We are Respectful!

Weekly Highlights and Looking Ahead

We are encouraged by the continued improvements to Lunch B. Small adjustments to our procedures are creating more safety and space for students to eat, be active, and enjoy their lunch period.

Students have completed benchmark assessments and will share their results with families during next week’s Student-Led Conferences. Conference sign-ups went home last week, and because this format may be different from an elementary conference, please review the details below before arriving. If you have questions, please reach out to us.

We also have many Yays! to celebrate this week, so be sure to read how our Kolts are showing up across campus and in the classroom. We hope you will join us for conferences, where families can connect with teachers, access technology support for grades, records, and Family Access, and explore a variety of community resources.

On a note of continued improvement, we continue to struggle with vandalism and destruction of the 200 Hallway Male Restrooms. Our supervision team meets daily and quarterly for planning for supervision and safety; ultimately, there is a point at which we have to hold our students responsible for the stewardship of our building. As a reminder, we encourage students to report vandalism as soon as we see it so we can do our best to isolate those responsible and counsel them about vandalism and the impacts it has on our community, as well as to assign school based consequences. We implore you to share in that messaging as well.

Ms. Castellano

Principal, Keithley Middle School

Conference Days are October 7 and October 8 (correction)

Here is our format for student-led conferences. The format is a combination of the district designed requirements as well as family, student, and staff feedback. Student-led conferences highlight student goal setting, academic awareness, and forward planning. We set side time aside and spend time for student to learn about how to present these topics.

Before conference time: Please sign up for a one-hour time slot for your student to present in their homeroom. During the first 20 minutes, your student will guide you through their learning experience and reflect on their growth. Please support their presentation and self-advocacy skills by allowing them to take the lead.

The remaining 40 minutes are available for you to visit your student’s other classes and connect with teachers. Feel free to step into classrooms, and if you have time between visits, explore our Community Resource Fair in the Commons. Our two evening conference opportunities will be held on Wednesday and Thursday to provide additional times for families to attend. This format allows students to share their learning while families also receive academic updates from teachers.

From September 15 through October 15, we celebrate the histories, cultures, contributions, and experiences of Hispanic and Latino communities. Families can support this learning by reading, listening to music, exploring stories, and talking with students about the many ways Hispanic and Latino people have shaped our communities and country. While this month provides a special opportunity to celebrate, we are committed to inclusive multicultural learning throughout the year—moving beyond holidays and individual contributions to explore diverse perspectives, experiences, and voices.

Families and educators may explore resources from the National Museum of the American Latino, NEA, and Education Northwest.1 These resources include age-appropriate lessons, books, music, activities, and opportunities for students to connect learning to their families and communities.

On September 30, we recognize Orange Shirt Day and affirm that every child matters. The day began with residential school Survivor Phyllis Webstad, who shared that her new orange shirt was taken from her on her first day at a residential school. Her story has grown into a movement that honors Survivors, remembers the children and families affected by residential schools, and encourages learning, truth, and reconciliation.

At Keithley, we recognize Orange Shirt Day by creating space to learn about Indigenous histories and experiences, listen respectfully to Indigenous voices, and consider how we can help build a school where every student feels safe, valued, and included. Students and families may participate by wearing orange, learning about the history of residential schools through age-appropriate resources, displaying an “Every Child Matters” message, or engaging in a thoughtful conversation about belonging and respect. Wearing orange is meaningful, but continued learning and respectful action throughout the year are the most important ways to honor the day.

Keithley Wellness Hub Resource Support The Wellness Hub is here to support our Keithley families with essential items. We offer clothing for all ages, a stocked food pantry, hygiene products, and select household supplies. If your family is in need of anything, please fill out the Resource Request Form linked here. We will do our best to fulfill your request based on the supplies we currently have available. We are here to help, please do not hesitate to reach out! (Click the link below or here)

Dear Keithley Families,

At Keithley, our MTSS process helps us notice when a student may benefit from additional academic, behavioral, social-emotional, or other support. Staff may submit a Yay or Neigh Referral when a student identifies a need or when a pattern of incidents emerges; the MTSS team then reviews the information, connects with existing supports, and collaborates with the student’s teaching team to develop a plan. The team implements the plan, tracks progress, reviews the data, and adjusts support as needed.

If your student is identified as someone for whom staff are planning additional support, we will reach out to you. We will invite you to share your perspective, learn what has worked well at home and at school, and review what staff have learned. As your student’s longest and most expert educator, you are an essential partner, and we rely on your knowledge to co-create a meaningful plan for success.

Our goal is to work together so every student feels supported, understood, and able to thrive. Thank you for partnering with us in this important process.

This year, our school is committed to improving achievement in ELA and mathematics. Our most recent annual state assessment scores show that 24% of students are meeting grade-level proficiency in ELA and 14% are meeting grade-level proficiency in math. These results make our focus clear: we are all ELA and math teachers, and we are all responsible for maintaining high expectations while providing strong support for every student.

Building Success Through Ratios and Vocabulary

Teachers will use student data and PLC time to plan culturally responsive, relevant lessons that challenge students and support their progress. Our schoolwide instructional focus is ratios in math and vocabulary in ELA, identified during summer data review and adult learning as important pathways toward future success. Please ask your student what they are learning about ratios and what new vocabulary they have learned; your encouragement helps reinforce the importance of learning at home and at school.

We want to partner with you to ensure you AND your student are experiencing school in a way that feels safe, supportive, and productive. If you are finding yourself frustrated or curious about something your student reported about school (whether it was at lunch, between classes, during classes, or after school) - we WANT to team with you. If this happens:

1. Please FIRST contact your student's teacher if it is something that took place in class (you can find the teacher email list below - or use ParentSquare if you prefer to text).

2. If you are unsuccessful in hearing back from the teacher OR if the issue occurred out of the classroom, please contact either your student's counselor OR administrator (see those assignments below).

3. Come see us at school - please know that direct student supervision is our priority, so you may be asked to wait for one of our availability. We appreciate your understanding and believe that a heads up email or phone call can best help us serve you (often times, we are hearing of frustrations for the first time and are limited in what we can do at the moment until we are given time to investigate).

Ultimately, I want you to know that we WANT to help, but encourage you to do these things to help that process be more expeditious for you and your student.

Empower House

Empower House is a short reset space where students can receive support, practice a helpful skill, and return to class ready to learn. When students feel overwhelmed, frustrated, stressed, or need help refocusing, they should speak with their teacher, who will contact Empower House staff and provide a pass when space is available. During each visit, students check in, choose a reset strategy, practice a skill such as calming their body or solving a problem, and return to class with a plan.

Empower House is a safe, respectful place to build skills and get back to learning. It is not a place to socialize or avoid class responsibilities. Our goal is for every student to feel supported, learn a strategy they can use independently, and experience a successful fresh start.

Meet Your Counselors

We want families to know who we are and how we can help. Keithley’s school counselors are here to support students throughout their middle school years. Students don’t need to be in crisis or have a “big problem” to come see us. We help students with all kinds of things that come up during middle school; friendships and peer conflict, stress, emotions, organization, attendance, academic concerns, problem-solving, family changes, grief, and figuring out how to navigate school successfully. We also work closely with families and can help connect you with resources and support outside of school when needed. Students are assigned a counselor based on their last name:

A–G: Alyssa Andrews 253-298-4350 aandrews@fpschools.org

H–O: Dee Taylan 253-298-4331 dtaylan@fpschools.org

P–Z: Anna Aylward 253-298-4411 aaylward@fpschools.org

You can also reach all three counselors at kmscounselors@fpschools.org. If you’re not sure whether something is something we can help with, reach out anyway. If we aren’t the right resource, we can help you figure out who is.

Mental Health and Family Resources 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 for free, confidential crisis support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Pierce County Youth Crisis Services: Call 1-800-576-7764 for support when a child or teen is experiencing a mental health or behavioral health crisis.

Franklin Pierce Family Resource Center: The Family Resource Center can help FPS families with food, clothing and hygiene needs, benefits and community resources, parenting support, advocacy, and other needs. Call 253-298-3073 for more information.

Our electronics policy remains firm: all electronics, including phones, headphones, and earbuds, must be off and put away, out of sight during the school day. We understand students may have become accustomed to phone access over the summer, but this policy is essential for maintaining a focused learning environment. Headphones secured to backpacks as part of student style are acceptable, but they may not be worn or used during school hours.

Teachers will provide two reminders before asking students to take their device to the office: a class wide visual reminder and an individual private reminder with a red card. After these reminders, students will be asked to turn in their phone to the office until the end of the day. If you need to reach your student during school hours, please call the office at 253-298-4300, and we will connect you or deliver a message. Last year, at least 60% of our disciplinary issues were electronics-related, including damage, injury, cyberbullying, and inappropriate content. We appreciate your support in upholding this expectation and keeping school a place about focusing on the learning.

We are laser-focused on increasing math and ELA scores this year, and eliminating distractions is a critical part of that effort. As your child's first and longest teacher, we cannot succeed without your partnership—please review these expectations at home.

Our tardy policy will be in effect starting on the first day of school. Students may have up to one tardy per day. If a student accumulates 2-4 tardies within a single day, they will be assigned Lunch Reflection with Coach Rai. These sessions are designed to identify any barriers to punctuality, review the importance of being on time, and provide strategies for success. Coach Rai brings a coaching mindset focused on support rather than punishment. Students assigned to Lunch Reflection will receive a pass from Coach Rai and meet him in the Courtyard at lunch to walk together to the reflection classroom. We have high expectations because we know students will rise to meet them, and we are committed to supporting them every step of the way.

We are working on ratios at Keithley, so in homeroom we talked about the ratio 728:733 - that represents the number of students on time to class to the number of students total in the school! That is pretty awesome. Keep it up, Kolts!

We are here to serve and support both your student and you. Our team believes that your student comes to us with a wealth of knowledge and experience uniquely their own - and that YOU are your student's longest and most knowledgeable teacher. Please be assured that your student belongs here and we take the important job of caring for them seriously while they are here.

We look forward to partnering with you through the celebrations, supports, and all of the excitement that middle school entails. Communication is key - and while we do our very best to reach out when it concerns your student, please never hesitate to reach out to us. Email is best as it creates a log of communication and allows us to take the time to read through your needs. We look forward to working with and hearing from you.

If you or someone you know is interested in learning English as a Second Language as an adult learner, there are multiple resources in the Pierce County area including Tacoma, Parkland, Lakewood, Puyallup, and other cities. Must be 18 or older to take Adult ESL classes. Many of these resources also offer world languages classes or learning resources if you are interested in learning another language!

Free resources: https://micentrowa.org/esl-classes/ - Free first come first serve classes. No need to pre-register. Contact Mi Centro for more information. Classes are held in the afternoon.

https://www.tacomalibrary.org/resources/language-learning/ - Free online resources for Tacoma Public Library card members through Mango Languages website or mobile app.

Mango offers more than 70 language learning courses! https://calendar.piercecountylibrary.org/event/14864483 - ESL tutoring for adults from the Tacoma Area Literacy Council in Parkland and Spanaway libraries. No registration required; walk-ins welcome. Classes are held in the afternoon.

Low-cost resources: https://www.tacomacommunityhouse.org/services/education/#english-language-acquisition – Year-round classes, $25 each quarter (3 months). $100 for one year or 12 months. Classes are offered at various times in order to accommodate students’ schedules.

https://www.tacomacc.edu/academics-programs/basic-education/esl - Apply to Tacoma Community College to enroll in ESL classes, located in Tacoma. Classes are offered in both the morning and evening.

https://www.batestech.edu/career-pathways/esl/ - Apply to Bates Technical College to enroll in ESL classes, located in Tacoma. $25 each quarter, with fee waivers available. Classes are in-person mornings, evenings, or self-paced online.

https://www.cptc.edu/Transitional-Studies - Apply to Clover Park Technical College to enroll in ESL classes, located in Lakewood. Resident immigrants or refugees who are 19 or older are eligible. $25 each quarter, with fee waivers available. Classes are held online or in person.

https://www.pierce.ctc.edu/programs/general/esl.html - Apply to Pierce College to enroll in ESL classes, located in Puyallup and Fort Steilacoom. Classes are offered hybrid (part in-person, part online) or online.