Grand Mound Elementary

We invite our community to join us for an upcoming Water System Capital Levy Community Forum to learn more, ask questions, and stay informed.

📅 Forum Dates:
• Tuesday, March 31 @ 5:30 pm
• Monday, April 13 @ 6:30 pm
• Wednesday, April 15 @ 5:00 pm
📍 Location: Rochester High School Library

This is a great opportunity to hear firsthand the current condition of our water system, understand the proposed improvements, and hear how this impacts our schools and community.

For more information, please visit:
https://www.rochester.wednet.edu/o/rsd/page/capital-levy

We hope to see you there!

Read-a-Thon Assembly✨️
Thank you to GMES Boosteers and all who helped with the read-a-thon! Special thank you to Weyerhaeuser for providing books for all of the students! 💙💛
✨️Asamblea del maratón de lectura✨️
¡Gracias a todos los que han colaborado en el maratón de lectura! ¡Un agradecimiento especial a Weyerhaeuser por los libros para todos los estudiantes! 💙💛

The Grand Mound students who competed in the Future Chef Competition did an AMAZING job!! 🍳👩‍🍳👨‍🍳

Six talented contestants showcased their cooking skills and shared some truly delicious recipes. From crepes and Churro Bites to Lumpia with Sweet Chili Sauce, Street Tacos, Polish Spaghetti, and Chicken Quesadillas -- the food was incredible. The judges' scoring was very close in determining our winners!

After tasting and judging, our winners were:
🥇 1st Place: McKinley Heggie – Grandma’s Polish Spaghetti
🥈 2nd Place: Freddie Hays – Street Tacos
🥉 3rd Place: Madison Graves – Chicken Quesadilla with Pico de Gallo

A huge thank you to our amazing food service team and Sodexo for organizing and supporting this event. Their work made this opportunity possible for our students.

We are proud of all of our young chefs for their creativity and willingness to share their cooking talents. Their future is bright—and delicious! 👏

The School Board has selected four finalists to move forward to the interview stage.

Interviews will take place on March 23 and March 24. We will be hosting two candidates each day. The candidates will each spend 9.5 hours participating in interviews, forums, and activities within the school district. As we enter this phase, it’s important to remember that while the finalists are working to make a strong impression on our district, we are also representing Rochester and want to make a positive impression on them.

As part of the process, staff and community forums will be held on both Monday and Tuesday (3/24 & 3/25) in the RHS Library. The community forums are at 5:45 and 6:30 pm. The forums are an opportunity for you to meet the candidates, ask questions, and provide valuable feedback to the school board.

Your voice is an important part of this process, and we encourage you to attend if you are able.

This week we celebrated Education Support Professionals Week, and we want to give a big thank you to the classified staff who help make our schools run every day!

From welcoming students each morning, supporting learning in classrooms, preparing meals, keeping our buildings clean and safe, assisting in our offices, and so much more — our Education Support Professionals play a vital role in the success of our schools.

Your dedication, care for students, and commitment to our district do not go unnoticed. The relationships you build and the support you provide help create a positive environment where students feel safe, supported, and ready to learn.

Join us in thanking our Education Support Professionals!

This week is National School Counseling Week, a perfect time to recognize the counselors who play an important role in our schools. They support students academically, socially, and emotionally to help our students be prepared to learn. Thank you to all our school counselors for the important work you do with our students every day!

REMINDER! There will be no school on Friday, January 23, due to semester break. We hope our students and staff enjoy the day!

The Special Eduation Parent Advisory meets Tuesday (1/20) at 5:00 pm in the District Office.

Today, we honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose work continues to inspire service, equality, and respect for all. This day serves as an opportunity to reflect on his message and the importance of kindness, justice, and community.

School will resume on Tuesday, January 20. We hope our students, families, and staff have a meaningful day of reflection.

Happy New Year, Warriors! We are so proud of everything our Warriors achieved last year, and we’re even more excited for what’s to come. Enjoy the final days of break—we’ll see you soon!

Reminder - School resumes on Monday, January 5.

Welcome to Our New School Board Members! Please join us in welcoming our two newly elected Rochester School District Board members: Heather Harris – District 5 and Francisco Villanueva – District 1.

Both Heather and Francisco are vested in our community, and we are excited to have their leadership and commitment on our school board. We look forward to the valuable perspectives and dedication they will bring as we continue working together to support our students, staff, and families.

Welcome to the team!

Winter Break is almost here...Winter Break begins Friday, December 19 and continues through January 2. School will resume on Monday, January 5.

Tonight is the FINAL Performance! You won’t want to miss it! After a fantastic weekend of performances, RHS Drama is wrapping up their latest production This Murder Was Staged TONIGHT, December 15 at 7:00 PM. This fast-paced murder mystery turned comedy had audiences laughing all night on Saturday. When the body of a demanding director is discovered on stage during opening night, everyone becomes a suspect—and the chaos that follows is pure fun! Ticket Prices: $12 Adults, $10 Students, RSD Staff, ASB, Seniors, First Responders & Military, $8 Children (10 & under). Bring your friends, bring your family, and be ready to laugh—this is one wild ride you don’t want to miss!

Winter Break is Almost Here! A reminder to our Rochester families that Winter Break begins Friday, December 19 and continues through January 2. School will resume on Monday, January 5. Please note that Thursday, December 18 is a half day for all students. The District Office will be closed to the public throughout the break. Parents and guardians can find early release schedules here: https://www.rochester.wednet.edu/page/school-hours-and-phone-numbers. We hope all of our Warrior families enjoy a safe, restful, and joyful winter break!

Holiday Halftime Performance Registration Now Open! RHS Basketball Cheerleaders are inviting students in Kinder–5th grade to join the Holiday Halftime Performance on December 16. Practice will take place at GMES on December 15 from 3:45–5:15 PM. The cost is $40 and includes the clinic, performance, t-shirt, and antlers. For questions, please contact dbaird@rochester.wednet.edu or tvillanueva@rochester.wednet.edu.
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Rochester School District Gives Back! We are proud of our Rochester students for collecting over 900 pounds of food for our community! Thanks to the hard work and generosity from our schools, a total of 938 pounds of food was donated to support the ROOF Food Bank.

ROOF shared that this donation made a tremendous impact during their busiest time of year. In November alone, they distributed 20,000+ pounds of food to 480 households, supporting 1,247 individuals. They also provided Thanksgiving meals to 241 families in need.

A HUGE thank you to our students, families, and staff for helping support our community.

Thank You, Board President Thomas Trott!

We want to express our sincere appreciation to Thomas Trott for his dedicated service on the School Board for the past four years, including his crucial role as this year's School Board President!

Thomas brought a spirit of collaboration and deep community understanding to his work. His dedication to our students goes hand-in-hand with his vital role serving the community through West Thurston Fire.

We are immensely grateful for his four years of service, thoughtful leadership, and his commitment to building strong connections between our schools and the community. We wish him the best in his future endeavors!

A Legacy of Service: Recognizing Michael Langer

Please join us in expressing our deepest gratitude to School Board Director Michael Langer for his 12 years of dedicated service (2013–2025).

Director Langer’s commitment to our district has been foundational. He leaves a lasting legacy built on thoughtful leadership, steady collaboration, and a commitment to inclusion for all students.

He was instrumental in shaping our strategic direction, expanding mental health supports, and ensuring every student has access to academic and extracurricular opportunities.

Thank you, Director Langer, for being a caring and approachable advocate and for your tireless commitment to building strong schools and a strong community. We appreciate you!

Thank you, West Thurston Fire for stepping up for our kids! Yesterday, they donated a supply of warm coats for teens in our community. These coats will be distributed directly to students who need them, ensuring they can stay warm and focused during these cold months.

We are grateful for partners like West Thurston Fire who look out for our Rochester students and families.