Brookdale Elementary

611 132nd ST S Tacoma, WA 98444

Connie Holman - Principal

Jesse McNeil - Assistant Principal

Office Hours - 9:00 to 4:30

253-298-3100 / FAX 253-298-3115

Friday is Orange Shirt Day - A day to raise awareness of the residential school policy and its devastating effects on generations of First Nations people in Canada. Residential schools were the same as boarding schools that American Indians in the Unites States attended.

In May 2013, First Nations people in Canada gathered to honor victims and survivors of the St. Joseph Mission Residential School.

At this event a residential school survivor by the name of Phyllis Webstad was interviewed for a short video documentary. She mentioned when she was six, she picked out a new, shiny orange shirt for her first day of school, but when she got to the school they took her clothes, as all students were forced to wear the same clothing, and she never saw her favorite shirt again.

Her shirt story resonated with others and took off on social media. As the event became an annual way to remember the residential school systems, Orange Shirt Day was created. The official tagline for the day is “Every Child Matters” reminding everyone that all peoples cultural experiences are important.

The movement spread across Canada and in more recent years the United States. Indigenous people and non-indigenous allies wear orange on that day to show solidarity and to continue to raise awareness about the lasting effects of residential and boarding schools so they are never forgotten

What were Residential/Boarding Schools?

Residential and Boarding Schools were government run schools designed to strip Indigenous youth of their culture, language, and even their name if they had a non-English name.

Children were separated from their families and communities, often by force, and lived in and attended classes at the schools for most of the year. Often the residential schools were located far from the students’ home communities.

- There were over 130 residential schools in Canada, open between 1831 and 1997. The United States had over 400 boarding schools between 1869 and the 1970s.

- 150,000 Indigenous youth attended schools in Canada and several hundred thousand in the United States

- A year ago, 215 remains of children were discovered in an unmarked grave at one former school location. This led to discoveries of hundreds more in Canada and an investigation into former school sites in the United States.

Please pack an extra pair of clothes, including underwear, socks, and pants in your child’s backpack. Accidents do happen and we would like to be prepared. It is nice when a child can wear a pair of his or her own pants. The health room has a very limited supply of clothing. If your child does borrow clothing from the health room, please return the clothing items to the school after it is washed.

In order to assure your child's safety, please call the school office at 253-298-3100 if your child is ill or unable to attend school.You can call and leave a message on our 24-hour voice mail if it is before school hours. If your child is not in attendance, and we do not receive a call from you by 10:05 a.m, we will attempt to call you to confirm the reason for the absence. Your phone call saves time for the office and is greatly appreciated!

If you are wondering whether or not your child is too sick to attend school, please refer to the link below.

STUDENT EARLY DISMISSAL – If your child has an appointment and is leaving before the end of the school day, please make sure you send a note that morning letting the teacher and the office know. Also, please allow enough time for pick up. To preserve precious class time, we do not call students to the office until you have checked them out in person (remember your ID).

SCHEDULE CHANGES - The end of the day at Brookdale is very hectic. If you forgot to send a note in the morning (which is preferred) and need to call the school with a change to your child’s schedule, please do so before 3:15 p.m. After 3:15 the office is busy assisting students and parents and will not be able to answer your call or get a message to a student before they leave for the day. All end of the day schedule changes must be made through the office, not with the classroom teacher. Thank you!

UPDATE CONTACT INFORMATION - If any of your information has changed (address, contact info., email address, etc.) please contact the office right away. This year more than ever, it will be important to have the most current information. Also, let us know what your preferred method of contact is - phone, email, text. You can reach the office at 253.298.3100.

What:

Harlem Wizards (trick b-ball team) take on the elite FP Quizzonators in a game of hoops and

alley-oops. It's a fun family night of basketball & entertainment.

Location:

Washington High School gymnasium

Time:

Saturday October 8th @ 6:30pm (doors open at 6:00)

Cost:

Advanced: Student / Senior Citizen $12 General Public $15

At the Door: Student/ Senior Citizen $15 General Public $18

Reserved Seating: (limited #) $25 - includes 13x19 poster & $5 souvenir voucher

Courtside Plus Seats (limited #) $45 - Includes reserved seat, poster/photo, pregame meet and greet, souvenir lanyard, $10 souvenir voucher for adults & $10 discount on Wizards replica jersey.

Benchwarmer (15 tickets only) $90- All courtside benefits, plus you sit on the Wizards bench and kids get a jersey.

Franklin Pierce Schools does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Questions and complaints of alleged discrimination should be directed to Brandy Marshall, Compliance Coordinator for State and Civil Rights Laws; Wendy Malich, Title IX Officer; or John Sanders, 504/ADA Coordinator at 315 129th ST S, Tacoma, WA 98444-5099 or at (253)298-3000