Jim Kuehnle was a Spokane Valley businessman, community leader, and legislator who believed in reward based upon merit and that people should be compensated in direct proportion to the quality of their work. To that end, this award was created to recognize teachers with high standards and excellent performance. The criteria used for selection include: dedication, motivation, honesty, diligence, and the demonstrated willingness to go above and beyond. 

East Valley is filled with educators who possess the previously mentioned qualities and attributes. The 2023-2024 year’s Jim Kuehnle Award recipients are: Lara Lynch, CCS; Julie Scott, EVMS; and Sheldon Durr, EVPP. Our congratulations and heartfelt appreciation to these Outstanding Educators!

While the vast majority of us are looking forward to summer break, we have a significant number of staff who are looking forward to a much longer break…. retirement! Our retirees have been pillars of strength, wisdom, and compassion. They’ve weathered countless changes, witnessed generations of students, and contributed significantly to the growth and success of our students and schools. Let’s take a moment to recognize these amazing individuals:

Certificated:

Darsi Bankey - Trentwood, Health/Fitness Teacher - 32 years of service
Bill Close - EVHS, Materials CTE Teacher - 38 years of service
Jennifer Daly - CCS, LAP Teacher - 26 years of service
Lori DeCoff - Trentwood, Kindergarten Teacher - 20 years of service
Don Erickson - EVMS, Special Education Teacher - 27 years of service
Debbie Hill - EVHS, Counselor - 33 years of service
Tammy Hovren - EVHS, ELA Teacher - 33 years of service
Lissa Humphreys - EVHS, ELA Teacher - 30 years of service
Gail Jessett - Trent, Title I Intervention Teacher - 1 year of service
Bret Kiefer - EVHS, Career/Technology CTE Teacher - 31 years of service
Deena Ransom - East Farms, Resource Room Teacher - 22 years of service
Dena Scott - Trentwood, ½ Combo Teacher - 9 years of service
Julie Scott - EVMS, ELA/Social Studies Teacher - 37 years of service
Shane Toy - EVHS, Health/Fitness Teacher - 33 years of service
Stephanie Watson - EVHS, ELA Teacher - 27 years of service
Cindie Webb - EVHS, Resource Room Teacher - 9 years of service
Marcy Williams - EVMS, Social Studies Teacher - 22 years of service
Norma Woodward - CCS, 1st Grade Teacher - 27 years of service
Linda Robinson - CCS, 2/3 Combo Teacher - 34 years of service

Classified:

Scott Armitage - Transportation, Bus Driver - 11 years of service
Jeanie Bourgeous - EVOL, Paraeducator - 27 years of service
Todd Halvorson - Transportation, Bus Driver - 9 years of service
Renee Mastronardi - Otis Orchards, ECEAP Lead Teacher - 25 years of service
Mark Nelson - Transportation, Bus Driver - 20 years of service
Laurie Oien-Baxter - CCS, Paraeducator - 19 years of service
Lori Quick - Trentwood, Assistant Cook - 29 years of service
Laurie Scalf - Otis Orchards, Kitchen Manager - 18 years of service
Merri Tate - Trent, Secretary - 25 years of service

To our retirees, we express our deepest gratitude:

• Thank you for your unwavering dedication.

• Thank you for the late nights, the extra tutoring sessions, the heartfelt conversations, and the commitment and dedication to All Things East Valley.

• Thank you for being mentors, confidantes, and friends to all who crossed your paths.

As you step into retirement, know that your impact will endure. May this new chapter be filled with joy, adventure, and well-deserved relaxation. Farewell, dear colleagues—we’ll miss you, but your legacy remains.

East Valley has a new SRO! Deputy Carlos has been dedicated to law enforcement since 2008, beginning his career with the San Diego County Sheriff's Department. Most of his time with San East Valley has a new SRO! Deputy Brandon Carlos has been dedicated to law enforcement since 2008, beginning his career with the San Diego County Sheriff's Department. During this time, he served primarily as a K9 Handler developing a deep bond with his canine partners and honing his skills in that specialized field. In 2017, he transitioned to the Spokane County Sheriff's Office. During his time there he served as a Patrol Deputy in the County portion of Spokane Valley, the Deputy for the City of Medical Lake, and the School Resource Deputy for both the Medical Lake School District and the Central Valley School District. Deputy Carlos’ commitment to public safety extends beyond the school environment, as he is also an active Public Safety Scuba Diver with the Emergency Operations Team. In addition to his law enforcement expertise, he holds an EMT-B certification, which enhances his ability to respond to medical emergencies.

Outside of work, Deputy Carlos is an avid outdoorsman. He loves spending time camping, hiking, and fly fishing, enjoying the beauty and tranquility of nature. These activities provide a perfect balance to his demanding job and offer quality time with his family. He is happily married and the proud parent of two wonderful children, aged 17 and 12. His family also includes two beloved dogs, Frankie and Pepper, who join them on many of their family’s outdoor adventures.

Change is inevitable. Though change can bring up feelings of anxiety and angst, we must embrace it in a way that provides for growth and vitalization. Throughout the busy spring season, East Valley School District has been in the process of finding new leadership at the district and building levels. Below are the changes that have been made thus far.

Dr. Karen Cloninger (Assistant Superintendent) will soon be leaving EV to lead the Longview School District on the west side of the state. Additionally, Cari Roderick (Assistant Director of Technology and Assessment) has taken a director position in the West Valley School District. In rethinking how we go about our work, both of these district positions have been reorganized and filled internally. Dawn Bushyeager (Trentwood Principal) has been named Director of Elementary Teaching and Learning and Mat Orndorff (EVMS Principal) will be the Director of Secondary Teaching and Learning. Beginning July 1, Katie Himmerich (EVHS Assistant Principal) will move to East Valley Middle School as the new principal. Meanwhile, and after five years of service in East Valley, Brandon Dunn (Trent Elementary Principal) will be returning to Central Valley as an elementary principal. Trent’s current Principal Assistant, Cameron Rippee, will move into the Principal role at Trent. Brandon Shryock, who currently serves as the East Farms Principal Assistant, has been named Assistant Principal at EVHS. After all of this movement, and many moving parts, we still have some work to do. We will continue our endeavor of filling positions as interviews have been scheduled in mid-June for the Trentwood Principal position. The two Principal Assistant positions (East Farms and Trent) have been posted and we hope to close that loop by the end of June. Though we will miss our friends and colleagues who are leaving, we embrace this opportunity to add to a talented team.

East Valley School District will be replacing the roof at Trentwood Elementary School this summer as part of the capital projects levy approved by voters.  The contractor will begin moving materials onto the site on Monday, June 17, and work will start on Thursday, June 20.  The roof replacement is expected to be complete by August 15, just in time for the start of school. Beginning on Thursday, June 20, the Trentwood office staff will be located at the EVSD Walker Center (3830 N Sullivan Rd). You will still be able to leave messages for Trentwood administration and office staff via phone at 509-927-3215.

Since the school will be a construction site, please help remind your children to stay out of the fenced construction area.  For families wanting to use the playground, we recommend considering the CCS or Plantes Ferry Park. Thank you for your understanding and partnership. 

Over the last several years, we have contemplated the current "open campus" status allowing our juniors and seniors to leave for lunch. Though this has been a long-standing practice, there are many reasons as to why it has been at the forefront of our minds. Beginning next school year (2024/2025), the decision has been made to close the EVHS campus during lunchtime. Though we realize this decision will not be popular amongst our student population, we'd like to share the reasoning behind this change. 

The most compelling purpose of implementing a closed campus is that of student safety. The lunch period is thirty-minutes long and, as such, students are often in a rush to leave campus and then in a hurry to return to campus in the allotted time. The roadways around EVHS are busy throughout the day; there is always a potential for harm whenever our students get into their own vehicles to leave the campus. This is especially true during a thirty-minute span when students are expected to be at their next class on time or during the winter months when our roads are hazardous. When students leave the campus, we lose visibility into their activities. Though we trust our students will make good choices, we cannot guarantee their safety or the nature of their actions during off-campus lunch breaks. By maintaining a closed campus, we can better ensure their security and minimize potential risks. 

As always, we are grateful to our families and community for their support of our students' well-being.  

What are SUN Bucks?

In December 2022, the federal government authorized a new permanent, nationwide Summer EBT program – also known as SUN Bucks – to support children who lose access to free and reduced-price school meals during the summer months. SUN Bucks is separate from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and provides $120 in food benefits to each eligible child. This amount may be adjusted annually. Similar to SNAP, SUN Bucks is a flexible food benefit that families can use to buy food to help offset rising food costs. Using SUN Bucks also helps bring additional dollars into local economies. For additional information please click here.

East Valley will be hosting its first ever Classified Career Fair & Hiring Event! This is a great opportunity to meet our district leaders and explore career opportunities in the areas of Transportation, Custodial, Maintenance, Nutrition Services, Paraeducators, Early Learning, and more! Whether you're starting your career journey or looking to make a meaningful change, we have something for everyone! All are welcome who are interested in seeking exciting career opportunities! We hope to see you there!

Thursday, August 1, 2024
3:00 pm - 6:00 pm
East Valley High School

In anticipation of the upcoming summer vacation, this is a reminder that if your student(s) are accessing the school bus, they must register IN ADVANCE (of the 2024-2025 school year).   In order to have the most up to date information and most efficient routing, EVERY STUDENT NEEDING TRANSPORTATION MUST REGISTER every year.    Please go to the link below for the registration form.   

https://www.evsd.org/page/transportation

We will continue to have the ‘Here Comes the Bus’ app that will tell you when your student’s bus is approaching the stop. 

PLEASE NOTE:  If you received this email and your family will not have students attending East Valley next year, please disregard.  Once the grade roll over is completed in the student database system this summer, your family will no longer receive messages.

If you have questions, feel free to contact the Transportation Department at 241-5901.