News from your North Beach PTA
March 18, 2022
Dates to Remember
- April 11-15: Spring Break - No School.
- April 19: PTA Meeting
- April 23rd: NB Earth Day Garden Party
North Beach Multicultural calendar - March
During March the North Beach community celebrates the following multicultural groups. We will highlight resources and opportunities to learn more about these groups during the month.
March: Developmental Disabilities Month
March: Women's History Month
March 8: International Women's Day
March 9: Billy Frank Jr. Day
March 17: St. Patrick's Day
March 19: Holi
A Note From our Principal
March 18, 2022
Hello Seals,
We just finished our first week of optional mask wearing. We have a mix of students wearing or not wearing and thanks to our caring staff, there haven’t been any issues with this. Students are being kind and respectful to those making different choices than their own.
Distancing policies are still in effect. The district is working on updating guidelines after monitoring COVID rates as appropriate. The school has made some changes to recess which will begin on Monday. There will be no zones between classes, grade levels will be allowed to play together.
Thank you to the PTA auction committee for their efforts on organizing a successful event! We are so appreciative of all of the community support you have given.
We will have a traffic change coming this spring. Thanks to DoTS keeping a watchful eye on our traffic on 24th, we are now going to have a radar cart to monitor and display speeds up and down 24th, plus, 24th and 90th will become a 4-way stop with a stop sign being added to 24th both north and south. This will be so helpful in keeping our community safe. It also means that it may take a little bit longer in the morning to drop off your student. Consider parking further up 90th above the bus zone and letting your student walk down the hill.
Everyone have a great weekend and thank you again for all of your support.
Kristine McLane
Principal
Wow. Wow. Wow.
The auction this past weekend showed us a few things about the NBE community.
For one thing, we haven’t forgotten how to have a good time! It was so much fun with such great energy all around. Thank you for showing up as enthusiastically (and fashionably!) as you did.
Now, are you ready for the numbers?
This year’s auction raised over $150,000. As far as we can tell at the moment, that’s a record, and with much lower attendance than in the past: 129 attendees this year vs. 200 in 2020. Huge news!
Because of your incredible generosity, our kids now have daily access to an academic intervention specialist to help with math and reading needs AND we are able to retain the technology position that would have otherwise been cut. This is a big deal!
Also, this was a true community effort. We had 166 online bidders in the silent auction, 101 of whom were bidding from home. Honestly, we were a little nervous to move the silent auction online. It was a first and we didn’t know how it would go. But you rallied and together we created a roaring success.
So once again, thank you. Thank you, thank you! We should all feel proud.
GLOBAL READING CHALLENGE 2022
We have wrapped up this year’s Global Reading Challenge with some very impressive participations! We had a 3-way tie between the The Random Somethings, The Book Hunters, & The Spirit Readers. We decided to give a live tie-breaker challenge and the winning team is…
The Random Somethings
Carmen Anderson (Captain), John Love, Ian Braden, Sophia Braden, Salahtea Phouthone, Amelia Wolf
Honestly, all teams are winners for their demonstration of teamwork, dedication, perseverance, and a true love of reading! Fun was had by all!!!!!
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL GRC PARTICIPANTS!
To see photos of all the participating teams, click here.
Pick up auction items
Please come pick up any remaining auction items after school today (Friday)!
8619 Jones Ave NW
2pm-3pm
Contact Katie Gruver at president@northbeachpta.org or (206) 962-1735 to make arrangements if you can’t come on Friday.
Share the good auction vibes: Volunteers still needed.
Our auction was such a great success, let’s share the good vibes. Parent volunteers from Loyal Heights Elementary helped our event run smoothly, now it’s time to return the favor.
Their auction, themed “Back in the Saddle,” is on Saturday, March 26 at the Nordic Heritage Museum. They only need THREE volunteers, from 4:30-11, so grab a couple friends and help us keep this volunteer partnership alive. It’s bound to be a festive, good time. Food and drinks provided.
Also, rumor is out they are having a mechanical bull.
Sign up here - Loyal Heights Auction Volunteer
Questions? Contact Alice: alicemingfan@yahoo.com
MARCH is NB Spirit Month!!
Our Leadership Team gives thumbs up to all those PJs worn today.
Reminder: Next Friday March 25th is Rainbow Day.
Every Grade wears a color of the rainbow:
- Pre-K and K wear RED
- 1st Grade: ORANGE
- 2nd Grade: YELLOW
- 3rd Grade: GREEN
- 4th Grade: BLUE
- 5th Grade: PURPLE
We also appreciate all the cereal box donations! This will greatly benefit our local Ballard Food Bank (and will make for a cool end of the month event!)
North Beach Earth Day Garden Party
Saturday, April 23rd
10am - 1pm
Roll up your sleeves and join your fellow Seals for an Earth Day celebration! This family friendly event will restore our school's Sensory Garden, beautify the grounds, and has crafts, snacks, and fun for all ages!
Special Education Update
Thank you to all who joined us for our first Special Education Family Group! This was a great start to sharing information and resources as we work together to best support our special education community. We are planning to have a guest speaker for our next meeting - stay tuned! Please share ideas, tips, etc. with our Special Education Co-Chairs: Tamara Sharabi at tamarasharabi@gmail.com and Stacey Perti at staceymadche@hotmail.com
Refer to Seattle Special Education PTSA website for more resources and events including The Science of Reading Presentation on Tuesday, March 22nd at 7pm
SPS Covid updates & family support
Helping Kids Adjust to Changing COVID-19 Guidelines
From the office
- The end of the trimester was Thursday, March 17th. Teachers will be working on progress reports next week. Progress reports will be on The Source the first week of April. Progress reports do not get mailed home unless specifically requested.
- Please remember to drop off on the east side of the street when bringing your kids to school. If you must drop on the west side, please do so near the crosswalk so that your student uses the crosswalk. We especially need older students to do this as the younger students are look to them as an example.
The parking lot in front of the school is not for drop offs. Students and parents are walking on the sidewalk and we have had several near misses with students nearly being hit. We have signs marking off the entrance and exit so please heed these signs. Also, SPD reminds us that parking within10 feet of a crosswalk is illegal and unsafe. Parking is a bit of a mess in the morning so please leave a couple of minutes earlier so that you can park where it is safe.
Holi - Festival of Love
The vibrancy of colors is something that brings in a lot of positivity in our lives and Holi being the festival of colors is actually a day worth rejoicing. Holi is a famous Hindu festival that is celebrated in every part of India with utmost joy and enthusiasm. The ritual starts by lighting up the bonfire one day before the day of Holi and this process symbolizes the triumph of good over the bad. On the day of Holi people play with colors with their friends and families and in evening they show love and respect to their close ones with Abeer.
Children's books
Let's Celebrate Holi! (Maya & Neel's India Adventure Series, Book 3)
Holi, the Festival of Colors (Shalu)
Dev and Ollie: Colour Carnival
Seattle Holi Celebration-family friendly
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Community News & Events
The programs below are not endorsed by either North Beach PTA or SPS, and are posted for informational purposes only.
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Parent Education Opportunities
- March 19: Stanford Medicine Annual Autism Update
- March 23: 9am PT Autism 101 An overview and Q&A session
- March 26: Reframing Possibilities: Meaningful Inclusion
- March 28 & 29: Early Childhood and Preschoolers with Autism class
- April 1-4: Autism Parenting Summit
- April 5: Father's Network Webinar - Develop meaningful relationships
Sensory Days at The Museum of Flight
Date: Saturday, April 2, 2022
Time: 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM
FREE Admission; pre-registration required.
Sensory Days are for families of children, teenagers and young adults with disabilities including intellectual disabilities, autism, sensory processing disorders and other cognitive disabilities. Families will get early access to the Museum, before it opens to the public, where they can explore and self-guide through the galleries with adjusted light and sound for the best possible experience.
Ballard High School - live theater is back with Beauty and the Beast
This is Ballard’s first live musical theatre in two years! The show is based on Broadway’s modern classic with songs from the beloved animated film. Come enjoy the tale of a young selfish prince transformed into a Beast, and a young woman named Belle whom he imprisons in his castle. To become a prince again, the Beast must learn to love Belle and win her love before his 21st birthday.
The cast features 36 BHS students, and the play is directed by Shawn M Riley.
Performance Details
The performances will be March 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26 with two matinees on March 20 and 27. All shows at Ballard High School, 1418 NW 65th Street, Seattle. All shows begin at 7:30 pm except for matinees, which start at 2 pm.
Tickets
Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for students and $15 for seniors. Buy tickets at https://showtix4u.com.
UW Youth & Teen Summer Programs
Registration is open for summer. We have several in-person and online enrichment courses for 4th and 5th grade students including:
>Debate
>Young Actors Workshop
>Mixed Media Art
>Coding
Please visit our website at youth-teen.uw.edu for course details and registration information.
Ballard Basketball Summer Camps
Ballard Basketball has been locally owned and operated by Sara Wetstone for over 10 years. Coach Sara and her staff are thrilled to keep kids active and happy all summer long with five weeks of camp- come to one or come to all! Camps are designed to improve player skill, decision-making and mindset through drills, games and prizes.
- For all genders entering 4th-8th grade in Fall 2022
- Most weeks for beginner to intermediate players. Some weeks for intermediate to advanced players.
- Scholarships for any family in need.
For more information and to register, visit: http://www.ballardbasketball.org/camps
After School Programs
Boys & Girls Club
Questions? 206-582-3512
Registration Information and enrollment paperwork is available at: http://positiveplace.org/locations/childcare/Pages/northbeachchildcare.aspx
Small Faces
The school-aged program at Small Faces serves kindergarten through fifth grade children. At the end of the school day, a school bus takes kids to Small Faces Center where they are greeted by teachers and offered a snack before the program activities begin. Doors close at 6pm. Contact Kathy Brockman with questions and to enroll: kbrockman@smallfaces.org
Washington Karate After School Program
Transportation is available up to five days per week from select Seattle Schools and the dojo is located conveniently near the Greenwood Fred Meyer. Students have snack and homework time and a one hour karate class, where they learn skills and discipline. For more details visit www.washingtonkarate.com or call (206)784-3171.
“The Washington Karate program is an excellent way for children to develop physical, mental, and emotional well-being.” ~Dr. Thomas Staiger, Medical Director, UW Medical Center.
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