News from your North Beach PTA
January 8, 2020
Dates to Remember
- Sunday, January 10: PK-1st Grade Back to School Survey Due
- Tuesday, January 12: PTA Meeting *ALL ARE WELCOME* 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
- Sunday, January 17: DEI Meeting, 3 -4:30 p.m.
- Monday, January 18: NO SCHOOL, MLK Jr. Day
- Thursday, January 28: Kindergarten and New Student Open House
- Monday, February 1: Kindergarten and New Student Open House
A Note from Our Principal
Hello North Beach Families,
Last evening many of you were able to attend the Principal Q&A session. I wanted to go over some of the questions asked for families unable to attend, as well as provide updates to questions that were lingering last evening.
- Will my child be able to keep their teacher? We are unable to guarantee students will be able to remain with their current teacher whether they return in-person or if they stay in a remote setting. We know how difficult this makes the decision for our families. Our students are attached to their teachers and classmates and our teachers are committed to their students. What I can tell you is that our staff is committed to making the transition to in-person instruction as least disruptive as possible for all students. Our teachers and support staff do an outstanding job working collaboratively in their efforts to meet the needs of all students; we will do whatever we can to do the same as we transition to in-person instruction. Therefore, my suggestion to all families is to complete the survey based on whether an in-person or remote setting would work best for your family.
- What will the in-person schedule/model be? The Seattle Education Association and district are discussing aspects of the school day and model. This may also be impacted by guidelines from the health department and requirements for cleaning/disinfecting by custodial staff. We have let the district know that families with multiple grades need to have staggered start times so that parents can support younger students as well as older students who are on the remote start time of 8:30.
- What if I am a PK-1st grade parent and I didn’t receive a survey? Send an email to research@seattleschools.org to request a survey.
- If my child is attending school in-person but needs to quarantine due to COVID-19 exposure, what will their academic support look like? I don’t have a firm answer on this yet; possible answers seen in other districts include setting up a video link to live stream what is happening in the classroom or sending work home for the student to work on independently. These or other options may be determined by the Seattle Education Association and SPS.
- Is there a specific COVID-19 case incidence number the district will use to remain in an all-remote learning environment? Governor Inslee issued a proclamation last month changing the recommendations schools should use for returning to in-person instruction.
- What safety and social distancing requirement will be in place at the school? SPS will work with Department of Health officials and utilize current guidelines to develop protocols for the return to in-person instruction. https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/covid-19/schools-childcare.aspx
- Will the Boys and Girls Club still be in operation? As of this time, there should be no disruption to current operations of childcare services.
- When will school staff be vaccinated? According to the schedule released by the state earlier this week, some staff will be vaccinated in February. Others will be vaccinated in April. https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/1600/coronavirus/VaccinationPhasesInfographic.pdf
The district has additional information on the in-person learning FAQ page: https://www.seattleschools.org/resources/faq/return_to_in-person . We know this is a difficult decision for families to make, and the district has indicated that whatever answer families provide on their survey response will be the model that student will attend school in for the remainder of the year. We know that COVID-19 has created significant challenges for families and life circumstances may change. Please know that the answer you provide on the survey now is what we will utilize for planning our return to in-person instruction, and if family circumstances warrant the need to make a change after March 1st, we will do what we can to be flexible to meet the needs of your situation.
Finally, the events of this week will have repercussions for the country for years to come. Ms. Reid is providing resources to support parents in discussing what occurred while electoral votes were counted. If you are interested in reading more in depth information with your child, there are resources available at https://billofrightsinstitute.org/playlists/peacefultransitions.
Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership. Have a wonderful weekend!
Sincerely,
Kristine McLane
Principal
North Beach Elementary
From the Office
Welcome back! Hope everyone had a nice peaceful time away from school. Happy new year!
Counselor's Corner
Welcome back to school! I hope you and your family are well and had time for a little relaxation and fun over the break. It can be difficult for students and families to transition back to school after a break. I want to remind you that I am available to see students and consult with families (virtually) if you have concerns about how your child is doing or even if you think they’d benefit from a one-time check in with me. Please contact me by e-mail at arreid@seattleschools.org.
In light of the shocking events that unfolded at the U.S. Capitol yesterday, I also want to share two articles on ideas for supporting and talking to children about what happened.
Supporting Vulnerable Students in Stressful Times
PTA Update
Please join our first General PTA meeting of 2021. All are welcome.
PTA General Meeting Tuesday 01/12 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
**Dial-In and Agenda on Konstella**
Please fill out the SPS Survey for Pre-K to 1st grade students!
Join the PTA!
Make your voice heard! The NBE PTA provides advocacy and funding for our students. By joining the PTA you say YES to counselors, tutors, art supplies, classroom technology, library books, and more. JOIN TODAY and while you’re at it donate to the school supplies fund!
Join the PTA here!
School Board Meetings are online!
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.
Join Seattle Special Education PTSA!
If you have been considering joining the Seattle Special Education PTSA, now is the time! Please visit their website and do it now. www.seattlespecialeducationptsa.org.
Support North Beach Elementary When You Shop!
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!
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Community News & Events (The programs below are not endorsed by either North Beach PTA or SPS, and are posted for informational purposes only.)
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Ending the Silence with PNW Parent Education
The intense emotional burden of 2020 has definitely taken a toll on some of our community’s students, school staff, and families. To address this, we’re partnering up with PNW Parent Education (www.pnwparented.org) and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (www.namiseattle.org) with an early intervention and educational presentation titled, “Ending the Silence: A Youth Mental Health Event”. This FREE online event is on Wednesday, January 27, 2021 at 6:30 pm. If you are interested in attending, please register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ending-the-silence-a-youth-mental-health-event-tickets-128652453953.
This relevant and engaging presentation will help attendees identify early signs and symptoms of mental illness in youth, provide information about treatments, and we’ll have a young adult who will share their lived experience coping with depression and anxiety. The goal of this event is to begin a larger discussion about mental health so that young people dealing with mental health conditions realize they are not alone.
Lastly, while watching the event, you can also order a delicious family meal from The Extra Ingredient: https://www.exploretock.com/theextraingredient/. Please click on the link titled, “Jan 27th: PNW Parent Education Event - Pre Order”. All orders must be placed by Wed, January 20, 2021 and 20% of all proceeds will be donated to PNW Parent Education.
School Programs
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/.
Beachcomber Email
Article submissions for this newsletter are due by 5:00pm Wednesdays. Please send articles to beachcomber@northbeachpta.org
About North Beach Elementary
PTA website: northbeachelementary.org
School website: northbeaches.seattleschools.org
Email: beachcomber@northbeachpta.org
Website: northbeachelementary.org
Location: 9018 24th Avenue NW Seattle, WA 98117
Phone: (206) 252-1510
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/northbeachpta/
Twitter: @sealsnorthbeach