STAR GAZER GAZETTE
February 2022 Star Lake Newsletter
Greetings Star Lake Families,
Welcome to February! I for one am happy January is behind us! Between the icy cold weather and uptick in Covid cases, we were quite busy. Fortunately, our positive Covid cases have significantly dropped and we are, as always, digging into the important business of learning and growing.
Our teachers have been working hard on updating data and finishing mid-year assessments as they prepare report cards. Please watch for your child’s report card to come home on Tuesday, February 22nd. We are excited to share the growth our students have been making, and are so proud of their stamina and progress.
I am writing this prior to our Virtual Family Engagement Night, which was last evening, but I am sure hoping your family was able to attend and have a great time! In this time of social distancing, it is so difficult to make the connections with families in the ways we used to, and our staff and I sure miss seeing families in the building with students! I am hoping this will change in the near future. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to reach out via phone, email, text or ask your teacher to set up a zoom meeting to discuss your child’s progress, they will be happy to do so, and so will I!
I wish your family happiness and health!
Best Regards,
Kris Rennie, Principal
krennie@fwps.org 253-945-4007
PLEASE REMEMBER TO VOTE BY 8PM ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8TH!
2022 Educational Programs and Operations (EP&O) Levy and Tech Levy
Please take a moment to read this important information below regarding our EP&O and Tech Levy Renewals, and please VOTE by 8PM on Tuesday, February 8th!
Local voters have just over one week left to vote whether to renew two important levies that provide critical funding to sustain programs and resources for FWPS district’s scholars and staff. Both the Educational Programs and Operations (EP&O) Levy and Tech Levy fuel FWPS’ ability to provide scholars with ongoing equitable, high-quality, and supportive educational experiences and opportunities.
Please vote by 8 PM on Tuesday, February 8, 2022.
A quick overview of the levies on the ballot:
- Levies cover essential education programs and enrichment opportunities that are not funded by the state.
- These taxes are not new – voters have consistently approved these levies throughout the years. FWPS is seeking a renewal of existing levies.
- The total combined tax rate for school-related taxes would be roughly the same as it is currently (EP&O Levy, Tech Levy, and 2017 bond)
- The EP&O Levy represents approximately 8% of the districts overall budget, and funds essential school support staff, programs, and services.
- The Tech Levy ensures continued student technology access, devices and professional development for teachers, and infrastructure and software maintenance upgrades.
For more information, visit www.fwps.org/Levies2022, email levy@fwps.org, or call 253-945-2000.
Mark Your Calendars
FEBRUARY
8 - VOTE By 8pm
9 - Early Release - School ends at 1:45
14 - Virtual Book Fair Begins
14 - Choice Enrollment Opens
17 - Spring Photos
18 - NO SCHOOL - Snow Make Up Day
21 - NO SCHOOL - Mid Winter Break
22 - Report Cards Going Home
23 - Early Release - School ends at 1:45
25 - Tie-Dye/Rainbow Spirit Day
28 - Virtual Book Fair Ends
MARCH
9 - Early Release - School ends at 1:45
11 - NO SCHOOL - State Inservice Day
11 - Choice Enrollment Closes
18 - Disney Spirit Day
24-25 - NO SCHOOL - Student Led Conferences
28 - Last Day to Order Yearbooks/5th Grade Ads
30 - Early Release - School ends at 1:45
Yearbooks Are On Sale Now!
Now is the time to preorder your Star Lake Yearbook by March 28th. Cost is $15.00 for a 36 page color yearbook. Order forms have gone home. Please make checks payable to Star Lake Elementary. Online payments are available as well. (Instructions are below in English & Spanish) Yearbooks will be delivered during the last week of school in June.
5th Grade Dedications will be available for $10. Please include a photo, short note of 50 words or less to your student and your payment. Only two dedications allowed per 5th grade student.
Feb 17th is Spring Picture Day
Class photos will also be offered as a composite of photos taken last Fall. Please use the Spring Portrait order form or pay online. (Instructions below)
Please NO Baseball Caps at School
Just a reminder that our dress code at Star Lake states that students are NOT allowed to wear hats or hoods in the building. Warm hats may be worn at recess, but baseball caps are not allowed at school at all, not on the playground or in class. Please help us by reminding your scholar of these standards.
Kindergarten Registration Is Open
Do you or a friend or neighbor have a child that will be age 5 by Aug 31st? If so please visit http://www.fwps.org/kiosk
If this is your first student attending Federal Way Schools, then please click on Student Registration and Create a New Account.
If you currently have or have in the past had a student registered in any Federal Way Public School , this includes Preschool & ECEAP, then you already have a ParentVue account. Just click on “ParentVue” to access your family's information. If you forgot your password you can click the “More Info” button. DO NOT make a new account for each student. If you need help recovering a forgotten User ID, please contact Kathy Miller at 253-945-4002 or kamiller@fwps.org. If you need additional information please go to: https://www.fwps.org/Page/7199
Choice Enrollment Opens February 14 - March 11
Reduced Cost For Internet Service
The Emergency Broad Band (EBB) program ended on 12/31/21 and has been replaced with a new program, Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The subsidy went from $50 per month to $30 per month. Internet service providers have transitioned customers on the EBB program over to the ACP. However, all families on National School Lunch Program (NSLP) are eligible to apply for ACP through Comcast, CenturyLink, Verizon, and other participating providers at https://acpbenefit.org/.
Nominate an Educator for the Because of You Award!
Any scholar in grades 3-12 has a chance to nominate any Federal Way Public Schools staff member in the district you believe has positively impacted you, your school, and/or your community with the “Because of You” award.
Nominations will be reviewed and selected by the Superintendent’s Scholar Advisory team and each month educators will be honored. Nominations forms can be completed online at: https://www.fwps.org/Page/5018 or you can access it below. Forms should be submitted by the end of the month. Stay tuned as we highlight these extraordinary staff members who make a difference each day in our schools!
Being Late to School (Tardy) on a Regular Basis May Have Major Impacts
Reminder school starts at 8:45am. Please drop off in the parent loop between 8:25 and 8:35am. If you are later than 8:45, please drive to the main entrance, park, ring the doorbell and have your scholar signed in as tardy to school.
The most crucial learning hours of a school day are the morning hours because they are when students are most attentive. Students who are tardy miss the beginning of their morning classes, and they also cause a distraction when they arrive late to class.
If your child rides the bus and the bus in running late, they will still have breakfast available and they will not be marked tardy. If you are late in dropping them off, breakfast can be made available, but they will be marked tardy.
In the National Center for Education Statistics 2007 Indicators of School Crime and Safety, teachers surveyed reported that students who are frequently tardy have higher rates of suspension and other disciplinary measures. Tardiness causes students to feel disconnected with school, leading to behavior problems and dropouts.
We appreciate your partnership in arriving to school on time.
Every Day Counts AND Every Day Matters!
Bus Rider Expectations
With so many of our scholars riding the bus this year to our temporary location, our bus drivers are asking we share the common expectations we are using to teach our scholars about the expectations for riding the bus.
Please take a couple of minutes to review with your scholar the importance of a safe bus ride. These expectations are right out of our PBIS common expectations matrix. If you want to know more about our PBIS structures at school please email Mrs. Robinson tbiles@fwps.org or Mr. Geving tgeving@fwps.org
Library Learning
During the week of Feb 7-11th, scholars will be signing up for our Battle of the Books teams. Please encourage your scholar to join in the reading competition fun! Practices will begin later in February.
Also, please don't forget to visit our Virtual Scholastic Book Fair sponsored by our Star Lake PTA on Feb 14- 27. All orders over $25 will ship for free and our school library will receive 25% in Rewards during that time. There are lots of fun books to choose from! https://www.scholastic.com/bf/starlakeelementaryschool
Happy Reading!
Ms. Nelson
253-945-4010
Counselor's Corner
Seven Ways to Foster Empathy in Kids
Adapted from the book review of
UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World by Michele Borba
1. Help kids develop a moral identity
Help kids develop a moral identity, not just praise them for good deeds. Kids must see themselves as people who care and value others’ thoughts and feelings.
2. Give kids “do-overs”
Help kids respond more empathically with “CARE”: 1) Call attention to uncaring behavior; 2) Assess how uncaring affects others, helping kids to understand another’s perspective; 3) Repair the hurt and make amends; and 4) Express disappointment for uncaring behavior, while stressing expectations for caring behavior in the future.
3. Encourage empathy through stories
Help kids build their empathy muscles through play-acting, reading books that let them get inside characters’ minds, and watching inspiring movies. Activities that allow careful reflection on how others are feeling in a given situation help build the skills needed for moral action.
4. Support empathy education in school
Ask your child what they’ve been learning about through our Second Step curriculum.
5. Examine your values
In our overly competitive culture, many kids are pushed to succeed academically rather than pushed to be kinder, better people. Even if parents say they value kindness and compassion, if they only praise achievement, they give the wrong impression to their kids.
6. Be mindful of social media use
Social media culture can take time away from face-to-face encounters where empathy is born. Parents should pay careful attention to how much time their kids spend online and make sure that time is balanced with more in-person conversations and a focus on caring.
7. Help kids find their inner hero
A lot of kids don’t intervene in bullying because they feel powerless, don’t know what to do, assume someone else will intervene, or worry they won’t get support from adults. To help our kids act courageously, it’s important that we help kids find their inner hero by setting a good example of standing up for others ourselves, by teaching them how to effectively say no to a bully and diffuse bullying situations, and by making them aware of how peers can support each other.
Tiffany Williams, School Counselor
(253) 945-4005
Free COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic
Federal Way Public Schools (FWPS) is partnering with local organizations to offer free COVID-19 vaccines to staff, families, and students ages 5 and older. Mobile clinics can administer the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Scan this QR code to register:
OmLife Health
Sunday, February 6, 2022
1:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Federal Way High School
30611 16th Ave S
Federal Way, WA 98003
Important Info:
- Registration is required
- Children under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian
- Bring your vaccination card if you have had prior doses of a COVID-19 vaccine
- Bring proof of ID (Parents can show ID for children)
- Second doses are automatically scheduled through OmLife - you will receive an email including the date, time, and location.
Reserve your spot: https://bit.ly/omlifevaccine-020622
For questions regarding this clinic, contact OmLife Health directly at 253-444-5511 or submit their contact form.
Nurses News:
As families are making choices about vaccinating their children, we would sure appreciate it if you would notify our school nurse if your child has received the Covid-19 vaccination. Please call Sybel Johnson at 253-945-4009 or email syjohnso@fwps.org Thank you!
COVID-19 TESTING SITES AT FWPS
In order to support a safe and healthy learning environment, we wanted to share COVID testing opportunities in the Federal Way Public Schools area:
For our staff, scholars, families and community, our Curative testing sites, will continue to offer free COVID-19 testing at our two locations within the district. These tests are PCR tests. Results are available 24-48 hours after the test has been given.
Education Service Center (ESC)
Monday – Friday
7:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Sign up at: www.curative.com
Sacajawea Middle School
Wednesday – Sunday
10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sign up at: www.curative.com
King County also offers additional testing locations. More information about testing sites within the county is available at https://kingcounty.gov/depts/health/covid-19/testing.aspx.
At Home Tests are also available to the public through these state and federal programs:
Home - Say Yes! To Covid Test (sayyescovidhometest.org)
PBIS: SAFE, KIND AND PRODUCTIVE!
Happy February and welcome to second semester! Sometimes being safe, kind, and productive can be HARD! When kids start to get overwhelmed, there are tons of strategies they can do to refocus, calm their anxiety, and change their mindset. Here are a few “feel good” strategies some of our 5th graders use to help them calm their worries so they can be their best and do their best: reading, breathing exercises, journaling, going for a walk, playing with friends, getting outside, and playing with friends/family. Talk with your scholar and create a plan for activities they can do at home or at school when they are feeling stressed!
Here are the final Eagle Wing Counts from first semester along with any January celebrations. Way to go, Eagles! We are so proud of your hard work and commitment to being outstanding scholars!
Baisch: 30: Extra play time celebration in January
Baune: 25
Gregory: 12
Clark: 31
Thomason: 36: Show-and-tell celebration
Hall: 50: celebrating by wearing comfy clothes, ice cream sandwiches and playing Bingo after math
Catabay: 12
Richards: 43: Celebrated in January
Baker: 35
Friedman: 30
Jamison: 30: celebrating by having a Minecraft Learning and Art Party
Decker: 36
Nelson: 20: Fun winter art project celebration in January
Blair: 40
Robinson: 43: Flashlight reading and glow stick dance celebration in January
Withrow: 22
PTA Reflections Contest
Thank you for all the wonderful submissions to the Reflections Art Contest this year. We had a total of 11 entries; all of whom will receive recognition for participating. All entries have now been submitted to the State level competition. We should hear around March or April if any of our students will advance to Nationals.
A certificate and medal have been ordered for all students who participated and will be delivered to our school along with any hard copy artwork that was submitted.
An Honorable Mention for Visual Arts will be awarded to Sean B. for his self portrait in space advocating for equality!
Thank you to all of the students who participated this year! Here is some of the fabulous work that was submitted:
PTA Updates
Star Lake PTA will be hosting an Online Book Fair February 14-27th! All proceeds are given to the library to buy new books. View and purchase books at: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/starlakeelementaryschool
Our no- fuss fundraiser is still running. We are asking for donations to continue enriching the students and staff at Star Lake. Please continue to send in donations made out to Star Lake PTA in an envelope. Thank you!
Next PTA meeting will be on Wednesday, February 16 at 6 pm on Zoom. Zoom link will be sent out closer to the date.
The Executive Board is still looking for a Secretary. If you are interested please email us at starlakepta@gmail.com
PTA SPIRIT DAYS:
February 25th - Tie-dye/Rainbow day
March 18- Disney Day
Join our Facebook page to keep up with the Star Lake PTA: https://www.facebook.com/groups/StarLakeElementary
* Remember that a successful PTA needs your participation. We appreciate your support! If you have any questions, please email us at: starlakepta@gmail.com
Are You Interested in Working as a Paraeducator Here at Star Lake?
Families, we have two 6 hour general paraeducator positions open here at Star Lake to support students in classrooms, on the playground, and in the lunchroom.
What a great opportunity to work in a job that has benefits and pays between $21-23 an hour. You work the same hours and days that your children are at school, and you get to hang out with great students!
If you are interested please follow this link to apply, or email Mrs. Rennie (krennie@fwps.org) for more information. https://www.applitrack.com/federalway/onlineapp/ click on “locations” under “vacancies” and then choose “Star Lake”.
"Test to Stay" Program
Through our partnership with King County Health and the “Test to Stay” program Federal Way Public School scholars can receive optional on-site school COVID-10 testing with consent from parents and guardians.
There are two testing options available: Close Contact Screening to “Test to Stay,” for scholars who test negative after a confirmed exposure, and Diagnostic Testing for symptomatic scholars.
To learn more about the “Test to Stay” program, how to give consent for testing, and register your scholar, visit: https://www.fwps.org/TestToStay.
Available Scholar Resources
Federal Way Public Schools now offers two new services to support our scholars – Tutor.com and Talkspace.
Tutor.com
Free academic tutoring available for scholars, grades 4-12. These scholars can access Tutor.com through Launchpad to Learning. This free supportive resource provides one-on-one tutoring 24 hours per day, seven days per week through a digital platform. Scholars can use text or voice-to-text to work with their tutor.
Watch this video to learn more about Tutor.com and how it can support your scholar: https://youtu.be/tVe1ZR8LTuU
Talkspace
To support social-emotional health of our scholars, they can take advantage of virtual therapy through Talkspace. The service is completely confidential and allows registered users unlimited therapy support through text, voice, video messages, along with two live video sessions per month. Eligible scholars can access Talkspace through Launchpad to Learning, by speaking with their school counselor, or visiting: http://www.talkspace.com/fwps
Staff List:
Star Lake Elementary
Email: comments@fwps.org
Website: https://www.fwps.org/starlake
Location: 3600 South 344th Way, Federal Way, WA, USA
Phone: 253-945-4000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarLakeFWPS