February Newsletter

Posted Date: 02/06/26 (05:00 PM)

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PKC Newsletter

February 6, 2026

February Calendar with character focus on Kindness and safety focus on Shelter in Place.

Colorful text reads 'SCHOOL YEARBOOK Pre-Order' on a white background.

2025-2026 School Yearbooks

School yearbooks are on sale now through March 31, 2026.

To order school yearbooks:

Click on the link below to order.
Paper order forms will be sent home from your student's teacher.
Parents can order for more than one student on the same order.
You will receive an email confirmation of your order.
Yearbooks will be delivered to school in June.

If you have any questions about ordering, please contact KIDS Photography at 206-305-8223 or hello@KIDSschoolPhotos.com.

Pathfinder Yearbook Order

A poster for Pathfinder Kindergarten Center announces 'Random Acts of Kindness Week' from February 9-13th.

Random Acts of Kindness Week- February 9-13

HELPFULNESS Monday, February 9th

"Being helpful is a way to show kindness!"

DAILY CHALLENGE: Help out a teacher, staff member, or classmate today.

ENCOURAGEMENT Tuesday, February 10th

"A little encouragement goes a long way!"

DAILY CHALLENGE: Encourage another student-give someone a compliment today. Tell them: "You are awesome!", "You brighten my day!", "You look great!", or "You did a great job!"

POSITIVITY Wednesday, February 11th

"Being positive makes the heart grow!"

DAILY CHALLENGE: Do something positive for someone else by making a special note for a student in another classroom. You will be given a pink heart to write or draw a positive note or picture on for another student. Your teacher will trade notes with your buddy classroom, or a preschool classroom. You will get one in return.

GRATITUDE Thursday, February 12th

"Have an attitude of gratitude!"

DAILY CHALLENGE: Catch someone showing kindness, being responsible, respectful, or safe, and give them a special pink bug brag to show your gratitude. Make sure to tell the person why they are receiving the special pink bug brag.

FRIENDSHIP Friday, February 13th

"Being a friend is being kind!"

DAILY CHALLEGE: Wear red, white, pink, and purple to celebrate Friendship Day today!

A smooth, reddish-orange stone with the word 'kindness' engraved on it, nestled among dark, rounded stones.

Pathfinder Kindness Pledge

"Pathfinders are kind, it’s what we do,

We lift each other, me and you!

With kind words and actions, we’ll lead the way,

Spreading kindness every day."

A "Red, White, & Pink Day" announcement for Friday, February 13, 2026, encouraging kindness.

Black History Month

Black History Month is an opportunity for parents to introduce children to age-appropriate discussions about race and culture beyond the classroom. This February, make it a point to discuss African American trailblazers and culture around the dinner table. Black History Month is an opportunity to celebrate the endeavors and contributions of Black people throughout history, but also the challeges and struggles they had to overcome in the past and today. It is part of American history and history isn't always pretty. Some Do's and Don'ts for Black History Month

Do's

Discuss Black liberation, empowerment, and joy.
Take trips to museums to see Black History Month exhibits.
Check out a relevant book from the library, watch documentaries, and do research together online.
Discuss Black history with children by introducing them to role models across a variety of fields. This instills African American students with a sense of empowerment and pride.
Highlight cotemporary Black leaders and icons.
Continue the conversation in March, April, May, June, etc.

Don'ts

Don't skip Black History Month! Everyone benefits from the celebrating and centering of Blackness.
Don't pit historical figures against each other (e.g. Malcolm X vs. MLK).
Don't hyperfocus on trauma. Black joy, liberation, and resistance are vital to understanding who we are and how we continue to thrive.

Credit of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Britt Hawthorne

Black History Month Activities

From the Nurse Maggie

Our health room is running low on donated clothing, specifically boys’ pants and underwear size 2-6. If you have any easy to pull on boys’ pants or underwear that you would be willing to donate to our health room, we would appreciate it. If your student has come home with donated clothing, please wash and return them to school. Thank you!

A handwritten note on a corkboard reads 'YOUR VOTE COUNTS!' with a red pushpin.

Election Day- Vote Today

Election Day is Feb. 10! If you haven’t voted yet, now’s a great time to check it off your list.

Notification to Parents – Title I, Part A Right to Ask for Teacher’s and Paraeducator’s Qualifications

Mukilteo School District

In compliance with the requirements of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) the Mukilteo School District would like to inform you that you may request information about the professional qualifications of your student’s teacher(s) or instructional paraprofessional(s) [ESSA Section 1112(e)(1)(A)].

The following professional qualification information may be requested pertaining to your child’s teacher(s):

Whether the teacher has met Washington teacher certification requirements for the grade level and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction.
Whether the teacher is teaching under an emergency or other provisional status through which Washington qualifications or certification criteria have been waived.
The college major and any graduate certification or degree held by the teacher.
Whether the student is provided services by paraprofessionals, and if so, their qualifications.

The following professional qualification information may be requested pertaining to an instructional paraprofessional instructing your child:

Paraeducators must be at least eighteen years of age and hold a high school diploma or its equivalent, (for more detailed information on what is considered equivalent, please read the FAQ (document) https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mS3yqB93IQymwsFxVv3WJd3-2B51Boz0RsAIsSIh5kw/edit.

In addition, a paraeducator must meet one of the following:

1. Have received a qualifying score on the Education Testing Service (ETS) paraeducator assessment

2. Hold an associate degree or higher from an accredited college or university

3. Have earned 72 quarter credits or 48 semester credits at the 100 level or higher at an accredited college or university

4. Have completed an apprenticeship as a paraeducator, in a program registered with the Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council.* For more information go to Minimum employment requirements - Professional Educator Standards Board (whttps://www.pesb.wa.gov/paraeducator-certificate-program/minimum-employment-requirements/a.gov).

Note: Paraprofessionals must work under the supervision of a certiﬁed teacher. In schools that operate a schoolwide program, all paraprofessionals must meet professional qualiﬁcations. In a Target Assistance program, only paraprofessionals instructing Title I intervention, under the direct supervision of a certificated teacher, must meet the above qualifications.

If you wish to request information concerning your child’s teacher’s and instructional paraprofessional’s qualification, please contact Julie Harris, PKC principal at 425-366-3800.

A mother reads a book to her two young daughters, who are lying on the floor and smiling.

How to Reinforce Your Child's Learning

If a child finds pleasure in reading, it will become a lifelong habit.

Let Your Children See You Reading

If your children see you reading regularly, there is a good chance that they will follow your lead and sit down with a book themselves. Set aside some time to talk with them about what each of you is reading. If you have been regularly reading aloud to your children, by school age they'll probably want to read aloud to you, too!

Talk About Your Day

Find time to talk with your children about your respective days—including what they did at school. Even on a night when you are particularly busy, you should still be able to find a time and place to talk. This gives your children a chance to re-teach you what they learned that day.

Encourage Art & Writing

It is great for children to write and/or draw without any educational purpose in mind other than to express themselves. For example, you can encourage your children to write original stories, cards, letters, and invitations to friends and relatives. Keep paper, pencils, crayons, markers, and tape in a convenient location so your children can sit down and use them easily. Research has shown that writing improves a child's reading skills, and vice versa.

Plan One-on-One Time

Plan some activities that you can do with your child, such as an art project. Keep phone call interruptions and media use to a minimum during this special time. Make it a time you are spending with each other. Some children say they wish they could call their parents on the phone, because a phone call or mobile device always gets first priority.

Use Caution with "Educational" Apps

Even though tablets, computer games, and apps are advertised as "educational," the truth is most of them have not been tested to show that children actually learn from them. They teach very basic skills, so don't assume an "interactive" game will be a good learning experience. Children learn better through creative playtime, where their brain takes the lead, not the app or computer game.

More Suggestions for Parents

Put a map on the wall in your child's bedroom and refer to it frequently. You might ask, "Where does Aunt Maria live?" or "Can you find the city where we used to live?" You can also use the map to talk about history, especially around a historical holiday.
Have a family calendar where you can teach your child to plan ahead and stay organized.
Take your children to your local library and get each of them a library card. Because they use the school library frequently, most children almost instinctively feel at home when they go to the local library.
Find community activities that are pure fun. Despite their recreational nature, these activities can still be viewed as providing support for what is being taught in school. They will broaden your children's experiences and give them something new to write about.
Try reinforcing your child's health education at school by making healthy food choices when you shop. No matter what is taught in the classroom and served in the school cafeteria, your children will be influenced more by watching your own food selections. Actively involving your children in the cooking process. Reading recipes and measuring ingredients can reinforce nutrition education.
Schedule some weekend or after-school activities that are appropriate for the entire family. Going on walks, playing outside, and bicycle riding are some of the sports that children can participate in for their entire lives, long after they have left school. Do not overlook walking as a perfect way for the family to enjoy physical activity together. Studies now show that the more children exercise, the better they focus!

Source: Healthychildren.org

Attendance Matters

Parents and guardians of young children may mistakenly believe that kindergarten students can miss a day of school (or two or three) and it won't make much of a difference. However, it’s very important for students to be in school every day – from kindergarten through high school.

Did you know that every day in kindergarten your child is:

learning a new sound or word?
learning and practicing a new math skill, like recognizing shapes or counting numbers?
gaining social skills that will help him/her develop healthy friendships?

Here are 3 simple tips to help you and your child get ready for school every day:

Set an alarm, leaving extra time for unexpected delays.
Lay out clothing and supplies for the next day in the evening.
Make sure your transportation plan is in order.

If your child misses nine days throughout the school year, he or she may:

have a harder time reading as well as his/her classmates who come to school every day.
have a higher chance of being held back in school because he/she is struggling with reading and/or math.
develop poor attendance habits that lead to academic struggles or dropping out of school.

Coming to school every day gives students the chance to stay on track in school.

February 2026 calendar with daily language and poetry activities for children.

School hours for Kindergarten and Preschool are listed on a white background.

Office Staff

Julie Harris, Principal

Melissa Walker, Dean

Connie Holmerud, Administrative Assistant

Rene Steele, Office Assistant/Registrar

Natalie Smullin, Office Assistant/Attendance

Email: HolmerudCM@mukilteo.wednet.edu

Website: https://www.mukilteoschools.org

Location: 11401 Beverly Park Rd., Bldg B, Everett, WA 98204

Phone: (425) 366-3800

Fax: (425) 366-3802

Mukilteo School District Non-Discrimination Statement

Mukilteo School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Civil Rights Coordinator and Title IX Coordinator Robert Gallagher (425-356-1300), gallagherrm@mukilteo.wednet.edu, Section 504 Coordinator Becca Anderson (425-356-1277), andersonra@mukilteo.wednet.edu, and the ADA/Access Coordinator Karen Mooseker (425-356-1330), moosekerkw@mukilteo.wednet.edu. Address: 9401 Sharon Drive in Everett, WA. Inquiries regarding ADA/Access issues at Sno-Isle TECH Skills Center should be directed to Wes Allen, Director (425-348-2220) allenwr@mukilteo.wednet.edu. Address: 9001 Airport Road in Everett, WA 98204.