News from your North Beach PTA
December 6, 2019
Dates to Remember
- Mon. Dec. 9: Winter Enrichment Registration Opens
- Tues. Dec. 10: PTA Meeting **All are welcome!** 6:30 p.m. in the library
- Thurs. Dec. 12: School Board Meeting 4:15-6:30 p.m., John Stanford Center
- Thurs. Dec. 12: Giving Tree gifts due! Tags still available in the lobby and online
- Friday, Dec. 13: Coffee with the Principal at 8:15 p.m. in the library
- December 16-20: Sprit Week
- Tuesday, Jan. 14: PTA General Meeting and Birds & Bees author/speaker, Bonnie J. Rough
- Friday, Jan. 24: We Are Family dance, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
A Note from Our Principal
Dear North Beach Families and Community,
We started off the week being welcomed back to school with our all-school community meeting. Our 5th grade leadership students did a marvelous job planning and leading the entire assembly. They produced a filmed skit focused on our Book of the Month theme “respect” showing how students can be kind and inclusive to their classmates. Thank you to Phillipa Dugaw, Tara Nessan, and Mary Person for supporting our 5th grade leadership program!
As part of our participation in the first-year rollout of the new SPS science curriculum, each of our grade level teams will be spending three days in science professional development at various points throughout the year. This week, our 4th and 5th grade teams received the first of these days of training. More information on our new science curriculum and the professional development teachers are receiving can be found at https://www.seattleschools.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=627&pageId=88092329.
Please join me for Coffee with the Principal next Friday morning, December 13 at 8:15 am in the library. I'll be discussing our staff professional development plan and updates in the building.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Kristine McLane, kemclane@seattleschools.org
Principal, North Beach Elementary
206-252-1510
From the Office
We welcome anyone to use the playground after school. However, please do not take recess balls out of the enclosed play court. These get left out over night and then disappear and we have no balls for recess the next day. So please do not get into the play court. We appreciate your help on this.
Sarah & Carolyn
Counselor’s Corner
Our Book of the Month program for December will be focusing on gender identity and the character trait of RESPECT – both for self and others. We will be using books from the District-provided Gender Identity Kit for these lessons. Most schools within our district have students who are born one gender but identify as another gender. We also have students who identify as having a fluid gender— they may feel like they are both male and female or neither. This can sometimes feel confusing to others and may raise questions. We will be talking to students about gender and how we treat each other. Each class will read a book and talk briefly about gender roles, gender expression, and gender identity. The focus will be on treating each other with kindness and respect. You can help support your student at home by answering questions they may have and by encouraging open dialogue about your family values and beliefs as well as reinforcing messages they will receive at school which focus on respect, being inclusive and resisting and reporting bullying. As always, please let your teacher, counselor or principal know if you have questions. For more information, please see the SPS website at: http://www.seattleschools.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=627&pageId=15935
From the Art Room
Dear Families,
Our 1st Trimester was filled with varying shapes used in creative ways: from still life to landscape to decorative patterns. We focused on creating illusion of space by using placement, size and overlapping in the work of art. We also explored different techniques from painting with watercolors and tempera, drawing with pencils, markers and colored pencils, to collage, and focusing on craftsmanship, slowing down and appreciating the process of creating art instead of rushing to the final result. Three Art Committees led by our 5th graders worked continuously on displaying artwork representing different grades, projects and materials.
Our young artists did a great job with their creations!
Warmly,
Izabela Gabrielson
There is still time to contribute to the Giving Tree Holiday Tradition
The Giving Tree is our holiday tradition where North Beach families donate gifts for North Beach, Whitman, and Broadview-Thomson K-8 families who could use a helping hand. Gift tags will be are available in the lobby. Consider purchasing the gift through the Amazon Smile URL that will appear on the tag. The school will receive a donation in return for your purchase. This year if you cannot get to the lobby during school hours, you will be able to sign up for a gift online. Please take a tag or sign up online only if you can return the unwrapped gift by Thursday, December 12. If you have any questions, please contact the Giving Tree volunteers at northbeach.givingback@gmail.com or 206-276-3210. Thank you for your generosity!
5th Grade Leadership Presents... Sprit Week 2019 December 16-20
5th Grade Leadership Presents...
Sprit Week 2019 December 16-20
Building Community: We Are Family
Dress Up Days
Monday: Sports
Tuesday: Dress up as what you want to be when you grow up or your idol
Wednesday: Hat (may need to be taken off during class time)
Thursday: Pajamas
Friday: Tie dye or other bright funky colors
Please note: Dress up days should have no cost to do, please use what you have on hand.
New This Year- Door Decorating
A seal for your child to cut out and decorate one side only using the theme “Building Community- We Are Family” as inspiration came home this week. Please use items you find in your home to create your one of a kind seal. Some suggestions include an inspiring person at school, colors that represent what community and family at North Beach mean to you, or North Beach seal activities. We are hoping for 100% participation! Return to your teacher no later than Wednesday December 11th. All decorated seals will be put on a poster by the 5th Grade Leadership students to be on door display throughout sprit week.
"We Are Family" Annual Auction Coming on Saturday, February 8, 2020!
It’s time to prepare for our annual auction event, to take place on Saturday, February 8, 2020 at the Nordic Museum in Ballard. At North Beach Elementary, “We Are Family” and celebrate the strong commitment made by parents, teachers, neighbors, and our community to support the education of our children.
Year after year, North Beach’s PTA auction raises vital funds to help supplement the deficit of state funding for our school. What we raise during the auction will go toward the PTA’s general fund, which covers things like counseling, technology, tutors, author visits, teacher mini-grants, and so much more. These programs—which inspire our children today—help our children explore who they are right now and think about who they want to become tomorrow.
We are aiming for 100% participation from our school community for this event. It is one of the three main fundraising programs for North Beach—bringing in a large portion of PTA funding for important programs for our children. What’s more, it’s great fun—a hallmark of our friendly and very special community.
Here’s where we could use your help:
● Procure or donate an item! We are in need of restaurant gift certificates, gift cards of any value, pro sports team tickets, frequent flier miles, bottles of wine valued at $20 or more, desserts, and silent auction items valued at $150 or higher. If every family drums up just 1-2 donations, this auction is in the bag! Donate online at https://northbeachelementary.ejoinme.org/auction2020-procure.
● Attend the auction! Grandparents, neighbors, friends are invited, too. Buy tickets at https://northbeachelementary.ejoinme.org/auction2020-tickets.
● Sponsor the auction! If you are a business owner and would like to financially support the auction while advertising your business, we’d delight in your sponsorship. We have several sponsorship levels available, all of which offer great exposure to our community of families who attend North Beach as well as the auction. Complete the sponsorship form online at https://northbeachelementary.ejoinme.org/auction2020-sponsor.
● Host a table at the auction! Gather a group of other parents from your child’s classroom or from your block. The opportunities for bonding as you dine and bid together on auction night are priceless. Buy tickets for your table at https://northbeachelementary.ejoinme.org/auction2020-tickets.
● Volunteer at another school’s auction! We partner with several nearby schools for auction night staffing. Other schools send parents to help run our event, and we in turn need 20-25 volunteers to sign up to run one of the other schools’ auctions. Our Volunteer Coordinator will be sending out more information about this soon.
Tickets are on sale now! Tickets include: appetizers, dinner, beer, wine, specialty cocktails and an evening you will never forget. We offer multiple ticket prices to suit your budget. https://northbeachelementary.ejoinme.org/auction2020-tickets.
You may also donate an extra ticket for a teacher or parent in need. Please pay what works best for you, and/or contact one of the auction co-chairs at auction@northbeachpta.org if you wish to receive a donated ticket. It’s more important to the auction committee that this is an inclusive North Beach community event and we hope everyone will be able to attend!
We encourage you to dress up in the spirit of this year's auction theme: We are Family! Bring back the 70s by donning bell-bottoms, go-go boots, psychedelic prints, jumpsuits, wide collared shirts, and shades—the options are unlimited!
On behalf of the auction committee and the PTA, thank you for your top-notch support of North Beach Elementary students and staff!
Peggi Fu and Sara Easterly
Auction Co-Chairs
PTA Spotlight on Volunteers
This week we recognize and thank the Giving Tree team—Pauline Jones, Pauline Amell Nash, and Litty Ames. They have greatly expanded the reach and impact of our annual holiday giving tradition to help more families than ever before. Gift tags are still available in the school lobby where you can check out Pauline Jones’ phenomenal winter wonderland display. For the first time, you can also select a gift tag on Konstella. These are due back next Thursday in order to allow time to distribute gifts to the families.
Broadview Thomson K-8 is a new neighborhood school that we are helping. We are supporting 15 kids out of their identified need for 150 students.
Would You Like to Help North Beach Get a District-Funded Counselor?
The school board is currently working on its budget for next year. North Beach is one of many elementary schools that does not have a district-funded counselor. We are looking for parents to help us persuade the school board to pay for a counselor for our school. (Currently, your donations to the PTA pay for the counselor.) If you’d like to help by writing letters to the school board or by appearing at a school board meeting, please contact me (Suzanne Hurley) at president@northbeachpta.org for more information. Personal stories of how having a counselor at the school has helped you family could have a big impact.
How to Speak at a School Board Meeting
The first regular school board meeting with the new board members will be on Wednesday, December 11, starting at 4:30pm, at the John Stanford Center. Public testimony begins at 5:30pm. The agenda for the meeting will be available on the SPS website on Friday, December 6. If you would like to speak to the board, here’s the process: email boardagenda@seattleschools.org or call 206-252-0040 between Monday, December 9, at 8am, and Tuesday, December 10, at noon, and provide your name, contact information, and topic you would like to address. Only 25 adults will be allotted time to address the board. All children who ask will be included. Children may speak for the entire two minutes, or after speaking for 30 seconds, they made cede their remaining time to a parent. If you would like to speak on an issue and this sounds too complicated, please contact me (Suzanne Hurley) at president@northbeachpta.org, and I’ll walk you through the steps. We will also have some advocacy training in the new year.
Yearbook Volunteers Needed
We need one Lead Editor (Looking for someone who is willing to commit for 2-3 years - you will shadow the outgoing editor) and a Classroom Editor for each room (that’s 21 volunteers) to help bring the yearbook together. Sign up on Konstella at https://www.konstella.com/cd/kwOOxf
If you have any questions about what’s involved please contact Phillipa at phillipasara@gmail.com
SPS Special Education Family Newsletter
To keep informed on information, resources, and news regarding Special Education please sign up to receive the SPS Special Education Family Newsletter at:
Global Reading Challenge for 4th & 5th graders!
Dear 4th & 5th Grade Families! It's time for the 2020 Global Reading Challenge! All 4th and 5th graders are invited to participate in this fun 3 month event that encourages students to work in teams reading a selection of 10 books. Teams then compete with other teams in a book trivia challenge. For more details on this fun event and how to have your student sign-up, please see visit the external here. To see the complete list of books, click here.
If you have any questions, please contact Librarian, Luci Bakker labakker@seattleschools.org.
New Car Seat Law - Effective January 1, 2020
A new car seat law goes into effect in WA on Jan 1,2020. Here is a link to a good breakdown of the new law:
https://wereparents.com/washington-state-car-seat-laws-2019/
The biggest change is that any child under 4'9" will need to be in a booster seat effective 1/1/20. Please check your child's total height as this may mean some kids going back into booster seats.
Morning Drop Off and Afternoon Pick Up
Mornings can be quite hectic around the school so please observe the following guidelines to keep our children safe:
- Do not park in the drop off lane in front of the school. This lane is for children exiting the car quickly. Have your child ready to go before you get in the line.
If you would like to walk your child to the front door or to their classroom, please park in a legal parking spot in the neighborhood. Do not park in the drop off lane.
Cross only at crosswalks. Do not cross in the middle of the street.
Speed limit in front of the school is 15 mph.
Parking around the school is limited. Do not park within 30 feet of a stop sign or within 20 feet of a marked or unmarked crosswalk.
No U-turns on 24th Avenue, or using 91st Street to make a U-turn.
No parking in the bus zone (even when no busses are present)
Parallel parking only in front of the house at the NW corner of 24th and 91st. Let's also be good neighbors and not block their mailbox.
No parking facing the wrong direction.
Do not leave your car running, if unattended.
Do not leave your child unattended in a running car.
Seattle Police regularly patrol the area and will issue tickets!
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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Auditions for Fall Enrollment: Northwest Boychoir
The Northwest Boychoir is now scheduling tryouts for boys who like to sing! Boys who are ages 6-9 years old are invited to audition and no previous music training is needed. Classes for new members begin in January and are held at the University Heights Center in Seattle. Auditions are free of charge.
For more than 40 years, the Northwest Boychoir has helped young people discover the joy of singing, self-discipline and teamwork. We are proud to be an inclusive and equitable organization and are firmly committed to assisting families with financial aid. The Northwest Boychoir offers the perfect blend of music training and Serious Fun!
At the Northwest Boychoir, you can…
- Be part of a program nationally recognized for musical excellence!
- Make great friends in an upbeat team setting!
- Develop confidence by doing amazing things!
To schedule an audition appointment or for more information: 206-524-3234 or nwboychoir.org. Northwest Boychoir Audition Flyer: Download Click for more info and be sure to share the new Boychoir Audition Video!
Before/After School Programs
Boys & Girls Club
Hours: 7:00 - 7:50 am and 2:25 am - 6:00 pm M-F
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