Observed on the third Monday in January, Martin Luther King Jr. Day (also known as Civil Rights Day) celebrates the life and legacy of clergyman, activist, humanitarian, and Civil Rights Movement leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. while supporting his dream of a better world.

Lake Washington School District recently shared that students at Thoreau Elementary are pedaling into a new era of safety and fun! This year, they became the first participants in the Let’s Go Bicycle Program, a statewide initiative funded by the Climate Commitment Act and administered by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), which selected Cascade Bicycle Club to design and implement the program.

Oregon's Beaverton School District, led by incoming PSESD Superintendent Dr. Gustavo Balderas, was just named K-12 Dive's 2025 District of the Year.

Seattle Public Schools recently shared that Franklin High School is making history, as thanks to the Seattle Seahawks and PCL Construction, the school has received a Girls Flag Grant to launch its first-ever high school girls flag football team! This milestone comes as flag football is officially recognized as a WIAA sport, opening new opportunities for female athletes across Washington.

January is School Board Recognition Month, which was originally created by the National School Boards Association in 1995. 2026 marks the 30th anniversary of School Board Recognition Month, with the theme “Our Future is Public.” The month provides an important opportunity to recognize the talented, dedicated people on Washington's 295 locally elected school boards, as well as the nine elected educational service district boards who are the core of the public education governance system in Washington state.

Tacoma Public Schools recently reported that St. Joseph Medical Center, part of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, recently surprised Edna Travis Elementary School with a generous gift of $11,870! Travis Elementary was selected by St. Joseph team members as their chosen beneficiary, making the donation an unexpected and welcome show of support.

The Mercer Island High School VEX Robotics team, the Slippery Penguins, took part in the 2025 VEX Robotics Cross Border Challenge Tournament at Bellingham High School recently. The Cross Border Challenge brought together 62 top VEX robotics teams from Washington and British Columbia.

Many local schools and districts celebrated Computer Science Education Week in December, and Snoqualmie School District recently reported on how Mount Si High School’s Girls Who Code club partnered with Google to host a special after-school event celebrating women in technology and opening doors for students interested in computer science.

Happy holidays! The winter holiday season is filled with a rich variety of celebrations, from Christmas (December 25), to the Jewish observance of Hanukkah/Chanukah (December 14-22), to the Latin celebration of Nochebuena, to Kwanzaa, for those of African-American descent.

Hanukkah, or Chanukah (from the Hebrew for “dedication”) is the Festival of Lights that takes place across eight days each year in December for those of the Jewish faith. This year, Hanukkah began at sundown on Sunday, December 14, 2025, and concludes at sundown on Monday, December 22, 2025.

A translation of the phrase “The Inns” in Spanish, Las Posadas is an ancient annual celebration embedded in Mexican and Latin American culture that is celebrated from December 16-24.

Talk about music for the ears! Six Tacoma Public Schools music teachers were recently awarded more than $26,000 in Music Aid Northwest grants (https://wmea.org/music-matters/) to support their school’s music program. More than 10% of the funds awarded to Washington teachers by this organization in 2025 came to Tacoma Public schools.
 

Sometimes referred to as “the largest learning event in history,” Computer Science Education Week, or “CSEd Week,” is celebrated during the second week of December (December 8-14 this year), and was created with the goal of shining a spotlight on computer science and inspiring K-12 students to take an interest in computer literacy and coding.

December 2 marks the observance of The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, which is focused on the eradication of all slavery, including the modern forms which include trafficking, sexual exploitation, forced marriage, child labor, and the forced recruitment of children into armed conflict.

National Special Education Day is celebrated every year on December 2, to commemorate the anniversary of our nation’s first federal special education law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), signed by President Ford on December 2, 1975.