STAR GAZER GAZETTE
May 2023 Star Lake Newsletter
Greetings Star Lake Families,
As I am writing this it is pouring rain; what a wet spring we have had. I don’t know about you, but I am ready for some sunshine! Amazingly, we are coming around the bend toward the end of our school year, with only 31 school days left! We have a busy month of May ahead, here are some exciting events we are looking forward to:
3rd-5th graders are starting SBA (Washington state testing) next week in math and reading. Our testing window runs from May 8th-May 26th with students usually testing two mornings in each of the weeks. We encourage our students to do their best and be persistent, showing what they know while not getting overly stressed out. This is one snapshot of student progress in reading and math and one data point for our school and district. Our scholars have worked hard this year, and should be proud of the progress they have made; and we are excited to have our SBA results reflect this growth!
The best thing you can do as a family is to encourage your child to get a good night’s sleep, eat breakfast on the day of testing, come to school, and avoid scheduling appointments on testing days. We will give students lots of breaks and snacks to help them stay focused on the assessments. All students take a ‘computer adaptive test’ in reading and math, which is mostly multiple choice and short answer, and a ‘performance task’ in reading and math which required more independent reading, writing, and problem solving. Please watch for remind messages and emails from your child’s teacher outlining their specific testing schedule.
All students in grades K-5 will be completing their iReady diagnostic assessment in reading and math in late May or early June, and 3rd-5th graders will complete another Panorama survey.
Next week is Staff Appreciation Week! Thank you to our PTA, they have some wonderful things planned to thank our staff. I know a quick note, email or phone call to your child’s teacher thanking them would sure fill their hearts!
Please read on in our newsletter to see dates and details for our intermediate concert, Kindergarten jumpstart and registration, and our family summer reading celebration!
We still have lots of learning and growing happening in this last part of the school year! As always, thank you for your partnership and please reach out with any questions or input!
Best to you,
Kris Rennie, principal
253-945-4007
Mark Your Calendars
MAY
10 - Early Release - School ends at 1:35
10 - District BOB Competition, 6:30pm, Todd Beamer HS
11 - Grades 3-5 & Withrow Music Concert, 7:00-8
18 - Kindergarten Jumpstart, 5:30-7
19 - Mismatch Spirit Day
24 - Early Release - School ends at 1:35
25 - Family Academy, 6-7:30 @ Star Lake
29 - Memorial Day - NO SCHOOL
30-31 - Book Collection of Gently Used Books for Book Exchange on June 1st
31 - PTA Meeting, 6-7:00, Library
JUNE
1 - Summer Reading Celebration, 5:00-7
5 - ALL library books are due
7 - Early Release - School ends at 1:35
8 - Grades 1-2 & Zank Music Concert, 7:00-8
9 - Tropical Spirit Day
16 - Kindergarten Graduation Ceremony - AM (Time TBD)
16 - 5th Grade Graduation Ceremony 2-2:30 Gym
19 - Juneteenth - NO SCHOOL
20 - Field Day - Parent Volunteers Needed!
20 - Yearbooks Handed Out
21 - Last Day of School - Early Dismissal Time TBD
Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, a time to recognize the contributions and celebrate the many diverse and vibrant cultures of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AA and NHPIs).
According to the Washington State Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs there are people from approximately 42 different nations across Asia and the Pacific Islands in our state and greater Federal Way community.
These cultures are part of the fabric that make our district one of the most diverse in the state — a strength we embrace and weave into the culture of our schools and the education of our scholars.
In FWPS, we want our schools to be a mirror of our community — a place where every student has a sense of belonging and can see and be themselves.
CONGRATULATIONS!
The following scholars and staff members were honored last night at our School Board Meeting. We would like to congratulate them for their accomplishments this year!
These scholars were recognized as “hallway buddies.” Each morning they walked the K-2 hallway with shiny star stickers, giving praise and recognition to scholars who are waiting using kind, safe, and productive behavior. They are great models for our younger Star Lake eagles!
Leighton, Arianna, Alden, Xoe, Elijah, Christian, Alya, Vanessa, Gracilinah, S'Miya
Next we honored our Family Liaison, Mrs. Hilderbrand for building strong partnerships with families and supporting scholars. She talks to families daily at pick-up and drop-off, coordinates volunteers, leads our family engagement team, connects families to resources, and still finds time to support in the lunchroom! Her dedication to our scholars and families is obvious!
The following scholars were recognized for already achieving 100% or more of their projected yearly growth on the Math i-Ready diagnostic assessment. Their hard work is evident and paying off.
Christopher, Deborah, Nolan, Jayce, Simon, Nia, Reginald, Branen, Jayden, Anthony
Lastly we recognized these teachers for implementing strong learning routines which have resulted in a marked increase in student talk in their classrooms. Thank you for building this very important skill with the scholars.
Mrs. Nelson, Mrs. Decker, Mr. Bennett, Mrs. Blair, Mr Friedman
PLEASE PLAN TO ATTEND:
Star Lake MUSIC CONCERTS
Star Lake Concerts are BACK! We will have evening concerts for each grade level (except Kindergarten, who will be performing at graduation in June), and we invite YOU to be a part of our performance experience! Feel free to invite family and friends to our FREE concerts, which will last about 30 minutes. Have your student wear their Star Lake t-shirt, if it’s available. Watch for lyric sheets (which have the concert dates and times as well) and feel free to practice the songs with them! 😊
* Due to a scheduling conflict at school on May 18, we’re going to CHANGE the Withrow and 3rd Grade concert date. Please see below
**Note that the Functional Core classes were neglected in the last newsletter (sorry, friends!), so I added them in:
Please save the appropriate following dates:
Withrow and 3rd, 4th and 5th Grades: Thursday May 11, 7:00pm
NO CONCERT on Thursday May 18, 7:00 p.m.
Zank, 1st and 2nd Grades: Thursday June 8, 7:00 p.m.
Mr. Garcia
General Music Teacher
Register For Kindergarten
Our Kindergarten Jump Start event is coming up for all incoming kindergarten students and parents on Thursday, May 18th at 5:30-7:00 PM. This is your chance to register your student as well as meet the teachers and see where your student will be attending school in the Fall. See below for more information.
If your child will be age 5 by Aug 31st, you can begin the registration process by visiting: http://www.fwps.org/kiosk
If this is your first student attending Federal Way Schools, then please click on Student Registration and Create a New Account.
If you currently have or have in the past had a student registered in any Federal Way Public School , this includes Preschool & ECEAP, then you already have a ParentVue account. Just click on “ParentVue” to access your family's information. DO NOT make a new account for each student. If you need help recovering a forgotten User ID or password, please contact Kathy Miller at 253-945-4002 or kamiller@fwps.org. If you need additional information please go to: https://www.fwps.org/Page/7199
BOOK EXCHANGE!
Now is the time to begin cleaning out your bookshelves and finding those books you would like to donate!
Library Learners
Battle of the Books News:
The winners of the annual Star Lake Battle of the Books were The Super Readers from Mrs. Blair’s class!! Miles, Ashton, Alden and Wyatt will represent Star Lake at the district Battle of the Books on May 10th at Todd Beamer High School. Competition starts at 6:30pm. Way to go, fifth graders! Good Luck!
Please Look for Library Books!
With the end of the school year approaching, please look around your house, student’s bedrooms, backpacks, the car and other places for library books. Many students have overdue books out from several months ago. Star Lake library books have a Star Lake barcode on the front cover. Please send the books to the library. If you need to know what library books your child has out, please email Mrs. Walker, library assistant, at jowalker@fwps.org. All library books are due June 5th!! Thank you!
Keep reading!
Jennifer Nelson, librarian
PBIS: SAFE, KIND AND PRODUCTIVE!
Our Book Vending Machine is also up and running, thanks to our FABULOUS PTA!!! Students are now able to use the Star Lake Way Tickets they've earned to get tokens for the Book Vending Machine. What a great incentive for being Safe, Kind and Productive!!
Nurses News
Spring trees and grass pollens are in the air! For some, that means their eyes are itchy and their noses are running, especially on sunny days. If your student has this issue, you might remember to give them a non-drowsy antihistamine like Claritin (loratadine) before school if that is your family’s practice. Once they are here, we can’t give them any medication unless we have the medication in an original container and we have a doctor’s order including the guardian’s/parent’s signature.
Early reminder: If your student has medications at school. Please remember to pick them up on the last day of school or call the school and make arrangements with the health room staff for them to be sent home. See permission form below for your signature as well as instructions.
May Attendance News
For the month of April, we had 102 students with perfect attendance. Those scholars with perfect attendance in any given month are awarded a bonus ticket worth 10 Star Lake Way Tickets to shop with at Eagle Mart.
Reminder, school starts at 8:35am. If you would like your student to eat breakfast in the morning, please drop them off before 8:25 am to give them 10 minutes to eat. Our doors open and we start getting students out of cars at 8:15 am. We are finding many students getting dropped off closer to 8:35am are wanting breakfast and are arriving late to class.
Problems with Tardiness
The most crucial learning hours of a school day are the morning hours, because that is when students are most attentive. Students who are tardy miss the beginning of their morning classes, and they also cause a distraction when they arrive late to class.
Academics and Achievement
Students who are frequently tardy have lower GPAs, lower scores on standardized assessments, and lower graduation rates. Chronic tardiness in elementary and middle school is also linked to failure in high school.
It’s not summer yet, so let's finish strong as we have important testing in the month of May. Please remind scholars to go to bed early! It’s important that students are in class on time for testing, otherwise they miss out on class time later when making up those tests.
EVERY DAY COUNTS AND EVERY DAY MATTERS
Moving up to a new grade can be both exciting and intimidating. Children and families often have questions about what is to come next, including academic expectations, how to navigate social norms, and more.
At the next Family Academy event, Supporting Successful Transitions, students and families can get empowered with resources to support various milestone transitions to look ahead to the upcoming school year with confidence. Be sure to attend on Thursday, May 25, from 6-7:30 p.m. at Star Lake Elementary or through Zoom to prepare your child for a smooth transition at every grade level.
Interpreters are available, and families who attend in person can enjoy a hot dinner and free childcare for potty-trained children 5 years and older.
Browse workshops and register at www.fwps.org/RegisterForFamilyAcademy.
Developmental Preschool at Star Lake 2023-24
Star Lake is excited to have a developmental preschool at our building for the 2023-2024 school year. Here is the link for additional preschool information: https://www.fwps.org/preschool
You will find copies of flyers in multiple languages as well as a link to the Pre-Screening Application.
If you are interested in registering your child for the developmental preschool, we ask that you fill out the pre-screener and then the early learning department will contact you directly, as there are limited spaces. For the pre-screening application for preschool, go to:
PTA Updates
Star Lake Parents and Guardians,
Wow, May came by fast! It’s been a great year so far and we are looking forward to finishing the year with some great events. We were so thrilled to bring back Family Skate Night at the newly reopened El Centro in Federal Way, it was nice seeing you all there. Also thanks to everyone who came out to support our last family restaurant night at Menchies!
MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
During the month of May, PTA will be accepting donations for buying additional books for our library. Cost of books has increased and the library is unable to purchase as many books as they used to. If you would like to contribute, please put your donation in an envelope and label who it is from. Then place the envelope in the PTA mailbox in the entryway of the school. Thanks for anything you are willing to give!
May 8-12 Staff Appreciation
Please join us for our LAST PTA Meeting May 31st at 6pm in the school library
PTA POPCORN/SPIRIT DAYS:
May 19th - Mismatch Day
June 9th - Tropical
Join our Facebook page to keep up with the Star Lake PTA 9.4.55: https://www.facebook.com/groups/StarLakeElementary
Star Lake PTA is always looking for volunteers to help with Fundraisers, Popcorn Fridays, and Book Fair! If you are interested please email us at starlakepta@gmail.com
* Remember that a successful PTA needs your participation. We appreciate your support! If you have any questions, please email us at: starlakepta@gmail.com
Summer Program Option For Our 5th Graders:
FREE SUMMER PROGRAM FOR FWPS rising 6-8th graders.
Cooking, coding, photography, art, theater, sports, dance & more!
June 27-July 28 Mon-Fri
9:00-3:00PM
Location: Lakota Middle School
Transportation provided Monday-Thursdays
Limited spots available, register here: rmd.me/CILYvnEmuKl rmd.me/rdUnqHm0Hpz
Click link above for attachment
Talkspace
Interested In Joining Our Team?
Are you interested in being a paraeducator here at Star Lake?
We currently have openings in our self-contained special education classrooms: preschool, K-2 and 3-5.Paraeducators must have an associate’s degree or equivalent college credits or pass the parapro examination.
For more information please go to www.fwps.org and click on the yellow box that says “join Team Federal Way”
Then under “vacancies” click on “Locations” and then “Star Lake” to see our open positions. You can also contact the district HR department for assistance at 253-945-2073 or reach out to Mrs. Rennie with questions.
Summer School
The Lightning Thief
Mary Poppins Jr
Does Your Scholar Need Extra Support Academically?
We are happy to announce the FREE availability of Tutor.com for all scholars in grades 4-12. For your scholar's success, Tutor.com will:
· Provide one-to-one FREE tutoring help
· Provide access to SAT and PSAT prep
· Available 24/7
· Scholars may access through Launchpad to Learning
For more information and to access this vital service go to: https://www.fwps.org/Page/8221. It will also be explained in various languages.
Mentor & Me Program
Make a different in a young person's life: Become a Mentor.
Federal Way Public Schools invites community members to be a mentor for the 2022-23 school year!
Mentors nurture, advocate, support, and share the responsibility to ensure their scholars have multiple opportunities to set and meet goals.
To learn more, click here to provide your contact information.
Because of You
Scholars in grades 3–12 have a chance to nominate any Federal Way Public Schools staff member in the district they believe has positively influenced them, their school, and/or their community with the Because of You award.
The Superintendent’s Scholar Advisory team reviews these nominations, and each month selects recipients to be recognized at a board meeting.
Students may fill out a nomination form at: https://www.fwps.org/becauseofyou. All nomination forms are due by the end of the month.
Assistance Resources For Our Families:
Staff List:
Star Lake Elementary
Email: comments@fwps.org
Website: https://www.fwps.org/starlake
Location: 26812B 40th Ave S , Kent, WA, USA
Phone: 253-945-4000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarLakeFWPS