Dear Families,

Well, we tried to warn you that May (and June) would be action packed. Our wonderful students have been on exciting field trips, had parties and field days, shared lunch with family, and made lasting memories.

The last weeks of school were unusually stressful for our staff with the loss of Internet for over a week. Thank you to our staff and families for their patience while we navigated this breach. As I reported earlier, hackers were not able to access student records and the work will continue over the summer to confirm what files they may have accessed. No ransom was paid. It took about a week to rebuild our network, thanks to the tireless efforts of our excellent IT Department.

But nothing could dim the joy in the last month of school. We'd like to leave you with just a glimpse into some of these honored and fun-filled traditions.

We'll be around most of the summer if you need us, and we are already planning another great year of meaningful education for Ellensburg kids.

Thank you for your continued support of our local Ellensburg schools and students.

Your Partner in Education,

Superintendent Troy Tornow

We can't talk about Spring without talking about our ESD Child Nutrition team. Besides all the breakfasts and lunches they routinely serve, they hosted four elementary barbecues and a spectacular senior breakfast in two weeks time.

Before you ask, yes, it was locally sourced and homemade, including homemade pickles! At the barbecues students and guests got to choose between hamburgers or pulled pork sandwiches. Ellensburg’s own Meeks Farm provided the beef. The pork came from Olsens Farm in Colville, and the apples were from Rowley and Hawkins in Othello.

"The senior breakfast is always a capstone event at the end of the year for our department," says Alexandra Epstein-Solfield, director of Child Nutrition. "Our incredible kitchen lead (at EHS) Heather outdid herself once again. This is her final year with us, so we hope the students felt the love she put into it.

How cute are the waffle cone cups?!"

Thank you to our number one yum team for making these events so special!

The ESD Board of Directors honored this year's retirees with a celebration and refreshments on May 27.

Superintendent Troy Tornow said a few words about each retiree, sharing accolades and well wishes from their supervisors. Each retiree was presented with an apple-shaped bell that included their names, years of service to ESD and the District logo.

Thank you to each and every one of these fine men and women who have devoted their careers to making life better for the children of Ellensburg.

ESD students spent May uniting the community in music. in addition to the end of year concerts, students took their show on the road to provide entertainment for our community.

Congratulations to all of our student who share the gift of music with their peers, families and our community.

Even though the weather didn't always cooperate, our students have been living their best lives with parties, games, field days and all other matter of uproarious fun.

Every school has their own traditions and flavors of fun. Lincoln and Mt. Stuart had awesome obstacle courses. Valley View hosted the always fun color run. At Ida, students got a cool off thanks to Kittitas County Fire and Rescue. Everyone got to run and play outside. Staff and parents did a great job of setting up fun obstacle courses and activities!

Later that evening, Morgan said goodbye to the 8th graders (the Class of 2030!) with a big party at Ellensburg High School.

In the Commons, student were treated to pizza, Italian soda, a candy bar, a photo booth and tiny temporary tattoos. In the gym students played sports, threw inflatable axes and played poker, among the many activities. But the real draw was the foam party. At the end of a foam party you don't hose down, but luckily Mr. Teasley was on had with a leaf blower to clean them off!

Visit our Facebook page!

You can find more photos of graduation and great times. We'll also share summer stories and opportunities for families as the season rolls along.

Just click the image, or go to https://www.facebook.com/ellensburgschools