Celebrate
Congratulations to the South Whidbey Classes of 2018!!!
Dear South Whidbey School Community.
 
We have come to the end of another busy and successful school year. This was a year of transitions! We moved our students out of Langley Middle School to a K-6, 7-12 model. We hired a new principal, James Swanson, and assistant principal, Susie Richards. We created a SWA K-6 and 5th and 6th campus at the South Campus facility and now have 7 th  and 8 th  grade located at South Whidbey High School. Finally, we created the South Whidbey Community Center at the former LMS campus that is filled with organizations designed to support all of us.
 
We focused our efforts on improving unity, equity and social emotional learning for all. This work will continue. As we enter next school year, we will use our Wednesdays (early release days) to provide an advisory period for students at the 9-12 level, electives, remediation, opportunities for student connection in the 5-8 levels and continued mindfulness work with students in K-4.

The 2018-2019 consistent Wednesday early releases will allow teachers to spend time reviewing student performance within Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and revising instruction to address needs. This is a continuous process that is designed to enhance instruction for students. At the same time, we will be implementing new math curriculum K-12 and reviewing and adopting new English/Language Arts curriculum K-12.

As you know, Jeff Cravy has become the Superintendent in the Conway School District. We went through a thorough recruiting process to replace him. After advertising widely, the K-6 staff, parent and student representatives screened all applicants and selected five applicants to interview. Nineteen people spent a day interviewing (the team included teachers, staff, parents, and a student) and selected two finalists. After being interviewed by staff, administration and the community, Mary Thompson has been selected as our new K-6 Principal. She will work with Assistant Principal Susie Richards as the K-6 administrative team. James Swanson will remain the 7/8 Principal and will also be the Director of Curriculum and Instruction.

As you can see, we continue to move our district forward, responding to the needs of students to make South Whidbey School District world class!!!

Have a safe, fun and relaxing summer break! We’ll see you again in the fall.  

Thanks, Jo  
Josephine Moccia
SWSD Superintendent
Dates to Remember:
June 14 - Early Release ; Goosefoot SW Garden Celebration 3pm
June 15 - Early Release - Last Day of School for SWSD ; 8th grade promotion
June 18 - District Office on Summer Hours (Monday - Thursday 7am - 1pm)
June 20 - SWSD Community Forum 5pm (See Flyer below)
June 25- August 20 - All School Buildings ClOSED for Summer
June 27 - SWSD Community Forum 5pm, School Board Business Meeting 6:30pm
July 11 - School Board Workshop - Budget Presentation 6:30pm
July 25 - School Board Meeting 6:30pm
August 15 - Schools and District Office OPEN
August 13 - SWHS Falcon Football athletic packets are due
August 15 - SWHS Falcon Football first day of practice
August 16 - All other fall sports athletic packets are due
August 20 - All school offices OPEN; 1st day of practice - all other fall sports
August 22 - School Board Retreat and Business Meeting;
  • SWMS 2018-19 Schedules available on Skyward
August 23 - MANDATORY PAC MEETING (Fall Sports);
  • SWMS Cougar Football athletic packets due
August 27 - SWMS Cougar Football first day of practice
August 30 - Back to School All Staff Meeting, All buildings closed;
  • SWMS Cougar Cross Country and Volleyball athletic packets due
September 4 - FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL 2018-2019 FULL DAY FOR ALL ;
  • SWMS Cougar Cross Country and Volleyball first day of practice
September 6 - Early Release - 7-12 Release at 1pm; K-6 Release at 2pm


District Office Summer Hours:
Monday - Thursday 7am - 1pm or by appointment
Community Flyers - Peachjar
This year, we replaced the SWES Take Home Tuesday Handouts with digital Peachjar Flyers. This has been a huge savings with an estimated 144,990 sheets of paper, 17 trees and countless teacher hours saved. We have extended this service to our 7-12 program. We hope that this program will help expedite communication for the Band events, Garden and Booster Fundraisers, ASB and other community events. The flyers are digitally emailed and remain available to view on our websites while the events are active. More information is available on our website linked here.
Hello South Whidbey Elementary parents, students, and community members.
It is with a great deal of sadness and excitement that I embark on a new journey as the Superintendent of Conway School District.
The last six years have flown by and it seems like just yesterday that we landed on the island. A short few weeks ago the students had a send off for me by dumping buckets of blue slime on my head. The excitement leading up to and the fun we had during the assembly will be a memory I cherish. As I walk the halls and interact with students, families, and staff I realize how much I am going to miss South Whidbey and the home we have created here. Thank you for supporting the elementary school through our changes, from introducing Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) to repainting the walls. The staff and students will continue to do amazing things with your encouragement and support. 
Thank You South Whidbey!
Sincerely, Jeff Cravy
Please welcome our new Elementary Principal Mary Thompson to Whidbey Island! Mrs. Thompson is an experienced principal, having served as the principal of the K-8 school in Waldport, Oregon, on the Oregon Coast, and most recently as the acting Principal of four elementary schools in Salem, Oregon. In between these past two positions, Mrs. Thompson worked as a Leadership Coach for Education Northwest, on a contract with the Oregon Department of Education. In this position she coached the principals of three schools in need of improvement in Salem and Portland.

Mrs. Thompson grew up in Corvallis, Oregon. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Oregon State University, and her Master’s Degree in Counseling from Portland State University. Her administrative certifications come from Portland State University and Lewis & Clark College.

Mrs. Thompson currently lives on seven acres south of Lebanon, Oregon, and is looking forward to a little less gardening, although roses, rhododendrons and trilliums remain her favorites. She has loved visiting the Puget Sound/Seattle area since she was a child. She and her husband are delighted to fulfill a dream of living and working in our area. In addition to her husband, who has ties to Poulsbo and Seattle, she will be joined by their dog and two cats. She likes to hike, go boating, read and listen to music. She has an adult son who lives in Texas, so watch for her to wear her cowboy boots.

As a teacher she taught grades K-6 as a classroom teacher, and also taught Title I reading, TAG (Highly Capable) and trained teachers. She has been a middle school remedial reading and math teacher, all in Beaverton, Oregon. Her administrative preparation included a position as a student supervisor, District Literacy Specialist,
and Assistant Principal before becoming a Principal. Mrs. Thompson says, “I am delighted to be coming to South Whidbey Elementary and am honored to be selected as your next elementary principal.” Look for an announcement in August for Popsicles with the Principal at South Whidbey Elementary prior to the return of students to school.

South Whidbey Middle School Community,
   We are completing our first year under the 5/6 and 7/8 model. There have been so many positives to celebrate and we want to thank you all for your continued support. "It takes a village" is a true statement when we discuss the education of our students and we know the students' successes are a direct result of our combined efforts.
   Some notable pieces to celebrate:
  • 5/6 students successfully navigated a multi-classroom model with transition times.
  • We continued to offer education outside the classroom (ie.marine project, Adventure Education, planetarium visit etc.)
  • We continued with our salmon release project
  • We adopted a new mathematics curriculum
  • We performed multiple service projects
  • Music continued to grow and win awards of excellence
  • Middle School Mathematics team won awards
  • SBAC evidence of growth for most students
  • And so many more, making this a great year!
I want to thank the teachers and staff members who work hard to make our school environment a safe and welcoming place to learn.  Parents and students looking to find schedules for next year will be able to print them off of Skyward or pick them up in the office starting the 22nd of August.
Again, thank you for your support and feedback over the year. We look forward to the continued journey with our students and the community.
Have a fantastic break!
James Swanson, Principal
This year, the 7th and 8th graders transitioned well into the SWHS campus. Thank you to all of the parents for their patience and understanding as we moved through our 2017-2018 transition.

We look forward to the 2018-2019 school year. Next year, there will be 5 total periods on Wednesdays. Some students will have a period of math intervention or language arts intervention (for extra support in these content areas) and 3-4 enrichment classes and some students will have 5 enrichment classes.
If you have immediate questions, please contact Mr. Swanson at  jswanson@sw.wednet.edu .
South Whidbey 7-12 PTSA
The South Whidbey PTSA finished off the school year with a bang! Three scholarships were awarded to the seniors heading off to college next fall. Jamie Zundel was presented with the Golden Acorn Award for being the outstanding volunteer of the year. Kayla Phillips (for 7-8) and Michael Washington (for 9-12) were the winners of the Outstanding Educator Awards for going above and beyond in their quest to be great teachers. Congratulations to all! Our new board for the 2018-19 school year is: Co-Presidents: Jamie Zundel and Karen Swegler; Secretary: Kelly Pierce; and Treasurer: Suzanne Pihlman. Please get involved! Become a member next fall and help us support the staff, teachers and students; we are always looking for new help with hospitality, membership, birthday treats, etc.! Please check out our website:  www.swhsptsa.weebley.com  or Facebook page at South Whidbey High School PTSA or email us at  swhighschoolPTSA@gmail.com . Have a great summer!
We had multiple winners from South Whidbey for the 2018 Student Art Show: Art with a Message
Best Overall ($100) Balance (by Jonathan Carlson)
Best Poetry ($100) Sum of Life (by Lila McCleary)
Two Dimensional: 1st Place ($100) Good Soil (by Alexander Brady) and 3rd Place ($50) Zen Escape (by Libby Hawkins)
Honorable Mentions: Love Yourself (by Mickey Kestle) and Where We Stand (by Alexandra Kurtz)
SW High School math teams place go to State
Three South Whidbey High School math teams earned a trip to the Washington State Mathematics Council High School Competition at Central Washington University held on Saturday, April 21st.
The “Nerdy Birdies” took first place in the “topical” category and second place in the “long problem” (Division 2 category). 
South Whidbey Academy Graduation was awesome. We had a record number of graduates this year 24, with 22 in attendance at the graduation ceremony. We are all very proud of these graduates. They worked hard, overcame challenges within and outside of school, persevered and ultimately found success. Happy and proud families and friends all most filled the auditorium to capacity. Good Luck graduates and congratulations on a job well done.  
Outstanding Scholastic Award  3.5 or above GPA
Girls Golf
Varsity Girls Tennis
JV Girls Tennis
Girls Track

Distinguished Scholastic Award  3.0-3.49 GPA
Boys Golf
Baseball
Boys Soccer
Boys Track

SWSD School Board
Thank you to Erin Brewer for providing the Board with the monthly report of the activities in the schools. Congratulations to Matthew Simmons our 2018-2019 Student Board Representative.
Congratulations to Board Director Andrea Downs and the arrival of her Baby Dylan.
The Board will continue to meet through the summer.
Please check out Board Docs , our new method of posting, organizing and reviewing Board agendas, minutes and policies (linked below).
Directions for use: Once you are on the BoardDocs site, o n the right are the featured (current) meetings. Once you click on the meeting that you are interested in, a new window opens up that has an icon on the bottom right side to view the agenda . When you click the agenda button, the agenda is listed on the left. For each agenda topic, it will open a new window on the right that has the attachments. For each completed meeting, there is or will be the minutes for that meeting. WIth Board Docs, we are working to add the current policies and archived minutes. In the very top right corner is search icon, there you can search through all of our uploaded minutes and policies. We are still in the development stages of BoardDocs. Eventually, it will be a great tool for the Board and South Whidbey Community.
A huge appreciation to the Goosefoot Community Fund for their support!  
On Thursday, June 14th, at 3 pm at the School Farm,
Goosefoot will be presenting a $50,000 check to the School Farm program!
5476 Maxwelton Rd., Langley
Read more  HERE.
All are welcome!
South Whidbey School Farm
Join us at one or both of these work parties and picnics weekly through the summer…




Thank you to all who supported the farms during the Taco Tuesday and Frijole Friday fundraisers.
They brought our community together for a feast of homemade tortillas, scarlet runner bean frijoles, garden fresh toppings and so much more. Friendship and conversation over delicious healthy food is always a winner and especially when it helps support the farm and culinary program. With the match, we raised over $10,000 at Frijole Friday!
Family Resource Center
B ack T o S chool P roject
Is your budget too tight to deal with lists of 2018-2019 required school supplies?
You're not alone. The annual Back to School Program helps with the cost of preparing a child for the beginning of the school year.
 The Family Resource Center will open on August 15, 2018 to
assist with the 2018-2019 school year. This program is based on financial need and requires an appointment. See more information linked here.

South Whidbey
Community Center
Come visit the SWCC! Play some ping pong, have some coffee, or visit one of our many tenants that have lots to offer. The main office is open Monday thru Thursday 9am - 5pm. We post our events on Peachjar.
Farewell and Many Thanks!
We would like to wish the following staff members our very best in their new adventures.
Brittany Brandt, HS CTE Teacher, Choy-Gee Chu, HS Math Teacher, Monique Mangin, HS SPED Teacher, James Hall, HS Teacher,
Louise Richardson and Renee Fritschie, HS SPED Paraeducators,
Karen Calhoun, K-6 Music Teacher, Carol McNeil, ES Nurse.
Amory Cable, Speech Language Pathologist,
Megan Gaydosh, ES SPED Teacher, Sue Raley, ES Teacher,
Sarah Smith and Katelyn Alderson, ES Teachers,
Donna Evans, ES Secretary, Jeffery Cravy, ES Principal,
Sue Terhar, ES - South Secretary,
Karen Holum, Human Resources Specialist,
Wendy Busch and Nan Gildersleeve, Bus Drivers
Jennifer Gioseffi, MS SPED Teacher
Jeremy Frye, Speech Language Pathologist
Kimberly Glandon, ES North Secretary
Megan Robinson, ES South Secretary
Mary Thompson, K-6 Principal
Welcome to our new staff:
Erin Iddins, School Psychologist, SPED
Lori Pruss, K-6 Music Teacher
Kristen Nelson, HS English/History
Kris Wold, ES SPED Teacher
Gina Helmerson, HS SPED Paraeducator
Valerie Heggenes, ES Art Teacher
Jonathan Forbes, ES Teacher
Marcelle Currier, ES Teacher
Susan Forbes, ES Teacher
Breayne Bishop, ES Teacher
Janet Skewes, ES SPED Paraeducator
South Whidbey School District | 360-221-6100 | Fax 360-221-3835 | kmacarro@sw.wednet.edu | www.sw.wednet.edu