Education Insider

Welcome to the district's bi-monthly newsletter! At the bottom of this newsletter, you'll find a link to the Community Bulletin Board.

• Nov 8: Election Day
• Nov 10: No School/ Staff PD
• Nov 10: School Board Meeting
• Nov 11: No School; Veterans Day
• Nov 21: 6-12 Half Day; Conference Planning and AHS Evening Conferences
• Nov 22: 6-12 Half Day; Afternoon Conferences and AMS Evening Conferences
• Nov 23: K-12 Half Day (students and staff)
• Nov 24-25: No School; Thanksgiving Break

We invite the community to visit Veterans Memorial Plaza at Anacortes High School this Veterans Day and show appreciation to all the brave men and women who have served, and continue to serve, our country.

The plaza will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, November 11. No events are planned; rather we invite the community in for reflection and tribute. The plaza is comprised of a memorial designed by local architect Brooks Middleton, with input from the Veterans Memorial Committee, as well as a display honoring two Medal of Honor recipients with local connections. Restrooms will be open during this time. The Anacortes School District is closed on Friday, November 11 in observance of Veterans Day.

Questions, please contact the Superintendent’s Office at (360) 503-1211 or tramsay@asd103.org

Come see the middle school actors in this hilarious take on A Servant of Two Masters!

Tickets for sale at the door for just $5.

We are relaunching our text message system. We use text messaging only in urgent/ timely situations.

1. Please make sure that we have your correct mobile phone in Skyward.
2. Once you have verified that your mobile number is correct, you can “opt in” to receive the district’s notifications.
3. Text “Y” or “Yes” to 67587 to opt in or scan the QR code located on this flier. Please opt in before Tuesday, november 15.
4. Text Message Test Day: The district will send a test text message on Tuesday, November 15. Please reply with Y or Yes to continue receiving text messages from ASD.

Please make updates by Nov. 11, 2022.

If you have any questions, please reach out to your child’s school, or the District Office at (360) 503-1200 or information@asd103.org

Superintendent Justin Irish is launching listening sessions this year to engage with our community, answer questions, provide district updates, and hear feedback. Sessions are open to anyone: students, families, staff, and community members.

There are several dates and times scheduled throughout the year. Please pre-register to attend. https://bit.ly/Javawithjustin

• Wednesday, December 7, 9:30- 10:30 a.m.
  
• Monday, February 13, 5:15-6:15 p.m.
• Thursday, May 11, 5:15-6:15 p.m

Please pre-register: https://bit.ly/Javawithjustin

Each session has 20 slots available.

All sessions are held at the Whitney Early Childhood Education Center Library: 1200 M Avenue

Questions? Contact the Superintendent's Office at (360) 503-1211 or tramsay@asd103.org

The Anacortes School Board has been recognized by the Washington State School Directors Association (WSSDA) with its “Board of Distinction” award, highlighting the board’s focus on student mental health, curriculum, and instruction.

Current school board members are Jennie Beltramini, Diana Farnsworth, Matt Cutter, Marilyn Hanesworth, and Meredith McIlmoyle. Student board representatives are Brady Graham, Annaly Ellis, Wesley Hunter, and Reagan Lee.

This is the ninth time that Anacortes has been honored. Anacortes is one of only 12 districts statewide that have received the award five or more times.

Thirty school boards statewide were named this year out of 295 districts. Anacortes and Mount Vernon were both recognized from Skagit County.

“This award represents real work that is happening in our schools and classrooms,” said Board President Jennie Beltramini. “We are proud of our staff for their commitment and dedication to our students.”

In the past year, the board has focused on social-emotional learning and improving mental health supports for students, as well as curriculum adoptions to support student achievement and expand opportunities for all students.

“I’m proud of the board, and the district, for being recognized for its hard work and leadership,” said Superintendent Justin Irish.

Questions? Contact the Superintendent’s Office - 360-503-1211 or tramsay@asd103.org

The winter weather season is certainly upon us! Take a moment to review our bus adverse weather routes, and our emergency/ closure procedures.

• Adverse Weather Routes
• Emergency/ Closure Procedures

The adverse weather routes are also loaded into the Ride 360 parent app. For instructions on how to use the app, visit our website: https://www.asd103.org/District/Department/32-Transportation/983-Ride-360-Instructions.html

Questions? Contact the Transportation Department at (360) 503-1211 or kgarrison@asd103.org

The school board recently reviewed updates to our attendance policy & procedure, which are set for final adoption on November 10th. The policy updates are based on state law. Key points are:

• Language that specifically states that an absence due to mental health reasons is an excusable absence that is treated in the same manner as other excusable absences that were due to illness or injury.

• Clarity on how much time families have to get a student's absence excused. The new language in the policy states that families have 48 hours, upon the return of their student to school, to provide the rationale for excusing the absence. After 48 hours upon the student's return to school, if no reason for the absence is provided, it will remain in Skyward as an unexcused absence.

Links to the policy & procedure can be found here:

3122 Excused and Unexcused Absences Policy & Procedure

STUDENTS!

CALLING FOR APPLICATIONS for the position of Student Poet Laureate. Would you like to serve, represent, speak for the community, and embrace cultural diversity through poetic voice and outreach? Apply to be the next Student Poet Laureate to engage and inspire others.

Student Poet Laureate Application

Applications are due November 15th to the address listed on the application. If you have questions, please reach out to Steven Dolmatz at stevendolmatz@gmail.com

The referral window for Highly Capable (Challenge) services will be open from November 7-18 and referrals can be made by any adult familiar with the child being referred.

You can find the referral form on our district website: https://www.asd103.org/District/Department/55-Teaching-and-Learning/798-Highly-Capable-Program.html

Highly Capable testing will be administered in December of 2022 and once testing is completed, the Multidisciplinary Committee will meet to review results. Guardians will receive written notification of their students' test scores and of the committee's decision, which will most likely be completed in January of 2023. Questions? Please call Anne Berad or Heather Paddock at 360-503-1214.

The Anacortes School District is engaged in a proactive budget planning process to develop its 2023-24 budget and beyond. The district’s current $45 million budget utilizes nearly $2 million in district reserves, due to declining enrollment, increased costs across all departments, and loss of one-time federal COVID funding. The district is working proactively to identify cost savings to balance the district’s budget, and will also have some difficult decisions to make this year. The shortfall currently represents about 6 percent of the district’s budget.

Families and staff can access our weekly Covid dashboard on our website: https://www.asd103.org/District/Department/52-Health-Services/601-COVID-Testing.html

The online dashboard will take the place of the emails that families received last year when we had a positive case within our buildings. We encourage anyone with concerns, especially high risk individuals, to check the website on a regular basis.

We are always actively recruiting new substitutes for a variety of positions, including food services, transportation, custodial, paraprofessionals, and classroom teachers. If you are interested in subbing for the Anacortes School District, please reach out to Shelby Vander Kooy @ 360-503-1203, or Laura Dennis @ 360-503-1223. if you interested in applying? Please click here.

Please visit our volunteer page here. For more information on volunteering, please contact Laura Dennis @ 360-503-1223.

Click the link below to find items submitted for our community bulletin board:

https://www.smore.com/76mc8