Thursday, May 6th, 2021, Volume 15 Issue 88
Now that many families have been back at school for close to one month, this is a great time to take stock of how things are going and make tweaks where needed. Our staff does this to make sure that routines are going smoothly and that we address anything that could be done differently and better. Possibly this is a routine in your family, too, as you think about your morning routine, how you manage the independent learning part of the day, how you get to and from school. We continue to follow COVID safety protocols to ensure safety of staff and students. While everyone is getting more comfortable being together in schools, this is still no time to be complacent.
​
A few reminders:
Families are doing a great job remembering to fill out their child’s attestation in a timely way before school. Please be sure you are answering the attestation thoughtfully. If your child has a symptom on the list, please respond in the affirmative. If you think it is possible that your child has had close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID, we need you to keep them home until you are able to get them tested to ensure it is safe for them to return to school. If you are not sure if your child should be at school, you may always contact our school nurse, Cristina de Melo Wirkala, to consult with her about your child’s symptoms. You can reach her through our school office at 206-252-2800 or by email at crdemelowirk@seattleschools.org.
​
Help your child understand the importance of mask-wearing and be sure that their mask fits properly over their nose and mouth and around their chin. If a child arrives in need of a mask, we are happy to provide them with one. We know that children will sometimes need reminders to keep masks pulled up and that consistent mask-wearing is an important protective factor in keeping everyone in class safe.
Please be sure your child eats before coming to school, so they have energy to make it through their short school day. We are happy to send home breakfast and lunch packs. These are shelf stable, so you can breakfast/lunch for the following day. This is free for everyone – just let your child’s teacher know what you need. Remember that our school lunch site continues to operate Monday-Friday, with additional fresh fruits and vegetables on Wednesdays and extra food on Fridays for the weekend.
Change to Learning Preference – your child has been assigned to an in-person or remote learning cohort, based on your expressed preference. These assignments are in place until the end of this school year. If you wish to make a change for your child, here is a link to the district appeal process: https://www.seattleschools.org/admissions/registration/student_assignment/assignment_appeals/in-person_preference_appeals . We are not able to make these changes at the school level. If a student is quarantined, they will be able to learn remotely during this time. If your family will miss school as you choose to travel, you will continue to have access to your child’s independent work on Seesaw.
COVID-19 Vaccination Opportunities: https://www.seattleschools.org/district/calendars/news/what_s_new/covid-19_vaccine ​ ​
​ Happy Staff Appreciation Week to all our Teachers and Staff - your hard work and dedication make TM great! ​ ​
​
​ ​ BLT Recruiting Statement: The Thurgood Marshall Building Leadership Team is looking for parent representatives from our General Education program, our AC Scholars (HCC program) and our Special Education Program. We are also looking for a representative from our Black Family Advocacy Support Group. ​ The two-year commitment for joining the BLT is to attend a monthly meeting (Tuesdays from 4-5:30) and help us make decisions about our building budget, our Continuous School Improvement Plan, and Professional Development Plan. In addition, the BLT guides the climate and mission and vision of the school. Our meetings have typically been held one Tuesday each month from 4-5:30 PM, and it would be fine to attend these meeting virtually if you are not able to attend in person. We have a parent representative for each of our school programs: AC Scholars, PEACE Scholars and Scholars. We also have a position held for a member of our Black Family Advocacy Support Group and we are also looking to fill this position. If you are interested in nominating yourself to serve on the BLT, please send me a short statement of why you are interested in serving. You can also reach out to our current parent representatives, Tripti Balgi at triptibaliga@gmail.com, and Neha Lohia at neha@lohia.org. ​ ​ Help lead Thurgood Marshall's Equity efforts next year! The Equity Action Teams are looking for people interested in joining their leadership team for the 2021-2022 school year. Open positions include: SECRETARY and EVENT PLANNER. People filling these roles will work with the support and collaboration of the whole leadership team and the general members of the Equity Action Teams. This is a great way to meet new parents/caregivers, learn more about working toward equity, and take action in the school community in concrete impactful ways. If you have any interest in these roles, have questions, or would like to explore other ways to get involved in the Equity Action Teams, please email the Leadership Team at equityactiontm@gmail.com. More information about Thurgood Marshall's Equity Action Teams can be found at: https://tmlink.org/info/equity-in-education-initiative/. ​ ​
​ ​ Restraint, Isolation and Other Uses of Physical Intervention: Community Sessions ​ The district is in the process of revising Policy 3246: Restraint, Isolation and Other Uses of Physical Intervention to align to our values of anti-racist actions and working towards de-escalation and trauma-informed responses. Our goal is to ensure our students are treated with dignity and respect while providing staff with essential de-escalation strategies and response techniques that do not cause physical or social emotional harm to the student, family, or the school community. These sessions are open to the public. Meeting links and more information is available here: https://www.seattleschools.org/district/calendars/news/what_s_new/uses_of_physical_intervention_community_sessions ​ ​
TM Yearbook
​
Just like this school year has been "special" we are hoping to create a very special Yearbook addition for the 2020 - 2021 school year at TM.
​
Please stay tuned for more information. To make this successful we will need teacher, staff, and student involvement. Don't worry, it will be FUN!
​
ALSO...It will be VERY IMPORTANT to turn in order forms shortly after we send them out...coming soon!
