Welcome Families and the Community of Naches Trail,

September has been a full month and I am settling in as your new principal. I am getting to know this wonderful staff of 70+ members! Everyone has an important role in providing a safe and exceptional place of learning. Our students deserve the best and I am so proud of them already! I am entering my 33rd year in education and I am so very fortunate to work in the Bethel School District. I look forward to meeting you and assisting you in whatever area you need in this school journey together, as partners in your child's education.

Fall always brings shorter days and beautiful fall colors (and a lot of football on TV!). In school, it brings our students the opportunity to improve their academic skills as well as their social skills.

This fall, the Bethel School District is rolling out a new social/emotional curriculum called Second Step. I am fortunate that I have used this curriculum for over 20 years and, nationwide, it is researched based to be effective for all students.

Students will acquire skills for learning, including focusing their attention, listening, being assertive and how to ignore distractions, and how to use positive self-talk. They will also learn school-wide problem solving skills, fair ways to play, how to recognize their feelings and show empathy, as well as how to calm down when they may be feeling frustrated or stressed.

There will also be parent information becoming available so that you know what your child is learning and certainly these skills can be used and reinforced at home. We understand raising children can be a tough job sometimes and that we can all benefit from helping each other.

Have a beautiful October and thanks for your support,

Kay Gallo

Hello Families,

For the 2019-2020 school year students have been introduced to the ABCs, or Attendance, Behavior, Coursework. Each month we will focus on one letter so that students are being explicitly taught about that particular academic behavior and being reinforced for meeting those expectations. September students earned green tickets for being present in school for our first Attendance month. Each Friday there is a drawing in every class for the green ticket winner, who earned a prize. Additionally, we will be rewarding the class and grade-level that has the best attendance for the month of September. Next month we will focus on Behavior, which will have more information on later!

Thank you, Holly Knowles