To our Tenino Community,

Spring is officially here, and we are excited to see all the growth and renewal throughout our community and our schools. The purpose of this newsletter is to provide our community with some information about our district and celebrate the amazing things our students and staff are doing.

We are returning to having activities for students that enhance their classroom learning, with activities like assemblies, field trips, concerts, plays and other important events showcasing our students' talents. I am also happy to share that we will have our first in-person graduation in 2 years. We look forward to our community coming together in celebration of our graduates.

The year has brought many challenges and opportunities, and I am proud to share that our phenomenal staff and students have persevered and overcome every obstacle that has come our way. We have had an amazing year of growth in academics, our student athletes have excelled at levels not seen in years, and our programs continue to grow and thrive.

I could not ask for a better first year as a superintendent. Our community is amazing, and I am proud to be a part of it. I have heard this many times and it is so true: small town, BIG HEARTS. We will continue to do amazing things in Tenino. I encourage you to contact me if you would like to talk about anything related to our school district.

Thank you for the continued support of our district in service to our students!

All the best,

Clint Endicott

The annual Tenino FFA Plant Sale is coming up!! It will be held from Thursday, May 5th through Sunday, May 8th at the Tenino High School Greenhouse. The FFA students/program work hard to make this event possible, come out and support if you can!

Join us for the 3rd annual PTSA Dinner and Auction this year at Hillside Farms in Tenino. Proceeds from this event go directly back into our schools.

When: Friday, May 20th | 6:00pm

Where: Hillside Farms | 143rd Avenue SE, Tenino WA

Purchase your tickets below!

Funding for education in the state of Washington is complicated and can lead to questions about how schools receive the money needed to operate. The state of Washington is required to supply school districts with state funding for “basic education” which is based on what is referred to as a “prototypical model” representing the Legislature’s assumptions of what resources are required to provide the program of basic education.

Unfortunately, when the funding provided by the state does not cover the actual costs to operate, construct and maintain a school district, districts often utilize bonds and levies to bridge the gap. This local funding allows school districts to provide the structures and services communities rely on, which allows students to grow and thrive.

Enrichment levies, also known as Educational Programs and Services (EP&O) and Maintenance and Operations (M&O levies), allow a school district to provide things like teachers, support staff, supplies and materials, or services that the state only partially funds. Funding provided by the state does not fully cover the actual costs to operate a school district, so enrichment levies bridge the gap in funding. Enrichment levies can be approved for up to four years.

Capital levies (which includes tech levies) fund things like modern technology, enhanced building security, and renovation projects. Capital levies can be approved for up to six years.

Career and Technical Education (CTE) students at Tenino HS and MS have been busy with many activities and club events this year. Students have competed in art contests, FFA events and have started broadcasting the Beaver News. CTE students at the MS just wrapped up their Robotics Club activities for the school year and are working on their spring art projects. The HS FFA students will hold their annual plant sale May 5-8th. We hope to see you there!

Tenino School District recognizes that students have unique academic needs and for some of our students, they need structured, advanced, academic learning opportunities. Tenino is committed to providing students with these advanced academic opportunities in all grades. Nominations are accepted throughout the school year and are reviewed twice a year for Highly Capable services.

Parents, teachers, staff, students or community members may nominate any Tenino School District student in grades K-12 to participate in evaluation for Highly Capable services. If you wish to nominate a student, please contact Tani Houk, Highly Capable Coordinator, at houkt@tenino.k12.wa.us or 360-264-3541.

THANK YOU to our students, parents, and the Parkside Staff for working together over the past two years to make great things happen during COVID. I realize it’s been tough with all the COVID restrictions, but Parkside students have made huge academic gains in both Reading and Math this year. We are looking forward to seeing these numbers climb higher when we take our final assessment in late May. Please keep supporting your child by having them read to you 20 minutes a night. The investment of time you put in today will pay dividends for your child in the future. Invest today! We are proud of our Penguins!

April

23rd Park Clean-up Day 9:00-Noon

25th 2022-23 Kindergarten Parent Meeting

May

11th 2022-23 Kindergarten Round-up

20th Jog-A-Thon

June

2nd 2nd Grade Zoo Field Trip

9th 1st Grade Zoo Field Trip

14th Kindergarten Zoo Field Trip

17th Last Day of School – Early Release 11:30am

Hello T9O Families! Here's wishing you a happy spring. It was fantastic to see all the families here at school for parent-teacher conferences. We are so thankful to have a strong, supportive community. Students will complete state testing the week after spring break. This will provide us good information for planning instruction. Equally important, it will free us up to focus on teaching and learning and finishing the year strong. We are looking forward to spring activities as we continue to return to more normal school life. Again, thanks for your support and let's continue working together in the best interests of our students and our community.

We are so fortunate to offer a variety of after-school clubs for students to enjoy. Clubs this winter included Art, Lego, Culinary, Knitting, Agriculture-Science and Garden. Look for information about upcoming clubs in mid-April.

The TES Teacher Spotlight is on Mrs. Caitlin Craig-Mickel. Caitlin has been a member of our third grade teaching team for seven years. During this time she has been the team leader, facilitated professional development and served on a variety of school and district-wide committees. Caitlin has been integral in creating our school’s Community Garden. Most recently she received the VFW’s Teacher of the Year Award for her service to the Tenino community. Thank you, Mrs. Craig-Mickel for all your hard work and dedication to our students, staff and families!

TES Students participated in the Elementary Art Showcase. Their art was on display at the Tenino Timberland Library for the mARTch showcase! Great job!

Apr 23: Earth Day Park Clean Up Event

Apr 29: Spirit Assembly

May 6: Pastries with Parents

Spring break is here. I hope you all have a restful week and recharge for the last two months of the year. When classes resume we will be getting ready for state testing which will happen in May, and Track season will be starting. We will also be planning for the 8th grade end of year trip and a whole school trip for good behavior. With more sun coming out, please check the TMS dress code in the TMS handbook for questions about what is appropriate for school.

Spring is here! This is an exciting time of year. As the end of year approaches, it is time to start planning for next year. Registration for the 2022-2023 school year will begin in April.

• Step 1: Ms. Hopkins, the school counselor will be going into current 6th and 7th grade science classrooms the week of 4/18-4/22 to provide information about next year’s scheduling options. Each student will be provided a registration form to complete with their guardian. Students need to turn in their registration form by April 26th.
• Step 2: The school counselor will return to 6th and 7th grade classrooms on April 28th and 29th to help students enter in their elective requests.

*Current 8th grade students will work with the high school counselor at the end of April/early May to register for high school classes.

Tips to end the school year strong: Set goals, don’t procrastinate, get/stay organized, communicate with teachers, ask for help, and encourage your student.

Mr. Palmer has been teaching at TMS for 14, and is retired from the Airforce after serving our country for 24 years. He got into teaching because he wanted to help people. His favorite part of teaching is “seeing the light switch on in student minds.” and he loves being there for his students. In his spare time Mr Palmer enjoys reading about history and thinks it’s important that we study history so we can learn from it. Mr Palmer’s advice to TMS students is “Keep trying and never give up. You may not get it now, but you will.”

Clayton loves being at school with his friends, and enjoys math. He finds it interesting and says “it can be fun once you get the hang of it.” Clayton plays baseball for Tenino, and in his spare time he loves playing video games, being with friends and riding his BMX bike. Clayton’s advice to other students is “Sometimes you just have to put up with people.”

The months following Spring Break are always the most exciting ones of the year. Seniors are busily planning for graduation and for taking the next steps in their lives. It begins to sink into the minds of Juniors that next year is their last year of high school, and as a school we plan for class registration and build a master class schedule for the following year. What a busy time full of promise!

My hope is that we all enjoy the increasingly warm days together and make the most out of the end of the school year. Opportunities to enjoy Spring athletic events are plentiful, band and choir concerts are in the works and prom will be upon us before you know it. This year will also see a return to our traditional graduation ceremony at Beaver Stadium (with the addition of some new surprises). Additionally, we are planning a senior award night on June 9th. If you are a parent of a senior student, please expect to find detailed senior event information coming soon.

As always,

Lisa

April 25-29: Math SBA Testing for Sophomores

April 27: 6:00 Jazz Night at the Kodiak Room

April 28-30: Spring drama production

Don’t forget the annual FFA Plant Sale coming in May!!!!

Mr. Andrew Bowerly is such a wonderful example of how consistency pays off in a small district like Tenino. Over his years in Tenino, Mr. Bowerly has continued to grow and improve the band program. His knowledge of our students, families, and community pays off big on concert days when it is easy to see the joy our kids experience playing music together. Mr. Bowerly attributes this to encouraging practice at home, knowing the strengths and weaknesses of the group, committing to playing together, and looking at mistakes as opportunities to get better. This year Mr. Bowerly has de-emphasized testing skills in class, instead choosing to focus student learning on correcting performance mistakes. With this practice, Mr. Bowerly has seen lots of student growth in a short period of time after returning to school this year. We all love that Mr. Bowerly takes every chance possible to showcase our student’s talent from sporting events to their latest concert event at Corbet Theater at Centralia College. Thanks for dedicating your time and talent to Tenino schools.

Kaiden Lindholm is one of those remarkable high school students that just quietly go about their business every day. What makes Kaiden extraordinary is his connection to our Tenino Boys & Girls Club and the dedication he shows as a mentor to younger students. Kaiden says that the club has become like a second home to him. He knows that he can go there after school to get any homework help he needs and be a part of providing a positive space for younger kids. Kaiden was recently a nominee for the Thurston County Boys & Girls Club Youth of the Year! We are so excited to see what the future holds for Kaiden.

Nathan Heay and Brooke Rogers placed 2nd and 4th in the Employment Skills LDE at Districts and have earned the right to move onto the State competition in May. The Washington FFA Employment Skills Leadership Development Event is designed for FFA members to develop, practice, and demonstrate skills needed for seeking employment in the industry of agriculture. Each part of the event simulates, as closely as possible, real-world activities that are used by real-world employers. This contest requires the FFA member to submit a job application, cover letter, and resume to be scored. They then are put through a realistic interview process where they are scored by a panel of judges. Followed up with a thank-you correspondence to also be judged.

Nathan Heay was also elected as the District III FFA President and Riley Jones was elected as Reporter. There are 17 schools in the District III FFA. The election process consisted of an application, resume, test, interview, and candidate speeches. These two were selected to be part of the 6 member executive board for the district.

Lauren McCaslin was selected as the Tenino FFA official voting Delegate for the State FFA Convention to be held in May. She will represent the chapter in helping to make decisions for the Washington State FFA organization.