We’re Getting Ready! Are You?

Welcome to the 2024-2025 Back to School Checklist for students and families of the Chehalis School District. Whether you’re new to our district or a seasoned veteran, use this handy guide for all questions back to school.

Important Dates for the 2024-2025 School Year

You can find important dates throughout the school year on the Chehalis School District Calendar (https://chehalisschools.org/calendars/) or on the calendar on on the main web page of your student’s school. Here are some important dates to know for the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year:

  • Aug. 1 – W.F. West High School (grades 9-12) office and athletic office re-opens to the public
  • Aug. 1 – W.F. West (grades 9-12) and Chehalis Middle School (grades 6-8) athletic fees may be paid online or in person at the W.F. West Athletics Office
  • Aug. 14 – James Lintott Elementary office re-opens to the public
  • Aug. 20-21 – Readiness Days at W.F. West High School. Aug. 20 8-10 a.m. is for 12th graders, Aug. 20 10 a.m. to noon is for 11th graders, Aug. 20 1-3 p.m. is for 10th graders. Freshman Link Day – a mandatory gathering for all incoming freshmen – is Noon to 3 p.m. Aug. 21
  • Aug. 22 – Families can begin filling out Free & Reduced Lunch Applications for 2024-2025. Check with your student’s school office or Chehalis School District Office (360-807-7200) to see if an application already exists for your family for the 2024-2025 school year. CLICK HERE to get started.
  • Aug. 22 – Chehalis Middle School (grades 6-8) office re-opens to public
  • Aug. 26 – Orin Smith Elementary (grades 3-5) office re-opens to public
  • Aug. 28 – 3-6 p.m. Parent Orientation for Orin Smith Elementary (grades 3-5). Read more HERE
  • Sept. 3 – First day of classes for all incoming 3rd through 12th Graders
  • Sept. 3 – Scheduled Conferences for incoming 1st and 2nd graders and their families. Call James Lintott Elementary (360-807-7215) after Aug. 14 if you need to schedule a conference
  • Sept. 3-5 – Scheduled WAKids Conferences for incoming Kindergarteners and their families. Call James Lintott Elementary (360-807-7215) after Aug. 14 if you need to schedule a conference
  • Sept. 4 – First day of classes for all incoming 1st and 2nd Graders
  • Sept. 6 – First day of classes for all incoming Kindergarteners

Register New Students

Do you live in the Chehalis School District boundaries and need to register a student for the 2024-2025 school year? Our online registration system is now open! We encourage you to register your student prior to the first day of school in order to avoid waiting in line. CLICK HERE to get started.

Choice Transfers

Do you live outside the Chehalis School District boundaries and want your student to attend Chehalis Schools next year? Choice transfer paperwork is due every year for both new and returning students who live outside the Chehalis School District boundaries. CLICK HERE to learn more.

Habla Espanol?

If you need assistance with Spanish language translation of our registration forms, call Cecilia Jimenez at Cornerstone at (360) 219-3657 to schedule an appointment.

Annual Renewal Forms

If your student attended Chehalis Schools last year and is returning this year, please fill out Annual Renewal Forms for your student through Skyward Family Access. These forms take only a few minutes to complete and allow you to review your family’s contact information, emergency instructions and communication preferences so we can better serve you. Remember, in the event of an emergency, the contact information listed in Skyward Family Access is what we will use to contact you, so it is important you update your information if your phone number or email address changes.

CLICK HERE to complete your Annual Renewal Forms. Having difficulty logging in to Skyward? Contact Janis Dobyns at jdobyns@chehalisschools.org.

Find Your Student’s School Supply List

CLICK HERE for James Lintott Elementary (grades K-2)

CLICK HERE for Orin Smith Elementary (grades 3-5)

CLICK HERE for Chehalis Middle School (grades 6-8)

CLICK HERE for W.F. West High School (grades 9-12)

Need Help Getting Supplies?

Having the right supplies can help a student have a strong start to their school year. If your family is having difficulty paying for school supplies for the 2024-2025 school year, Cornerstone can help. Call (360) 219-7267 or CLICK HERE to learn more about how Cornerstone can help your family with a variety of needs.

Two-Tier System

The Chehalis School District uses a two-tier schedule for our four main schools:

PAWS Schedule

Almost all Wednesdays in Chehalis Schools, we have a 90-minute early release for Professional Academic Work for Success (PAWS). During these days, our staff have time for professional development, organization and communication with families. Wednesday, Sept. 4 is not a PAWS day schedule. The first PAWS day for the 2024-2025 school year will be Wednesday, Sept. 11.

On PAWS schedule days:

  • W.F. West (grades 9-12) has classes 7:40 a.m. to 12:40 p.m.
  • Chehalis Middle School (grades 6-8) has classes 7:50 a.m. to 12:50 p.m.
  • Orin Smith Elementary (grades 3-5) has classes 8:50 a.m. to 1:50 p.m.
  • James Lintott Elementary (grades K-2) has classes 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

CLICK HERE for the District Calendar for the 2024-2024 school year for a complete list of PAWS days and other special schedules.

Before- And After-School Care Options

Bethel Church offers an after-school program from 12:30-4 p.m. Wednesdays at the Olympic building across 20th Avenue from our elementary Schools and middle school. Boys & Girls Club of Lewis County will also be offering before school care options for families. CLICK HERE for more information about these offerings from these community partners.

How to Get Your Schedule

Class schedules for students at Chehalis Middle School (grades 6-8) and W.F. West High School (grades 9-12) will be available sometime in mid August through Skyward Family Access. We will announce when schedules are available. Your student will not be able to view their schedule until you complete their required Annual Renewal Forms, so get those filled out now so you your student can access their schedule as soon as it is available. CLICK HERE to get started.

Register Your Kindergartener

Online registration for 2024-2025 Kindergarteners is now open! Kids must be 5-years-old by Aug. 31. We encourage you to register your student prior to the first day of school in order to avoid waiting in line. CLICK HERE to get started.

Be Kindergarten Ready

Want to know more information about being ready for Kindergarten? CLICK HERE to read the Friday Connect newsletter “Let’s Get Kindergarten Ready!”

W.F. West High School Fall Athletics

At W.F. West High School (grades 9-12), our fall sports are: Football; Boys Golf; Boys Tennis; Girls Soccer; Volleyball; Cross Country; Swim Team; and Football Cheer. Football practice starts Aug. 21 and the rest of the fall sports begin practice on Aug. 26. Fall sports registration is open online through Rank One and all paperwork needs to be turned in before the first day of practice. Sports fees may be paid online or in person starting Aug. 1 when the W.F. West Athletics Office re-opens to the public. CLICK HERE for more information or to register for sports.

Attending W.F. West Sporting Events

Cost to attend W.F. West athletic events is $7 for adults and $5 for students/seniors. Tickets can be purchased at the gate using cash or debit/credit or in advance through our ticketing partner GoFan. Season ticket options are also available for purchase. Season ticket holders from the prior year are given the opportunity in early August to purchase their same seats again, after which any unclaimed seats are available to the public. Call the W.F. West Athletics Office at (360) 807-7235 after Aug. 1 to inquire about season tickets. CLICK HERE for more information about attending W.F. West athletics.

Chehalis Middle School Athletics

At Chehalis Middle School (grades 6-8), our fall sports are football, girls soccer and cross country. Fall sports practices begin on Aug. 24. Fall sports registration is open online through Rank One and all paperwork needs to be turned in before the first day of practice. Sports fees may be paid online or in person starting Aug. 1 when the W.F. West Athletics Office re-opens to the public. CLICK HERE for more information or to register for sports.

School Bus

The Chehalis-Centralia Transportation Co-Op provides bus service for students living in the Chehalis School District boundaries. Transportation preferences are part of the required Annual Renewal Forms found on Skyward Family Access. CLICK HERE to get started.

Driving Your Student

Please be aware that our parking lots, especially those at our elementary schools, can be very busy in the morning during drop-off and in the afternoon during pick-up. Allow yourself plenty of time so that you can also observe the 20 mph school zone speeds for the safety of all students. For student pick-up, if you schedule allows you to arrive 10-15 minutes after the end of the school day, you will avoid being stuck in traffic.

Pick ups  drop offs ARE NOT allowed:

  • In the 18th Street yellow bus zone in front of W.F. West
  • In the bus area on the south side of Chehalis Middle School
  • In the bus area between James Lintott and Orin Smith

High School Drivers

All licensed high school students who want to drive themselves to school must register their car with the ASB office prior to using the WFW parking lot. A restricted number of reserved parking spots marked with white paw prints may be reserved starting at W.F. West readiness days. Staff parking spots are marked with a double yellow line. All other spots are open on a first-come first-served basis. If the school parking lot is full, students may park on 16th Street or 19th Street.

How Much is School Lunch?

Students at James Lintott Elementary (grades K-2), Orin Smith Elementary (grades 3-5) and Chehalis Middle School (grades 6-8) can have one breakfast and one lunch each day for free. If they choose to have a second meal or to purchase a la carte items their student account will be charged. At W.F. West High School (grades 9-12) breakfast is $2.00 and lunch is $3.55 for each meal. CLICK HERE for more information about school lunch in the Chehalis School District.

Paying for Student Meals

To view your student’s lunch account balance, log into Family Access in Skyward and choose “Food Service” in the menu bar on the left hand side. This page gives you information on your student’s balance, fees due, payments made and daily account of what your student has purchased. A payment button will take you to a portal where you can make a payment to your student’s account.

Need Help Paying for School Lunch?

Eligibility for free and reduced lunch is based on family income. If you think your family qualifies, you can begin filling out forms for the 2024-2025 school year Aug. 22. Before filling out forms, check with your student’s school office or the Chehalis School District Office (360-807-7200) to see if an application already exists for your family for the 2024-2025 school year. CLICK HERE for more information or to fill out forms after Aug. 22.

Do You Want to Volunteer in Our Schools?

We are so grateful for the work our volunteers do. We have more than 900 individuals cleared to volunteer in our district. From chaperoning a school dance, to coming along on a field trip, to helping out in the classroom, we have many opportunities for you to volunteer in our district. All school volunteers need to fill out a volunteer clearance form every two years. CLICK HERE for more information.

All Your Healthcare Questions

Want to know if your student needs immunizations to start the school year? Or, do you need to know how to send them to school with a medication? How about information on how to decide whether it is safe to send them to school with the sniffles? All these and more health information can be found on our Nurse Health Services page. CLICK HERE for more information.

Chehalis Shows Up

In the Chehalis School District, we encourage good attendance through the Chehalis Shows Up campaign. At each of our schools, attendance is encouraged through various incentives throughout the year, so keep an eye out for more information. Chehalis Shows Up is about how we show up for school and also how we show up for each other. If your family has a barrier to getting your student to school on time, every day or all day, please talk to your student’s teacher or school administrator because we would love to help you find a solution.

Attendance Matters Here

September is Attendance Awareness Month for a good reason! Research shows, if your student starts the school year with good attendance, they are more likely not only to continue with good attendance but also show better academic outcomes. These handouts can help you learn about chronic absenteeism and also what you can do to help set your student up for attendance success.

Kindergarten Info – ENGLISH

Kindergarten Info – SPANISH

Elementary School Age Info – ENGLISH

Elementary School Age Info – SPANISH

Secondary School Age Info – ENGLISH

Secondary School Age Info – SPANISH

ParentSquare for Messaging

Starting with the 2024-2025 school year, the Chehalis School District will be using ParentSquare as its primary communication platform. You will soon receive an email inviting you to create an account on ParentSquare where you can set your communication preferences such as what language you would like to send and receive messages in and what time of day you would like to receive non-emergency messages.

Read All About It

The Chehalis School District puts out a number of newsletter publications, including the weekly Friday Connect (returning Aug. 23!), monthly Staff Spotlight and quarterly Safety Connect. If you are a Chehalis School District parent or guardian with a contact in Skyward, you will automatically receive our newsletters. If you are a community member and would like to receive Chehalis School District publications and announcements, send an email to communications@chehalisschools.org to be added to our mailing list.

Your Voice Matters

Communication doesn’t just go one way in the Chehalis School District. Our doors are open to to our community and we want to know what you think so we can better serve you. Besides our every day pathways to communicate with our buildings, school board and district office, there are occasionally chances to participate in a survey, focus group or committee. CLICK HERE for more information about how you can connect with us.