- Sumner-Bonney Lake School District
- Communications
- SBLSD Stories
2023-24
-
Promise in Action: Students share community agreement in English, Spanish and Hindi
9/14/23
Students in Mrs. Schmitz’s third grade class agree to be “kind, caring and honest while always giving our best effort in our inclusive classroom.”
“We read the community agreement every day to start our day as a reminder of the expectations that we set for ourselves and each other,” said Mrs. Schmitz. “With three languages spoken in our classroom, our agreement is read in English, Spanish and Hindi.” -
Kinder Camp prepares students, parents for success in the early years
9/13/23
For John, the first day of school won’t be too much of a surprise. That’s in part because he was one of about 80 incoming kindergarteners who signed up for a two-day Kinder Camp at the Sumner Early Learning Center in August.
Read more about how Kinder Camp prepares our newest students for success in the early years. -
VIDEO: Welcome to the 2023-24 school year!
9/5/23
It was a wonderful day welcoming back our students for the first day of the 2023-24 school year. We are so excited for everything you will learn and the memories you will make this year! -
Michelle Lewis: Outstanding Administrator of the Year
Aug. 9, 2023
Congratulations to Michelle Lewis, Executive Director of Learning and Innovation with SBLSD, for being awarded Outstanding Administrator of the Year by the Washington Family & Consumer Science Educators organization.
2022-23
-
Native American Education Program celebrates end of year success
6.14.23
The Native American Education Program celebrated its seniors, 8th graders and 5th graders moving up in the program and the accomplishments of its program this year. -
SBLSD Athletic Accomplishments: Spring 2023
6/15/23
Check out all the accomplishments of our sports teams and staff during the 2022-23 Spring Season! Congratulations to all the players who took on both their professional and personal goals this year. -
Recognizing Juneteenth 2023
By Josh Agpalza, SBLSD Equity Director
There is no school on Monday, June 19, 2023 is Juneteenth. Learn more about Juneteenth, its significance and how students are learning about the day in history. -
SBLSD bus drivers compete in regional Road-e-o competition for first time in 10 years
5/22/23
For the first time in about 10 years, Sumner-Bonney Lake School District Transportation participated in the ESD 121 Regional Bus Road-e-o at the Auburn School District Transportation Department on May 20, bringing back a fun tradition. -
BLHS staff save student’s life during PE class
5/18/23
On May 1 the unthinkable happened. Bonney Lake High School freshman Logan Burton collapsed during fitness class while at school. His heart stopped beating. Thanks to the quick actions of BLHS staff, who used CPR and an AED, Logan is alive today. The staff were recognized at a board meeting on May 17. -
Josh Agpalza: Being open to mental health and wellness
5/18/23
In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, SBLSD Equity Director Josh Agpalza shared his own story about when he had to put his mental health first. -
VFE music teacher awarded for creating a sense of belonging with Modern Band
5/9/23
Victor Falls Elementary teacher Ryan Payne was surprised with the WGU Elevate Award for creating a sense of belonging for his students in Modern Band. Watch the surprise unfold and hear what students have to say about him and the program. -
SBLSD in the news: SHS students receive Boeing job offers
5/8/23
Students at Sumner and Bonney Lake high schools are landing jobs before they even graduate! We celebrated students who received job offers from Boeing through our Core Plus Aerospace program with a signing this month. These students were also featured in a News Tribune article. -
Students awarded in Pierce County Library art, photo and story contest
4/27/23
Six Sumner-Bonney Lake School District students won awards in the 27th annual Pierce County Library System’s Our Own Expressions Teen Writing and Art Contest this year. Between January and February 2023, students in Pierce County submitted over 700 entries to express their creativity through original drawings, photography, poetry and short stories. See the winners here. -
Mountain View teacher receives national award for helping students thrive
4/26/23
Mountain View Middle School teacher Tammy Notehelfer was surprised with the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt National Lighthouse Award, a national award that recognizes teachers who have positively affected students, other teachers and their community. Tammy was selected from 500 applications for her work in the MMS reading intervention program, where she helps students grow and thrive.
2021-22
-
Recognizing Juneteenth 2022
June 19, 2022 - The nineteenth day of June, recognized as Juneteenth, is a day of remembrance for the day enslaved African Americans in Texas learned of their freedom, more than two years after the emancipation proclamation was issued. Juneteenth has been designated as a federal holiday and in 2023 will become a Washington state holiday.
This year, classrooms across the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District recognized Juneteenth on either Friday, June 17, or Monday, June 20. -
Натхненна своєю українською та афро-американською культурою, Глорія Кузьменко-Латімер із Самнер Вищої Школи буде вивчати глобальні справи в Єльському Університету.
Глорія навчалася вдома до сьомого класу, коли вона вступила в середню школу Самнера. Вона наполовину українка, наполовину афроамериканка, і з дитинства зрозуміла, як мова може формувати людей і культуру. У ранні роки вона часто породжувала до України, щоб побачитися з родиною.
-
Inspired by her Ukrainian, African-American culture, Sumner High’s Gloria Kuzmenko-Latimer to study global affairs at Yale
June 17, 2022 - Next fall, Sumner High School 2022 graduate Gloria Kuzmenko-Latimer will study global affairs at Yale University.
Gloria hopes to be able to return to Ukraine and to one day work and live abroad. She wants to find ways to help people, similar to her mother, who is a paraeducator with the District and works often with Ukrainian and Russian students. -
Juggling Club draws students to new skills at Emerald Hills Elementary
Walk into the gym at Emerald Hills Elementary on a Tuesday or Thursday morning, and the scene might look like a circus.
Literally.
It’s called Juggling Club, and it’s a hit. Click the headline to read more. -
Sumner HS, Sumner MS students use Gratitude Lockers to spread positivity
Sumner High School and Sumner Middle School both installed Gratitude Lockers this year. The purpose of the lockers? To get students to share what they’re grateful for on index cards and slip them inside.
It’s a simple concept, but one that SHS sophomore Ilee Lewis hopes will spread positivity after a couple of difficult years through the COVID-19 pandemic. -
New aerospace class at Sumner HS prepares students for high-demand jobs
Core Plus Aerospace is a two-year high school advanced manufacturing curriculum that prepares students for high-demand jobs through hands-on learning.
Students gain real-world skills that open doors to good-paying manufacturing jobs and give them an advantage when applying for apprenticeships, post-high school certificates, and college degrees. -
'Let's Talk About It." Mental Health Awareness Month
Mental health wellness is an essential part of the overall health and well-being of both our students and staff. Mental health challenges affect all of us and the way we think, feel and act.
Click here to learn more about stories from the people in our district as well as the event we're hosting in partnership with Coordinated Care and Kids' Mental Health Pierce County. -
'We are prepared for the real thing.' Partnership, planning pays off in lahar drill
The April 29 regional lahar drill was a success, if you ask Maple Lawn Elementary Principal Elli McDaniel.
“I learned that we are absolutely prepared for the real thing,” she said. “It's all in the preparation and educating our students on what to do and why it's important. They were kind, they were respectful and they followed our Husky Way expectations, which is all about safety. And they did a fantastic job.”
Learn more about the partnership and planning that went into preparing our staff and students for a lahar emergency. -
Bonney Lake Elementary students celebrate successes with first-ever Growth Parade
Bonney Lake Elementary students celebrated their successes at their first-ever Growth Parade.
Each student was given the opportunity to pick one idea and share it on a poster and decorate that poster, knowing they would share it with families and the community.
“We haven't had our students in our classrooms every day until this year and the growth has been so evident and so exciting,” said BLE Principal LeeAnn Alfano. -
DEE sets off record domino chain with 5,000 boxes of donated cereal for local food bank
Donald Eismann Elementary spent weeks collecting cereal boxes for a project that was organized this year by third graders as part of the school’s leadership program, where each grade level organizes a service project to better the local community.
The domino chain is an unofficial world record for an assorted cereal domino in an elementary school, but it’s also more than that: It's benefiting local families through the Bonney Lake Food Bank. -
Music in Our Schools Month: March 2022
March might be Music in Our Schools Month, but schools across the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District celebrate music all year long.
From elementary to high school, hundreds of students are involved in music programs with some of our award-winning teachers.
The District’s high and middle schools offer jazz band, symphonic band, percussion, beginning guitar, marching band, musical theater and choir courses. -
‘Topping Off’ Ceremony celebrates milestone in Sumner High School expansion project
You may notice a red, white and blue steel beam sitting at the top of the construction site of the new Sumner High School building.
The project reached a milestone in construction this week by placing the last steel beam on the project. The beam was signed by students and staff. -
Lakeridge MS students participate in first-ever Unity Week
Students at Lakeridge Middle School participated in a first-ever Unity Week event to strengthen kindness, empathy and respect at school.