Nine Mile Falls Elementary School

08/29/2026

Nine Mile Families,
We want to provide you with an important transportation update regarding construction on 7 Mile Road. Construction is scheduled to begin Monday, August 31, 2026, and will impact some of our bus routes on the Spokane County side of the Nine Mile Falls School District.
We apologize for the short notice. We received information about the construction detours earlier today and wanted to communicate the impact to families as quickly as possible.
If you live on the Spokane County side of the district, please review the updated 7 Mile Construction bus routes. While not all routes have been affected, several routes have been modified due to the construction and associated detours.
We will continue to communicate with the contractors throughout the project and will make additional adjustments to bus routes as needed.

You can find the impacted and updated routes here: https://www.9mile.org/o/district/page/student-transportation

If you have questions, please contact our Transportation Department at 509-388-0508.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through these temporary changes.
Jeff Baerwald

08/20/2026

Thank You, Nine Mile Falls Community

Over the past couple of weeks, we have witnessed something truly special in our community.
Thank you to everyone who has stepped up to support one another, our families, and our community during a very difficult time. The generosity, compassion, and willingness to help have been incredible.
It was wonderful to see so many people come together at Lakeside High School for our community dinner. Mercy Chefs served 609 meals to members of our community, with live music provided by Just Plain Darin. The Red Cross was there to provide additional guidance and support, and through Mercy Chefs’ relationship with the Salvation Army, hundreds of Family Meal Boxes were also available for families to take home.
Today also marked the end of the Nine Mile Falls Community Kids Camp. Hundreds of kids participated in the six days of camp, made possible through the incredible support of Project:Camp, Suncrest Worship, Journey Foursquare Church, and nearly 100 volunteers who gave their time, energy, and care to our campers.
These numbers tell only part of the story. What stands out most is the way our community has come together to take care of each other.
Thank you for reminding us what a special community this is. We are grateful for each person who has helped, encouraged, donated, volunteered, cooked, served, listened, or simply shown up.

Nine Mile Falls is stronger because of you!

Always 9 Mile Proud,

Jeff Baerwald

08/17/2026

Nine Mile Falls Community Update – August 17

I wanted to take a moment to share a quick update and remind everyone about several opportunities and resources available to our community this week.

Nine Mile Community Kids Camp is going great! It has been wonderful to see so many kids having fun, making new friends, and simply having an opportunity to be together. A huge thank-you to Project Camp, Suncrest Worship, volunteers, and community members who have helped make camp possible.
Wednesday, August 19th, will be the final day of Kids Camp. We are so grateful for everyone who has helped create such a positive experience for our kids during a challenging time for our community.

Fire Recovery Resources
The Washington Emergency Management Division will be at Station 8 in Suncrest from August 17–20, noon–8:00 PM. They will be available to meet directly with individuals and families who were affected by the Autumn Lane Fire.
Representatives from the American Red Cross will also be there to provide additional support and resources.
We appreciate these organizations making themselves available to our community and encourage those who were directly affected by the fire to take advantage of this opportunity to connect with them.

All-Community Dinner — Tuesday, August 18
We also want to remind everyone about the All-Community Dinner at Lakeside High School tomorrow, Tuesday, August 18th, from 4:00–6:00 PM.
Mercy Chefs, in partnership with the Nine Mile Falls School District, Journey Foursquare Church, Nine Mile Falls Community Church, and Suncrest Worship, is providing a free meal for our community.
Everyone is welcome! If you haven't already, please take a moment to complete the quick two-question survey so Mercy Chefs can prepare enough food for everyone. https://forms.gle/5rCGvtAKzME9ATQm6

It has been incredibly encouraging to see our community come together over the past few weeks. Thank you to everyone who has volunteered, donated, provided meals, cared for our kids, supported our families, or simply checked in on a neighbor.

Nine Mile Proud

Jeff Baerwald

08/15/2026

Nine Mile Falls Community Update – August 15

We just want to continue to remind all community members about the free meals being provided by Mercy Chefs.

Free Meals
Free dinners are available through Monday, August 17, from 4:00–6:00 PM. Meals are available through a drive-through pick-up at either:
• Nine Mile Falls Elementary School — 10102 W. Charles Rd.
• Lakeside High School — 5909 Hwy 291
This includes Saturday and Sunday.
Free lunches are also available through Tuesday, August 18, from 11:00 AM–1:00 PM at the same two locations.
Please remember that you are welcome to take food for yourself, your family, or your neighbors.

Community Dinner — Tuesday, August 18
On Tuesday, August 18, from 4:00–6:00 PM, Mercy Chefs will host an all-community dinner at Lakeside High School. Please take a moment to complete our quick 2-question survey to let us know if you and your family plan to attend the August 18 dinner.
Mercy Chefs is asking for an approximate headcount so they can prepare enough food for everyone. Please complete only one survey per household, regardless of whether you received the survey through the school district, a church, or social media. You can access the survey here: https://forms.gle/5rCGvtAKzME9ATQm6

Volunteers Still Needed
We also continue to need volunteers to help Mercy Chefs plate and serve meals. If you are able to give some of your time, your help would be greatly appreciated. There are opportunities to serve alongside others in our community and help make sure our neighbors are welcomed and cared for. Link to volunteer: https://vhub.at/Washingtonserve

Thank you for continuing to take care of one another. The support, generosity, and compassion to help has been absolutely amazing.

9 Mile Proud

Jeff Baerwald

Community Dinner — Help Us Plan! The Nine Mile Falls School District, Journey Foursquare Church, Suncrest Worship, and Nine Mile Falls Community Church, with the generous support of Mercy Chefs, invite everyone in our community to join us for a community dinner at Lakeside High School. To help Mer...

08/14/2026

Nine Mile Falls Community Update – August 14

As our community continues to recover from the recent fires, we are incredibly grateful for the many organizations, churches, volunteers, and individuals who continue to come together to support our families and neighbors.

Through a partnership between the Nine Mile Falls School District, Journey Foursquare Church, Nine Mile Falls Community Church, Suncrest Worship, and Mercy Chefs, free meals continue to be available to our community.

Free Meals
Free dinners are available through Monday, August 17, from 4:00–6:00 PM. Meals are available through a drive-through pick-up at either:
• Nine Mile Falls Elementary School — 10102 W. Charles Rd.
• Lakeside High School — 5909 Hwy 291
This includes Saturday and Sunday.
Free lunches are also available through Monday, August 17, from 11:00 AM–1:00 PM at the same two locations.
Please remember that you are welcome to take food for yourself, your family, or your neighbors.

Community Dinner — Tuesday, August 18
On Tuesday, August 18, from 4:00–6:00 PM, Mercy Chefs will host an all-community dinner at Lakeside High School.
This will be a dine-in community meal, and everyone is welcome. The goal is to give our community an opportunity to sit down together, share a meal, and spend some time with one another during this challenging time.

Please take a moment to complete our quick 2-question survey to let us know if you and your family plan to attend the August 18 dinner. Mercy Chefs is asking for an approximate headcount so they can prepare enough food for everyone. Please complete only one survey per household, regardless of whether you received the survey through the school district, a church, or social media. Click here to take the survey: https://forms.gle/5rCGvtAKzME9ATQm6

Volunteers Still Needed
We also continue to need volunteers to help Mercy Chefs plate and serve meals. If you are able to give some of your time, your help would be greatly appreciated. There are opportunities to serve alongside others in our community and help make sure our neighbors are welcomed and cared for. To volunteer for Mercy Chefs follow this link: https://vhub.at/Washingtonserve
Thank you to everyone who has stepped up during the fires and continues to support our community. The generosity, compassion, and willingness to help one another has been remarkable.

9 Mile Proud and Strong!

Jeff Baerwald

08/13/2026

Community Update – August 13

Our community continues to come together in some pretty incredible ways, and I want to keep everyone informed about the resources and support available.

FREE MEALS
In collaboration with the Nine Mile Falls School District, Journey Foursquare Church, Nine Mile Falls Community Church, and Suncrest Worship, Mercy Chefs is helping provide free meals to our community as we recover from the recent fires.

FREE DRIVE-THROUGH MEALS
Beginning today, Thursday, August 13, through Monday, August 17, free drive-through lunches will be available from 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. at both:
📍 Nine Mile Falls Elementary
10102 W. Charles Rd.
📍 Lakeside High School – Student Lot
5909 Hwy 291

Meals are free and available to everyone. Please take food for yourself, your family, or a neighbor who could use some support.
More than 300 drive-through dinners were served last night! That is an incredible response from our community and a wonderful reminder that people are taking care of one another during this difficult time.

Drive-through dinner will also be available from 4:00–6:00 p.m. at Nine Mile Falls Elementary and Lakeside High School through Monday, August 17, including Saturday and Sunday.

Please join us Tuesday, August 18, the Lakeside High School cafeteria will host an all-community free dinner from 4:00–6:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome. This will be a great opportunity for our community to come together, share a meal, and spend some time with one another during this challenging period.

A huge thank you to Mercy Chefs and all of the churches, volunteers, staff, and community members helping make this possible. The goal is simple: feeding body and soul. If you would like to help serve meals, please sign-up here: https://vhub.at/Washingtonserve

NINE MILE FALLS KIDS CAMP
Our Kids Camp also got underway yesterday, and it was wonderful to see so many children laughing, playing, and simply having an opportunity to be kids together. Thank you to the incredible volunteers who are giving their time and energy to make this possible for our families.

OUR COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO SHOW UP
One of the photos attached to this message is from yesterday, where volunteers were serving meals to members of one of the fire crews working in our area. These are just a couple of examples of the many ways people are stepping up to help.

Thank you to the firefighters, emergency responders, volunteers, churches, businesses, school staff, and neighbors who continue to care for one another.

Collectively we will continue to do everything we can to support our students, families, staff, and community.

Nine Mile Proud
Jeff Baerwald

08/11/2026

Community Update – August 11
As we continue to support one another through the aftermath of the wildfires, I wanted to share some additional information about the Nine Mile Falls Community Kids Camp and several other important community updates.

Nine Mile Falls Community Kids Camp
We are excited to offer a FREE Nine Mile Falls Community Kids Camp for children ages 5–13 at Lake Spokane Elementary School.

📍 Lake Spokane Elementary
📅 Wednesday, August 12 – Friday, August 14
📅 Monday, August 17 – Wednesday, August 19
⏰ 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

In collaboration with Project:Camp, Suncrest Worship, and Journey Four Square Church, we have created a parent registration form for families who would like their children to attend, as well as a volunteer sign-up for community members who are willing to help.
We still need volunteers to make this camp possible. If you have the time and are able to help, please consider volunteering. Your support will make a difference for our kids and families. Here is the link to sign your child up and/or to sign-up to volunteer: https://www.eventcreate.com/e/suncrest-day-camp

Transportation from the Spokane County Side
We are incredibly grateful to First Student, who has graciously offered two buses to provide transportation for students living on the Spokane County side of our district to attend the kids camp.
Bus 1
• Charles Road & West Shore Fire Station: Pick-up at 8:20 a.m., departs at 8:30 a.m.
• Nine Mile Falls Elementary: Pick-up at 8:45 a.m.
• Nine Mile Falls Elementary: Drop-off at 3:20 p.m.
• Charles Road & West Shore Fire Station: Drop-off at 3:35 p.m.
Bus 2
• Johansen & Highway 291: Pick-up at 8:30 a.m., departs at 8:40 a.m.
• Johansen & Highway 291: Drop-off at 3:25 p.m.

Lunch Provided by Mercy Chefs
We are also grateful to Mercy Chefs, who will be providing lunch for our students each day of camp. Mercy Chefs is also looking for volunteers to help serve our students. If you are interested in helping with meal service, please consider volunteering with Mercy Chefs. This link will take you to the Mercy Chefs volunteer page: https://mercychefs.volunteerhub.com/vv2/lp/Washingtonfire/

Community Town Hall
The fire team that responded to the Autumn Lane Fire will be holding a Town Hall Meeting tonight at 6:00 p.m. at Lakeside High School. Additional information about the meeting is available through Watch Duty.

I want to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who has leaned into loving our community. Thank you to the firefighters who have worked tirelessly to protect our community, Project:Camp for partnering with Suncrest Worship and Journey Four Square Church to make the kids camp possible, and Mercy Chefs for making sure our kids are fed. I know there are countless others who have supported our community…THANK YOU!

I am incredibly proud to live and serve in this community. The way people have rallied around one another, especially during this difficult time, truly demonstrates what it means to be 9 Mile Proud.

Thank you for continuing to take care of one another.

Jeff Baerwald

Join us August 12-14 & 17-19

08/10/2026

Community Update – August 10

As we continue to support one another through the aftermath of the wildfires, I am excited to share some important information about the upcoming week.

Nine Mile Falls Community Kids Camp
We are excited to offer a FREE Nine Mile Falls Community Kids Camp for children ages 5–13.

📍 Lake Spokane Elementary
📅 Wednesday, August 12 – Friday, August 14
📅 Monday, August 17 – Wednesday, August 19
⏰ 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

In collaboration with Suncrest Worship and Journey Foursquare Church, we have created a parent registration form for families who would like their children to attend, as well as a volunteer sign-up for community members who are willing to help. Click the link to register your child and/or sign up to volunteer: https://www.eventcreate.com/e/suncrest-day-camp

Lunch will be provided each day of camp through Mercy Chefs. We are incredibly grateful to Mercy Chefs for helping us provide this important support to our students and families.

We need volunteers to make this camp possible. If you have the time and are able to help, please consider volunteering. Whether you can help for a full day, a half day, or on a specific date, your support will make a difference for our kids and families. You can use the link above to sign up to volunteer.

We are also working to arrange two pickup locations on the Spokane County side of our district so students can be transported to Lake Spokane Elementary. We expect to have those locations finalized today or tomorrow and will share that information with families as soon as it is available.

School Open Houses
We also want to remind families of our planned school open house dates:
Lakeside Middle School
Tuesday, August 18
Doors open at 5:15 p.m.
All-family meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the gym

Lake Spokane Elementary
Wednesday, August 19
5:00 p.m.

Nine Mile Falls Elementary
Wednesday, August 19
5:00 p.m.

Lakeside High School
Thursday, August 20
6:00–8:00 p.m.
For freshmen and new students

Preparing Our Schools
We are grateful that Level 3 evacuation orders have been lifted for most of our community.
As we prepare to welcome students and families back into our buildings, the district is taking additional steps to ensure our facilities are safe and ready. We have arranged for an environmental hygienist firm to evaluate the indoor air quality in our school buildings. This assessment will help us ensure we are doing everything possible to provide a safe environment for our students, staff, and families.

Thank you for continuing to support our students, families, and one another. The response from the Nine Mile Falls community has been incredible, and we are excited to provide an opportunity for our kids to reconnect, have some fun, and spend time together during a difficult summer.

Thank you for being 9 Mile Proud.

Jeff Baerwald

Join us August 12-14 & 17-19

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