Gateway Family News

Friday, January 9th

LIF + Advisory Bell Schedule

Monday, January 12th

iReady ELA - Testing Bell Schedule

PTSA Meeting

Tuesday, January 13th

iReady Math - Testing Bell Schedule

Wednesday, January 14th

iReady - Testing Bell Schedule

Natural Leaders Parents Series - CRC 5:30 - 6:30pm

Thursday, January 15th

FearLESS Assembly - PM Assembly Bell Schedule

Friday, January 16th

American Heart Association Fundraiser Kickoff - LIF + Advisory Bell Schedule

Monday, January 19th

Martin Luther King Jr Day - No School

Tuesday, January 20th

Girls Basketball Tryouts start

Let's Connect - Cascade High School cafeteria 6- 7:30pm

Wednesday, January 21st

WA State Culture Fair

Let's Connect - Everett High School cafeteria 6- 7:30pm

Thursday, January 22nd

MPMEA 8th Grade Honor Choir

Semester 1 ends

Friday, January 23rd

Teacher Work Day - No School for students

Monday, January 26th

Semester 2 starts

Tuesday, January 27th

PTSA Dine to Donate @Applebees

School Board Meeting

Wednesday, January 28th

AMC8

Let's Connect - Heatherwood High School cafeteria 6- 7:30pm

Friday, January 30th

LIF + Advisory Bell Schedule

• We are using our Testing Bell Schedule, so students will test in the morning with their advisory class unless they are told otherwise. They will then return to 2nd period at the end of the day

• We ask that you please try and not pick up your student during testing, if possible

• Please have your student charge their Chromebook at night

• Students may bring healthy snacks that they can eat quietly, as needed
• It is recommended that students bring headphones

• We will monitor testing progress, and schedule makeup testing time as needed

Group chats exist on text, and via apps like SnapChat, Roblox, GoogleDocs, etc. Group chats are a great way for friend groups and teams to stay connected when used productively.

Over the last year, we have investigated several issues that come about on these group chats. Here are the risks:

• Anyone in a group chat can add another individual to a group chat
• There is no screening of these individuals added to a group text, so students will not know their age or place of residence
• Posts are not filtered, so any image, video, meme, or text post is visible to all members of the group chat
• Group chats are not monitored directly by adults

We share this information to help parents make the best decision for their own individual students and awareness. We want to ensure the safety of all of those in our community!

Best Practices & Rules

• Establish Ground Rules: Discuss phone usage times (no screens during homework/bedtime), approved apps, and safe sharing practices.
• Teach Digital Citizenship: Educate kids about cyberbullying, not sharing private info, and telling a parent about threats.
• Review & Adjust: Periodically check installed apps and privacy settings.

Winter 2 Sports - Girls Basketball, starts on January 20th. Winter 2 Sports are only open to 7th and 8th grade students.

Please register your athlete now on FinalForms. If you don't have an account in FinalForms, follow the directions in the Parent Play Book to create your account, register your student(s), and sign your forms. Your student will also need a current physical on file, which can be uploaded directly to FinalForms. If your student is already registered, be sure to check your student's email for messages from FinalForms that may require their attention.

The first day of Girls Basketball is January 20th from 3:00pm - 4:45pm and there is an activity bus available at 5:00 PM for students who need a ride home. Students can sign up at the Office if they need to ride the Sports Activity Bus. If you have any questions about Sports at Gateway, please contact our Athletic Secretary, at 425-385-6604.

Winter 2 Sports - Coed Wrestling starts on Tuesday, February 17. Wrestling is open to all students, 6th graders can participate in practices, but not matches.

Please register your athlete now on FinalForms. If you don't have an account in FinalForms, follow the directions in the Parent Play Book to create your account, register your student(s), and sign your forms. Your student will also need a current physical on file, which can be uploaded directly to FinalForms. If your student is already registered, be sure to check your student's email for messages from FinalForms that may require their attention.

The first day of Coed Wrestling is Tuesday, February 17th from 3:00pm - 4:45pm and there is an activity bus available at 5:00 PM for students who need a ride home. Students can sign up at the Office if they need to ride the Sports Activity Bus. If you have any questions about Sports at Gateway, please contact our Athletic Secretary, at 425-385-6604.

All parents know the difficulty of scheduling medical appointments, especially the orthodontist, and often these times are out of our control as patients. Here are some tips to expedite your pick-up experience:

• We verify photo identification prior to releasing your student.
• When it is pre-arranged appointment, make a plan with your student ahead of time or make them aware of when you plan to arrive.
• It helps to know when your student has PE, since it takes extra time for students to dress out and make it to the office.
• Please ensure you come into the office to check students out. Student cell phones are to be off during the day, so please do not text students. We want to ensure that we know where all of our students are.
• We don't need you to call ahead of time about picking up your student. We will call your student to the office when you come to the office to sign them out.
• Occasionally we have different bell schedules for assemblies, testing, or other events. We include those schedule in this newsletter for your convenience.
• If someone other than a guardian is picking your student up, please email GWYAttendance@everettsd.org. We do not release a student to an emergency contact without permission from the student's guardian.

Also, PTSA is looking for 3 volunteers for a nominating committee, please see flyer below for more info.

Before placing Proposition 1, the School Construction Bond, on the February 10 ballot, Everett Public Schools convened a Capital Bond Planning Committee made up of families, students, community members, and staff. From February through May 2025, the group studied facility needs, toured schools, and reviewed data before making a formal recommendation to the School Board.

Their recommended projects include a new elementary school, additional permanent classrooms, replacement of Lowell Elementary, improvements at Cascade and Everett High Schools, and districtwide safety and building system upgrades. A huge thank you to this volunteer committee for helping shape a proposal that meets our highest construction needs.

Also on the ballot is Proposition 2, the Education Levy. This is a renewal of an existing levy - not a new tax - and continues funding for staff, programs, and daily operations not fully funded by the state. Levy dollars represent about 15% of the district’s annual budget.

To learn more about the School Construction Bond and Education Levy, visit the district’s bond and levy information page at https://www.everettsd.org/Bond-Levy-2026

We also have three more opportunities for our community to learn more about the bond and levies through Let’s Connect events.

•January 20: Cascade High School cafeteria, 6-7:30 p.m.

•January 21: Everett High School cafeteria, 6-7:30 p.m.

•January 28: Heatherwood Middle School cafeteria, 6-7:30 p.m.

We hope you join us!

We want to spread the word about Let's Connect Events in January. We are holding an event in each area of the district to give families and community members options for the date and location that work best for them:

• January 20: Cascade High School cafeteria, 6-7:30 p.m.
• January 21: Everett High School cafeteria, 6-7:30 p.m.
• January 28: Heatherwood Middle School cafeteria, 6-7:30 p.m.

If you want to report a prearranged absence to our Attendance Secretary, the form is located on our website. If you follow this link and look on the left-hand side of the page, you will see Prearranged Absence Form linked there.

Once the form is completed, please either email it to GWYAttendance@everettsd.org

or drop it off at the Main Office.

If your student is absent, we do need a written note or message sent to the school office within 30 days after your student returns. Our Attendance Email is also linked on our website under Attendance Reporting, or you can report absences through ParentVue* - please don't both, one or the other is great, thank you!

*ParentVue is best for single full-day absences only, if a student is going to miss part of a day, email is best.

Everett Public Schools Board of Directors adopted a policy on use of Personal Electronic Devices in 2019.

Elementary and Middle School Students

Elementary and middle school students who choose to bring cell phones and other PEDs to school may only use them before or after the school day. During the school day, all cell phones and other PEDs must be powered off and stored (e.g., in the student’s backpack, locker, other district provided storage). Please click here to access the policy.

Parents, if you need to reach your student, please contact the office. We regularly have parents sending text messages to students during the school day. This is a distraction to learning for your student and sometimes those around them, and sometimes disrupts teaching as well. If your student is not feeling well, they should report to the health office and we will notify you. If a family emergency arises, please call the office and we will assist in retrieving your student.

We do not allow use of PEDs at anytime. ChromeBooks should only be used for academic purposes. To reduce the duration students are on screens and to encourage socialization, school ChromeBooks are not allowed to be used during lunchtime, unless a student is in the library or working with a staff member on schoolwork.

As a parent, we always want to protect our students. If you have a concern, please take a look at the district policy on HIB. If you need to report a concern, please click here.

District Policy 3204 P

As defined in legislation, “Harassment, intimidation or bullying” means any intentional electronic, written, verbal, or physical act including but not limited to, one shown to be motivated by any characteristic in RCW 28A.640.010 and RCW 28A 642.010, or other distinguishing characteristics, when the act:

A. Physically harms a student or damages the student’s property;

B. Has the effect of substantially interfering with a student’s education;

C. Is so severe, persistent, or pervasive that it creates an intimidating or threatening educational environment; or

D. Has the effect of substantially disrupting the orderly operation of the school.

Please take a moment to review the Student Handbook with your student. All students are expected to follow the expectations outlined in the handbook. When your student signs into their laptop, they are agreeing to these expectation.

Have a tech issue, please place a request for support by clicking here.

Need to change a password? Click here.

Want to check your student's grades? Click here.

​Our Mission: The PTSA strengthens our schools and benefits our children. Gateway PTSA provides programs and activities that enhance the educational opportunities of Gateway’s students, teachers, and the surrounding community. Gateway PTSA is an advocate for all students attending Gateway Middle School and Everett Public Schools.

Please consider joining our PTA!

Attendance at meetings is not required, but your support allows our students to have more opportunities. Click this link to find out more information! Click here to order Gateway spirit gear!