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When: Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018; 3-9pm
Where: Populuxe Brewery, 826 NW 49th St in Ballard 
www.populuxebrewery.com 
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Come join us in the first of a series of Brews and Baked Goods fundraising events!

We're teaming with local community brewers and you! With your help, our 4th graders can reach their fundraising goal that pays for their 5th grade IslandWood field trip.  $1 per pint goes back to QAE. 4th graders will have a bake sale set up. Populuxe has something for everyone. Including an arcade and pinball room. Looking forward to seeing you there and thank you for your support! This is a family friendly event. All are welcome. 

We'll have QAE logo growlers for sale at the event! $20 each with proceeds supporting QAE! See the cool logo designed by QAE parent Michele Christensen. You can buy at the event or purchase online here.

Populuxe does not serve food, but you're welcome to bring outside food. Nearby dinner suggestions for Wednesday are Giddy Up Burgers and Big Mario's Pizza.  

How you can support:

• Visit our bake sale table - $1 suggested donation
• Enjoy the freshest assortment of local award winning brews - $1 per pint goes to QAE for their IslandWood field trip. 
• Purchase a QAE Growler - $20 

You don't need to bake anything to come, but we do need bakers. Sign up to help here:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d44aea722aaf85-islandwood 

Upcoming Brew & Bake Sale Events:
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• Saturday Oct. 20th at Queen Anne P-Patch 3-5pm
• Saturday Nov. 10 at Burke Gilman Brewing 12-4pm
• Saturday Dec. 8 at Rooftop Ale House 2-7p.m.

The QAE Jog-A-Thon is on Thursday! So much of what we love about our school and school community is supported by PTSA resources and funds raised through the Jog-A-Thon. Did you know the PTSA has been behind the funding of so much good stuff? See some of the great things below. And if you've already registered to support our online donation system in PledgeStar thank you! Please consider sending a few additional emails this week. If you have yet to do so, just log on to www.PledgeStar.com/qae and register - it's really easy and will take less than 10 minutes of your time.

MISSION #1: TEACHERS

• Supporting teachers to get their National Board Certification (by subsidizing their testing)
• Training for all new staff and annual refresher courses for the entire staff in Positive Discipline
• Project Based Learning professional development
• Support for training including skill sets such as working with gender diversity, cultural competence, and mindfulness in the classroom

MISSION #2: CLASSROOM & ACADEMIC SUPPORT

• Kindergarten aide for each class
• 1st grade aide shared across classes
• Resource room tutors
• Reading and math specialists

MISSION #3: COMMUNITY

• School opener BBQ
• Family Game Night
• Back to School Night
• Winter Celebration
• Summer playdates
• First Day Welcome Coffee

MISSION #4: CURRICULUM & CLASSROOMS

• Kelso’s Choice, Zones of Regulation, & other positive discipline curriculum
• Readers’ & Writers’ Workshop
• Calm Body Spots and materials to support self-regulation

MISSION #5: EXPERIENCES FOR STUDENTS

• Whale Watching field trip scholarships
• World Peace Game in 4th Grade
• IslandWood expedition in 5th Grade

We are more than halfway to our Jog-A-Thon goal. May donations usually come the week of the event, so let’s help make sure this fun day is a big success. Our goal for $150 per child is attainable by getting just fifteen $10 donations! Whether you already sent out a request or still need to set it up, head over to the Jog-A-Thon site to find out the latest. We’ve also added times for all classes - find out when your child will be running!

Volunteers needed: We’re excited for the event and would love your help. There’s still some slots for lap counters, photographers and even ice cream sherpas! See the list of volunteer opportunities here...

Come join us in the P-Patch to celebrate Autumn, our school community and the larger Queen Anne community. We will press and sip freshly made cider from orchard apples; go on a fall-themed scavenger hunt and explore the garden; share and enjoy potluck dishes with neighborhood gardeners; and enjoy the season and good company.  All are welcome: this is a family-friendly event.
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When: Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018, 3-5pm
Where: QA P-Patch, 217 Lynn St, 98109
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This will happen rain or shine! If you have questions, contact garden1@qaeptsa.org. 

Update: We'll also have QAE growlers available for sale. $20 each, which goes to 4th grade fundraising for their trip to IslandWood!

​Jog-A-Thon fundraising is building steam as more families get registered with Pledgestar, our online fundraising platform. If you haven't signed up yet, please take a few minutes (it only takes 10) to get your child registered. If you have any questions about how to sign up you can find answers on the Jog-A-Thon site.

If you are already signed up, consider sending out more requests. The more emails sent, the more funds raised. Currently, Ms. Belcher and Ms. Goldman have the most students registered in their classes. To date we've earned just under $8,000. We would love to see 100% participation. The money raised by the PTSA goes into many important programs that our school would not be able to afford without their help. But, that requires you! We need your help getting the word out and gathering donations so we can meet our goal of $40,000. Mission: Possible is the theme. Let's show these kids what's possible.

Quick ask: we need a few pop-up tents to use at the Jog-A-Thon. If you have one we could use, please write to jogathon@qaeptsa.org

The first General PTSA Meeting of the school year will be on Tuesday, October 9th from 6:30-8pm at the Queen Anne Community Center.

It's open to all parents and the community -- please come to hear about what's going on at our school. We'll talk about plans for the year, review what's getting funded, the adventures of busing, adjusting to John Marshall and more. There will be time for questions and anything else you want to discuss.

The PTSA is planning to make childcare available at the meeting. Reserve a childcare spot here:
https://qaeptsa.wufoo.com/forms/2018-fall-ptsa-meeting-games-club/

​Hope to see you there!

New Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Denise Juneau is embarking on a district-wide Listening and Learning Tour to better understand the concerns of our families. 

Given the recent reductions in staffing that left QAE (and other schools) scrambling, the listening tour is a good opportunity to share our concerns. The closest to our area is Ballard High School on October 4th, 7-8:30pm.

See the Superintendent Juneau's Listening Tour site for more information and other dates.

​Student Picture Day is tomorrow -- Tuesday, Sept. 25th! In addition to being able to order photos of your cute kid, individual pictures are used in the yearbook and for the Seattle Public Schools database.

Students who are absent or want to retake can do so on Retake Day later in the Fall.

You should have received a printed form in your child's orange folder. You can return it with cash or check on the 25th. Or you can prepay via credit card. To prepay for your pictures online:

• Visit yuenluistudio.com
• Select the School & Sports Prepay link under "Schools/Sports/Yearbooks"
• Enter keyword: Queen Anne Elementary
• Select "View Gallery" for Sep 25th, 2018 Picture Day option
• Enter your email and then choose your package(s)

Note: if you have more than one child at the school, you'll need to submit a separate order for each kid.

If you have questions, please contact Yuen Lui Studio at 1-800-347-4667.

As families have seen on various outlets, including the email sent today by Janine – SPS enrollment was low and many schools are being impacted in losing teachers and reorganizing classes. QAE is one of the many schools being impacted. We would have had to say good-bye to Ms. Bonnie as our newest 2nd grade teacher and it would have impacted all of our classrooms through a reconfiguration of 2nd grade (would have need to created many split grades that would have had a cascading effect from K to 5th). 

The impact to our student community seemed too great. The PTSA started exploring options with school staff. The team dived into all options ranging from doing nothing to revising the entire PTSA budget to do something. It is with great gratitude to Bonnie, Megan and Helene for volunteering a creative solution of job sharing and personal sacrifice that allowed us to arrive at today’s solution. We are impacting the least amount of students, a class gets to have 2 great teachers, we lose no teachers from our QAE family and PTSA helps bridge a gap to continue to support our students.

But this action is also met with the knowledge that many other schools are in a worse situation. Schools do not always have the resources or ability to have so many pieces come together. During the fundraising season, the PTSA may come to you with asks fo money but today we are asking for your time: please lend your voice to the other schools in our community that need our help.

This is absolutely unacceptable and we need our collective voices to be heard on how this impacts our communities. Please consider editing and sending a version of the note below and spreading the word to all of your friends within SPS to write them. Any letters can be sent to schoolboard@seattleschools.org. We need to galvanize and flood them with letters to show them how displeased we are. 

See the SPS summary of the staffing adjustment as well as their FAQ about the process.

Another way to advocate is to attend one of the upcoming Superintendent listening tours. The closest to our area is Ballard High School on October 4th.

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​
Sample Letter to Send to the SPS Board
This is just an example, please write your own or edit as you see fit. Note the underlined sections that should definitely be edited.

To: schoolboard@seattleschools.org
Subject: Unacceptable displacement of teaching staff

Dear Superintendent, School Board and senior SPS staff,

I am parent of two SPS students - a second and fourth grader at Queen Anne Elementary. I am incredibly frustrated to see that SPS is displacing staff from approximately twenty different schools and majorly disrupting the lives of teachers, families and communities as a result. The impact on students at Nova and Interagency is even greater given the disproportionate impact on them.

I understand that there is a correlation in number of students and revenue and with the 1.4% enrollment decrease, you need to find ways to cut cost. Is there a reduction in staff or other major cost cutting efforts happening at the JSCEE? Why are schools bearing all the reductions in revenue? This is absolutely unacceptable.

Also, you are already in violation of the McCleary ruling on classroom sizes which as you know should be a maximum of 17 students for K-3 and 25 students for 4th grade and up. At my kids' schools, they have more kids in their classrooms already so combining classrooms will only put SPS further away from appropriate class sizes.

You need to do better for teachers, families and communities. How will you retain top talent when teachers can easily go to neighboring districts that are more effectively managed where they can make more money? How can you shuffle kids around after school has started which is hard for all of them but especially for neuro-atypical children in our system?

At work, if I were to consistently miss projections and disrupt hundreds or thousands of customers regularly, I would have been fired long ago. Please take us off this annual enrollment projection roller coaster and find ways to keep communities intact. 

Best,
[ Your name ]

Earlier this afternoon Principal Roy shared the following e-mail with the student community. The PTSA wants to underscore the thanks given to Ms. Dudley, Ms. Palumbo and Ms. McCormick for helping us work through this difficult situation. We are relieved that there will be no reduction in existing classrooms at QAE!

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Dear QAE Parents/Guardians,

Each September, Seattle Public Schools examines initial school enrollment and makes staffing adjustments district-wide. This year, SPS enrollment is significantly below projections which impacted many schools across the district. Queen Anne Elementary is one of several SPS elementary schools directed to make staffing adjustments. This means we must adjust our staffing by one full-time teacher. Our next step is to determine how to best do this while having the least impact on students.

In light of losing a full-time teacher, which would force a reorganization of almost all of our classes, the staff came up with a unique approach that minimizes the impact on our children. We thank Ms. Bonnie Dudley, Ms. Megan Palumbo and Ms. Helene McCormick for their dedication to supporting our students in crafting an innovative plan.

After consensus with the Building Leadership Team (composed of staff, PTSA Executive and parents; K – 5th grade teachers and Career Ladder Teachers) and QAE staff, here is our plan:

• Ms. Bonnie Dudley and Ms. Megan Palumbo will job-share the 2nd grade class. When Ms. Palumbo goes on maternity leave in March, Ms. Dudley will teach the class full time for the remainder of the year.
• Ms. McCormick, our 0.6 Reading Specialist, voluntarily reduced her assignment by 0.1 FTE. PTSA generously agreed to fund an additional 0.4 FTE so that QAE will keep a Reading Specialist at QAE. We are thrilled that Ms. McCormick will continue supporting QAE explorers this year. Thank you so much, PTSA!

What does this mean for your child?

• All our classes remain intact. No classes will need to be reorganized.
• While Ms. Bonnie is our least senior teacher, her class remains in place because Ms. Bonnie and Ms.
• Palumbo volunteered to job share.
• Thanks to PTSA additional funding, we will have a 0.5 FTE Reading Specialist at QAE in 2018-19.
• We will not have a 0.5 Math Specialist at QAE in 2018-2019.

Ms. Bonnie, Ms. Palumbo, QAE staff and I will work closely with students and parents in the 2nd grade class to navigate this unexpected change. All students will continue to have great teachers and continue learning alongside their current classmates.

• Even if your child isn’t in Ms. Bonnie’s class, your child may still hear about this change or have a friend impacted by the change. While none of us wants a change to happen, modeling for our students that we will get through this together is important. We can help our students through this process by:
• Talking with students to identify feelings created by this change and how to deal with feelings. Expressing both sadness at the change and confidence that we will manage this in our supportive community helps students build their emotional and social skills.
• Providing reassurance that once these changes are made, there will not be additional SPS staffing changes in the coming weeks and months.
• Helping students to identify ways they can help both themselves and others. Checking in with friends and expressing support ensures that all students know that they have a role in impacting our community and our world.
• Ms. Bonnie, Ms. Palumbo and Ms. McCormick want parents to know that they understand this change has to be made, and they want to make it as calmly and smoothly as possible for students. Expressing your support to teachers as we make this change by writing a note or sending an email would be ideal, as they are very mindful of the impact adult conversations can have in front of students.
• Read the SPS post on Staffing Adjustments.
• Below are Reorganization FAQ which parents may find helpful.
• I welcome your questions and don’t hesitate to reach out to me! Please contact me by phone or email at jbroy@seattleschools.org and I will get back to you as quickly as possible.
• This article may provide some helpful information to parents as we help students navigate this unexpected change

I want to express my appreciation and support to every QAE family, our incredible QAE staff, our BLT and PTSA. Collaboratively working together has been essential during this process. We will get through this change over the next few days, and most importantly, we will get through this together as a supportive QAE community.

Yours,
Janine Roy, Principal

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QAE 2018 Reorganization FAQ

When a school has to reduce a teaching position, how is this done?
When a teacher needs to be displaced in a school, we are contractually required to ask for volunteers and if none emerge, then the least senior classroom teacher is automatically displaced. At QAE, we had three volunteers which allows us to keep classes intact:

• Ms. Palumbo volunteered to change her position to 0.5 second grade so that her 0.5 Math Specialist position could be eliminated.
  
• Ms. Bonnie volunteered to reduce from full-time to half time in order to remain at QAE.
  
• Ms. McCormick, our 0.6 Reading Specialist, volunteered to reduce her assignment by 0.1 FTE. PTSA is generously funding an additional 0.4 FTE so that Ms. McCormick can remain as QAE’s Reading Specialist. Huge thanks to PTSA for your incredible support for students!

Are we at risk of losing any additional staff/resources?
No. Staffing adjustments are only made at the beginning of the year at elementary schools.

Could we have made cuts/savings in other places to save this position?
No. Schools are allocated separate budgets for staffing and supplies. Supply budgets cannot be moved to cover staffing needs, nor would they be sufficient to meet these costs.

Were enrollments down across all Seattle Public Schools?
Enrollment at the elementary level is down across the district. Schools are impacted differently based on their boundaries, housing trends, etc.

How does this compare to other elementary schools in our area?
Other elementary schools in the Queen Anne community had a difference between their projected enrollment and actual enrollment as well.

Did we take all the students off our waitlist?
Yes, all interested families were accepted at QAE this year.

Join QAE PTSA in the brew-room of Rooftop Brewing on Sunday October 7th anytime between 5-8pm to celebrate start of school year and top off the weekend. Enjoy sampling Rooftop's fall line up and reconnecting with parents, welcoming new ones, lamenting bus schedules, etc.

No charge for the event and it is open bar, but space is limited so please RSVP to reserve your spot.

When: Sunday, Oct. 7th, 2018, 5-8pm
Where: Brew Room at Rooftop Brewing, 1220 W Nickerson St. Brew Room is located beneath the main pub area and is indoors! We'll be hanging amongst the giant barrels used to brew.

RSVP now for QAE Octoberfest!

Octoberfest is for adults only, so line up a babysitter or call in the grandparents. We hope to see you there!

If you're into beer, here's a list of what Rooftop will have on tap for our group (don't worry, non-alcoholic options will be available too):

Stargazer Red IPA 
This Red IPA features five different hop varieties atop the roasty goodness of Victory Malt. Darker than your average IPA, this beer begs to be enjoyed under a clear night sky. Winner of 2017 WA Beer Award Silver Medal in the Imperial/Double Red Category!

The Great Pumpkin Pale
Real roasted pumpkin, over 20# per barrel, in a nice pale ale. Not a knock you over the head spiced dark ABV bomb - but real beer and real pumpkin, and REAL delicious.

Makeda Coffee Porter
Our beloved coffee porter, brewed with NaPali blend from local micro roaster, 7 Roasters.  The coffee  is boldly-flavored, syrupy, deeply-caramelized, and smoky.  The Coffee blends perfectly with the chocolate and dark malts in our Porter.

Pilsner Style Ale
Pilsner Style Ale is a light, not-too-hoppy beer in the style of a Czech-Pils. Built to please those who enjoy the lighter side of life but still want a little flavor in their beer.

QAE Curriculum Night - Thursday, Sept. 27th, 6:30-8pm at John Marshall
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For new QAE families, Curriculum Night is an annual SPS evening information session for parents. This year, QAE parents/guardians will begin in the John Marshall auditorium/cafeteria at 6:30pm for staff introductions and an overview of our five pillars and QAE foundational elements, such as Project Based Learning (PBL), social emotional learning and innovative technology. Then parents/guardians will move to your child’s classroom where your child’s teacher will provide a presentation from the grade group team on academic programs, social emotional learning and supporting your child at home.

We begin in the John Marshall auditorium/cafeteria at 6:30 pm for staff introductions and an overview of QAE pillars. A 20-minute presentation will be offered by each classroom teacher in their room at 7pm and repeated at 7:30pm to accommodate families with more than one child. Beginning at 7:30 pm, Janine Roy will be available in the cafeteria to answer any remaining questions.

Games Club Available

We have a limited number of slots available for Games Club during Curriculum Night. You can drop your kids off for fun while you focus on Curriculum Night. Sign up here. Slots are limited and are by reservation only.

Reposting what Principal Roy shared -- lots of good info! Open the PDF to read or view the embedded version below (may not be visible on all browsers).
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Now that school is underway, let’s get ready to help our students support the things we love about QAE! The Jog-A-Thon, our only student-driven fundraiser of the year, is just around the corner! Next week in your child's orange folder, look for a flyer with details about the jog-a-thon and easy instructions to get your student started with online fundraising in 10 minutes or less.   

If you'd like to volunteer on the 11th, an online signup sheet will be coming soon! 

Parents and family can purchase adult size jog-a-thon t-shirts for $10 each to show their QAE spirit while supporting the PTSA.  As always, each student will receive a Jog-A-Thon t-shirt at no cost, celebrating their efforts. Purchase your shirt on the Jog-A-Thon page by Wednesday, 9/20.
 
New this year: 
*New school = new course! 

*We are looking for QAE parent-run businesses to sponsor this year's Jog-A-Thon. As a thank you for your support, you’ll get your business’s logo on this year’s Mission: Possible t-shirt. Contact Nicole Forrest at nicolekforrest@gmail.com

SPS is working towards adopting a new science curriculum. In this process the science adoption committee is asking for your participation. Please encourage your friends, family and community members to share their thoughts. We need all voices to weigh in on their ideas regarding K-8 science.

Take the survey here:
​https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SPSNeedsSurvey-Community