Message from Ms Tapper - January 8, 2026

Happy New Year and welcome back! I hope you and your family enjoyed a relaxing, happy, and healthy winter break. It was so wonderful to see all of the students back this week and to see their joy as they returned to school. Students told me that they had a great vacation and were excited to be back, which was great to hear.

January is a busy month. We are almost halfway through the year, which means it’s the time when the students will be showing us how much they have learned so far. As the teachers prepare for the end of the first semester and the first report card grades to come out on January 23, students will be taking some mid-year assessments in reading, writing, and math. While testing can sometimes be nerve-wracking or time-consuming, it gives both students and teachers information about their progress. Is that student ready to change groups? Need more help? Work at a higher level? Do more practice at home? Continue with the current support? Keep an eye out for assessment results in February as well as grades and report cards on January 23 in Family Access..

Temperance & Good Citizenship Day January 16 & MLK Jr. Day January 19 – We celebrate these two holidays this month and teach students the meaning of being a good citizen and helping to make the world a better place. Every year, I go around to each classroom to read a book and lead a discussion about MLK and/or citizenship during these weeks. In Kindergarten, we read, “I Am One,” a book of action and how one person’s actions can make a difference. In 1^st grade, we read, “Speak Up,” a rhyming book about what kids can do when they hear or see people being mean to others. In 2^nd grade, we read, “Say Something,” which talks about how important everyone’s voice is. In 3^rd grade, we read, “Be a King,” a book about MLK’s dream and what we can do to make those dreams come true. In 4^th grade, we read “Change Sings,” by Amanda Gorman about how children can bring change into the world. Finally, in 5^th grade, we read, “A Sweet Smell of Roses,” which talks about the civil rights marches from the ‘60s, two young girls’ experiences, and a lot of symbolism. I am always impressed at how much the students are able to interpret and understand these stories, and I hope that you will continue these discussions at home so that we all think of the holiday as a “day of service-a day on, not a day off.” Thank you for helping our children continue to develop our January character trait of the month - Integrity - while continuing to develop into the amazing citizens that they are.

Happy 2026!

In partnership,
JoEllen Tapper, Principal
tapperj@issaquah.wednet.edu