Parents, we are aware of the threats being posted on social media sites regarding gun violence in schools today.  

We want to let you know all is well at school this morning. Kids and staff are enjoying their day and excited for the official start of Winter Break.

However, please know that, at Lyle School, we take all threats seriously and have zero tolerance for them, whether students claim to be joking or not.  

Students have been reminded of this recently. We encourage you to talk to your students about this topic, too.   

We also want to remind all students and parents/guardians, when you hear of a threat, report it to us or law enforcement. Please do not repost it. Reposting a threat serves no purpose other than adding to the fear and uncertainty of the situation.  

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Looking for resources to help you decide how much and which social media are appropriate for your child? Here are a couple of webpages that may be helpful: 

Social Media FAQs For Parents via CommonSense Media  

Parents' Ultimate Guide to TikTok  

DOWNLOADABLE PDF OF LETTER

Downloadable PDF of English Letter   

Carta descargable en Español

Did you know that, in 1990, President of the United States George H. W. Bush declared the month of November as National American Indian Heritage Month?

Lyle School celebrated our Native American students and families this Monday, November 22, when Lyle High School Senior Myeengan Syrette shared his Native American heritage with the Lyle School student body through two Woodland Traditional dances of the Great Lakes region.

Myeengan is Ojibwa-Anishinaabe on his father's side from the First Nation of Batchewana, Rankin Reserve, and of the Myeengan Clan, which means Wolf Clan. On his mother's side, he is Lower Chehalis and Clatsop from Shoalwater Bay tribe and Hawaiian from the island of Maui.

The dances he shared have been passed through generations of ancestors to Myeengan’s father, and then taught to him as a young toddler. Ming wears traditional Regalia when he dances. He explained that every piece of the Regalia has special meaning and was made and gifted by family members or specially traded. His moccasins – gifted to Ming by his Uncle and Auntie Joe & Alice Martineau -- were the oldest piece of regalia he wore for the dance.

Every step of the dance is sacred and carries a story about hunting, gathering or protecting the community. Students were encouraged to listen for the drumbeat in the song and watch how the dancer’s steps matched the beat. “The beat of the drum is the heartbeat of Mother Earth and our own hearts connecting all of us,” Myeengan’s mom, Heather Lopez, explains.

The first dance, Myeengan explained, told the story of his people, their traditions and, ultimately, his story. The second dance is called a “sneak up,” and can be a dance about going to war, or as in Myeengan’s interpretation, of going on a hunt.

Myeengan now travels around the country to dance. This past summer he participated in gatherings in Michigan, Wisconsin and Indiana. He said dancing, “keeps me connected to the earth and my culture.”

Students listened and watched respectfully and asked good questions, including one asking where he found his songs. Myeengan said that every song is passed down by Elders and Ancestors. “There are hundreds of songs, and the singers and drummers are very important. They have to remember the songs, each of which tells a story.”

As we gather with family and friends for Thanksgiving, let's also remember the original inhabitants of this land, our Indigenous Peoples, and thank and honor the Ancestors who made it possible to carry on these traditions. Myeengan also conveyed his thanks to his fellow students, saying "Chi Miigwech" .... thank you in Ojibwa- Anishinaabe.

Wondering how to help your neighbors who might be having a tough time this holiday season?

There are several opportunities, including volunteering at the Lyle Good Food Pantry during food distributions every two weeks. To help out, contact Chris at 509-493-9483. 

Also, if you have extras in your pantry, food can be dropped off at the Lyle Community Center on the pantry's operating days, on the first and third Wednesdays of each month. If you drop off in the am, it will go directly out to the community.   The December dates are December 1 and 15.

The Lyle Lions

For as long as we all can remember, the Lyle Lions Club has gathered donations and put together food boxes for families in need during the holiday season.

Our local Lions continue to offer Christmas Food Boxes to community members and families in need of help to put enough on the table over the holidays, along with a turkey and trimmings for the holiday. This long-running effort fed 232 adults and 94 children in 2020 and around 245 individuals in 2019.

The high school Leadership Club is collecting donations of breakfast cereal through December 10, which will be provided to the Lions to add to the Christmas Food Boxes.. Parents are encouraged to buy an extra box or two and send along with their kids who attend Lyle School. In Dallesport, watch for the fire trucks collecting food donations on Tuesday, December 7. These donations, too, will go to the Lyle Lions program. (See the ELFF flyer below)

To make direct donations of food or money, individuals can contact Joan Titus at 509-365-2872. 

Mugs’ Giving Tree 

For the sixth year in a row, Mugs Coffee in Bingen will include Lyle families on its “Giving Tree.” Despite a fire in their original site that forced the shop to relocate in 2018, followed by a global pandemic, Mugs has determinedly continued this yearly tradition on behalf of the area’s children.

The 2021 Giving Tree located in Mugs Coffee Shop, 221 West Steuben in Bingen, has tags with information about a family, including children’s likes and sizes to help shoppers pick out great gifts.

Visitors can select one or more tags to take with them while shopping for the kids. Tags that begin with an “L” indicate they are for a Lyle family. Gifts should be wrapped and returned to Mugs, along with the original tag, by December 14, to allow time for the school to pick up and distribute the gifts to families before Winter Break begins.

For those with limited time to shop, or who may not be able to get to Bingen, here’s another way to help. Some of Lyle’s older students in particular have very specific needs. With a little financial help, they can pay for items that will help them get a job or otherwise get ahead in life. All cash gifts are carefully reviewed by Lyle School’s staff and go for very worthy uses. If you can donate cash to this fund, contact Lyle Community Schools at 509-365-2211, extension 126.

There will be no school Wednesday, Thursday and Friday,  November 24, 25 and 26th  for Thanksgiving Break.

Thursday the 25th is Thanksgiving Day and we also want to acknowledge that Friday, November 26, is by Presidential proclamation Native American Heritage Day.

Almost a year after putting the old Dallesport Elementary building on the market, Lyle School District received two offers within a few weeks to purchase it for the full asking price of $1.6 million.

The Lyle School District Board of Directors accepted the offer from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and, at the November 17 regular board meeting, approved a purchase-sale agreement with the agency. The last step in finalizing the sale is for the Board of Natural Resources to meet and approve the purchase, scheduled for December 7, 2021.

Building Closed in 2016

The Dallesport School was built in 1996 after voters across the district approved a 20-year bond measure the year before. At that time, the enrollment in our Kindergarten through 5^th grades was 232 students. Currently, the district has 102 students in those grades.

For Washington state schools, funding is based on enrollment. Nearly all school funding – whether it’s from the state, the federal government or locally-approved levies – is calculated on a per-student basis. 

In spring, 2016 -- with less than half of the original enrollment and the district in financial difficulty -- the Lyle School Board made the only realistic decision, to close the Dallesport building before the start of the next school year. Operating two partially-full schools generated duplicate expenses, and there were academic opportunities in combining the campuses. For example, specialists like art, music and PE teachers can also provide instruction in the elementary grades on a shared campus.  

Still, an empty building is still not completely free of expense. The district has continued to pay over $3,500 a month for utilities and maintenance of the Dallesport building, as well as the property tax on it. Worse yet, empty buildings are prone to deteriorate and are vulnerable to vandalism.

Building Leased in 2017

The situation improved temporarily when the building was leased in January of 2018. The 10-year lease-to-buy agreement with Sagetech generated over $11,000 in monthly rent, and the property tax and utilities costs shifted to the renter.  The agreement with Sagetech preserved district and community access and use of the playground toy, track and softball field.

Sagetech made improvements to the buildings, but hadn’t yet completed construction when the company developed financial problems. The company went into bankruptcy and, ultimately, receivership in 2019.

Before declaring bankruptcy, Sagetech formally requested to purchase the property per the terms of their contract. Eventually, however, the receiver released all claim to the building.

Sale of Property

Since that time, the district has worked with commercial realtor Deborah Ewing to market the property, resulting in the offers.  After considering the offers and taking public comment, the board voted at the October 27 board meeting to authorize Superintendent Ann Varkados and district counsel to proceed with negotiating the final terms of the sale with the Department of Natural Resources.

The DNR has described plans to develop the building into a regional wildfire response center, with existing staff and resources from DNR’s work center in Husum being relocated to Dallesport. They anticipate approximately 65 employees stationed out of this response center.  

In a letter to the Board of Directors, Washington Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz wrote, “In order to better protect our communities and natural resources, the state legislature recently dedicated funds for DNR to strengthen our state’s wildfire response, including adding firefighters and equipment and expanding infrastructure. The community of Dallesport and its former elementary school are located in a geographically advantageous position, uniquely positioned to help achieve our goal of strategically placing firefighters across Washington."

"From the start of this process, the district has looked for potential buyers who would benefit the local community," Superintendent Varkados said, adding, "The board and I are pleased with DNR’s plans for the property and proud that it will benefit not only the mid-Columbia Gorge but the entire region."

What Does this Mean for the Community?

The former school building and approximately one-half of the original lot are included in the sale. The sale will NOT include the Dallesport Community Center Building. The original 7+ acre parcel has been subdivided.  As part of the sub-plat, the district has deeded the property the community building sits on to the county; the building itself was constructed by the county.

Nor will it include the track and softball field. The district and community will still have use of them and, it now appears that playground was already on county property.

The income from the sale will go into the district’s capital fund, the same place the rental income was deposited. By law, these funds can be used only for major repairs or improvements to district buildings.

Dallesport children who attend Lyle Schools, like all of the district’s students, will continue to benefit from much-needed work on the Lyle campus, including the replacement of an undependable, expensive and hard-to-repair HVAC system.

When and if growth occurs in the district, the Lyle campus is large enough to accommodate additional students and staff. Its central location means that students coming from all parts of the district will have comparable distances to travel.

Our school is participating in the Washington State Healthy Youth Survey during fall 2021. Because we are in a small district, the survey will be given to students in Grades 6 through 12th grade.

Lea la carta completa en español al pie de la página.

The Healthy Youth Survey included questions related to physical activity and diet, unintentional and intentional injury, substance use, sexual behaviors (grades 8 and older), abuse, risk, and protective factors, and access to school-based services. Survey results are used by schools, communities, and state agencies to plan programs to support our youth and reduce their risks. 

Participation in the survey is voluntary and the students' answers are anonymous. 

Most schools will be administering the survey online this year. No privacy issues were identified in the E-survey pilot conducted in 2019. This year, schools and districts are being instructed to disable any recording, keystroke tracking, and video capture software on school-issued devices used to take the survey. They are also going to instruct students to do the same on personal devices used for the survey

Please read the Parent and Student Notification Letter for more information about the Healthy Youth Survey. 

Beginning October 1, 2022, students can apply for financial aid for the 2023-24 college school year. With all the uncertainty caused by COVID, education beyond high school is more important than ever. Applying for financial aid gives you more options for the future. 

In Washington, there are two ways to apply for financial aid: 

• Most people should complete a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). The FAFSA is used by U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens to apply for both state and federal financial aid. 
• The WASFA (Washington Application for State Financial Aid) is an application for state financial aid only. The WASFA is for people who are undocumented or who do not qualify for federal aid because of their immigration status -- and can be used in limited circumstances by others who cannot or choose not to file a FAFSA. 

Applying for financial aid is a crucial first step toward college or job training. Many families assume they won’t qualify, but there’s more help available than ever before. Last year, a family of four making up to $102,000 could qualify for financial aid in Washington. The only way to know for sure if you’re eligible is to apply. 

Learn more, get support, and apply for financial aid at wsac.wa.gov/apply. 

(THIS ARTICLE WILL BE UPDATED IN OCTOBER, 2022).

Don’t Let Financial Aid Myths Limit Options for the Future

Download the Financial Aid Myths Flyer in English    Descargue el folleto Mitos de la ayuda financiera en español

Think you can’t afford college or training? Financial aid helps many students pay for education beyond high school, and more families in Washington are now eligible. Even if you didn’t qualify before, you might now!

Myth #1: My parents make too much money, so I won’t qualify for financial aid.

Fact: Applying for financial aid is the only way to know for sure whether you qualify. With Washington College Grant, an eligible student from a family of four making up to around $102,000 per year can receive some money for college or training.

Myth #2: Financial aid only pays for universities. That takes four years—I need to start working now.

Fact: Financial aid can be used for many types of full-time or part-time education or training, including career and technical schools, community colleges, some apprenticeships, and yes, universities too. You have options!

Myth #3: I can’t apply for financial aid because I don’t know what I’m going to do after high school.

Fact: You can complete a FAFSA or WASFA financial aid application before applying for college or training. You can make your final choice about whether and where to go later, and you’ll know more about what you can afford.

Applications are now available for fall 2022! Learn more and apply for financial aid on the Washington Student Achievement Council website. http://wsac.wa.gov/

Parent-Teacher Conferences are coming up October 6 and 7. This fall, out of an abundance of caution, we are holding all conferences remotely. Parents are being sent letters inviting parents to participate at a specific time, either through a Teams meeting online or via a phone call.  Please make a choice and send the letter back.  Some secondary teachers are using email  so check your account for an invitation if your student doesn't bring home a paper copy.  If you do not have an invitation by Friday, please give your child's teacher a call or email them.

October 6-8 will be early release days for students. They will be dismissed at noon each day.