Back to School Guide
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Your Guidebook for Summer, Back To School and Beyond
Welcome to the 2026-2027 Compass – a comprehensive family guide helping you navigate to the important points on your student’s journey ahead. In this guide you’ll find information about our summer activities offerings, important dates in our district and lots of tips and tricks for how you can help your student successfully navigate the start of the 2026-2027 school year. If you have questions not answered by the Compass, feel free to drop us a line at communications@chehalisschools.org and we’ll help.
Mark Your Calendar: Important Dates to Know
- June 15-18 – FREE Summer Meals for Kids 18 and Younger: 8:45-9:15 a.m. breakfast at Orin Smith Elementary; 12-12:30 p.m. lunch at Orin Smith Elementary.
- June 15-18 & June 22-25 - Camp OSE Session #1 hands-on STEAM camp for incoming 3rd through 5th graders at Orin Smith Elementary. FREE. Go to THIS LINK to register your student for this experience.
- June 22-25 - Camp OSE hands-on STEAM camp for incoming 3rd through 5th graders at Orin Smith Elementary. FREE. Go to THIS LINK to register your student for this experience.
- June 17 – Cornerstone Partnership Presents Kinder Camp for all incoming Kindergarteners at James Lintott Elementary. FREE. Go to THIS LINK to learn about how to register your student
- Aug. 3 – W.F. West High School (grades 912) Main Office Re-opens after summer
- Aug. 3-6 – FREE Summer Meals for Kids 18 and Younger: 8:45-9:15 a.m. breakfast at James Lintott Elementary; 8:45-9:15 a.m. breakfast at Orin Smith Elementary; 11:30-12 lunch at Chehalis Middle School; 12-12:30 p.m. lunch at James Lintott Elementary; 12-12:30 p.m. lunch at Orin Smith Elementary.
- Aug. 3-6 – University of Washington Summer STEM Camp for incoming 9-12th graders at W.F. West High School. $25 per student with scholarships available. Go to THIS LINK to register your student for this experience.
- Aug. 3-6 – Chehalis Middle School (Grades 6-8) STEM Camp for incoming 6-8th graders at Chehalis Middle School. FREE. Go to THIS LINK to register your student.
- Aug. 3-6 & Aug. 10-13- Camp OSE Session #2 hands-on STEAM camp for incoming 3rd through 5th graders at Orin Smith Elementary. FREE. Go to THIS LINK to register your student for this experience.
- Aug. 8 – Cornerstone Partnership presents Kindercarnival Noon-2 p.m. at James Lintott Elementary for all incoming and outgoing Kindergarteners and their families
- Aug. 10-13 – FREE Summer Meals for Kids 18 and Younger: 8:45-9:15 a.m. breakfast at James Lintott Elementary; 8:45-9:15 a.m. breakfast at Orin Smith Elementary; 12-12:30 p.m. lunch at James Lintott Elementary; 12-12:30 p.m. lunch at Orin Smith Elementary.
- Aug. 18 – Chehalis Middle School (Grades 6-8) Main Office Re-opens after Summer
- Aug. 18 – W.F. West High School (grades 9-12) Freshman Link Day for all incoming 9th graders
- Aug. 19 – W.F. West High School (grades 9-12) Readiness & Picture Day for all 10th-12th Graders: 8-10 a.m. for 12th graders; 10-12 for 11th graders; and 1-3 p.m. for 10th graders.
- Sept. 1 – First day of the 2026-2027 school year for grades 3-12
- Sept. 2 – First day of the 2026-2027 school year for grades 1-2
- Sept. 4-7 All Chehalis Schools Closed for Labor Day Weekend
- Sept. 8 – First day of the 2026-2027 school year for Kindergarten
More important dates are available on the 2026-2027 District Calendar (English) at THIS LINK or the District Calendar (Spanish) at THIS LINK
I Want To Know...
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When Will My Office Be Open?
- Chehalis School District Office is open to the public 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. M-F
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Which School Does My Student Attend?
- Students in Grades 9-12 attend W.F. West High School at THIS LINK
- Students ages 18-22 who receive Student Support Services attend VISIONS at THIS LINK
- When deemed necessary by the district, some high school aged students attend Turning Point at THIS LINK
- Students in Grades 6-8 attend Chehalis Middle School at THIS LINK
- Students in Grades 3-5 attend Orin Smith Elementary at THIS LINK
- Students in Grades K-2 attend James Lintott Elementary at THIS LINK
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What School Supplies Will My Student Need?
If you want to get a jump on school supply shopping, our lists for next year are already available.
CLICK HERE for W.F. West High School (grades 9-12)
CLICK HERE for Chehalis Middle School (grades 6-8)
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How Much is School Lunch?
- At James Lintott Elementary (grades K-2), Orin Smith Elementary (Grades 3-5) and Chehalis Middle School (grades 6-8) all students receive one meal free at breakfast and lunch. Second meals, a la carte items and milk only are not free and the price will be charged to your student’s meal account.
- At W.F. West High School (grades 9-12), students are responsible to pay for their meals. Breakfast is $2.10 and Lunch is $3.75.
Meal Charge Policy
- Students will not be denied a meal if their lunch account does not have money in it, but the charge will be added to their account and any remaining balances at the end of the year will be carried over to the next year.
- Families can view their student’s meal account balance by logging in to Skyward Family Access and can make a payment on their student’s lunch account through our online payment portal at THIS LINK.
- If your family meets income requirements for free or reduced meal prices, please submit an application each year, even if your student attends a school where lunch is provided for free. Qualifying for free or reduced meals can also help your family access other assistance, such as HB1660, which can assist in fees for optional noncurricular extracurricular expenses.
Free & Reduced Lunch Applications
- Free & Reduced Lunch applications for the 2026-2027 school year will open in August. Stay tuned for more information.
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Students in Grades 9-12:
The W.F. West Athletics Office, located in the main school office, will reopen to the public Aug. 3. The first day of practice for the fall 2026-2027 season is Aug. 19.
Register for W.F. West High School Athletics
W.F. West High School sports schedules can be viewed at THIS LINK
Athletic participation requires a $45 per sport fee, participation in the football team requires a $50 annual fee plus $30 helmet fee. If your family qualified for free and reduced lunch during the 2024-2025 school year, you can ask for assistance paying your fall sports fees. CLICK HERE to read more about HB1660 in English or CLICK HERE to read more about HB1660 in English
Athletic paperwork must be completed and turned in and fees must be paid before the first day of practice or students will not be allowed to practice
Students in Grades 6-8:
Register for Chehalis Middle School Athletics
Chehalis Middle School sports schedules can be viewed at THIS LINK
Athletic participation requires a $25 annual ASB card fee, $30 fee per sport and $30 helmet fee for football. If your family qualified for free and reduced lunch during the 2024-2025 school year, you can ask for assistance paying your fall sports fees. CLICK HERE to read more about HB1660 in English or CLICK HERE to read more about HB1660 in Spanish.
Athletic paperwork must be completed and turned in and fees must be paid before the first day of practice or students will not be allowed to practice
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The Chehalis School District will once again be on a two-tiered schedule for the 2026-2027 school year. This means that W.F. West High School (grades 9-12) and Chehalis Middle School (grades 6-8) begin and end an hour earlier than Orin Smith Elementary (grades 3-5) and James Lintott Elementary (grades K-2).
We will also be having 90-minute early release most Wednesdays.
If your family has need of before- or after-school care for your student or care for your student after early release Wednesdays, check out THIS LINK with information about offerings from our community partners.
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Check Out If You Need a Check Up
There are many reasons why your student may need to visit your family doctor before the start of the school year. Physical forms for our student athletes need to be renewed every year for Chehalis Middle School (grades 6-8) and every other year at W.F. West High School (grade 9-12). There are also immunizations due for students at certain ages. CLICK HERE for school related health information and forms from our nurse’s office.
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Log In to ParentSquare & Skyward So You Don’t Miss Out
Skyward is our student information system while ParentSquare is our district’s primary form of communication with families.
On Skyward you can check your student’s grades, attendance and progress toward graduation requirements. You can also sign up to receive progress reports for your student and alerts for their grades or school lunch account.
On ParentSquare, you can send and receive messages.
All families of active students with a Skyward account automatically receive ParentSquare messages but registering your account allows you to customize your preferred language and message delivery options. CLICK HERE to read more about ParentSquare & Skyward and to get started.
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We are so grateful for our many volunteers, both parents and community members, who help out at our schools. Before volunteering anywhere in the Chehalis School District, you are required to fill out a form, which includes a background check, and be cleared by the district office. Volunteers need to renew their clearance every two years. For more information about how to apply to become a volunteer, go to THIS LINK.
2026-2027 Startup Checklist
Step #1 – Enrollment, Registration & Returning Students
I Live Inside the District Boundaries
- Returning Students – You do not need to re-register your returning student, even if they are moving to a new building in our district. We ask that all families complete Yearly Student Renewal forms found in the parent/guardian login on Skyward Family Access.
- New Students – Please complete your online enrollment forms as soon as you know you will be attending Chehalis Schools. CLICK HERE to register grades K-12 for the 2026-2027 school year.
I Live Outside the District Boundaries
- Returning Students – A Choice Transfer request must be submitted and approved by the Chehalis School District every year you wish to continue to attend Chehalis Schools. CLICK HERE to file your Choice paperwork for the 2026-2027 school year. Once you have completed Choice paperwork, please complete Yearly Student Renewal forms found in the parent/guardian login on Skyward Family Access.
- New Students – Any student who resides outside the Chehalis School District and wants to attend Chehalis Schools needs to file a Choice Transfer request. We recommend filing this paperwork early to avoid schedule disruptions for your student. CLICK HERE for more information about the Choice Transfer process and how to get started.
I’m Not Sure If I Live Inside Or Outside the District Boundaries
Call the district office at (360) 807-7200 and we can check your address for you.
The Chehalis School District Office is open 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. If you do not reach someone, leave a detailed message with your name and address and we will return your call.
Step #2 – Get to Know Your Student’s School
Step #3 – Getting To School
Step #4 –
Points of Interest For the Journey Ahead
Every step of a student’s journey in the Chehalis School District is an important one. But in every journey, there are a few landmarks that are more notable than others. Follow the links below to access helpful information to help you and your student navigate some of the points in their journey where they may need a few extra compass points to keep you on the correct path.






