Staff Handbook & Resources

Dear Yelm Community Schools Staff,

Welcome to the 2025–2026 school year! We are excited to begin this year together and to welcome our students back for another year of growth, learning, and achievement.

This year also marks the launch of our 2025–2030 Strategic Plan — Future-Ready Students. Community-Strong Schools. — which will guide our collective work over the next five years. At the core of this plan are three commitments that reflect both our values and our daily practice: Learning, Belonging, and Community.

• Learning: Ensuring every student has access to high-quality instruction, high expectations, and the support they need to succeed.
   
• Belonging: Creating schools where every student — and every staff member — feels safe, respected, and connected.
   
• Community: Building strong partnerships with families, colleagues, and neighbors to provide the best opportunities for our students.

These commitments are deeply connected, and when they align, they create the conditions for our students to thrive.

Your role in this work is essential. Each of you contributes to student success — whether through teaching, support services, leadership, or daily interactions that help students feel valued and cared for. The relationships you build, the instruction you provide, and the encouragement you give all shape the future of our students and our community.

Thank you for your dedication, your professionalism, and your commitment to our mission. Together, we will make this a year of meaningful learning, strong connections, and shared accomplishments. I am proud to serve alongside you and look forward to the year ahead.

Sincerely,
Chris M. Woods
Superintendent