This year, thanks to a North Kitsap Schools Foundation grant, students across Choice Academy, Kingston High School, and North Kitsap High School embarked on a shared journey through The Hobbit. For the length of that journey, every student had a copy in hand—turning pages together, stepping into Middle-earth, and discovering the kind of storytelling that lives beyond trailers, special effects, and end credits. And that’s where the magic really happened.

The Olympic Regional Chess Championships recently concluded at North Kitsap High School, serving as a vital competitive venue for 67 local students. Beyond the boards, the event highlighted a masterclass in community support and student-led initiative.

At Suquamish Elementary School, the rock river has long been part of the campus—something students pass on their way to class, something that quietly belongs to the place. This year, it was refreshed through a project inspired by the book Only One You, giving students an opportunity to engage with that familiar space in a new way.