September 2025

Stop by our annual Stuff the Bus event from 9:00 am–2:00 pm on Saturday, September 27, at the Hawks Prairie Walmart (1401 Galaxy Drive NE, Lacey, WA 98516) to help support NTPS families in need! Help us stuff the bus and donate school supplies, backpacks, children's books, diapers, new clothes, canned and packaged food, toiletries, and household cleaning supplies. Learn more about Stuff the Bus.

The South Sound Pow Wow is a free community event that includes Native dancing, drumming, arts and crafts vendors, and concessions. All are welcome to attend from 1:00–7:00 pm on Saturday, September 27, at Bethel High School (22215 38th Avenue E, Spanaway, WA 98387).

Join us at Lacey Children’s Day from 11:00 am–2:00 pm on Saturday, October 4, at Huntamer Park (618 Woodland Square Loop SE, Lacey, WA 98503). This year’s theme is Let's Play! Level Up Your Game! Enjoy booths filled with games, activities, crafts, entertainment, inflatables, and more! Stop by the NTPS booth to say hello and enjoy a fun activity. Rain or shine, we will be there!

All families should complete the Child Nutrition Application this school year, even if your school provides free breakfasts and lunches. The application can be submitted online in Skyward Family Access, or paper copies can be turned in at your school office.    

Completed applications from all families support important funding for all NTPS schools. Families that complete the application may also qualify for additional benefits like waived school fees and summer food assistance. Family eligibility notifications will be posted in Skyward Family Access under the Portfolio tile.

Child Nutrition Application

Consistent attendance helps students thrive in school and sets up good habits that last a lifetime.

When your student misses school, it’s important that a parent/guardian contacts the school to excuse the absence so that students can make up work from those days. Absences can be reported for up to five days by calling the school or using the Attendance tile in Skyward Family Access. You’ll be notified of an unexcused absence through ParentSquare, and you can leave a note for the office by clicking the link in that message.

Good school attendance helps students thrive:

• Preschoolers learn the good habit of showing up on time.
• Elementary students read well by the end of 3rd grade.
• Middle schoolers pass important courses.
• High schoolers stay on track for graduation.

You can support good attendance by:

• Making attendance the expectation.
• Using early release or days off to schedule appointments when possible.
• Setting a regular bedtime and morning routine and schedule.
• Preparing for school the night before.

NTPS schools will begin composting food waste in fall 2025, ahead of a state law that goes into effect in January 2026. Composting is good for our soil and reduces methane emissions.

Our new composting program is a change for most of us and will require time, practice, and patience! Please visit the NTPS composting webpage to learn more and watch a short video about how to compost. Thank you for helping us make this program a success by talking about it with your student.

Composting at NTPS

We want to be sure our students, drivers, and community members are safe in and around school buses. Everyone plays a part!

Families: Watch this short video about NTPS bus expectations featuring some NTPS students and review the student rider expectations in the Student Rights & Responsibilities Handbook.

Those who drive in our community: Refresh your knowledge of when to stop for school buses.

The NTPS School Board approved the 2025-26 school year budget at the August 12, 2025, meeting. The budget includes funding for staff, equipment, and supplies, while maintaining a 6% fund balance to ensure continued financial stability.

Thanks to voter support, we were able to continue upgrading and modernizing facilities and equipment around the district over the summer!

Facilities improvements

• Refinished the gym floor and added a portable at Mountain View Elementary School.
• Installed field goals at Salish Middle School.
• Installed new dishwashers at Horizons and Meadows Elementary Schools.
• Finalized the lighting at the new Nisqually Middle School track and field.
• Completed the classroom wing at River Ridge High School.
• Replaced HVAC equipment and controls at South Bay Elementary School.
• Upgraded secure entrances at Envision Career Academy and Seven Oaks, Lakes, and Olympic View Elementary Schools.
• Replaced play structure at Seven Oaks Elementary.

Technology improvements

• Installed interactive flat panels in classrooms at Timberline and River Ridge High Schools and Lacey, Lydia Hawk, Meadows, Olympic View, and Pleasant Glade Elementary Schools.
• Refreshed laptops for students at Summit Virtual Academy.
• Prepared 2,500 new Chromebooks for secondary students.
• Upgraded 4k classroom cabling at North Thurston High School, Salish Middle School, and Pleasant Glade and Evergreen Forest Elementary Schools to enhance connectivity.

NTPS Building our Future

More than 70 NTPS students earned the Seal of Biliteracy during the 2024-25 school year! The Seal of Biliteracy is a way for students to earn recognition and credit for showing proficiency in world languages through a national exam.

Check out our Facebook and Instagram pages to see photos from this event and other exciting things happening in our schools!

IT Professionals Day is September 16. We begin the school year by recognizing the hard work of our district technology team. We appreciate their dedication to keeping us all connected and our systems running smoothly. Thank someone in tech today!