASFA Applications Open October 1st!

Apply today at Studentaid.gov or WSAC.org.

Completing the FAFSA opens the door to grants, scholarships, and funding to help pay for college!

Don’t wait—apply today! Need help? Come to the SLHS Financial Aid Help Night at Pierce County Skills Center October 13th to get hands on help with your FAFSA or WASFA!

Ready to jumpstart your college and career journey—or start applying for scholarships? Let’s go!

Key Resources

• 9–12 College Knowledge Timeline Book – Your step-by-step guide.

• SchooLinks – Explore careers, colleges, and scholarships.

• Career Center Canvas – Self-enroll for A–Z resources, upcoming events, and field trips.

The Sentinel Resource Center (SRC) is here to support students and their families with basic needs or assistance with referrals to local resources. If you or your family needs assistance and/or you would like to volunteer or donate to the SRC, please reach out by emailing thall@bethelsd.org or by completing the Sentinel Resource Center Referral Form HERE

The following resources are available on-site for students and/or families to retrieve at any time.

• Clothing

• Hygiene Products

• Non-perishable food items

• School Supplies

If there is a resource that is not available on-site, the Family Resource Coordinator or School Social Worker will connect you to a community agency for additional support.

Our Goals

• Promote academic achievement

• Reduce barriers to learning by assisting with student and family needs.

• Provide a supportive environment at school where parent/guardian(s) involvement is encouraged

• Build and nurture school, home, and community partnerships

Contact Information:

• Phone: 253-800-5647

• Email: thall@bethelsd.org

• Referral Form HERE

Sentinel students and families are welcome to contact their counselor by email:

Last names: A – CP

Jennifer Brock (jbrock@bethelsd.org). To schedule an appointment click HERE

Last names: CR – HE

Jennifer Wood (jcwood@bethelsd.org). To schedule an appointment click HERE

Last names: HF – MON

Dr. Kelsey Nugent (knugent@bethelsd.org). To schedule an appointment click HERE

Last names: MOO – SD

Kirsten Winter (kwinter@bethelsd.org). To schedule an appointment click HERE

Last names: SE – Z

Mandy Springer (aspringer@bethelsd.org). To schedule an appointment click HERE

Office hours: 7:25 a.m. - 2:45 p.m.

Assistant Principals

12th grade: Sean Carrick: scarrick@bethelsd.org

11th grade: Marco Viniegra: mviniegra@bethelsd.org

10th grade: Elizabeth Brobbey: ebrobbey@bethelsd.org

Associate Administrator Brooke Van Arsdale: bvanarsdal@bethelsd.org (9th grade)

Athletic Director Brooke Wilkinson: bwilkinson@bethelsd.org

Website: https://www.bethelsd.org/slhs
Location: 1305 168th St E, Spanaway, WA, USA
Phone: 253-800-5600
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Spanaway-Lake-High-School-1740472332859797/?ref=bookmarks