Evergreen Families,

As I sat down to write this month's newsletter, I kept finding myself double checking that it was indeed May. My brain is having a hard time wrapping itself around the reality that we are quickly approaching the end of the school year. A year that continued to force us, personally and professionally, to reinvent ourselves, to be flexible when we thought we had no more room to bend and to wrap our arms around one another like never before...but from a distance.

While March and April brought us many OPT sponsored events and activities, we hope that May and June are a little bit calmer and allow space for you and your family to truly digest what you have accomplished this school year. Personally, for my family, Evergreen has been a place of emotional grounding. Giving us a constant and something to anchor ourselves to when the world around us felt unsettled.

We will have two more OPT meetings before the end of the year and I hope that you will join us! I am proud to be a part of the Evergreen Family and it is an honor to serve as your president.

Sincerely,

Kim Kertson
OPT President

Please join us TOMORROW, WEDNESDAY, 5/19 @ 7 PM! This month we will:

• Nominate and elect the 21/22 OPT Board of Directors
• Discuss the remainder of the year
• Host a Q&A Session with Principal Morey!

Don't miss the opportunity to get up close and personal (well, as close as one can get over Zoom) with the topics you are most interested in hearing about. This is the perfect time to ask questions, express opinions, make your voice heard...or simply listen in on meaningful content and conversation.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9983751990?pwd=OHFveDlBMFJZQUlxL3BIdFFoemhkQT09

Meeting ID: 998 375 1990

Passcode: eaopt

As we prepare to close the book on the 20/21 school year, the OPT is already planning for Fall '21 and beyond. We have a rather robust calendar in the works and one thing is for sure...we can't pull it off without YOU!

We understand that the idea of volunteering can be intimidating. We live busy lives and are protective of our free time. We get it! That's why we want to assure you that there is a volunteer spot for everyone and volunteer opportunities of all shapes and sizes.

In the next few weeks be on the lookout for a Sign-Up Genius where you can note which events and activities you have an interest in helping with. This is NOT a commitment and you are NOT signing up to lead an event. This is simply a way to gather information about people's interests and where they feel they can be of the most help.

Thank you in advance for your time!

Do you make most of your Amazon purchases from the app? We do! Did you know that until just a few weeks ago all those purchases from the app weren't counting toward AmazonSmile?! Well, now they are and it's easy to make the update and start earning for OPT!

Simply follow the instructions below to select "Organization of Parents and Teachers of Evergreen Academy" as your charity and activate AmazonSmile in the app. They'll donate a portion of your eligible mobile app purchases to us.

How it works:
1. Open the Amazon app on your phone
2. Select the main menu (=) & tap on "AmazonSmile" within Programs & Features
3. Select "Organization of Parents and Teachers of Evergreen Academy" as your charity
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to activate AmazonSmile in the mobile app

The end of the year is quickly approaching and we have a few more things planned. See below for an overview on what to expect in May and June.

While we would LOVE to host another outdoor adventure as a school (and plan to add more next year) we're excited to offer a virtual event for our newly created "Evergreen Explorer's Club."

We are so fortunate to live in such a beautiful area and want to encourage our Evergreen Community to opt outside in the weeks before we cap off the 20/21 school year. To encourage you and your family to document your outdoor adventures (think hike, walk, run, bike, scooter...) we have created an OPT SeeSaw account where students can share and journal about their adventures outdoors with other Evergreen students.

Look for more details in Friday Folders this week!

With one week to go, there's still time to join!

We will meet virtually on Monday, May 24th @ 7 PM to discuss the book, "From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home," by Tembi Locke. Reminiscent of "Eat, Pray, Love" - this book is a delight!

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9983751990?pwd=OHFveDlBMFJZQUlxL3BIdFFoemhkQT09

Meeting ID: 998 375 1990

Passcode: eaopt

It's been a wild year, let's make some wild shirts (and do it on campus!) Never one to pass up the opportunity to stay on trend, the OPT will be hosting a tie-dye event for all students. The details are still in the works so stay tuned for details!

While OPT has been able to pull off many events this year...all but one has been virtual. We had every intention of hosting an End of Year Celebration and even had plans in the works for months. Unfortunately, bringing the whole school together presents hurdles we are not going to be able to overcome at this time. After many discussions as a group and with Principal Morey, we have decided to approach things from a different angle this year and support the end of year fun in a different way.

With that said, there will be no separate End of Year Celebration this year. Instead, we will be offering our support and adding to the fun at Field Day on the last day of school, June 9th. We have no doubt your students will enjoy the day and end their 20/21 school year on a high note!

Online Families: OPT will have a presence on your last day/materials drop off on 6/16.

April and May were FULL of OPT sponsored events and all but one event (campus beautification) were BRAND NEW to Evergreen Academy this year. Thank you to all those who made the successful completion of these events possible!

While the last 6 weeks were jam packed with events, your OPT dollars also supported a myriad of other activities such as assemblies, guest speakers, a science fair, staff appreciation, classroom STEM challenges and more! See below for details!

In cooperation with the Diversity & Inclusion Committee, the OPT brought author and speaker, Shane Burcaw, to classrooms via Zoom. Shane lives with SMA (spinal muscular atrophy) and runs a 501c3 that not only teaches children that all people deserve kindness and respect, regardless of their differences, but also provides free equipment to those living with muscular dystrophy.

With OPT dollars, every classroom received Shane's children's book and had the opportunity to "meet" Shane via Zoom last week in 8 different intimate Q&A sessions. Children were welcomed and encouraged to ask any and all questions. It is our hope that by offering children windows into worlds unlike their own, we can do our part to raise socially aware members of society and normalize differences!

Want to see Shane read his book? Check out the awesome video below and start up a conversation with your student at the dinner table or on the way home from school!

Video Access: https://vimeo.com/firerock/notsodifferent
Video Password: laugh

"As a society, we need to embrace the idea that there’s nothing wrong or bad about being disabled. In other words, saying “Shane is disabled” should be no different than saying “Shane is tall.” This type of language is called “identity-first” language, and it is widely preferred by disability activists and advocates today." - Shane Burcaw

Did you know that OPT dollars help fund many of Evergreen's assemblies? They do! In our budget we have a category titled, "Enrichment" and it is with those bookmarked dollars what we help fund grants, parent education, guest speakers and assemblies. This Spring we were able to bring two virtual assemblies, BMX - Matt Wilhelm and EcoHeroes, to Evergreen students.

Thank you to the 60+ families who joined us as we experienced the magic and humor of Michael Stellman on Wednesday, May 12th. What a fun way to end our series of Virtual Events for the 20/21 school year!

Not only did we have impressive audience attendance, but we had a very supportive community who participated in our last Evergreen Eats Out! With your contributions, we raised $350! To put things in perspective, the funds we raised PAID for an event like our magic show! In a year with very little fundraising...Evergreen Eats Out has allowed us to do a little more than we had originally planned. Thank you!

Thank you to Heritage Restaurant for their partnership!

Thanks to the planning and creativity of Stephanie Wey, we were able to honor our Evergreen Staff in the form of tacos, churros, nachos, donuts, coffee, chips, salsa, guacamole and more!

On top of the OPT sponsored events and tokens of appreciation, the staff was BLOWN AWAY by the generosity and thoughtfulness of the Evergreen community. All week long they were showered with love, flowers, candy, gift cards, treats and most importantly...recognition for their unrelenting support of our students.

Interested in being a part of the planning next year? We could use your help! Many hands make light work. Reach out to Kim Kertson at evergreenopt@outlook.com to express your interest!

It was a heated battle, but in the end, the students prevailed! Thank you to those who participated in our FIRST ANNUAL TRIVIA NIGHT! We will definitely be brining this event back in 21/22!

Didn't get a chance to join us? Check it out on Kahoot! and make it a family affair! (Trivia questions are applicable for all ages!)

https://play.kahoot.it/v2/?quizId=0371c18a-bd5b-4fb7-88fb-586fc64895dc

The weather was touch and go right up to the event, but it turned out to be an awesome day for a hike! In our first in-person event since Winter 2019, we gathered together - masks and all - to enjoy the PNW as a group. Students, families and pets enjoyed the short hike and a picnic in the meadow with tree climbing, bug finding and conversation. This hike, a first for Evergreen, has already been bookmarked as another event we plan to make into a tradition!

A big thank you to Keri Sliger and family for organizing and leading the event!

When we call on the community...the community shows up! Flowers and plants galore were donated on Earth Day and students found their green thumbs. The campus was beautified and once again the Evergreen staff and students demonstrated that the show must go on!

Thank you to the families who contributed to this annual day of campus pampering!

How do you thank the lemonade makers in a year that could have been full of lemons? In April, we surprised our staff with cupcakes and lemonade on a sunny Friday afternoon. These small monthly tokens of appreciation are one way we thank you those who make a difference in the lives of our children each and every day!

Want to help coordinate these monthly tokens of appreciation? Let's divide and conquer! You get a month, I get a month, he gets a month, she gets a month! Reach out to Kim Kertson at evergreenopt@outlook.com if you are willing to lend a hand!

The 2021 S.T.E.A.M. Fair was a success with 19 students participating! Each class had the opportunity to tour the Science Fair boards in the gym, including the Online Academy families, who were able to schedule a time to come to campus.

Thank you to the staff members who set-up and tore down on OPT's behalf and a big thank you to Melinda Kong for serving as the event organizer!

Interested in helping with the 2022 Science Fair? We are looking forward to hosting a robust and in-person event next spring and need your help! Contact Kim Kertson at evergreenopt@outlook.com if you are willing to pick up a task or two.

In late April, nearly 40 Kindergarten - 2nd grade families joined us as we attempted to build a vehicle out of a tissue box, CDs, washers, pencils, rubber bands and pipe cleaners. While the young and talented engineers set to work on their task we read aloud, "Rosie Revere, Engineer" and learned that, "Your brilliant first flop" is often a raging success!

Our inquisitive and ever creative engineers came up with varying designs and faced challenges head on in their attempt to create a moving vehicles. They sought out advice from fellow students and cheered each other on. Thank you to those who were able to join!

While we may have done it by the skin of our teeth, we did in fact reach our goal of 25 participants in the blood drive! Three participants donated platelets and one person participated in a double red blood donation (platelets and double donations counted extra!) and 19 people donated whole blood...including our very own Mrs. Morey!

It is our hope that we make this an annual event in the coming years and we are able to boost our participation by hosting a pop-up event on campus or bring in one of the donation trucks when they are back up and running.

THANK YOU DONORS! Your selflessness not only made a difference in the lives of others but helped raise $520 for the Evergreen Academy OPT!

With new families joining us in January and our Fall '21 registration numbers at an all time high, MANY new families are set to join us on campus in September. We felt it more important than ever to reach out to our new and future Eagles and welcome them to the Evergreen family. OPT, in partnership with Mrs. Morey, hosted an evening presentation to give our new families a crash course in Evergreen OPT 101. What a joy it was to meet 24 new families and share with them all that OPT is, does and strives to be!

Miss the presentation? View it here:

Did you miss it? The Evergreen Academy Parent and Staff Book Club met in April and read, "The Other Einstein," by Marie Benedict. Be sure to check out this read if you want to turn everything you thought you knew about Albert Einstein upside down!

Principal Morey's latest Smore can be found here: https://www.smore.com/0wbrq

However, if you are looking for the MOST up-to-date information and have an opportunity to ask all the questions and hear all the answers (that can be answered - ha!) then join us at the OPT General Assembly Meeting on Wednesday, May 19th at 7 PM were Mrs. Morey will join us for a Q&A Session!

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9983751990?pwd=OHFveDlBMFJZQUlxL3BIdFFoemhkQT09

Meeting ID: 998 375 1990

Passcode: eaopt