Principal Update 1.10.2026

Tiger Talk

Principal Update

January 10, 2026

Dear Carnation Families,

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful break and an enjoyable holiday season. It has been great welcoming students back to school and feeling the positive energy across our building. Overall, students did a fantastic job transitioning back into learning routines. We also had some fun this week thanks to our PTSA, who sponsored an engaging anti-bullying assembly featuring magician Jeff Evans.

January is a busy and exciting month as we reach the midpoint of the school year. This is a time to celebrate the growth our students have made so far and to begin identifying learning priorities for the second half of the year. Teachers will be using this time to reflect on progress, adjust instruction, and continue supporting each student’s learning journey.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support,

Steve Lesco

Principal, Carnation Elementary

Lescos@rsd407.org | 425-844-4553

Upcoming Events

• Friday, January 16 – PTSA General Meeting @ 5:00 in the library

• Monday, January 19 – No School in observance of MLK Jr. Day

• Wednesday, January 21 - Carnation Learning Walk ; MLK Jr. Peace Walk @ 3:00

• Thursday, January 22 – Bond and Levy Community Info Night @ 5:00-7:00 in the Tolt MS Multipurpose Room

• Monday, January 26 – No School for Teacher Workday

• Wednesday, January 29 - Carnation Learning Walk (date change)

Upcoming School Funding Measures

In the February election, Riverview School District will ask the community to consider three local school funding measures. These measures are designed to continue funding for programs and services currently in place and to address long-term facility needs.

Two of the measures are levy renewals that replace levies set to expire in 2026. The third measure is a Capital bond. Together, they support students, staff, and school facilities across the district.

More information is available on the website. Questions may be sent to bondandlevy@rsd407.org

Carnation Learning Walks

We invite you to come see Carnation Elementary in action by joining one of our upcoming Learning Walks!

A Learning Walk is a guided tour of our school during the day, hosted by a school leader. These visits offer a unique opportunity to:

• Observe classrooms in action

• Learn more about our programs

• Gain a deeper understanding of what students experience every day

Each Learning Walk includes a brief introduction, several classroom visits, and a short debrief discussion at the end. To ensure a respectful and focused experience for both visitors and students, each session is limited to four participants.

Upcoming Dates:

• January 21 | 11:00–12:30 p.m.

• January 29 | 11:00–12:30 p.m. (*Date Change)

Reserve Your Spot - Space is limited, so we encourage you to sign up early. Please click HERE to reserve your spot.

We look forward to welcoming you and sharing the incredible teaching and learning happening every day at Carnation Elementary. Thank you for your partnership and support!

i-Ready Diagnostic Assessments

Over the next few weeks, students will participate in our winter i-Ready diagnostic assessments in reading and math. This is an important measure of both student achievement and growth and helps teachers understand how students are progressing over time and plan instruction that meets individual learning needs.

Student results are also used to create each child’s i-Ready MyPath, which provides personalized instruction aligned to their specific learning needs. For MyPath to accurately support students, it is important that the diagnostic truly reflects what they know and can do.

Teachers will be sharing specific testing dates with families. We encourage you to help your child come to school well-rested, on time, and ready to do their very best work. While we don’t want students to feel stressed, we do want them to take their time, stay focused, and show their best thinking.

MLK Jr. Day and Peace Walk

There is no school on Monday, January 19th in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. 

Carnation Elementary will host an MLK Jr. Peace Walk on Wednesday, January 21 from 3:00–3:20 p.m. Students will create signs or posters honoring Dr. King’s message and then participate in a walk around our greater campus before ending with a song on the playground. Families are invited to join us for this meaningful event.

Anti-Bullying Magician Assembly

Thanks to the support of our PTSA, magician Jeff Evans visited Carnation on Wednesday morning for an anti-bullying assembly. Jeff delivered important messages about kindness, respect, and making positive choices while keeping students thoroughly entertained with his magic. We encourage you to ask your child about their favorite part of the assembly and the important messages they learned. 

New Soccer Goals

When students see a need and speak up, great things can happen. Following the break, two new soccer goals were added to our field thanks to the generosity of our PTSA. Several 4th and 5th grade students took the initiative to write thoughtful letters advocating for additional goals, and the PTSA graciously responded. The new goals allow us to host two soccer games simultaneously during recess, giving more students the opportunity to play and be active. Thank you to our amazing PTSA and to our student leaders for demonstrating how advocacy and partnership can lead to positive change!