Mary M. Knight

Mission (our purpose):
Our Mission is to ensure that all students have the knowledge, skills, motivation, and confidence to be successful citizens.

Vision (who we must become):
We are a community of learners and leaders united to enrich the lives of all our students.

Welcome back, OWL families!

I hope Spring Break brought some rest, laughter, and quality time together. Now we're back — and we're stepping into the final quarter of the school year with purpose.

With 9 weeks remaining, now is the time to get intentional. I encourage every family to log into Skyward Family Access, have a conversation with your student about where they stand, and reach out to teachers if you have questions. Don't wait — our staff is ready and glad to hear from you.

Before break, we had the privilege of celebrating our Elementary March Awards Assembly, honoring student growth in math, reading, attendance, and citizenship. Watching our GRIT Students of the Month receive recognition for living out Tenacity in Action was a proud moment for our entire school community.

This month, our GRIT theme shifts to Success with Tenacity: Celebrating Growth and Setting New Goals — a perfect reminder that finishing strong is both a choice and a habit.

Thank you for being our partners. Together, we help every OWL soar. 🦉

Monday 4/13

• MS Baseball vs. Lake Quinault 4:00 pm

Tuesday 4/14

• Art club 3:00 pm
• HS Baseball vs. Wahkiakum 4:00 pm

Wednesday 4/15

• Late start
• MS Track @ Naselle 3:30 pm
• HS Golf @ Rainier 3:30 pm
• Board Game Club 3:00 pm
• Metal shop club 3:30 pm

Thursday 4/16

• CTE Field Trip grades 10-12
• Wood shop club
• MS Baseball @ Wishkah 4:00 pm

Friday 4/17

• SkillsUSA State Conference
• HS Track @ Chehalis 4:00 pm
• HS Baseball @ Oakville 4:00 pm

Saturday 4/18

• HS Track @ Chehalis 12:00 pm

🌱 Welcome Back — And Let's Finish Strong Together

Spring Break is behind us, and just like that, we have arrived at the final quarter of the school year. With only 9 weeks remaining, now is exactly the right time to take a close look at where your student stands academically — not in a panic, but with purpose.

For our secondary students (grades 7–12), these final weeks carry real weight. End-of-year grades determine credit, and for our seniors and students on a graduation timeline, staying on track right now is critical to finishing on time.

Here are a few simple but powerful things you can do starting this week:

📬 Reach Out to Teachers Teachers want to hear from you. A quick email or phone call asking "How is my child doing, and is there anything they should be focusing on?" can open the door to support you didn't know was available. Don't wait for a concern to come to you — be the one who asks.

📊 Log into Skyward Family Access Skyward is your real-time window into your child's grades, attendance, and progress. If you haven't checked it recently, now is a great time to make it part of your weekly routine. If you need help accessing your account, please contact the school office and we will get you set up.

💬 Talk to Your Child Ask your student how they feel about where they are in each class. You might be surprised by what they share — and the conversation alone signals to them that you're paying attention and that school matters at home, too.

Nine weeks is enough time to make a real difference. Whether your child is thriving and needs encouragement to finish strong, or is facing some challenges and needs a plan to get back on track, the time to act is now — not in week eight.

We are in this together, and our staff is ready to partner with you. Don't hesitate to reach out.

There is something truly special about pausing to celebrate the hard work and growth of our students — and that is exactly what we did at our Elementary March Awards Assembly! Our OWLS were recognized across four important areas: math, reading, attendance, and citizenship. Each of these recognitions represents real effort, real dedication, and real growth. Congratulations to every student who earned an award this month — you make MMK proud!

As part of our assembly, we also honored our March GRIT Students of the Month, and this group of young learners made it easy to celebrate. Our March GRIT theme — Tenacity in Action: Finishing Strong — asks all of us to dig deep, push through challenges, and keep our eyes on the finish line even when the going gets tough. These students didn't just understand that message — they lived it.

• Rosalynn Austin (PreK) comes to school every day determined to learn, practicing her reading words both at home and in class with purpose and pride.
• David Finch (Kindergarten) meets every new challenge — from writing to puzzles — with persistence, asking for help when needed and celebrating every step of progress.
• Hunter Vogland (1st Grade) pushes through frustration and keeps giving his best effort, showing impressive academic growth as a result.
• Freya Weaver (2nd Grade) never gives up, even when learning feels hard, and has made outstanding improvement in both reading and math because of her growth mindset.
• Matthew Mock (3rd Grade) continues showing up and doing his best even on difficult days — asking questions, listening to feedback, and always striving to improve.
• Anita Balzer (4th Grade) comes to class ready to learn every single day, working through challenges in math and reading with creativity, focus, and remarkable character growth.
• Kynlee Mezzell (5th Grade) has been tackling her math skills with determination all year long — and her sustained effort has produced real, meaningful progress. Keep believing in yourself, Kynlee!
• Koal Reed (6th Grade) faced illness this month and still maintained his focus and produced quality work — a quiet, powerful example of finishing strong.

These students remind us what GRIT looks like in action — not dramatic gestures, but the everyday choice to keep going. Thank you to our teachers for nominating these remarkable OWLS, and thank you to our families for the encouragement and support you provide at home. Together, we are helping our students build the kind of perseverance that will serve them for a lifetime.

Welcome back from Spring Break! We hope your families had a chance to rest, recharge, and enjoy some quality time together. As we return refreshed and step into the final quarter of the school year, there's no better time to revisit something that is at the heart of everything we do at Mary M. Knight — our school-wide behavioral expectations, OWLS.

OWLS is more than an acronym. It's the shared language we use every day to guide how our students treat themselves, each other, and their learning community. Whether your child is in kindergarten or 12th grade, these four values shape the expectations we hold in every classroom, hallway, and campus space.

Here's a quick look at what each letter means — and how you can continue the conversation at home:

🅞 Ownership Students take responsibility for their choices, their learning, and their actions. At home, try asking: "What's one choice you made today that you're proud of?" or "Is there anything you wish you'd handled differently — and what would you do next time?"

🅦 Willingness Students approach challenges with persistence and a positive attitude — even when things get hard. At home, try asking: "Did you face anything tough today? How did you stick with it?" or "What's something you've gotten better at this year because you kept trying?"

🅛 Leadership Students model positive behavior and encourage others to do the same. At home, try asking: "Did you do something today that helped someone else?" or "How do you think your attitude or actions affect the people around you?"

🅢 Success Students celebrate growth, set goals, and keep pushing forward — even in the home stretch. At home, try asking: "What's one goal you want to finish strong with before the end of the year?" or "What are you most proud of learning or doing this year?"

Q4 is a time when momentum matters. The habits our students build in these final weeks — showing up, staying engaged, and finishing strong — are the ones that carry them forward. When families and school are speaking the same language, our students feel that support from every direction.

Thank you for being part of the OWL community. Together, we help every student soar.

🦉 GRIT at MMK — April Theme: Success with Tenacity

"Celebrating Growth and Setting New Goals"

Welcome back from Spring Break — and welcome to our April GRIT theme! Since our OWLs were off enjoying a well-earned rest last week, we're using this space to introduce what GRIT looks like at MMK this month before we jump back into recognizing our weekly winners.

This month, our theme is Success with Tenacity: Celebrating Growth and Setting New Goals.

In April, we ask our students — and ourselves — to pause and look back at how far we've come. True success at MMK isn't just about a grade on a paper or a score on a test. It's about recognizing the effort, persistence, and growth that got you there — and then setting your sights on where you want to go next. That's Success with Tenacity.

What does this look like in our elementary hallways? An elementary student showing this month's GRIT might be someone who struggled with reading fluency back in September but has kept working at it every single day — and can now look at their reading log and see the proof of their own hard work. Maybe they share that pride with a classmate who's still working toward their goal, offering encouragement instead of comparison. That's celebrating growth and supporting others along the way.

What does this look like in our secondary classrooms? A secondary student living this theme might be a 9th grader who reflects honestly on a tough first semester, identifies exactly what they want to do differently in Q4, and then puts that plan into action — not because a teacher told them to, but because they've taken ownership of their own learning journey. Or it might be a junior who, after a hard year, steps up to mentor a younger student who's struggling with the same challenges they once faced.

As a family, you play a role too. This month, we encourage you to have a conversation at home about growth — ask your student what they're most proud of from this school year, and help them think about one goal they want to finish strong with before June. Those conversations are GRIT in action.

We are excited to resume our weekly GRIT student recognitions starting this week. Watch for our student spotlights in the coming weeks as our teachers nominate the OWLs who are living out Success with Tenacity every day. 🦉

🍽️ This Week's Lunch Menu

• Monday: Chicken and Black Bean Chili
• Tuesday: Chicken Philly
• Wednesday: Hearty Beef & Vegetable Stew
• Thursday: Chicken Drumsticks
• Friday: Pulled Pork Nachos

🏃‍♂️ Athletics This Week

• Monday: MS Baseball vs Lake Quinault 4:00 pm
• Tuesday: HS Baseball vs. Wahkiakum 4:00 pm
• Wednesday: MS Track @ Naselle 3:30 pm / HS Golf @ Rainier 3:30 pm
• Thursday: MS Baseball @ Wishkah 3:30 pm
• Friday: HS Track @ Chehalis 4:00 pm / HS Baseball @ Oakville 4:00 pm
• Saturday: HS Track @ Chehalis

📋 Important Reminders

🔗 District Website: Access to district website

🔗 Skyward Family Access: Access grades and attendance

🔗 Athletic Schedules: MMK Sports Hub

🔗 Character Strong Resources: Available on district website

📧 Questions? Contact us at (360) 426-6767 or visit marymknight.com

Email: jstoney@mmk.wednet.edu
Website: https://www.marymknight.com/
Location: 2987 Matlock-Brady Road, Elma, WA, USA
Phone: (360) 426-6767
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MMKOwls