• Tuesday, September 29 Family Support Session, 9 a.m.
• Wednesday, September 30: Family Support Session, 7 p.m.
• Tuesday, October 5: PTA Board Meeting, 6:30 p.m.
• Friday, October 9: No School, In-Service Day

Hello North Beach Seals,

We have made it to week 3. This is great news especially considering all that has been going on around us. Give yourselves a big pat on the back. You have worked hard, you have been patient, you have been diligent. This morning we saw an extremely hard working, patient and diligent woman laid to rest in Washington DC.: Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She stood for justice. She stood for working hard for that justice.

Let us all try to mirror those actions in all our interactions with the world. Let us stand up for those who are not receiving justice. One tiny voice can speak volumes.

Let’s make it a great week, Seals. And let’s take care of one another.

Barbara Dixon

Vice Principal

bbdixon@seattleschools.org

From last week, the remote learning guidebook can be found at: https://seattleschools-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/kemclane_seattleschools_org/EbqiV2i5U79KrQKrykxD-qwBzsX0wPEjUYjOTxuRoVz4Bg?e=jydMDO

If you haven’t done it yet, please fill out and return these first 2 forms. The 2nd 2 are very important as well and time sensitive but not necessary for everyone. If you need hard copies mailed to you, please contact Sarah or Carolyn in the office:

206 252-1510

sbbradley@seattleschools.com

cmhostetler@seattleschools.com

Ferpa privacy form:

https://www.seattleschools.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_543/File/forms/ferpa/Ferpa_pk_english.pdf

Emergency contact/release form:

https://www.seattleschools.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_543/File/forms/emergency_release/emergency_release_form_english.pdf

Advanced Learning information:

https://www.seattleschools.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_543/File/forms/AdvLearning/FirstDayFlyer-ADA.pdf

Free and reduced meals application and instructions

https://www.seattleschools.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_543/File/District/Departments/NutritionServices/FreeReducedMeal/2020-21/2020-21LetterToHouseholds.pdf

https://www.seattleschools.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_543/File/District/Departments/NutritionServices/FreeReducedMeal/2020-21/2020-21FreeandReducedPriceApplication.pdf

Happy Fall North Beach Families!

We hope you are all settling into the new school year. Technology challenges continue to

arise. The PTA is aware of some of these issues and are working on ways we can be

supportive. Please do not hesitate to let us know your questions and concerns and we will do

our best to address them. president@northbeachpta.org

Thank you to Rebecca Mongrain, our communications chair, for keeping us all informed of

important dates and information via Konstella and the Beachcomber.

Volunteers are still needed. We are especially looking for someone to gather a group for our

fundraising this year. This is a great opportunity to reinvent how our North Beach Elementary

community can support the school, staff, and students.

Participating as a room parent is a lot of fun. If you are interested in this opportunity to help

your students teachers with events like holiday parties and be a voice for the parents in your

classroom look out for more information and sign up on Konstella soon.

Family listening sessions are next week. A free event on Tuesday 9/29 at 9 am and

Wednesday 9/30 at 7 pm. Thank you Alysa Reid (school counselor), Katie Gruver (PTA VP and parent educator), and Annabel Bailey (ELL teacher) for organizing.

We are looking for short, fun, inspiring, or silly sayings for the reader board outside school.

Please submit your suggestions to Katie Buchanan president@northbeachpta.org. We will

recognize your contribution in the Beachcomber.

Worried about too much screen time?

As we settle into the routines of remote learning for the year, some students may be struggling with all the screen time, and even if they aren't, parents and guardians may be concerned that it's too much. This week, I'd like to share an article from Science News with some research around screen time that provides some helpful takeaways that are relatively easy to put into practice. If you don't have time for the whole article right now, here are a couple of quick tips to try:

• Move during breaks. Teachers are trying to build in movement breaks on-line throughout the school day, but encourage kids to move during scheduled breaks from on-line learning, too. If possible, get outside for that movement, even if it's just a quick walk or scooter ride around the block. If outside is not an option, try jumping jacks, running up and down the stairs, jogging in place, yoga, dancing to your child's favorite music or playing with a pet.

• Give eyes a rest. When on breaks or if kids complain about their eyes bothering them, encourage focusing on distant objects or on the horizon. Again, getting outside is most helpful, but if that's not an option, have kids focus on faraway things out windows.

Healthy Screen Time is One Challenge of Distance Learning (full article)

If your child is exhibiting any of the following symptoms of "Zoom fatigue," check in with your child's teacher to share what you're seeing so that you can find a workable solution. Also, feel free to contact me for support at arreid@seattleschools.org.

• Reluctance or tearfulness when it’s time to join a call, even when it’s a social or fun meeting

• Irritability or meltdowns that immediately follow Zoom calls

• Fidgeting, difficulty sitting still, and trouble focusing

• Unusual frustration or arguments with peers during meetings

• Headaches, eye strain, or other physical complaints

(As laid out by child therapist Katie Lear, LCMHC, RPT, RDT)

It's hard right now. You are not alone.

Please Join our Family Support Sessions next week- 9/30/20 @ 7pm OR 9/29/20 at 9 am

Dear Parents, Guardians & Caregivers,

We know this has been a tumultuous last 6 months. As a way to keep our community strong, especially during this challenging and uncertain time, we'll be offering ongoing opportunities to connect, listen, share resources, and help one another on this (often difficult) journey of caring for and guiding the young people in our lives.

To start, we're offering TWO Listening Sessions for NB Families (you talk, we listen). They will have the same content, but offered at multiple times so that more families can join. Sessions will be facilitated by Alysa Reid (North Beach School Counselor) and Katie Gruver (VP of PTA & Parent Educator).

What: Family Listening Sessions (**THIS IS A FREE EVENT!**)

When: Sept 29th, 9-10 am OR Sept 30th, 7-8:30pm

Who: All parents, guardians, family members or caregivers (nannies, grandparents and other supports) of North Beach students (*This will be a conversation exclusively for adult family members.)

Where: Via Teams:

Link for morning meeting (9/29 from 9-10 am):

Join Microsoft Teams Meeting

Link for evening meeting (9/30 from 7-8:30 pm):

Join Microsoft Teams Meeting

* Please note, to ensure access for all our families, this and ALL future conversation will be closed captioned and have translation services available.)

Agenda: (7-8pm)

1. Connection - Small group listening sessions: "What's keeping you up at night?"

2. Support - Group brainstorming: What's been helpful?

3. Reflection - What would be helpful to you at this time? (survey & discussion)

"After-party" 8-8:30pm (Facilitators will stay on for Q & A and additional support)

If you have any questions or concerns you want to make sure we address, please contact Katie Gruver (katie.gruver@gmail.com) or Alysa Reid (arreid@seattleschools.org).

Dinner Club for Parents & Kids!

Rainy Day Dinner Club- Online: Parents and kids will work together to make a delicious dish that feeds a family of 4-6! Students will join our teacher in walking through and completing our easy to understand steps-by-step meals! Students will be working with knives or knife alternatives (kitchen shears, box graters, or peelers) and will be doing some stove-top cooking or oven-baking during parts of class, so adult support is needed. For the safety of our staff and your family, all ingredients will need to be purchased and prepped by parents prior to class.

Grades: 1st – 7th

Day: Wednesday

Time: 3:30pm -5:30pm

Dates: Oct 14th – Dec 16th (no class on 11/11 or 11/25)

Price: $230 (for 8-wks) PRICED PER FAMILY, so siblings can work together on the meal!

Register: http://www.rainydaydinnerclub.com/online-classes.html

Free lunch at North Beach Monday-Friday from 11:15 to 1:15! The food is picked up just inside the front doors.

You can pick up sack breakfasts and lunches prepared by the SPS central kitchen. Because of social distancing health guidance, families and students may not stay at school to eat. Meals are available for all students, parents and guardians. The USDA has approved free meals for all families!

Our PTA is launching a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Team for the first time this fall. We are brainstorming and discovering what our focus will be for this year, and we'd like to hear from you!

We know that in the past, not all voices have been heard at North Beach. We want to take responsibility for making sure that our school is welcoming to ALL families and that our PTA is working to meet the needs of ALL kids.

This is a hard year for all of us. And now more than ever, it's time for us to embrace opportunities to engage in rich and challenging conversations about justice, to provide education and resources for our children and families which celebrate the richness of our diverse histories and experiences, and to harness our collective strength and wisdom to create equity within our school and our broader community.

In our first PTA meeting, we shared the following ideas as possible starting points for the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Team: (We'd love to hear your ideas too!!)

• Parent workshops on anti-racism and social justice
• Community Service Projects to support equity
• Fundraisers that support educational equity
• Monthly diversity celebrations
• Listening sessions for BIPOC families to share their experiences at North Beach
• Book Club on anti-racism, equity and inclusion for families
• Examine inequity within our own PTA practices; make changes so that PTA is inclusive of ALL our families, particularly those furthest from educational justice.

If you're interested in this work, we'd love to have you on the team. You can give as much or as little time as you have. We'd also love your feedback or ideas; please contact us at:

katie.gruver@gmail.com and debbiewayne@gmail.com.

Debbie Wayne & Katie Gruver

PTA Secretary | PTA Vice President

Co-Chairs of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Team @ North Beach Elementary

October 16 is the start of the 18-day voting period (through Election Day). Ballots are mailed out and Accessible Voting Units are available at voting centers.

Make sure your registration is set and ready to go.

Register to vote!

Attending School Board Meetings no longer requires driving and parking downtown! The board meets for regular meetings twice a month, and special meetings throughout the month. Reopening plans, construction projects, curriculum - decisions are discussed and made. Email klabelle@gmail.com to learn more about attending a meeting to help us track what is happening. You can find out more here.

If you have been considering joining the Seattle Special Education PTSA, now is the time! Please visit our website and do it now. www.seattlespecialeducationptsa.org.

Amazon Smile: 0.5% of eligible purchases back to North Beach!

https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1320831

Shutterfly: 8% of Purchases come back to North Beach!

Shop for cards and photos at www.NorthBeach.ShutterflyStoreFront.com and help contribute 8% to the North Beach PTA!

Registration for Girls on the Run is now open but closes on September 25!

Lucky for us, North Beach Elementary girls grades 3-5 have the option of doing a fall VIRTUAL program! Having taken the sample class, it is clear that GOTR has worked hard to transition their program into an easily accessible but fun online program.

What is Girls on the Run?

At Girls on the Run we inspire girls to recognize their inner strength and celebrate what makes them one of a kind. Trained coaches lead small teams through our research-based curricula which includes dynamic discussions, fun activities and running games. Over the course of the program, girls in 3rd-5th grade develop essential skills to help them navigate their worlds and establish a lifetime appreciation for health and fitness. The program culminates with girls physically and emotionally prepared to complete a celebratory (virtual) 5K event.

What better time to teach our girls these skills?

Scholarships are available.

The fall program starts September 28 and runs through November 16, with the end of season virtual "K Your Way" on November 14-15.

Check out this link to program details and registration resources:

https://www.gotrpugetsound.org/Program-Registration

https://www.gotrpugetsound.org/our-programs

If you have questions contact North Beach liaison:

Kathy Reif

617-763-7136

kathy.reif@gmail.com

Boys & Girls Club

Questions? 206-582-3512 or choover@positiveplace.org.

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

Illumination Learning Studio

Illumination Learning Studio provides After School Programs for children K-5. We provide transportation after school each day. This is an arts-focused educational program. Please visit our website for more information https://www.illuminationlearningstudio.com/.

Article submissions for this newsletter are due by 5:00pm Wednesdays. Please send articles to beachcomber@northbeachpta.org