In a time of what can seem like unending negative news, it is heartening to remember that many positive, uplifting things are happening around us every day, particularly in our schools. The joy of seeing young people tackle hard problems, master new skills, and express their creativity is a constant source of inspiration to and from our teachers and staff, whose dedication helps them achieve their goals.

Celebrating and spotlighting are two important roles of Sequim School District communication with our community. We have several communication channels, to make it easier for our parents, students, and our community to learn about what is happening in the district.

In order to share the unique and notable student and staff accomplishments this school year, we have debuted an e-magazine titled “Kaleidoscope.” The magazine features articles, photographs, updates and upcoming opportunities from inside our school buildings and beyond.

This month, there is a focus on student accomplishments and community partnerships. There is also a center page providing an update about the district’s progress with capital levy projects to improve our facilities. There is much to read, and we are proud of our progress.

To read the latest edition of Kaleidoscope, you can scan the included QR code or go to the Sequim School District webpage at sequimschools.org.

Our district webpage is a primary hub for school district communication. The webpage features important upcoming events and tabs to access information about district departments (such as transportation), student registration, curriculum, the school board and links to each school webpage.

The website includes a treasure trove of information on topics relevant to families, staff and community members. Each school’s webpage has school-specific information on events, procedures, routines and more.

Beyond district and school-based webpages, each school communicates directly with families through newsletters, social media and email. All five of our schools issue weekly newsletters on Fridays. The newsletters highlight important upcoming events, initiatives and information for family and community awareness.

There are opportunities for involvement at our schools through volunteering, attendance at special events and more. Weekly newsletters are the up-to-date source for these happenings, and we encourage you to visit school webpages to read the most recent newsletters.

For more urgent messages about things like inclement weather delays or district-wide special communications, the district also utilizes a communications tool called School Messenger — a valuable tool for both safety and immediate, rapid alerts through text messaging and email platforms.

The district also provides opportunities to communicate in person. School board meetings are held twice per month on the first and third Mondays of the month (with a few exceptions), and public comment is welcomed at these meetings. In-person forums have been held on issues of concern like school safety and behavioral support for students.

We have conducted listening tours with different community groups such as veterans and district alumni to request their input, and I meet regularly with high school students to get their feedback as well. A community survey was distributed earlier this year with another to come soon.

We know that communication is a two-way street: the Sequim School District is committed to prioritizing proactive communications to both inform and to receive input.

The Sequim School District is committed to open and transparent communication with our community. We all benefit when we direct our questions and concerns to the people who can provide the most accurate and up-to-date information.

In that regard, stakeholders can always direct questions to me at rnickels@sequimschools.org or to Sequim Board president Eric Pickens at epickens@sequimschools.org.

If we do not know the answers ourselves, we will direct you to the expert in our organization who does.

Regan Nickels is superintendent of the Sequim School District. “Schools in Focus” is a recurring column featured in the Sequim Gazette. See sequimschools.org. For more information or to comment on this column, email to columnists@sequimgazette.com.