Thursday, November 5th, 2020, Volume 15 Issue 66
Planning for an Effective Parent-Teacher Conference
Principal Katie May
We are holding our conferences on Saturday, November 21, Monday, November 23 and Tuesday, November 24.
If you have not visited our Sign-up Genius site to schedule a conference, now is the time and you can do that here: https://www.signupgenius.com/tabs/23674df05afcee4c53-msdvorak.
When you click the link, you will be taken to one teacher’s page – be sure to click “Show More Sign Ups,” the orange button in the upper-right corner to use the drop-down menu to find your child’s teacher. Educating a child requires a partnership between the school and the family, particularly this year as parents by necessity must be heavily involved in the day-to-day learning of their child. Thurgood Marshall teachers try to find many ways to communicate regularly with parents through emails, newsletters, blogs and apps.
Fall conferences are one of the few times that teachers can sit with parents (virtually!) and discuss their child’s learning. We value this time with you, as it allows us to share work samples and insights about your child’s learning - both academic and social! Conferences are more than the teacher sharing information with you. Our goal is to learn more about you, your family, and your hopes and dreams for your child’s education.
Here are some ways you might prepare to get the most out of your conference time:
Ask your child in advance if there is anything s/he would like you to discuss with the teacher. This may give you insight into things that are hard academically or with engagement. It may also give you information about what your child especially likes about school. It is also important to share what has been successful, so your child’s teacher knows to keep using those strategies/activities.
Make a few notes with your own questions or topics you want to be sure to address at the conference. You may want to email questions you have to your child’s teacher in advance of the conference. Teachers may also send you questions about your hopes for you child in advance of the conference, understanding that many of us prefer a little think time first.
Remember that our conferences are tightly scheduled. Plan to arrive a minute or two early and be prepared to finish at the end of your allotted time. If there is more that you hope to address and you run out of time, ask the teacher when you might be able to speak again.
Share any positive observations you have about what is going well for your child at school, things your child has been especially interested in, or things you appreciate about the teacher.
Remember that a focus of the conference is to share how your child is doing and areas of strength or concern. Be open to suggestions from the teacher and share your thoughts about how your child may best be helped. Teachers are happy to give you ways to support learning at home when they see you are open to this, so ask what you can do to support your child at home.
Take notes about what has been shared so you can refer back to them and share with your child, as appropriate.
If you and the teacher have decided to try something new with your child – a new plan for learning or to support behavior, for example – plan a time to check back in to see how things are working out.
Most importantly of all, remember that all our staff are here to support you and your child as best we can. We want to help you and work with you. Please let us know if there is something we can put in place to support your student.
Thurgood Marshall Thanksgiving Meal-in-a-Bag Program Thanksgiving is right around the corner! In this challenging year, our community’s needs are greater than ever. I know many of us are looking for ways to help each other out -- here is a great opportunity. At Thurgood Marshall, we have an annual tradition of sharing the spirit and tradition of Thanksgiving by bringing families together through shared food. Through your generous donations, we will provide a Thanksgiving Meal-in-a-Bag to each Thurgood Marshall family in need. DONORS: Prepare a Thanksgiving Meal-in-a-Bag with the following items in a doubled paper grocery bag (or reusable bag): ● $20 gift card to QFC or Safeway ● 2 cans of green beans ● 1 bag or box of cubed bread stuffing ● 1 box of instant mashed potatoes ● 1 can of cream of mushroom soup ● 1 can of cranberry sauce ● 1 pound of yams or sweet potatoes ● 1 shelf-stable pie crust (graham cracker or boxed dry mix) ● 1 can of pumpkin puree ● 1 can of evaporated milk Please email Jen Gotanda at jgotanda@gmail.com to confirm you will be participating, then deliver your bag to school between November 9 - 17. The office is open 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM. Just ring the front door buzzer and someone will come out to get it. Thank you for your generosity! RECIPIENTS: The Meal-in-a-Bags with the above supplies will be available for pickup at Thurgood Marshall on Friday Nov. 20, Monday Nov. 23, or Tuesday Nov. 24 between 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM. If those times don’t work, please call the office to arrange another pickup time. To receive a bag, please email Trina Wright at trinabates@hotmail.com with the following information: Student’s first and last name Teacher Email Phone # Any questions? Email Jen Gotanda (jgotanda@gmail.com) or Trina Wright (trinabates@hotmail.com).
Countdown To the Fair: 11 days!
The Scholastic Book Fair is back! While the Fair will be exclusively held online this year, we still plan on making it a fun and joyous experience for our kids.
The Online Fair will include features such as Thurgood Marshall’s own online store, games for kids, virtual store walk-throughs and more.
Remember, every dollar you spend will benefit our school directly (25% back in rewards!).
Fair Dates: November 16, 2020- November 29, 2020
We can’t wait to “see” you at the Fair!
FTME Autumn Challenge
This school year is looking very different than years past but the Friends of Thurgood Marshall (FTME) are still supporting our children in every way they can.
Our Autumn Challenge is beginning. Our annual goal is $61,000 this year. It is critical that FTME raises enough to fulfill our budget to continue to fund our librarian, remote learning supplies, classroom grants, enrichment activities, and so much more. This year is very different than years past, but the needs of our community continue. Our staff and community are putting in an amazing effort to meet the challenges of this year but this year, more than ever, we need your help.
FTME will spend $150 per student this year. Every donation, of any amount, will help our students. You will have a direct and positive impact on programs and resources that help all our children have the best possible school experience.
At Thurgood Marshall Elementary, there are no auctions or fundraising sales. Instead you will hear from us several times over the year, asking you for a gift. You can give anytime online at www.tmlink.org.
Don’t forget to pay for remote learning/classroom supplies (pay what and if you can!) Link here.
Give today by:
- Writing a check payable to Friends of Thurgood Marshall and mailing it to the school.
- Donating by credit card - link here.
Thank you for your consideration. If you have any questions, please contact us at giving@tmlink.org.
Thank you for considering a donation to the Thurgood Marshall Annual Giving Fund.
Calendar
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11th Veteran’s Day – No School ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– NOVEMBER 21st, 23rd/24th Fall Parent Conferences 8:00am - 3:30pm ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– NOVEMBER 16th - 29th Scholastic Book Fair ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– NOVEMBER 25th - 27th Thanksgiving Break –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteering for our school definitely looks different this year! Please let us know if you would like to help by emailing our substitute admin secretary Cherese Williams at cnwilliams@seattleschools.org. Here are a few ways we could really use parent support:
Social Supervision – Even though we cannot have students together in person, we know that our students really value time to interact with other students outside the regular classroom setting. Consider hosting a lunch time hangout with a small group of students to give them an informal place to talk to others. In a virtual setting, we must have at least 2 adults together with our students for everyone’s safety.
Tech support – Are you tech savvy? Can you be on call to help troubleshoot tech problems for parents helping their children for one or more hours per week at a set time? If so, let us know your availability.
Deliveries – Some of our families find it difficult to come to school to pick up supplies and books that teachers are trying to get to them. If you are willing to help deliver these materials to our families’ porches, please let us know. As little as 1 hour per week will really help us out!
