“Ready, set, schedule!” read the subject line of an email that came from the Edmonds School District sharing the 2023-24 Family and Community Calendar, among other information. I have already learned, forgotten and remembered that the next school year starts on Sept. 6 (Sept. 11 for kindergarteners. I was going to follow the directions and add some important dates to the calendar, but I printed it out and taped it up under this school year’s calendar, which is mostly ignored except when making long term plans or going “wait… you don’t have school tomorrow?”

This schedule debuts the weekly 75-minute early release each Friday, and a new icon to learn (and relearn) from the legend of coded shapes at the bottom of the calendar. Also included in the email is a link to “Key Dates” which is a list of first days and holiday breaks and options to get more information about kindergarten enrollment, Jump Start, Edmonds Preschool and Edmonds Family Pre-K. For more information you can visit Edmonds.Wednet.edu.

Along with Summer Music School, Middle School STEM Camp is another great summer option put on by the Edmonds School District. Open to all current 6th and 7th graders, this three-day camp runs from Aug. 22-24 at Mountlake Terrace High School. This is a great look into the district’s STEM program and a chance to do an egg drop, CAD/Laser Design, and something called “Giant Angry Birds.” They are offering two sessions to choose from, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or 1-4:30 p.m. I know that each time my oldest went to this camp he came home happy and with a lot of things to tell us about! Registration can be found on InTouch by searching “STEM” or clicking on the QR code in the flier above. Any additional questions can be directed to MTHS STEM Coordinator Debra Davenport at davenportd@edmonds.wednet.edu.

There is a chance to spend an evening with Emerald City Floorball coming up. On June 3, first through sixth graders can register to try floorball, basically “hockey off ice,” at Terrace Park Elementary School from 5-6:30 p.m. For the $25 registration fee, kids can use provided equipment and learn the sport without a long-term commitment. There are several options to play floorball — they have four after- school programs going locally, offer Friday Night Floorball drop-ins at Frances Anderson Center and have a new eight-week session at Alderwood Boys and Girls Club this summer. There are a few ways to register for these events. Find registration for the “Try it” event HERE, contact Edmonds Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services at 425-771-0230 about the drop-in sessions, and you can contact Coach Sal, who is active on social media, at Facebook.com/EFCSeattle.

You may have seen the bright signs posted outside Edmonds’ Frances Anderson Center for the Seattle Derby Brats. I know I was intrigued by the bright image and am always happy to look into a sport that isn’t offered everywhere. Seattle Derby Brats is now offering New Skater Camps “open to all girls and gender expansive individuals” ages 8 to 11 and 12-17 years old, the Tootsy Rollers and Junior Mints respectively. This camp is a “fun way to learn basic skating skills and safety – anyone can sign up simply for the joy of skating.” Campers are not required to be evaluated for a Seattle Derby Brats team, but there is a roller derby season that covers all the same ages as camp if your skater wants to try out for the league. The camp and teams are based at their North Seattle facility, near Bitter Lake, and more information and registration can be found at SeattleDerbyBrats.com.

Edmonds College has opened some registration for more youth camps. They are offering Visual Art and Technology Camps for campers ages 8 to 11 and 11 to 15. There are now camps open for drawing, printmaking, creating digital music and programming with Python, among other options. I can say that I have been searching for a STEM-based camp for a teenager for the last few weeks and waiting until these options opened because so many of the camps with STEM in the name were shockingly expensive. It is exciting to find a camp that still has space right now too! For more information and registration, you can visit Edmonds.edu — and if you end up requiring customer service after you put in the wrong info like I did, they are a call away and very helpful.

— By Jennifer Marx

Jen Marx, an Edmonds mom of two boys, is always looking for a fun place to take the kids that makes them tired enough to go to bed on time.