Kent School District -

On May 28, KSD honored all the teachers in the district who became nationally board certified in December 2024. National Board Certification is the most respected certification in education, and teachers must submit four core components of accomplished practice: content knowledge, differentiation, teaching practice and learning, and reflection over the course of the 1-3 year process. Congratulations to these teachers listed below! To learn more, visit https://bit.ly/442X9gY #OneKSD #OneTeam 2024 NBCT Teachers Neeraj Agnihotri Science, Meeker Middle School Virginia Barkley Multilingual Education Teacher, Kent-Meridian High School Heena Bedi Dual Language Teacher, Scenic Hill Elementary School Taylor Halland 1st Grade Teacher, Horizon Elementary Amber Liddell Counselor, Kent-Meridian High School Tri Nguyen Math, Cedar Heights Middle School Carley Parsons Dual Language Teacher, Scenic Hill Elementary Tanna Tingstad Academic Intervention Teacher, East Hill Elementary  Marianne Yahyaoui Math, Kent-Meridian High School

🌈 Happy Pride Month! 🌈 This June, we proudly celebrate Pride Month and honor the strength, resilience, and contributions of our LGBTQ+ students, staff, families, and community members. As a district committed to equity, inclusion, and belonging, we believe every student deserves to feel safe, seen, and supported—exactly as they are. 🏳️‍🌈💛 Together, we continue to create learning environments where everyone can thrive. #OneKSD #OneCommunity

Congratulations to our upcoming 2025 graduates! Graduations for our academies and high schools will take place on Friday, June 13 and Saturday, June 14. For more information about locations, times, and live stream links, please visit our website: https://bit.ly/4mGQCjm . We have also added a Graduation icon beneath the photo on the homepage of each high school and academy for easy access. #OneKSD #OneClass #OneCommunity

Congratulations to our 2024-2025 Employees of the Year! Across all categories, these employees were commended for their hard work, dedication, and commitment to the mission of KSD. Below is a list of winners. To read more about each winner, click here: https://bit.ly/4dBWAhi #OneKSD #OneTeam AFSCME Cathy Gingras, Application Analyst III, Data Services AFT Torri Herman, Head Custodian, Meridian Elementary Kent Association of Coaches & Extracurricular Employees/WEA Honey Sychtysz, Unified Sports Advisor, Kentwood High School KAEOP Michelle Moreno, Office Manager, Horizon Elementary KAP Nicole Rodriguez, Paraeducator, Kentridge High School KEA (Classroom) Marisabel Curtis, Teacher, Scenic Hill Elementary KEA (Non-Classroom) Vaudery Brown, Counselor, Mill Creek Middle School KPA Harjeet Sandhu-Fuller, Principal, Scenic Hill Elementary KSFSA Zhanna Cheban, Lead Packaging Line, Nutrition Services Non-rep, Central Office James Alyson, Assistant Director, Teaching & Learning Non-rep Guillermina Torres, Student Achievement Specialist, Kent-Meridian High School Teamsters Carmen Norton, Bus Driver, Transportation

Every child faces tough moments — big and small. How can we help them manage stress, handle setbacks and build emotional strength? Join ParentMap and the Kent School District on June 5 for a live ParentEd Talk with mental health counselor Janine Halloran. She’ll share expert strategies to help kids navigate challenges with confidence.💡 Don’t miss it! Sign up for the live Q&A webinar and video replay using promo code KENTSCHDIST to attend for free (a $10 value). Register here: ParentMap.com/coping

Reminder: tomorrow is the last day to submit the Family Climate Survey! Your feedback is important in helping us understand what we're doing well and where we can improve—at your child’s school and across the district. Please share your experience by Friday, May 30. The survey is anonymous and will take about 15 minutes to complete. Families check your email for a link to the survey. #OneKSD #OneCommunity 

On May 14, Daniel Elementary hosted its vibrant Multicultural Night, themed "Beneath the Surface." This meaningful event reflected the school’s commitment to understanding and celebrating the diverse identities of its students, families, and community. Students proudly showcased their heritage by wearing traditional attire and performing cultural songs that highlighted what makes their backgrounds unique. It was a joyful and enriching celebration of the many cultures that come together to form the Daniel Elementary family! #OneKSD #OneCommunity

Last week, Lucia Flores-Wiseman placed fourth overall on this season's "The Voice." Lucia is the daughter of Aimee Wiseman, a second grade teacher at Sawyer Woods elementary who has taught in the KSD for the past 18 years. Aimee's class had been following Lucia's progress and had even been a part of an earlier segment on the Voice. Congratulations to the incredibly talented Lucia for her journey this season! #OneKSD #OneClass

Kent-Merdian's Dr. Marissa Winmill was recently honored with the prestigious National Education Association's Mary Hatwood Futrell Human and Civil Rights Award. An educator, advocate, and mentor, Dr. Winmill has dedicated the past 30 years of her life to ensuring all students, especially young women of color, have the tools and support they need to thrive. "We're here to cultivate strengths, to recognize the assets students already bring, especially multilingual and immigrant students." Click on the following link to read more: https://bit.ly/3ShQwRi #OneKSD #OneTeam

As we conclude the KSD Connected highlights this week, here is an update on critical infrastructure and capital projects completed through generous voter approval of the 2016 Bond, along with the 2018 Levy. To learn more about our current and upcoming projects, click on the following link: https://bit.ly/3Ha8kLP #OneKSD #OneCommunity

🛠️ Help your child build resilience! 💪 Join ParentMap and the Kent School District on June 5 for a live ParentEd Talk with mental health counselor Janine Halloran. Learn how to nurture your child’s emotional strength and equip them with the tools to face life’s challenges with confidence — while strengthening your own parenting toolkit, too. Register for the live ParentEd Talk using promo code KENTSCHDIST to attend for free (a $10 value). You'll also gain access to the replay video so you can watch it anytime, anywhere. Sign up here: ParentMap.com/coping

Reminder: the 2025 Family Climate Survey is now available. Your feedback is important in helping us understand what we're doing well and where we can improve—at your child’s school and across the district. Please share your experience by Friday, May 30. The survey is anonymous and will take about 15 minutes to complete. Families check your email for a link to the survey. #OneKSD #OneCommunity 

Another highlight from our Spring 2025 issue of KSD Connected includes our amazing staff and retention statistics. Employee retention is one of the key goals within our district's strategic plan. To learn more about how we are progressing towards meeting that goal, click here: https://bit.ly/3YSRgAc #OneKSD #OneTeam

Earlier this month, students from all four KSD high schools submitted photos to the Washington State High School Photography Competition. The competition received nearly 4,900 entries from 57 schools and 1,591 students across the state. Kentridge High School took first place overall in the competition for the second year in a row. We are thrilled to feature a selection of photos from all the KSD students who placed in the competition's various categories. Many other KSD students were finalists in the categories as well. #OneKSD #OneClass List of Photos Shea, Kentridge:  1st, Abstract 1st, Portrait 3rd, Architecture Riley, Kentridge: 3rd, Black and White Tyler, Kentridge: 3rd, Documentary Brian, Kent-Meridian: 6th, Documentary Yoshua, Kentridge: 5th, Portrait Darius, Kentwood: 2nd, Architecture Paige, Kentridge: 2nd, People Izzy, Kentwood: 7th, People

As we continue showcasing highlights from our Spring 2025 issue of KSD Connected, did you know KSD serves 24,898 students at 44 schools and academies? For more stats about our students, staff, and community, click on the link to learn more: https://bit.ly/4mplODt #OneKSD

This week, we are showcasing highlights from our Spring 2025 issue of KSD Connected, which was mailed out to district community members late last month. Our second article focuses on celebrating multilingual excellence by highlighting Kentwood senior Christopher Nava Ramirez. To read more, visit: https://bit.ly/4kysjm1 #OneKSD #OneClass

This week, we are showcasing highlights from our Spring 2025 issue of KSD Connected, which was mailed out to district community members late last month. First up today is our message from Superintendent Vela on the current state of KSD and what we are doing to ensure we are continuing to meet our mission of preparing all students for their futures. Read more at the following link: https://bit.ly/3H4f6D2 #OneKSD #OneCommunity

Two Kent-Meridian students took home some prestigious awards recently at the National Scholastic Press Assocation convention. John Sanchez won the National Scholastic Press Best of Show Award for Feature Photo, and Emily Fong won the National Scholastic Best of Show Award for Sports Photography! Congratulations to these amazing visual artists! #OneKSD #OneClass

The 2025 Family Climate Survey is now available. Your feedback is important in helping us understand what we're doing well and where we can improve—at your child’s school and across the district. Please share your experience by Friday, May 30. The survey is anonymous and will take about 15 minutes to complete. Click on the following link to take the survey: https://bit.ly/44yJqiL #OneKSD #OneCommunity 

The Kent-Meridian Sports Medicine Team finished second out of 49 schools at the WCTSMA Sports Medicine State Competition in late April. Special shoutouts to Rafed and Addison for finishing first in their respective categories. Congratulations to the whole team! #OneKSD #OneClass