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Green Mountain Elementary School

Green Mountain News & Principal Message 11/06/26

Posted Date: 11/06/26 (04:01 PM)

A graphic emblem showing a brown bear set against a backdrop of green hills, snow-capped mountains, and a pale sun.

Green Mountain Elementary

Weekly Newsletter

November 6, 2026
Our mission at Green Mountain is to provide a high-quality education to ensure all students graduate ready for careers, college and life.

Upcoming Dates:

November 11...........Veteran's Day Holiday - No School
November 12-13 ........ LAP Open House 
November 12-13........ Circus of Success
November 12-19 ..... Scholastic Book Fair (info to come)
November 17........... PTA mtg 5:30
November 25 ......... Half Day Release @ 11:45 / Conferences
November 26-27 ....... Thanksgiving Holiday - No School




 

🌟 Principal Newsletter - November 2026 🌟

Dear Green Mountain Families,
It's hard to believe we're already into November! We've had a great start to the school year, and it's exciting to see the learning and growth happening throughout our building. As we enter this season of gratitude, I want to take a moment to thank our families for your continued support and partnership. We are fortunate to have such a wonderful school community!

Every School Day Matters!
One of the most important things families can do to support their child's success is to make school attendance a priority. Every day at school provides opportunities for students to build academic skills, develop friendships, and participate in meaningful learning experiences.
Did you know that missing just two days of school each month adds up to approximately 20 days over the course of a school year? That's nearly a month of missed instruction! Even occasional absences can add up and make it more challenging for students to keep up with their learning.
We certainly understand that illnesses and unexpected circumstances happen, and we want students to stay home when they are sick. However, when students are healthy, being at school every day and arriving on time makes a difference. Thank you for helping us build strong attendance habits and ensuring our Grizzlies are ready to learn!

November Character Trait - Responsibility
This month, our Character Strong focus is Responsibility. We are helping students understand that being responsible means taking ownership of their actions, making thoughtful choices, and following through on commitments.
At school, responsibility can look like coming prepared to learn, taking care of materials, completing assignments, following classroom expectations, and recognizing how our choices impact others.
Families can help reinforce responsibility at home by encouraging children to take on age-appropriate tasks, establish routines, and reflect on their choices. Even small opportunities to practice responsibility help students build independence, confidence, and a sense of pride in themselves.

Our School Improvement Goals
At Green Mountain, we are committed to continually improving our practices to ensure every student has the opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed. Our School Improvement Plan for the 2026–27 school year focuses on four key areas:

Literacy: Strengthening students' foundational reading skills, with an emphasis on oral reading fluency and comprehension. We want students to become increasingly confident and capable readers.

  • Math: Building strong number sense, fluency, and problem-solving skills so students develop a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts.
  • Student Belonging: Creating a school environment where every student feels safe, valued, included, and respected. One of our specific goals is to increase positive student responses about how students treat one another.
  • Inclusive Practices: Strengthening collaboration between general education and special education staff and using Universal Design for Learning (UDL) strategies to ensure all students have meaningful access to grade-level learning.
Our teachers and staff are working collaboratively, reviewing student learning data, and adjusting instruction to meet the needs of our students. These goals are not just about academic achievement; they're about creating a school where every child feels a sense of belonging and has the support they need to be successful.
We look forward to sharing our progress throughout the school year. Thank you for being our partners in this important work!

A Season of Gratitude
November is a wonderful reminder to slow down and appreciate the people who make a difference in our lives. I am incredibly thankful for our dedicated staff who show up each day with a commitment to doing what's best for kids. I'm thankful for our students who bring energy, curiosity, laughter, and joy into our school. And I'm especially thankful for our families and community, whose support makes Green Mountain such a special place.
Thank you for being part of our Green Mountain family. I'm grateful to be a Grizzly!
Warmly,
Cyndi Garber
 

Meet Officer Sean Kirkwood-School Resource Officer🚓

School Resource Officer, Sean Kirkwood, was here at Green Mountain this week to meet and greet our students when they arrived for school in the morning.  He is planning on coming out more often to get acquainted with our Grizzlies and build positive relationships.  As they transition to Klahowya Secondary School, he will be a friendly face they will recognize!
 
 
A Scholastic Book Fair flyer featuring colorful banners, event dates, hours, and the Green Mountain Library location.
 
A colorful circus-themed flyer announces the Green Mountain Lap Open House with dates and times.
 

Green Mountain Presents ~CIRCUS OF SUCCESS 2026!!

If you would like to volunteer contact Mr. Lancaster by note, phone (360-662-8732), or email at andyl@ckschools.org  

Introduction:
An important part of the PE program at Green Mountain is learning new skills such as climbing a rope, balancing on stilts, or juggling a variety of objects. Learning and mastering these new skills are a big self-esteem builder when setting goals and working to achieve them.


Date and Schedule:
Due to the space needed for performing, the circus is split up into two evenings. The 5th graders won’t finish until 9:00 p.m. on Friday night. We hope this works for you. We know the kids won’t mind staying up. 🙂 Please have your child arrive 10 minutes before their performance hour and enter the gym using the main doors located just past the school office after the previous grade’s audience has left. If you arrive early the kids can get their face painted in Mrs. Agtonton’s kindergarten classroom.

Attendance:
Students are expected to attend their grade level performance. The kids have worked extremely hard mastering the new skills tailored to their grade and are looking forward to showing them to you. 🙂

THURSDAY evening, November 12th
6:00 - 7:00 2nd grade
7:00 - 8:00 4th grade

FRIDAY evening, November 13th
6:00 - 7:00 1st grade
7:00 - 8:00 3rd grade
8:00 - 9:00 5th grade

Skills:
All grades will be involved in juggling and rope climbing and have had an opportunity to learn go-go cycles or unicycles and stilts (3rd - 5th). Students are asked to perform if they feel successful at that activity. In addition, these skill units were practiced and will be presented by the following grades:
1st grade:  Peacock Feathers   2nd grade:  Tumbling
3rd grade:  Individual Jump Ropes  4th grade:  Hula Hoops
5th grade:  Double Dutch


Costumes, Makeup, and Misc.:
* Costumes and makeup are totally optional. If you decide to “clown it up,” please keep it simple and safe for performing. 

IT’LL BE A THREE RING CIRCUS… COME HELP CELEBRATE OUR SUCCESS!
 

Ms. Nowak's Counseling Corner

Get to know our school counselor, Ms. Samantha Nowak! Her monthly newsletter includes great information about the supports she provides our students!


 

Impact Aid

Every year, Central Kitsap School District applies for federal Impact Aid funding. These funds make up for the local tax dollars we lose because of tax-exempt federal property.
The results of our Impact Aid survey support this request and are critical to our district's resources for students.
Please complete the form as soon as possible by logging into the PowerSchool Parent Portal, where the online forms for your students are available. To learn more, visit
https://www.ckschools.org/impactaid or email ImpactAid@ckschools.org with your questions. Thank you for your cooperation!
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