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South Colby Elementary

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A Message from Superintendent Tim Winter | September 2026

Posted Date: 09/24/26 (04:30 PM)
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Newsletter Banner Belong Believe Become From the Desk of Superintendent Winter
 
September 2026
 
Capital Projects Levy Image and QR code

Vote by November 3

South Kitsap School District has a Capital Projects Levy on the November 3 ballot.

The theme of the Capital Projects Levy is “Hometown Pride - Taking Care of What We Have” and the proposal focuses on improving the facilities that South Kitsap students and the South Kitsap community use every day. The Capital Projects Levy will fund improvements in three key areas:

  • Safety & Security Projects
  • Technology for Learning
  • School and Community Use Facility Upgrades

If approved by voters, the Capital Projects Levy will be collected over 3-years with an estimated tax rate of $1.50 per thousand of assessed home value. Scan the QR code to visit the district website to learn more about the proposed Capital Projects Levy.
 
The Capital Projects Levy represents months of thoughtful planning, community collaboration, and professional expertise. Throughout the development process, the district worked with the community lead Facilities Steering and Finance Advisory Committees. The district also consulted with architects, engineers, and construction professionals to evaluate the feasibility of projects. We believe the proposed levy projects are responsible investments that reflect the priorities our community helped establish.
 
Learn more details about the projects included in the Capital Projects Levy on the district website at https://www.skschools.org/levy. 
 

More Than Just A Logo

There is something about recognizing a familiar symbol and realizing you have a connection.

I have experienced it myself. I’ve worn an SK hat to a Mariners game or while traveling and had someone come up to me because they recognized the logo. Maybe they graduated from South Kitsap, have family here, or simply know our community. That familiar SK becomes an instant connection and usually leads to a story about South Kitsap. 

That is part of the thinking behind our refreshed South Kitsap School District logo.

For years, the district has used the “S Path” as our primary logo. Moving forward, we are transitioning to the classic SK, a mark with a long tradition at South Kitsap High School that is recognizable throughout our community and well beyond it.

We are also placing a stronger emphasis on navy blue, a color the district has used for many years. This does not change the colors or identity of South Kitsap High School. It simply gives our district a more consistent and recognizable look.

A logo is a small thing, but it can represent something much bigger. Our history, our identity, and our connection to one another. It’s another way of celebrating what it means to be Hometown Proud.

-Tim
 

Celebrating Stories, Creativity, and Community

On August 22, Marcus Whitman Middle School was filled with stories, creativity, and a love of literacy as we hosted the SK Storytellers Summit.

More than 250 people joined us for a day that brought together authors and artists from across the Pacific Northwest to share their work, their experiences, and their passion for storytelling. It was a great reminder that literacy is about more than learning to read and write. Stories help us connect, imagine, understand one another, and sometimes see the world a little differently.

The day was made even more special by our keynote speaker, Jamie Ford. Jamie is the New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, a beloved novel that is widely taught to our ninth-grade students. Jamie attended Marcus Whitman Middle School and graduated from South Kitsap High School making his return to SK particularly meaningful!

The summit was made possible through a generous grant from the Port Gamble S’Klallam Foundation, and we are incredibly grateful for their investment in our students, families, and community.

A huge thank you also goes to the incredible team of SK staff who had a vision for this event and put in the work to make it happen. Bringing an idea like this to life takes creativity, collaboration, and a whole lot of effort.

Another reason to be Hometown Proud!
Storytellers Summit
Storytellers Summit
Storytellers Summit
 

Join us for the SK Quest for Camp!

Grab your family and join us for SK Quest for Camp - a fun hometown scavenger hunt for the whole community! Teams will explore, solve clues, and have fun together while supporting a great cause - helping provide outdoor camp experiences for our South Kitsap fifth-grade students this school year.

Saturday, October 17 @ Cedar Heights Middle School
Check-in & Registration: 10:00am
Quest Begins: 11:00am

Whether you come with family, friends, or a team from the community, everyone is welcome! Come have some fun, celebrate our South Kitsap community, and help make camp possible for our fifth graders.
Girl at camp
Group at camp
 

Finance Advisory Commitee

We are currently accepting applications for new members of our Finance Advisory Committee. The committee began meeting last January as part of our commitment to transparency, community engagement, and helping people better understand how school district finance works.

The group meets monthly to learn about district finances, ask questions, provide perspective, and help us think about how we communicate financial information with our community.

We have already kicked off our meetings for this school year, but there is still time to join us. If you are interested in learning more about school district finance and being part of the conversation, we invite you to complete an application by visiting our website - https://www.skschools.org/committees. 

We want to continue opening our doors, sharing information, and creating opportunities for our community to connect with the work happening across South Kitsap.
Finance Advisory Committee
 
South Kitsap School District
2689 Hoover Ave SE
Port Orchard, WA 98366
360.874.7001