When winter weather hits, our top priority is the safety of students and staff. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we try to make decisions. Our district’s geography is taken into account when the decision is made.

One part of our area may be clear while others struggle with snow or ice. If schools may be delayed or closed; our transportation supervisor will be driving routes starting at 5 a.m. We will post on FB and our website if we decide to make a two-hour late start, or pivot to remote learning with a closed campus. (Look to your building principal for remote learning expectations and Bell Schedule). A REMIND message will be sent to staff and families by 6 a.m. No announcement means school will start on time. Thanks to our bus drivers as they navigate roads with our children. And to our maintenance folks as they keep our sidewalks and parking lots cleared during expected weather events. Your efforts are seen and appreciated. Visit our website to sign up for Flash Alert, information for Closed Campus, Emergency Changes, and Snow Route Information https://www.lcsd.wednet.edu/domain/91 Sign up to receive REMIND notifications: • To join Remind for La Conner Elementary, text @laconnere to the number 81010. • To join La Conner Middle School, text @laconnerm to 81010. • To join La Conner High School, text @laconnerh to 81010. Don’t have a mobile phone? Go to rmd.at/laconnere, or rmd.at/laconnerm, or rmd.at/laconnerh on a desktop computer to sign up for email notifications.

La Conner School Board of Directors has been awarded the WSSDA School Board of the Year Award for Small Schools.

The La Conner School of Directors was chosen for this prestigious award as the board of directors focused heavily on math acceleration last year, which was identified as the area with the largest opportunity gap for students. A combination of adopting a new math curriculum and assessment tool, monthly reviews of math data by the board, and investment in teacher support paid off with significant growth in just one year. In just one year, the adoption of a new math curriculum and assessment tool, monthly reviews of math data by the board, and investment in teacher support paid off with significant growth. The school district is also committed to the practices of Professional Learning Communities, Universal Design for Learning, and Mastery-Based Learning. Congratulations to the La Conner School Board of Directors for their remarkable achievement! Learn more about WSSDA Board of the Year Award Journey

La Conner School Board of Directors receives the prestigious 2023 Board of Distinction award from the Washington State School Directors’ Association (WSSDA). Congratulations to our school board and thank you for all your support and hard work!

We would like to extend our warmest congratulations to our esteemed school board for their exceptional leadership and commitment to student success. This award recognizes the board's exceptional governance in applying the Washington School Board Standards, which has led to the closing of gaps that impact student success. The board's headship for ongoing professional development, commitment to addressing opportunity gaps, and adherence to the Washington School Board Standards during the 2022-23 school year provided exemplary evidence for this award. On behalf of the community, we want to express our sincere gratitude for your hard work and dedication to serving our students. Thank you again for all that you do for our students, district, and community! (Pictured L to R Director John Agen, Director Kim Pedroza, Vice President Jeremy Wilbur, and President Susie Deyo)

🏐🏈 Exciting News from La Conner School District! 🏐🏈

In addition to our SJMEA Honor Band recipients Sammy Williams and Hayden Bill, we are thrilled to recognize the outstanding achievements of our fall athletes in Football and Volleyball! 🌟 Join us in celebrating their dedication and excellence. 🏐 Volleyball All-League Honors: 1st Team: Morgan Huizenga, Abigail Udlock, Addison Keller 2nd Team: Maeve McCormick Honorable Mention: Reese Bird 🏈 Football All-League Honors: 1st Team Offense: CJ Edwards, Ivory Damien, Oscar Soto Honorable Mention Offense: Logan Burks, Kenai Zimmerman 1st Team Defense: Marlon Edwards, Ivory Damien Honorable Mention Defense: Logan Burks, Tommy Murdock 🏆 Additional Recognitions: Sportsmanship Award: La Conner All-State Nomination: Ivory Damien Congratulations to all our athletes for their hard work, skill, and sportsmanship! 🎉 Your dedication truly embodies the spirit of La Conner School District. 👏👏 Go BRAVES!! 💙

Congratulations to Hayden Bill and Sammy Williams on their participation in the 2023 SJMEA Honor Band at WWU!

Band, Choir, and Orchestra teachers from our region nominate students to participate. Hayden Bill (Band, Tenor Saxophone) and Sammy Williams (Band, Trumpet) were selected this year from Music Teacher McKenzie Clark's nomination. Hayden and Sammy had a 2.5-hour rehearsal a couple of weeks ago. Then, the main event this past weekend included another 5+ hours of rehearsal and a concert in the afternoon. The Concert Hall at WWU was standing-room only by the time it started, and all three groups were awesome! Way to go Hayden Bill and Sammy Williams on your outstanding performance and receiving this well-deserved recognition!! Well done!!

Turkey Trot (5K Fun Run - 3K Walk - Free Kids Dash) is on November 23 @ 8:00 am

Congratulations to our Lady Braves, the 2023 District Volleyball Champions!

They fought hard and rallied for the title, winning 22-25, 17-25, 25-23, 26-24, 15-13, and have secured a spot in the state tournament in Yakima on November 9-10. Despite having several underclassmen, including eighth graders, playing crucial roles, this year's La Conner High School volleyball team has managed to reach the familiar destination in a different way this fall. The players are highly passionate and play with heart, which is reflected in their performance.   Coach Pam Keller was thrilled with her team's performance and said, "What a game! My comeback kids played with heart and grit. Coupeville is always a formidable opponent, and it's always a battle when we play each other, but my girls are figuring out their roles and peaking at the right time." Good luck at State!! Go BRAVES!

Congratulations to Morgan Huizenga who has been selected as the Soroptimist International of La Conner Student of the Month for November.

The senior, who is participating in Running Start at Skagit Valley College, has been recognized for her leadership skills and positive attitude. She has been playing volleyball since fourth grade and is now a valuable team leader. She also runs track and discovered her talent for throwing the javelin while recovering from an injury. Her determination and hard work paid off as she finished fourth in the state tournament.   Morgan is a good student with a love for reading. She participates in leadership classes in high school, which she considers her favorite subject, and has benefitted tremendously from it. She describes herself as a positive person with a passion for community service. She volunteers for the Booster Club, works with younger students, and also helps prepare Ragnar dinners. She is the daughter of Kristin and Jason Huizenga and has a younger brother, Flint, a sophomore. Morgan plans to study to be a firefighter like her father, with EMT and paramedicine experience, or she may become a pediatric oncology nurse. After Skagit Valley College, she plans to transfer to Western Washington University. Morgan will receive a gift certificate to Vintage of La Conner Thrift, the shop run by the La Conner Soroptimists whose mission is to support local women and girls in the community. She will also receive a gift card from a local coffee shop. Congratulations Morgan on this well-deserved recognition!

November Family Newsletter

We are thrilled to announce and welcome Lance Lopez as our new Head Boys’ Basketball coach.

Lance and his family are lifelong residents of Skagit County. He has been coaching basketball for 20 years in local youth and high school programs, and has also coached fastpitch softball at Mount Vernon High School. In addition, he is a baseball/softball instructor at DBAT Skagit Valley in Mount Vernon. Lance is eager to get into the gym to meet and work with the players. He was selected for this position based on his adaptability, hardworking attitude, passion, and game knowledge of basketball. He is also a skilled relationship builder and always goes above and beyond for the kids. If you see him, please say hello and make him feel welcome.

Welcome Ryan Patrick! Ryan is the new Program Director (Administrator) for the 21st Century Community Learning Center.

Mr. Patrick resides in Conway with his family. His wife is an elementary teacher in Stanwood-Camano SD, and they have two sons who are 21 and 14 years old. In addition to his background in education, Ryan worked in economic development and commercial banking. He graduated from the University of Washington with an MBA and received his School Administrator certificate from Western Washington University. Ryan enjoys baseball, basketball, working in the yard, and doing home projects. He was selected for this role due to his relationships in Skagit County and his passion for student growth. Ryan is recognized by his peers as an excellent communicator and great at building and maintaining relationships. He firmly believes that every child can learn. He is genuine, authentic, passionate, and compassionate. We are excited to see how he will develop and grow this program for our district and community.

Congratulations to 5th grader Faith Kowalcyk, 8th grader Angus Poprycz Agnus’, and 10th grader Katie Cayou-Lockrem for being selected as the Kiwanis Students of the Month in October!! Keep up the great work. We are proud of you!

High School Student of the Month for October is Katie Cayou-Lockrem. Katie’s parents are Josh and Val Lockrem. She is in the tenth grade at La Conner High School. Katie is in ASB leadership at the school. She enjoys the Breads & Pastries class offered by the school. Outside of school, she enjoys hunting and fishing with her family. After graduating she would like to attend college and study to be a project manager. Middle School Student of the Month for October is Angus Poprycz. Agnus’ parents are Tessa McLeod and Paul Poprycz. He is in eighth grade at La Conner Middle School. He enjoys PE and Soccer at school. Outside of school Angus likes hunting and fishing with his family. In the future, he would like to own and operate a sport fishing charter. The Elementary Student of the Month for October is. Her parent is Laura Parker. Faith is in 5th grade at La Conner Elementary School. Math is her favorite subject in school. She enjoys paddleboarding outside of school. In the future Faith would like to become a veterinarian, study fashion design, or become a teacher.

La Conner is hosting the District VB Tournament today and Wednesday. Come and support our La Conner Lady Braves tonight at 6:00pm!! You can also pay by cash or check at the door.

La Conner High School is offering new agriculture-focused science classes this year. The two new classes offered, Natural Resources and Ecology, and Animal Science, are a part of the curriculum of the Agricultural Science Education Program.

Science teachers Todd Hinderman and Steve DeLeon received training over the summer to prepare them for the new class content. “It’s going to be better for this community because it’s more livestock-focused and we’re rural, so that makes a lot more sense,” DeLeon said.   Hinderman said in his class, which focuses on soil ecology and ecosystems, students get more hands-on learning experience, which helps them understand the material better. “Hopefully these classes can inspire our students to go work with local agriculture or be inspired by science in general,” he said. Students taking these classes for the first time agree they enjoy them more than their previous science classes. Katie Cayou-Lockrem said in DeLeon’s Animal Science class she is growing a worm farm.   In DeLeon’s class, students learn about agriculture while creating a producer’s management guide for an animal of their choice. “I have worms at my house now because of this class,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to be a vet, but then I moved away from that, but now it’s bringing it back again like that’d be cool.”   In Hinderman’s class, students were experimenting with sand and dirt to observe the effects of erosion. Vanessa Dallas said she likes the activity level in the Natural Resources and Ecology class. “You get to go outside more and you get to measure things more and look around and you get to do more,” she said. “It feels like more experiments in this class.” Both Hinderman and DeLeon said while a lot of La Conner students live in rural areas, there hasn’t been a push from students for the school to fund an FFA program. “We’ve had kids go to other school districts for 4-H or FFA,” DeLeon said. “Maybe this will get them interested.” (more)

VETERANS DAY ASSEMBLY

Next month we will be celebrating Veterans Day in an assembly with the entire student body. Leadership will be creating a slideshow for the assembly. If you have Veterans in your family and would like to share their pictures, send them to us! When you send pictures, please be sure to: • Tell us the names of the people photographed. • What branch of the military did your relative serve in? (for example: Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard) • Did your family member receive any medals of honor? (if you don't know it's ok) • Did they serve in any major conflicts? (for example WWII, Vietnam War, Korean War, Gulf War, etc) Please share your picture(s) with Mrs. Shipley (sshipley@lc.k12.wa.us) or Mr. Milliren (bmilliren@lc.k12.wa.us) by Friday, November 3rd.

We are thrilled to announce that our La Conner School Board of Directors for 2023 has been selected as one of the distinguished WSSDA Boards of Distinction for 2023.

This is a remarkable achievement, and we are proud of the school board's exemplary efforts in ongoing professional development, addressing opportunity gaps, and exceptional leadership. The board has demonstrated a strong commitment to student success and has practiced governance that reflects the Washington School Board Standards throughout the 2022-23 school year. We extend our sincere gratitude to the directors for their unwavering support and hard work. Please click on the following link to view the full announcement: Announcing the 2023 Boards of Distinction - WSSDA. Photo of Directors R to L: President Susie Deyo, Vice President Jeremy Wilbur, Director John Agen, Director Loran James, Director Kim Pedroza

It is with deep appreciation and admiration that we acknowledge the retirement of Theresa James, our dedicated Head Cheer Coach. After an astounding 30 years of unwavering commitment to our cheer program and school district.

Theresa has left an indelible mark on the lives of countless students and the entire community. Theresa’s contribution extends beyond the cheerleading team, as she has played, and will continue to play, an active role in our district. As a senior advocate and advisor, she embodies the values of engagement, connection, and achievement that our district stands for. Theresa has consistently shown a servant's heart, not only for the kids but also for our district and the wider community. Theresa, our extraordinary Senior Co-Advisor, plays an invaluable role in our district, particularly in organizing the annual senior trip to Disneyland or Knott's Berry Farm, a cherished tradition for our graduating seniors. Theresa's dedication goes far beyond the logistical details of planning this memorable journey. She also spearheads fundraising efforts to ensure that all seniors have the opportunity to participate, emphasizing the inclusivity and equity that our district values. Theresa's talents are as diverse as they are impressive. She is a gifted artist and baker, always willing to share her creative skills with our community. Her passion and generosity shine through in all that she does. Her selfless dedication and passion have been instrumental in shaping the character and success of our students. Theresa's positive attitude, tireless efforts, and willingness to take on any task have made her an invaluable member of our team. She has not only been a cheer coach but also a cheer mom and a source of unwavering support for our students, day or night. Her commitment to shaping the character and success of our students is truly inspiring. The traditions and legacy that Theresa has created with the La Conner cheer program will undoubtedly continue to be upheld and cherished by our district. From the Cheer Lock-in to decorating the school entrance, she has left a lasting legacy. Please join us in celebrating Theresa James's remarkable journey, (more)

Class of 2024 - Get all the info you need regarding your announcements, caps & gowns, and bling orders! (click on title to access link)

Class of 2024 - Get all the info you need regarding your announcements, caps & gowns, and bling orders!

Congratulations to our 2023 Homecoming Royalty:

Homecoming King & Queen: Victoria Morales (Queen) and Ivory Souryavong (King) Senior Class Representatives: Abigail Udlock and Brogan Masonholder Junior Class Representatives: Baylee Smith and Lily Dougliss Sophomore Class Representatives: Shaniquah Casey and Marlin Bralins Freshman Class Representatives: Iris Turner and Maxwell Page

La Conner School District Between Two Worlds Students created a video for Indigenous Peoples Day.

The video contains information about Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day being recognized alongside one another by the Biden administration and Seattle City Council. La Conner Superintendent Will Nelson and School Board Director/Tribal ESA Supervisor Loran James are featured in the video as they share their thoughts on the holiday and what it means to them.