Let me take this opportunity to give thanks to the many, many community partners that make the lives of our students and our community so much richer. On behalf of our dedicated, hardworking staff, thank you for your generous gifts of time, talent and treasure to make our schools and community better each year:

• The city of Marysville provides school resource officers at city high schools and partners with Marysville Schools in joint use and maintenance of school fields and gyms.  Inter-local agreements help us meet community needs together at lower cost to taxpayers.  And Healthy Communities helps make Marysville even more livable.
• YMCA and the Minority Achievers Program builds hopes and dreams for minority students — showcasing minority student success, building college and career skills, and providing scholarships.
• Sno-Isle Library partners with the schools in our number one mission — reading for all students.  Librarians bring programs into our schools, make library cards available, maintain a 24/7 homework hotline, and provide reading activities in the library.
• Marysville Together (Community Coalition) helps coordinate the 411 conference each year — bringing together community partners to showcase services to meet special needs in our community.  They were recently awarded a county grant to help with drug awareness, prevention and intervention.
• n The Greater Marysville Tulalip Chamber of Commerce supports hundreds of local businesses which give vitality to our community and support to our schools.
• Tulalip Tribes provides well over $1 million in support for Tulalip students as well as students district-wide.  Their funding provided science materials for all middle school students as well as a data system to show student progress.
• 150 Community Partners participate in our annual college and career Opportunity Expo each April.  Local businesses, service agencies and college/tech/trade schools feature dozens of career opportunities.
• Rotary provides $1,000 per school for literacy, makes grants to schools and raises $50,000 for student scholarships that support our mission of college readiness.
• United Way makes a positive and lasting difference in the lives of families and children by providing free books to pre-school children, after-school programs, varsity letters for community service, and volunteers to read with students.
• Junior Achievement raises funds — and volunteers — to provide 1,000s of kids each year with basic financial literacy awareness.
• Parents: The Parent Teacher Association, at the district level and at each school, provides key contacts with parents and raises essential funds to support teachers in the classroom.  Booster clubs for music and athletics provide volunteers and funding that we couldn’t live without.  Parent volunteers (like reading tutors and Watchdog Dads) are essential to the success of our schools.
• Charitable groups like the Marysville Food Bank, Kloz 4 Kids, Operation School Bell, Operation Marysville Community Christmas and more, provide clothes and supplies for needy children.
• Area churches help in so many ways, from school supplies to grounds clean up.  Marysville Assembly was recognized this fall for hundreds of volunteer hours contributed to cleaning up school grounds.  Mountain View Presbyterian was honored in November for partnering with Cascade Elementary year-round, but especially so during their recent fire.
• Outstanding students are recognized by Soroptimists and Kiwanis — which also provide many scholarships.  The General Advisory Council (for Career and Technical Education) recognizes vocational students of the quarter.
• Gifts, in addition to the above, total $400,000 per year from various community partners.  Fred Meyer and Target have been some of our biggest contributors, providing benevolent funds for homeless children, school supplies and athletic fees for those less fortunate.

And many more … community members, donations to programs, special projects such as A&T Robotics, the Boeing STEM initiative, and the Marysville and Tulalip Boys & Girls Clubs.  Thank you Marysville and Tulalip for your generous contributions to help make our community the best place to live, to learn and grow.

Dr. Larry Nyland is the Superintendent of the Marysville School District and can be reached at 360-653-0800.