PSD Future Readiness Monthly Update - February
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February is Career & Technical Education (CTE) Month, and across Peninsula School District, students are learning by doing, exploring careers, and building skills that prepare them for what comes next.
CTE Month is intentionally aligned with course registration and High School & Beyond Plan planning, helping students and families make informed decisions about future pathways. From early curiosity to career-ready skills, this month highlights one clear message:
CTE is Career Readiness.
Throughout February, students will engage with industry professionals, explore career pathways, participate in hands-on learning, and hear directly from peers who are leading and learning through CTE programs.
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Future readiness begins early. Elementary students across PSD are building curiosity, problem-solving skills, and creativity through STEAM learning and hands-on experiences.
This month, we’re celebrating student success in programs like FIRST LEGO League, where elementary teams demonstrated perseverance, teamwork, and innovation through robotics and design challenges. These experiences reflect the foundation of CTE — learning by doing.
Families can also look forward to upcoming Elementary STEM Nights, where students and families will explore science, engineering, and creativity together. STEM Nights are scheduled for January 29 at Minter, February 5 at Pioneer, and April at Evergreen.
We’re excited to continue partnering with our elementary schools to bring career exploration to students using Transfr VR Headsets and curriculum. Through immersive simulations, students can explore more than 50 careers — from electrician and firefighter to medical assistant, chef, web developer, and biomedical engineer — helping them imagine what learning today can lead to tomorrow.
At home:
Talk with your child about what they enjoy building, creating, or solving. Ask what they’re curious about and encourage them to notice careers they see in everyday life.
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Middle school is a key time for exploration. Students begin experiencing CTE Pre-Pathways, which introduce real-world skills and career areas before high school pathway selection.
During lunch times in February, students will have an opportunity to participate in career exploration using Career Prep with Transfr VR Headsets, allowing them to experience a wide range of careers in an engaging, hands-on way. These simulations help students identify what types of work spark their interest and curiosity.
Following these experiences, the Post Secondary and Career Counselor and Career Center Specialist will support students in making sense of what they explored by helping them connect those career interests to CTE courses offered in middle school and high school. This guidance helps students see how current classes and future course options align to potential pathways.
In the classroom, students are engaging in Pre-Pathway courses such as Design & Modeling, Medical Detectives, Flight & Space, Robotic Engineering, Computer Science for Innovators & Makers, Multimedia Productions, Energy & the Environment, Building for the Future, and Intro to Manufacturing. These courses allow students to build skills, try new areas, and better understand their strengths.
Guardians are encouraged to log into SchooLinks, where they can view interest surveys, explore career clusters with their student, and see how middle school experiences connect to future planning.
At home:
Ask your student which careers stood out during the VR exploration and why. Talking about what they enjoyed helps turn exploration into informed choices as they plan ahead.
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February is Career & Technical Education (CTE) Month, and across Peninsula School District, students are connecting classroom learning to real careers through hands-on experiences, industry engagement, and leadership opportunities.
Throughout the month, the Future Readiness Centers are hosting industry partners, labor unions, and technical colleges who are visiting campuses to speak directly with students about career pathways, certifications, apprenticeships, and postsecondary options. These experiences are intentionally aligned with course registration and High School & Beyond planning, helping students see how today’s choices connect to future opportunities.
A centerpiece of CTE Month is the CTSO Student Celebration and Student-Led School Board Presentation on February 3, where student leaders from each high school will share how Career & Technical Student Organizations have helped them develop leadership skills, technical knowledge, and confidence. Their voices help tell the story of how CTE prepares students for life after high school.
CTE Month highlights the many ways students can explore interests, earn dual credit, gain industry-recognized certifications, and access technical and college pathways — reinforcing one clear message:
CTE is Career Readiness.
At home:
Ask your student which industry visits, classes, or CTE experiences stood out this month and how those experiences are shaping their thinking about next year’s courses.
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As course registration begins, students use SchooLinks to plan their courses and ensure they are meeting graduation requirements while exploring pathways aligned to their interests.
The SchooLinks Course Planner allows students to build a multi-year course plan, review graduation requirements, select pathways or programs of study (including CTE pathways), and see how individual courses fit into their High School & Beyond Plan. As students add courses, SchooLinks automatically shows whether requirements are on track, helping students make informed decisions before submitting their plan.
Students can access Course Planner directly from their SchooLinks dashboard or through the Plan tab. Once inside, they select courses by grade level, review course descriptions, and check for prerequisites or credit requirements. Plans can be updated and refined before final submission, and counselors review plans to ensure students are supported in making appropriate choices. Students can learn more here: https://www.loom.com/share/201e97cf28ef44a59af5d4713a0d823d
Guardians can log into SchooLinks to follow along, review course plans, and support conversations at home about graduation requirements, CTE pathways, and postsecondary goals. Guardians can learn more about logging in by visiting this site: https://www.psd401.net/hsbpschoolinks
At home:
Review your student’s SchooLinks course plan together and talk about how their selected courses align with their interests, goals, and future pathways. Encourage your student to visit the Future Readiness Center with questions before submitting their plan.
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- Peninsula High School
- Gig Harbor High School
- Henderson Bay High School
Learn more or schedule an appointment:
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The Peninsula School District does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. If you have questions or complaints regarding alleged discrimination, please call the Peninsula School District Educational Service Center at (253) 530-1000 or visit our office located at 14015 62nd Ave NW, Gig Harbor, WA 98332, and ask for one of the following coordinators: Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator, compliance@psd401.net; Title IX Compliance Coordinator, titleix@psd401.net; 504 Compliance Coordinator, 504@psd401.net; ADA Compliance Coordinator, ada@psd401.net. |
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