Hey look, it’s Matt Kennedy! Matt is the Methow Valley School District #350’s welding and auto tech instructor, and he just got quoted in The Seattle Times: “We need people who can build stuff and fix things.”

As described in the Seattle Times, Education Lab article, there is a local, state, and national need for tradespeople, which means we also have an urgent need for more career and technical education for high school students. The remodeled welding shop and new auto tech shop being built at Twispworks are tremendous examples of these courses being “a partnership between business or industry leaders and educators, who get together and think through an area’s economic needs.”

The article goes on to explain more about the TwispWorks and MVSD collaboration: “‘Kids really wanted that hands-on learning,’ [TwispWorks Executive Director Sarah] Brown said of the popularity of auto tech. ‘And they really wanted to learn about cars.’ When the path is fully developed, the district hopes students will be able to earn community college credit in auto tech, the same way an AP biology class can earn a student college biology credit. After high school, aspiring auto mechanics would have a head start on earning Automotive Service Excellence certification, an industry-recognized credential offered at the nearest community college, Wenatchee Valley College.”

It is with mixed emotions that we wish to inform you that the Edmonds School District has selected LBHS Principal, Crosby Carpenter to serve as the new Mountlake Terrace STEM High School Principal, beginning in the fall of the 2023-24 school year.

Having accomplished much while serving as the LBHS Principal for the past four years, we asked Crosby about his decision to pursue the Mountlake Terrace STEM High School position. He replied, “It’s a bittersweet decision driven by a need and desire to be closer to my family and pursue career goals.” Mountlake Terrace STEM High School serves over 1400 students in grades 9-12 and is known for its robust STEM and CTE courses, as well as its jazz band, journalism program, and basketball team. It is also located in close proximity to his family.

When asked what he will miss most, Crosby stated, “It’s been the highlight of my career to serve as the principal of Liberty Bell. During my time here, I’ve had the pleasure to work with and learn from some of the most inspiring, creative, and passionate students and staff. I’m so grateful for the lifelong friendships, amazing memories, and the opportunity to be part of something truly special at Liberty Bell. Go Mountain Lions!”

Looking ahead, Crosby looks forward to supporting LBHS students and staff as we honor the Class of 2023 and finish the year strong.

Please join us as we thank Crosby for his exceptional leadership, congratulate him on his new position, and wish him well in his future endeavors!

Dear MVSD Students, Parents, and Community Members,

During the week of May 8-12, the MVSD will be joining others across the country, acknowledging the exceptional effort of our teaching staff during National Teacher Appreciation Week.

The MVSD staff continue to serve as a bright spot within our community. Serving as a centering force, the MVSD staff, working in partnership with parents and community members alike – modeling resiliency, fostering hope, and cultivating a climate of belonging and dignity – remain focused on developing students who graduate prepared to pursue the widest range of career, education, and life opportunities possible.

Please join us as we display our appreciation and gratitude for the courageous leadership, tireless advocacy, and exceptional service provided by the MVSD staff!

After eight years of service as the Methow Valley School District’s Director of Operations and Capital Projects, Bud Hover has announced his plan to retire at the end of the 2022-23 school year.

While serving as the Director Operations and Capital Projects, Bud has displayed a high level of dedication and commitment to supporting the “operations” side of the organization. This has included supervising the transportation department, food services team and custodial/maintenance/grounds crew. In addition to supervising the district’s daily operations, Bud has also facilitated the implementation of a variety of capital improvements made to the MVSD facilities and transportation fleet during his tenure.

Given the many accomplishments that have taken place during his tenure, we asked Bud what he is most proud of. Bud stated, “Acting with the support of the community (through their successful passage of the Transportation Vehicle Fund levy), we’ve been able to successfully replace an aging bus and motor pool fleet with new buses and vehicles (that are on the state’s depreciation cycle), leaving more funding available for teaching and learning.” Bud also cited his role involving the installation of a new track, weight and conditioning room, playground, multipurpose trail system, the expansion of the Classroom in Bloom footprint on the District’s campus, along with new flooring and furnishings throughout our schools.

When asked what he’ll miss the most, Bud was quick to state, “The people that I have been able to work with, watching my grandchildren as they work their way through the school system and being directly involved in the building of a sustainable system that benefits our students and community.”

He concluded his remarks by stating, “I have lived in the Valley, going on 50 years, and in that time, I have watched both my kids as well as my grandchildren go through the school system. I coached football, both as an assistant and a head coach for twelve years. And most recently, I’ve spent the last eight years as the Director of Operations for the school. At the end of the day, I have to say, the school district, guided by a visionary school board, strong administrative team and exceptional staff, is in good hands.”

Looking forward to retirement, Bud is excited about “not” being on a schedule, spending more time traveling, working in the yard with his wife, time with his family, hunting, hiking, camping, and working with his son Wes on the farm (when he wants to).”

Please join us as we thank Bud Hover, Director of Operations and Capital Projects and wish him well in retirement.

Methow Recycles, a long-standing partner of the MVSD, would like to invite you to celebrate Earth Day!

To celebrate our collective efforts and engage in opportunities county-wide, we invite you to join us at our upcoming Earth Day Celebration on April 22nd at the John Doran Ranch in Twisp from 1 – 6 p.m.

This festival brings together organizations and agencies from across the county where we can learn more about topics ranging from vermiculture and community-scale composting, fire mitigation, stream bank restoration, land management, and sustainable agriculture, all at a fun outdoor venue with live music, kids crafts, food, and more!

Who is Methow Recycles?

Methow Recycles has been leading the charge in conserving our resources through recycling for over 20 years but we do so much more beyond the recycling warehouse. For six years, students in our spring after school club Green Team have reused materials to make fun crafts, helped the school prevent waste through activities and projects, and learned hands-on repair skills that empower them to fix something before simply throwing it away.

Our partnership with the Methow Valley School District allows us to use the ILC building on the TwispWorks campus as a home for our summer camp. At Camp ReMake, students explore reuse, repair, and recycling through the lens of art and ecology. Days are spent exploring materials that we use every day—plastic, aluminum, paper. Through hands-on activities like art projects, costume making, misfit toy repair, river bank clean-ups, and building cardboard forts students learn all about these materials, where they come from, and why it is important to reduce, reuse, and recycle them.

This kind of hands-on learning is invaluable. Students are able to connect the dots from the recycling center, to their classroom, to their community, to the wider world. We feel incredibly privileged that our organization has had the support of the community over the past two decades. It allows us to offer many meaningful opportunities to engage in creating a healthy planet right here in the Methow Valley.

We hope you’ll join us!

After 40 years of dedicated service as a teacher, 25 years of which have taken place at Methow Valley Elementary, Sheryl Wolfe has made the decision to retire at the conclusion of the 2022-23 school year.

Having taught just about everything at one time or another during her 25 year career at MVE, we asked Sheryl how she was feeling about her decision to retire at the end of the school year. She stated, “I am grateful for all the support and opportunities I have had while working for the school district. I have enjoyed working with the amazing staff, supportive administration and school board, enthusiastic students, and partnering with families and community members.”

When we asked her what she’ll miss the most, Sheryl replied, “…being part of the school community.” Looking forward, Sheryl is excited to be able to spend more time travelling and time spent with family.

Recognizing teaching isn’t just a career, but a way of being, we want to thank Sheryl for her exceptional dedication and commitment to service and wish her well as she begins a new chapter in her life.