February 23, 2022
Dear students, staff, families and community,
Last week I sent out a second update on Thursday, February 17 with newly released information about mask requirements in schools. Governor Jay Inslee announced that the statewide indoor mask requirement for Washington State, including our K-12 schools will end March 21, 2022. There are two important details I want to communicate regarding the upcoming changes:
- Masks are still required inside all of our school facilities until the mandate is lifted on March 21. This means we have 17 more school days in which masks are required by students and all adults, including visitors to our schools.
- Unless federal transportation guidelines change, masks will still be required on school buses. This is due to a federal mandate that requires masks to be worn on all forms of public transportation.
I do not know if there will be any further updates other than the mask requirements to the K-12 OSPI and DOH Guidelines. If updated guidelines are released later this week, I will post them on our website. Mount Baker School District expects that individual choices for masking will be respected by all students and adults. Keep in mind that there will be some people who are extremely anxious about this change and fear for their safety. Some people will be celebrating the long-awaited freedom from masks. Many people will fall somewhere between these two end posts. We don’t all have to believe or feel the same, but we do have to treat everyone with dignity and respect. As we move forward, let’s all make kindness and understanding our defaults for how we treat one another.
Winter sports ended with fourteen of our athletes competing at the state level at the Mat Classic XXXIII in Tacoma last weekend. Congratulations to our boys and girls wrestling teams as well as the coaches! Mount Baker Boys Wrestling Team placed 4th in State!
Next week we welcome March as well as spring sports and activities! I would like to be able to predict sunshine and warmer weather, but I can predict a busy spring with lots of positive opportunities for Baker students to engage in great things!
Go Baker!
Mary Sewright, Superintendent
msewright@mtbaker.wednet.edu
(360) 617-4600