OPT News & Events
April 2021
Spring has sprung!
The Winter is behind us and we are already two weeks into Spring! It’s hard to believe we’re headed into the home stretch of the 20/21 school year. It has definitely been a year for the books and certainly one that will forever change our lives. The last 12+ months have shown us the importance of community and compassion - lessons we shall carry on forever.
We have enjoyed getting to know you and your children, albeit virtually, and we look forward to finishing the year strong and planning ahead for an incredible 21/22 year filled with hope and more in-person events (fingers crossed!)
We hope to see you at the April OPT General Assembly Meeting on 4/21 @ 6 PM!
Kim Kertson
Interim OPT President
April OPT General Assembly Meeting, 4/21 @ 6 PM
Have questions, comments or ideas for the OPT? This is a great opportunity to share!
Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85957644615?pwd=M3FDMUhlbmNCS2VjeWZzTkgzdFc5QT09
Passcode: 101915
What's to come?
Parent & Staff Book Club: 4/12 @ 7 PM
Our first Book Club was such a success that we planned a second one. The Evite to this event went out in March. We look forward to more great conversation and getting to know one another in new ways!
Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86442272766
Meeting ID: 864 4227 2766
*We may host one more Book Club in May...stay tuned.
OPT Welcome for NEW Families: 4/14 @ 5:30 PM
New Evergreen Eagles and Eagles-To-Be, please join us on April 14th at 5:30 PM over Zoom to discuss the exciting things the Evergreen OPT (Organization of Parents and Teachers) has to offer the Evergreen community. Learn what OPT is, does and strives to be...even in these unprecedented times!
Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86181619024?pwd=OG9KNDdsSTkzcDJ0U1JXa3hvejNwZz09
Passcode: 063127
We look forward to meeting you!
Evergreen Academy Blood Drive: 4/17
Thank you to all those who signed up! We still have a few spots remaining at the Bellevue Location, please consider participating! If we meet our participation goal, we have the chance to earn $500 for the school!
Link: https://schedule.bloodworksnw.org/DonorPortal/GroupLanding.aspx?s=757B
STEAM Fair: 4/20 - You can still participate!
Virtual Nights: 4/20 (Gr K-2) & 4/28 (Gr 3-5)
Virtual events continue to be popular with our younger audience, but lack in participation in the older grade levels. In April, we will try some new things and explore ideas to entice our older students to participate. This month we will host two events:
STEM Night, 4/20 @ 5:30 PM - Grades (K-2)
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87168883787?pwd=S0x1aUVXQUdtbXl0MzJGbFRCZmQ1QT09
Meeting ID: 871 6888 3787
Passcode: 492203
Trivia Night, 4/28 @ 7 PM - Grades (3-5)
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87459058873?pwd=bDZXQmliZExweTIzVHRPOVBibU5VQT09
Meeting ID: 874 5905 8873
Passcode: 686019
Evergreen Family Hike: Sunday, April 25th (time TBD)
The time and location will be advertised as we near the event. It will be LOCAL.
Next Meeting: 4/26 @ 6 PM
The Diversity & Inclusion Committee (formerly the Social Justice Committee) met in March to finalize the mission and vision of the committee and formulate a survey to assess how Evergreen as a school, and an OPT, are meeting the mission and aligning with the vision of the committee. The results of these surveys will be reviewed at our next meeting. Does this sound like something you'd like to be a part of? Join us!
Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88358726784?pwd=YWdvR0M4c3ZCaHZucTAvb3h3ZnlUdz09
Meeting ID: 883 5872 6784
Passcode: 103921
Staff Appreciation Week: May 3 - 7
It’s hard to believe we are already thinking about events taking place in May! Staff Appreciation Week will be here before we know it. Leading the charge will be Stephanie Weymouth (thank you Stephanie!) Her ideas and enthusiasm are sure to make this a successful and fun week for our Staff. If you are interested in helping, please reach out to Stephanie at weymouthmaui@gmail.com. Details surrounding the week’s theme and schedule will be sent as we near the event.
We ended Winter with events for everyone!
Spirit Wear Arrived!
If you were one of the few who had an item on backorder, it will be waiting for you at school upon our return from Spring Break.
Thank you to those who generously donated to help us fund Spirt Wear for Staff. With your help, OPT was able to purchase an item of each staff member's choosing!
What an incredible night!
Thank you to our MC, Principal Amy Morey, who did an incredible job running the show. We appreciate your dedication to Evergreen!
To view a recording of the Virtual Talent Show:
Passcode: 6eyie.Qm
Evergreen Eats Out at The Pizza Coop was also a success. Approximately 34 families participated, ultimately raising Evergreen OPT nearly $400! Thank you for your continued support and participation!
Stay tuned for winners!
Shopping success!
Have clothes you're looking to donate? We will have a final collection in June. Look for information in email and future newsletters.
The Uniform Store will reopen this Fall.
Winter Parent Education
The duo at Helping Families Thrive presented on “Parenting Your Anxious Child.” You can find out more about them at www.helpingfamiliesthrive.com. They are currently offering a course titled, “Parenting Essentials” and offer daily scientific based information on their Instagram account, @helpingfamiliesthrive.
Stay tuned for more information related to our Spring Parent Education topic, Mindfulness!
*Unfortunately, the recording for "Parenting Your Anxious Child" event is unavailable.
February Art, Directed Draw & Read Aloud Night
February STEM Night: Fireworks and Harmonicas!
Thank you Melinda Kong for a fun night and to all those who joined!
March STEM Night: Rainbow Bridges!
This St. Patrick’s Day themed STEM night was broken into two groups, K-2nd and 3rd-5th. Material bags were sent home with students (and made available to OA.) The materials included were pipe cleaners, playdough, pennies and a small cup. Using these materials, students were challenged to create an arched bridge to hold as many pennies as possible. It was incredible to watch students experiment and make adjustments to their bridges. Their inquisitive and curious minds were a delight to watch! Thank you to all SIXTY families who participated, what a night!
We love our Evergreen Staff!
We continue to shower EA Staff with affection through monthly “gifts.” While only small tokens of our appreciation, we hope they feel the love and gratitude we have for them!
- A teacher survival pack – “The essentials for our essentials.”
- Skittles + Gold Chocolate – “You are the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!”
Are you interested in taking on the roll of creating monthly tokens of appreciation for our wonderful staff members? We're looking for a volunteer (or volunteers!) to take this on for the 21/22 school year. This is funded by the OPT and you will be provided a budget for the year. If so, please contact Kim Kertson at kimmykaykertson@gmail.com!
Principal's Update: As of March 4th
*Please be advised that the following update was from the March 4th OPT General Assembly Meeting. For the most recent updates from Principal Morey, please refer to her most recent bi-weekly Smore: https://www.smore.com/1m390.
Enrollment
- At the time of the meeting, EA was completely full K-4 (that is using Covid social distancing requirements)
Mrs. Schneider retired
- Been with us more than 11 years
- Will be greatly missed!
- Seeking replacement
March madness Book Challenge (runs into the first week of April)
- Book list will be coming home in Smore
- Will be recording a read aloud of each of the books
- At the end, all vote as a school to see what the favorite book was
Kids Heart Challenge
- At the time of the meeting, we were within $600 of meeting the $14,000 goal!
Read Across America Week
- Spirit Week
- Author Visit
Spring Parent Survey
- Will come from Spring Education (has since been sent out)
- Please participate and be honest, “feedback is how we get better!”
Early March – Positive Covid Case
- No one who was considered in “close contact” tested positive
- Amy shares whatever information she has with the community ASAP - All information that CAN be shared that is
- Staff members are now eligible to get vaccinated and EA will be requiring it
The Evergreen Academy OPT
Board of Directors
- Interim President: Kim Kertson
- VP of Fundraising: Julia Kulyk
- VP of Family Engagement: Keri Sliger
- Secretary: Kim Kertson
- Treasurer: Doug Mangini
- Staff Rep: Amy Morey, Principal
Email: evergreenopt@outlook.com
Website: https://www.evergreenacademy.com/elementary/seattle/bothell/parents/opt/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/EvergreenAcademyOPT