Volume 16 Issue 18 Thursday, February 3, 2022
In February, we celebrate Black History Month, a time to recognize the achievements and important contributions of African Americans. This week, schools around our district will also be celebrating Black Lives Matter Week. This week grew from the Black Lives Matter movement which began in Seattle schools and quickly spread to Philadelphia, New York, and other large cities around the country. This week is a time that teachers will teach lessons addressing some of the 13 principles of the Black Lives Matter Movement. This year, led by our Family Support Worker, Danny Hawkins, our staff chose the theme of Black Joy with a celebration of Black Villages. Students will be learning about the Harlem Renaissance, a time of great joy and creativity. Younger students will focus in on artist Jacob Lawrence and students in 3rd-5th grades will be learning about a variety of artists from this time period including: Aaron Douglas, Romare Bearden, Lois Mailou Jones, William Johnson and also Jacob Lawrence. Instead of covering a different principle of the BLM movement as we have in past years, this year students will have time to really dig into learning about their artist and will also be creating art work in the style of their artist.
On Friday (tomorrow!), our students will take to the streets! Each class will have a scheduled time to march along MLK Street to the south end of our campus. To minimize crowding, we will have a few classes at a time scheduled to march. We welcome parents driving or biking by during your child’s time slot. Waves and cheers from the community are always appreciated and show our students that their voices matter. Our scheduled times allow classes time to exit and re-enter the building, so if you plan to drive by, you may want to aim for the middle of your child’s class’s window, so you don’t miss them.
Here is Friday’s schedule: 1:15-1:45 – Amsden, Haile, Guillermo, Westby, Reed, Hirsch, and Dugan 1:45-2:15 – Gese, Simon, Riccio, Reddy, Anderson, and Huss 2:15-2:45 – MacLennan, Glass, Damitio, Laughlin, Howard-Powell, and Long 2:45-3:15 – Carney, Bodden, Egelhoff, Teeters, Kierstead, and Sorenson We celebrate Black Lives Matter Week because we want all of our students to feel that their identity is affirmed at school. We believe that creating an identity-safe environment is the first step to closing the opportunity gap. Our district’s Strategic Plan, Seattle Excellence, is focused on supporting Students of Color who are furthest away from educational justice, beginning with African American boys and teens. This strategic plan is not about changing students but changing broken systems and undoing legacies of racism in public education. We know that by actively becoming an anti-racist educational system and ensuring that students furthest away from educational justice thrive, conditions in SPS will improve for all.
School Choice for 2022-23
This is a reminder that Open Enrollment for School Choice Process runs through the month of February. If you plan to have your child remain at their current school in their current program, you do not need to take any action. If your student is currently attending an option school but wishes to attend a neighborhood school in 2022-23, you will need to apply through the School Choice process. Only forms submitted during Open Enrollment will receive tiebreakers such as the sibling tiebreaker which gives siblings priority in admissions. Enrollment for kindergarten and new to SPS students opened on January 3. If your family has moved outside of your student’s current school boundaries but you wish for your child to remain at their current school, submit a choice form. A seat at the current school is subject to space availability; there is no guarantee. If you don’t submit a choice form, your student will have an automatic reassignment to a new attendance school for next school year. The School Choice application is open Feb. 1 - Feb. 28. To learn more and apply for school choice, visit https://buff.ly/3qoAXKj If you have additional questions, please contact admissions@seattleschools.org.
2021-2022 Family Directory
Two weeks ago, Principal May sent out a link to this school year’s Family Directory that the Friends of Thurgood Marshall Elementary (FTME) compiles annually for non-commercial use within our school’s community. The Family Directory included families who had indicated on the FERPA form that they wanted to have their contact information published in the directory. If you filed out a FERPA form and were left out of directory or if you have changed your mind and decided you would like to be in the Thurgood Marshal Family Directory, please fill out a new FERPA form which can be found here: https://www.seattleschools.org/forms/form-topic/ferpa/ or request a hard copy from the school’s front office. FTME plans to publish an updated Family Directory to include anyone accidentally omitted or who changed their mind! THE DEADLINE TO SUBMIT A NEW/UPDATED FERPA IS TOMORROW- FRIDAY, FEB. 4, 2022, TO BE INCLUDED IN THE UPDATE. Forms should be turned in to your child’s teacher or email directly to tpleybold@seattleschools.org . If you missed the link to the 2021-2022 Thurgood Family Directory before, here it is! 2021-2022_ThurgoodMarshallDirectory.pdf
Seattle Schools 2022 Levies
Did you know Seattle Public Schools is running two levies on the Feb. 8 ballot? These measures continue funding for the staff, academic programs, activities, technology and building updates that support our students. Learn more at https://buff.ly/31Utysk. Ballots are due next Tuesday, Feb. 8th! Make sure your voice is heard and turn your ballot in. Ballots can either be mailed (no stamp needed) or dropped off at a designated drop box location. To find one near you, go to https://buff.ly/2sUI5A3
Sign-up to Bring Treats in March!
Thank you to those who have signed up to bring school staff treats in February! They are very much appreciated! In light of the great response, we have added additional slots for families to bring in treats in March if you didn't get a chance to sign up yet! Check out FTME's online sign-up form to facilitate TM families to bring in treats for school staff - a small way we can show our support for the hard work and juggling of tasks teachers and staff do every day to support our bullpups. Click here to sign-up to bring in a treat for our teachers and school staff!
Girl Scout Cookies
Dear Thurgood Marshall community – Thurgood Marshall-based Girl Scout Troop 41427 is now taking cookie orders! Cookie sales directly benefit our work in many ways. Proceeds help to pay for programming and activities, including camp this spring (which we are thrilled to go back to after missing out for two years due to the pandemic!). It also helps to benefit our community. For example, our troop just completed a service project and assembled care packages for people experiencing homelessness and previously made care packages for frontline workers and patients at UWMC impacted by COVID during the early days of the pandemic. Last year, we donated over 50% of our proceeds to the Friends of Thurgood Marshall Cares Fund to help families in need right here in our school community. To learn more about each cookie and to place your order, click here: https://digitalcookie.girlscouts.org/scout/troop41427-688 Please note that we can deliver cookies to teachers and staff at school, but we will not be able to deliver in-person for families at this time. If you are not based at Thurgood, please select the shipping option (4 package minimum for a fee). If you have any questions, please contact Maria Monroe-DeVita at mariamd677@gmail.com or Jennifer Mayton at jennifermayton@gmail.com. Thank you for your support! Girl Scout Troop 41427
