Thursday, January 28th, 2021, Volume 15 Issue 76Black Lives Matter at School Week
In February, we celebrate Black History Month, a time to recognize the achievements and important contributions of African Americans. Next 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 th
at teachers will teach lessons addressing some of the 13 principles of the Black Lives Matter Movement.
Our staff are working together to create lesson plans related to a different theme each day. A brief overview of our lesson plans follows:
Day 1 – Diversity – Students will learn about the Black Lives Matter movement.
Day 2 – Empathy and Collective Value – Students will complete a “Black is Beautiful” project.
Day 3 –Black Families/Black Villages – Students will read The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by Bryan Mealer and William Kamkwamba and discuss what it means to be part of a Village. They will also take home discussion questions to complete with their family and return to school.
Day 4 – Being an Ally – Students will learn what it means to be an ally, what White Privilege is and how some benefit from this, and why people march to create social change.
Day 5 – Day of Action – Our day will begin with an assembly this would normally be followed by an all-school march. This year instead, students will be able to choose their own way of taking action.
We choose to 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.
Office of African American Male Achievement Listen and Learn Forums
The Office of African American Male Achievement is launching our Listen and Learn forum in February 2021 to continue to listen to Black families as we reconstruct our educational system to celebrate the brilliance and excellence of Black boys and teens. AAMA is committed to the long journey of dismantling a legacy of systematic racism. We invite Black families to participate and collectively envision what an educational environment looks like for Black boys and teens to thrive. Learn more about the AAMA Listen and Learn Forums.
Please help us share the registration link and forum dates by region with your school community:
Northeast Families, Friday, February 5, 2021
Northwest Families, Tuesday, February 9, 2021
Central Families, Friday, February 12, 2021
Southwest Families, Monday, February 22, 2021
Southeast Families, Thursday, February 25, 2021
African Home Language Families, Friday, February 26, 2021
Contact: aama@seattleschools.org
This is a reminder that Open Enrollment for School Choice Process also begins on February 1st and runs through February 19th. 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 2019-20, 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 4. 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. If you have additional questions, please contact admissions@seattleschools.org.
Washington Middle School Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) has received tour/open house questions from prospective families. We understand families are anxious to learn more about middle school. WMS will host a Welcome Event in April for families new to the school. This will give families an opportunity to meet the principal and staff at WMS. There will not be the traditional open house, but in February TAF@WMS is planning info sessions followed by a Q&A for the feeder schools (Bailey Gatzert, John Muier, Thurgood Marshall). Please be on the lookout for an invitation to the info session. There is also a recording of the TAF info session available from a December meeting. It is the same information that will be presented in February. Here's a link to the PTSA website with the recording. The same recording is available at the district WMS website. If families have questions not addressed in the video, they can reach out to Principal Hunt. She's great about replying to emails. kmhunt@seattleschools.org
Attention 5th Graders! Going to Meany Middle School next year or thinking about it? Interested in learning more? We won't be able to have tours this year, but we've gathered helpful information about the school and programs together in one location. Check it out at www.visitmeanyms.org And, join us for our 2nd annual Meany Middle School Student Panel. We'll address challenges like: Is it hard to open your locker? What electives can you take? Are the teachers nice? How much homework will I have? And, what's for lunch?! Join us Wednesday February 3rd from 7:00 - 8:30 pm for our Meany Middle School Student Panel - this year on Zoom! https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0scuyhqzgiHtAlQWAzgLQ4mAv1UxvLJ2a_ Open to all but you must register for the link - click here. Please Note: We do not know what school will look like in the fall of 2021. This session will NOT address return to in-person learning. Students responses will focus on online learning and what school was like pre-pandemic. Sponsored by the Meany Middle School PTSA and the Meany Middle School ASB. Visit www.visitmeanyms.org for more information about the school.
Rec'N the Street Rec’N the Streets is bringing recreation to you! Everyone needs some time to get active and socialize. Rec’N the Streets wants to make sure everyone has access to recreation opportunities. With a wide range of activities for different ages and abilities they are coming to a neighborhood near you. The program started in 2018 as a summer only program, but 2020 is the first year they are offering activities year-round! The city has 5 zones, A-E, where activities happen. Check out the map on the next page to find your zone and the parks they frequent. From snacks and homework help for youth from ‘We Free Hearts’ and Senior Pickleball with ‘North End Senior Experience’ (NESE), you will find something for you. The ‘On My Block’ program runs in partnership with Seattle Department of Transportation, and a whole block is shut down for 2-3 hours at a time to make room for recreation. You can expect everything from line dancing and chair yoga to a mobile playground for youth. Rec’N the Streets even takes community requests for activities and aims to get people out of their houses and get active. Once a month you can expect the ‘On My Block Jamboree’ where 5 blocks will be shut down to serve even more people. For more information about Rec’N the Streets check out their website at: https://www.recinthestreets.com/programs For updates on scheduling, check Rec’N the Streets’ Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/RecNTheStreets/
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