Book-o-ween

Lots of exciting things have been happening around our school. Our Speak With Purpose program has started for our Fifth Grade classes and also Ms. Damitio’s fourth grade class. Ms. Gese’s students will get to participate during the second semester of the school year. Speak With Purpose is a program that combines work on identity, social justice and public speaking. This is a powerful combination for our students! You will be hearing more about this as the year progresses.

Now that it is October, we are also thinking about getting fifth grade students ready to go to camp. Be sure to return your camp forms back to your child’s teacher as soon as you can. We are a very fortunate recipient of an Outdoor Education Scholarship which pays the bulk of the costs for all our students, thanks to the generosity of the Association of Washington State Principals. This is a very special experience for our students and an important part of the culmination of their time at Thurgood Marshall.

I also wanted to let you know about a very important TM Tradition that is coming up soon—Book-o-ween! To make this holiday inclusive to all, our focus is on reading and not on Halloween. We celebrate by asking students and staff to come to school dressed as their favorite book character on October 31. You might want to start talking to your child now about their favorite books and what character they would like to be. We ask that students stick to costumes that are not violent and do not include weapons. Full face masks are not allowed at school so that students have full visibility for safety. Please be sure you check costumes for school appropriateness at home, as students can become very disappointed and upset when they can’t wear a part of their costume at school. Many of our students make their own costumes out of construction paper or cardboard—there is no need for anything fancy or expensive. To get a little more milage out of your costume, come to the FTME Spooky Family Dance on October 25, where costumes are encouraged! If you need help coming up with some ideas, you need only google “book-themed costumes.”  Here is a link to some: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/halloween-ideas/g22127013/book-character-costumes/  

I want to be sure that everyone is aware that Parent Teacher Conferences are happening in November on Monday, Nov. 25 and Tuesday Nov. 26. We will have time slots available on each day from 7:30 AM to 6:40 PM. There will be no school on Nov. 25–27 in recognition of the Thanksgiving Holiday. Conferences for families who need an interpreter have been scheduled. Your child’s teacher will be in touch to schedule your conference. Reply soon to get a time slot that works best for you.

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Meet Ms. Reed

Hello Thurgood Marshall! I am Ms. Reed, and I have been a teacher here since 2020. I am teaching 3rd grade this year and completing my principal internship through Western Washington University. This means that I will also be taking on some of the roles and duties of an administrator and you may see me around the school or hear from me in the role of an administrator.

I am so thrilled that I get to learn from one of the best admin teams at one of the best schools! I am really looking forward to getting to know more families this year and be involved in our school community in a whole new way!