BIPOC Mental Health Month is observed every July, and it shines an essential spotlight on the unique mental health challenges and needs of those racial and ethnic groups that are historically disenfranchised or oppressed in the United States. This year's theme is "More Good Days, Together."

Happy Independence Day! Let's hear it for America's 250th birthday!

South Asia offers a wealth of rich and beautiful culture and history, and we celebrate its people each July during South Asian Heritage Month, a month-long annual celebration honoring those with heritage from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and the Maldives.

July 2 marks the anniversary of our Civil Rights Act—a landmark moment in U.S. history of the Act signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on July 2, 1964. It prohibited racial discrimination in public places, as well as providing for the integration of schools and other public facilities. It also made employment discrimination illegal and was considered the most sweeping civil rights legislation since Reconstruction.
 

Across PSESD, today’s students are doing more than studying the environment—they’re working to save it.

In Snoqualmie Valley School District, Meadowbrook School’s (MBS) secondary students recently took their commitment to environmental stewardship to the banks of the Snoqualmie River. Students partnered with Nature Vision and the Changing Seasons Farm, as part of their Blue Team program, to continue a vital, multi-year study of the local salmon spawning watershed near Carnation.

The arrival of warmer weather at Kapowsin Elementary in Bethel School District means that teacher librarian Amy Dalin’s library is on the move.

While some might picture a library as a place of hushed silence and heavy curtains, Dalin prefers a bit of "controlled chaos" and the fresh air of the Pacific Northwest as another wonderful location for encouraging students to discover a love of reading.

Helen Keller lost her sight and hearing in early infancy, yet she overcame those obstacles to become a celebrated author and representative of the deafblind community and its potential during her lifetime. Taking place during the week of her birthday on June 27, Deafblind Awareness Week takes place each year during the last week of June, and this year, it will be observed from June 25 to July 1.

Recently, students and staff across the Orting School District participated in a regional lahar drill, an important safety exercise coordinated with multiple school districts across Pierce County that is designed to practice evacuation procedures in the event of a lahar—a destructive, fast-moving volcanic mudflow or debris flow.

There's a common saying that "A picture is worth a thousand words." Here at PSESD, we decided to add two pictures to bring to life a visual depiction of our End: “We co-create just and humanizing educational communities where every student thrives and succeeds, benefiting future generations."

As a result, the lobby at our main PSESD Renton office now features two beautiful new wall murals by artists Nofo Porter and Leslie Khounsombath, who collaborated to transform those words into vibrant images.

The YouTube show "Capacito Cultural" provides an opportunity for conversation in the professional learning community, in a space where culture meets leadership for meaningful conversation that inspires action.

Hosted by founder Dr. Rosa Maria Bell, the most recent episode, "When Funding Fades, Leadership Is Revealed: A Call to Act for Multilingual Learners," features a timely discussion between Bell and PSESD Superintendent Dr. Gustavo Balderas that emphasized how educational leadership isn't measured by resources, but by the vision, courage, and commitment they demonstrate in service to their students and communities.

It's time for Juneteenth! Officially known as Juneteenth National Independence Day, Juneteenth is a federal U.S. holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States while celebrating the resilience and strength of the Black community across the years. Here's your opportunity to celebrate from June 17 through June 21, with our specially assembled calendar that spotlights the rich array of Juneteenth celebrations you can attend throughout Puget Sound.

Auburn School District is excited to share a wonderful opportunity for its children attending Pioneer Elementary. Beginning in the 2026–27 school year, Pioneer Elementary will offer a Spanish English Dual Language Program for students enrolling in Kindergarten and First Grade.

Each June 11, King Kamehameha Day celebrates the accomplishments of “King Kamehameha the Great.” 

Northshore School District has been honored by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction’s (OSPI) Child Nutrition Services as a recipient of the Rooted in Excellence Culturally Inclusive Meals award.

Are you in the mood for a tune? June is Black Music (or African American Music) Appreciation Month!

It's National Caribbean-American Heritage Month, which takes place all June long in order to honor America’s rich and diverse Caribbean-American community and their contributions to art, science, culture, medicine, and more across the centuries.

It’s LGBTQ+ Pride Month, which supports and recognizes the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community while commemorating its struggles against discrimination across the years.

This spring, the Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA) and PSESD recognized James Young and Maricella Gonzalez with the WASA Regional Student Leadership Award.

In Shoreline School District, the Shorewood High School Jazz Band was recently selected as a finalist for the 31st annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival, which is widely regarded as the nation’s most prestigious high school jazz competition. Shorewood was one of just 20 schools nationwide invited to perform at the event in New York City.