Thursday, April 8th, 2021, Volume 15 Issue 85
What a week this has been! As difficult as on-line learning has become for many of our students, coming back in-person has had some challenges, too. I want to acknowledge all the ways I have seen resilience being expressed this week, and to celebrate our community for Keeping it R.E.A.L.! (And for those of you who are new to Thurgood Marshall – our R.E.A.L. stands for Resilient, Empathetic, Accountable Lifelong Learners).
Students: Our students are at the heart of everything we do, and we have been so happy to have our school filled with the sound of children again! Our students are adjusting to a new earlier start time, to keeping a distance in person from their friends, and to wearing a mask all day at school. They are learning to use the bathroom keeping to a schedule and to make sure they eat before they come to school. They miss being together with all their friends in their class and to be able to play with anyone in their grade. Despite this, they are happy to be at school. Other students are not able to return to in-person learning for a variety of reasons, including lack of transportation or childcare for the other half of the day, or for health reasons. It’s hard for children to know that some of their class has returned when they are not able to, but we see them continuing to learn together with their teacher. Families: Our families have been conscripted as teachers for the past year. It was a hard to make the adjustment to supporting on-line learning and it is still tricky now that students are starting to come back to school. Our families are providing transportation for their children each day and juggling their care for the other half of the day. You are getting up early to fill out your child’s health screening and being patient with our staff when we experience tech glitches with getting the screening information even when you have filled it out. Teachers: Our teachers are also showing their resilience as they continue to teach remotely (for most of them) while adding an in-person session, too. They are excited about being with some of their students, but they are also learning how to make school feel warm and welcoming wearing masks and keeping distance. This is not the easiest combination to achieve. They are cleaning their room between sessions of students and having planning only once a week (the reason for the shortened day on Wednesday). They are tired but have stayed flexible and supportive of each other and their students through all the changes. Custodial Staff, Ms. Kol and Mr. Nguyen: Big shout-out to our hard-working custodial engineers. Along with our lunchroom staff, they have been in the building cleaning and keeping things running for the entire pandemic. We are so lucky to have Ms. Kol and Mr. Nguyen. Our school has truly never looked better and they take the commitment to safety seriously. They wipe down our entire building 3 times a day, and even wipe down our recess play structures. They track the work that is done to keep our HVAC system running smoothly and keep us supplied with PPE. Our Lunchroom Staff: Ms. Lilli and her assistants keep our community fed and healthy. With Ms. Lilli in the lunchroom, we never have to worry about a family going hungry. She provides “grab and go” breakfast and lunch packs for our students to take home with them. (If you would like your child to receive this, please let their teacher know!). Ms. Lilli also organizes supports for members of the community and helps refer families to community resources. Nurse Cristina: Our nurse has been on the scene since the start of the pandemic, checking in with families at our meal site and volunteering at other schools around the district. It is always reassuring to have her in our building as she communicates with families, answers staff questions about COVID-related issues and trains staff in health and safety protocols. Admin Secretary, Ms. Cherese: Most of you have not had the opportunity to meet Ms. Cherese yet. She has been subbing for us in the office since Ms. Patu went on leave last fall. Cherese quickly adjusted to the job and has been taking any training she can find to continue building her skills. Cherese is warm and welcoming and calm under any circumstances. Her day starts now with running the reports to let us know which students have completed their attestation and then making phone calls to parents so we can get students to class as quickly as possible. No matter what we throw at her, she stays calm and good natured. All this to say… you ALL deserve the Golden R.E.A.L. award this week for your resilience! I’m grateful to work in this community with all of YOU!
Family Connectors University Seattle Public Schools (SPS) families are invited to join North Seattle College’s Family Connectors University (FCU) class, a family-focused online course designed to help parents support their child’s learning and growth.
In partnership with North Seattle College and SPS Family Partnerships Department, topics include:
Helping your child with hybrid learning and remote learning
Social Emotional Learning ideas for home
Becoming a supportive partner at your school
Helping your child with ‘big emotions’
Supporting your child with reading and math
Talking to children about race, racism, and antiracist actions
Take this course in real-time or attend offline at a time that works for you. Check out video here and course details here. Participants report that this year's pandemic-informed curriculum has been immensely helpful to families during remote learning: “The Family Connectors University class was a wealth of practical ideas, and definitely worth the time investment!” “…the conversations about self-care, supporting our kids' social emotional growth, dealing with "big feelings" and recommendations on supporting reading and math were fantastic.” “Implementing just a few of these ideas brought the pressure level in our 'locked-down' household from a 9 to a 2.” “I loved the chance to have one hour to myself each week to get ideas for helping my child and talk with other parents.” The online class takes place via Zoom for 10 weeks beginning Tuesday, April 6th at 6pm. Parents can participate synchronously or asynchronously, as sessions are recorded. Course is facilitated by NSC Parent Education Instructor Lea Evans, Principal Janine Roy, SPS Family Partnerships Coordinator Asosa Sailiai, and special guest speakers. The cost for the 2-unit class is $39.42 and some scholarships are available. Email Asosa Sailiai to enroll or find out more information: amsailiai@seattleschools.org.
