The first event at our newly remodeled and expanded school is happening now — Kindergarten Jump Start continues through the end of the week. See the Jump Start page for more details

Our return to Queen Anne will begin with a very special ribbon-cutting ceremony with Superintendent Juneau and the SPS Board of Directors on site to officially open our new addition! We'll have the ribbon cutting for our new addition and then there will be tours of our beautiful new classrooms, gym, MakerSpace and much more!

When: Tuesday, September 3rd, at 10:30am
Where: Our expanded campus back on the Hill (though our address is now 2100 4th Ave N)
Who: Open to all QAE families as well as the whole community!

Student Volunteer Opportunities

• Sept. 3rd Ribbon Cutters: Five QAE students can help to cut the ribbon at the September 3rd QAE Ribbon Cutting Ceremony when Superintendent Juneau and the SPS Board of Directors officially open our new addition. If your child would like to volunteer to be a ribbon cutter, email Karen Rang at ksrang@seattleschools.org with the subject line ‘Ribbon Cutting’. We have space for 5 students, and if we receive more than 5 we will draw names out of hat. If students do not get to be ribbon cutters, we will invite them to be tour guides.
• Sept. 3rd QAE Tour Guides: Following the September ceremony, Superintendent Denise Juneau and the SPS Board of Directors will tour our new addition. We need student tour guides to help with this! If your student can come for training during the last week in August to see our new building and learn about their part of the tour, email Karen Rang at ksrang@seattleschools.org with the subject line ‘Ribbon Cutter or Tour Guide’.

Parent Volunteer Opportunities
We need some parents to help with the Ribbon Cutting as well as designing and decorating bulletin boards and displays in our new building. Contact Karen if you'd like to help!

This is the second summer the QAE P-Patch has been planting, growing & harvesting and sharing, exploring, learning and enjoying it all with students and families! All are welcome to join us this Summer as it's the best time of the year to enjoy the sights, sounds, smells and treats of fresh veggies and berries right off the vines. At each session students will help water and harvest our P-Patch, do an earth based craft, get to know our local urban wildlife and explore basic garden science concepts. 

Sign-up your kiddos now by e-mailing garden1@qaeptsa.org. Subject line "Summer P-Patch" 

Class dates and times: 

• Wednesday, July 17th, 10am-12pm. A special guest will be talking to us about Entomology - the study of insects and their importance in PNW Gardens
• Wednesday, July 31st, 10am-12pm
• Wednesday, August 7th, 10am-12pm
• Wednesday, August 21st, 10am-12pm

Where: 301 Lynn St, Seattle WA 98119, just off of Boston St. in Queen Anne 

Cost: Suggested donation of $10 per child with the option of giving more to offset costs for others. All the money goes back to supporting our school P-Patch and garden program. 

Who: Any and all kids in our QAE and beyond entering grades K-5 in Fall 2019. Invite friends, family, neighbors, visitors etc. Kids under Kindergarten age will need to have an adult in tow. 

Team taught by QAE Garden Coordinator, Andrea Hildebrandt and QAE Substitute Teacher, Tamara Convertino.

Summer P-Patch Help and Other Ways to Get Involved:
We need people to help water and harvest our p-patch. Sign-up here! 

Our QAE Garden program is always looking for helping hands! If you and or your family members enjoy being outside, want to know more about growing plants, working with soil or have something to share we would LOVE to hear from you! E-mail garden1@qaeptsa with your interest. Visit our school Garden Blog "Gather in the Garden" 
​

The QAE Debate Team consisting of 4th and 5th graders were a great success at this year's competition! Many thanks to QAE parent, Sarah Yatsko who has been QAE's amazing Debate Club Coach for the past few years. What a great experience for our students!  

Our two teams consist of Eva Hildebrandt, Piera LaRocque, Kai Abrahamsen and Olivia Miceli, Emerson Stewart, Ava Dandurand. Both teams were winners in Round 1 and Round 2. QAE's team - Eva, Piera and Kai were among the top scoring teams and Kai was among the top scoring speakers. Well done! 
​

For the next three years, funding for our music program will come from the Creative Advantage program. This includes building a 3-5 year inclusive arts plan for QAE.

​If you are interested in hearing more about this program or joining the planning team, please email Gillian Jorgensen at gillianj@mac.com.

You know the year is almost done when it's time for Field Day! We'll be taking our annual tradition to Green Lake Park -- just a short walk to school for our kids. It will take place all day on Thursday, June 20th. We've had a great response for volunteers but if you'd like to help please see the sign up form here or contact Victoria Nunes directly at 734-330-8042.

We'll be celebrating carnival-style with many stations and booths that the kids can visit. From Ring Toss to Face Painting to Duck Race, there will be fun for every kid!

Stations vs booths - we will have several carnival-game-type booths and a few field activities. I know in previous years everything has been more scheduled, but this year will be a bit more flexible in that students can pick and choose which features they want to visit. A few examples of each:

Stations:
- Human Ring Toss
- Rodeo Race
- Sack Race

Booths:
- Toilet Paper Toss
- Guessing Booth
- Rock Painting

Schedule

• 9am - K-2 classes walk to Green Lake
• 9:20am - Carnival stations are open
• 11am - 3-5 classes walk to Green Lake
• 11:15am - All school lunch at Green Lake
• 11:40am - 5th grade vs. Staff Gilligan’s Island Game
• 12:15pm - K-2 students head back to QAE and 3-5 students start stations
• 2:15pm - 3-5 students help with clean up and head back to QAE

Class Colors
Each class has its own color. Kids will receive a bandana in their class color, but they're also welcome to wear clothes in that same color!

• Dickens - Black
• Marks - Orange
• Jayanthi - Camouflage
• Meck - Maroon
• Knapp - Lime Green
• Green - Green (haha)
• Dudley - Purple
• Belcher - Aqua
• Ruiz-Puyana - Royal Blue
• Liner - Gray
• Colando - Rainbow
• Shaw/Goldman - Hot Pink

Our 4th and 5th Grade students who have been taking instrumental music this year will be performing on Wednesday, June 19th. Join at 6pm at John Marshall for the show!

​

We're excited to be hosting another combination MakerSpace Marketplace and Project-Based Learning Night on Tuesday! Join us at John Marshall from 5-7:30pm.

Schedule

• 5-6pm - MakerSpace MarketPlace 
  Students delved deeper into each grade level’s focus. Our explorers had the freedom to create initiatives, which included fund-raisers, awareness campaigns and products to sell. These products will be shared at the MakerSpace MarketPlace to raise money for different charities on PBL night. All funds raised will be pooled and divided equally amongst the students’ initiatives. Bring cash to purchase items at the MarketPlace!
• 5-6pm - 3rd Grade Project on display at entrance
  Our 3rd Graders had a driving question around how to communicate new drop off/pick up procedures with families for the 2019-20 school year.
• 6pm - Kindergarten song performance in Gym A
• 6-6:30pm - K-2nd Showcase
  • Kindergarten (Rooms 102, 106,117) Driving Question: How can we use our creativity to help the Earth?
  • 1st Grade (In Library) Driving Question: How can we raise awareness on the impact humans have on bird’s and their habitats? 
  • 2nd Grade (Rooms 203 & 206) Driving Question: How can we make changes in our community so that whales can thrive in the Pacific Northwest? ​
• 6:30-7:30pm - 3rd-5th Showcase
  • 3rd Grade (Room 312 and John Marshall Foyer) Driving Question: What problems face the Salmon in the Pacific Northwest and how can we work together to solve them? Driving Question: How can we communicate new drop off/pick up procedures with families for the 2019-2020 school year? 
  • 4th Grade (Rooms 104 & 303) Driving Question: What can we as humans learn from cephalopods?  
  • 5th Grade (Rooms 301 & 304) Driving Question: Historically and present day, how has housing  shaped Seattle?

 

------

As part of the Spring Project-Based Learning Night on June 18th, we'll be doing another MakerSpace MarketPlace. It was a huge hit in the Fall! Sign up here to take part! The signup is for the individuals and small groups who plan to make and sell items at the event and would like to have a booth (or table spot). By popular demand, there will be a bake sale -- you can use the sign up to donate baked good for the event.

Slightly delayed news, but we're excited to share that the QAE Ultimate Frisbee team won this year's championship in their division! Congratulations to all the kids as well as our parent coaches Andy Cook and Patrick Negron!
​
This year's team was mostly 4th and 5th Graders. With the 5th Graders moving on, we can use some more kids. If you have a kid who would be interested in joining next year, please contact Andy at andy.c.cook@hotmail.com

Information meeting for Queen Anne Scouts BSA
Monday, June 17, 2019 @ 6pm
David Rodgers Park – West Raye and 1st Avenue West

The Scouts BSA has Co-ed Pack 7072 for kids K-5 and Troops for Boys and Girls entering the 6th grade.

Scouting is a parent volunteer, scout lead group that builds leadership and promotes community involvement, all while having tons of fun.  Activities and camps are year-round.

Come learn more and enjoy an evening of activities.

For more info please contact Aaron Edwards at:
http://qascouts.org/ or 206-229-6256

Summer is almost here! Which means a break from school, but we want to welcome our new families to the QAE community! If you have an incoming Kindergartener or are new to the school (or just want to meet some new families), please join on the following dates. 

​For all dates, please RSVP here to let us know you're coming!

Sunday, June 30th 9-11am
Coffee and park play at Little Howe Park, 1912 Warren Ave N

Thursday, July 11th 5-7pm
Populuxe Brewery, 826 NW 49th St in Ballard
Family friendly! Food truck! Outdoor play area!

Monday, August 19th 12-2pm
BYO lunch picnic at Little Howe Park, 1912 Warren Ave N, or QAE playground (if it's open!) following Jumpstart!

Thursday, September 5th, 5-7pm
BYO picnic dinner & play at Big Howe Park playground, 150 W Blaine St.

Help us plan -- RSVP here for the Playdates...

Questions? Please contact Lorin Belcher at ltbelcher@seattleschools.org

To help you get connected, we suggest new families:

1 - Sign Up for the Rocket Reader e-newsletter
Use the form on the right to sign up for our weekly Rocket Reader e-newsletter or write to communications@qaeptsa.org

2 - Join Facebook groups/"like" our page
If you're on Facebook, there's a few groups that are a 

• QAE Community Discussions Facebook group
  An all school FB group, open to parents of QAE students looking to get school info, exchange ideas, ask questions, find out about fun parent and kiddo events and learn more about the educational system. (not hosted by the QAE PTSA)
• Queen Anne Elementary PTSA Facebook page
  Official QAE PTSA FB group....a helpful resource to get info. of QAE PTSA events and happenings around school. This page is hosted by QAE PTSA. Be sure to "like" the page so you can follow what's going on.
• QAE Families of Color Facebook group
  A page for all families at QAE with a focus given to the QAE Families of Color group that holds parent meetings and hosts community gatherings for and at QAE. Also a great resource for social justice, equity, ethnic studies, and education. 

3 - Follow the QAE PTSA on Twitter
Follow us at https://twitter.com/qaeptsa

We wanted to share results of the PTSA Family Survey, but first off -- please join us at the final PTSA General Meeting of the year on Tuesday, June 11th at 6:30pm at the Queen Anne Community Center. It's important we hear from you about the proposed budget and priorities for next year! Plus, hear about how the final construction work is going at QAE on Boston St and the timeline for moving over the summer! Games Club will be available for your kiddos during that time - sign up for slots here!

We thank all those in the community who answered the Family Survey last month. ​Here's how the community ranked the priority areas:

• 1st - Staffing Support (Salaries for tutors, specialists and counselors)
• 2nd - Curriculum Support (iReady Math, Assemblies, Book-It Theater)
• 3rd - Social Emotional Learning & Diversity Initiatives/Training
• 4th - Community Development/Social Events ( Back to School BBQ, Parent Socials, 5th grade graduation)

 
With that guidance we applied that mindset when looking at the budget allocations for next year.  We spread the budget into the following general categories:

• Staffing – 57%
• Curriculum Support – 22%
• Social & Emotional Learning – 8%
• Community Development – 5%
• Other – 8%

Please keep in mind the budget is still being finalized by the Board, so there is potential that the percentages may change slightly.  But the board really looked at making the decisions based on your feedback.

To be fiscally responsible we cut all categories of the expenses down from this years budget and from previous year because we raised less total dollars versus prior year. 

This year you helped raise $230k (THANK YOU!!!) based on the three primary QAE PTSA fundraisers as well as "passive" donations:

• Jog A Thon - 23%
• Fund Drive - 20%
• Auction - 47%
• Passive - 10% (Matching Donations, Amazon Associate, etc.)

If your company is able to match funds we ask you to consider submitting a matching request for QAE.  If your company pays for your volunteer hours please remember to tally up your QAE volunteer hours to submit. Every penny adds up!

FAQ

Why are we talking about next years budget now?
The regular PTSA fiscal year starts on July 1st.  And historically we take a vote at this last general membership meeting of the year to give the Board the ability to move forward with planning and spending.  We will re-present the information with any suggested updates at the first general meeting of the school year, typically in October.

Why did we raise less money this year?
QAE had fewer families/students at the school versus last year.  Although the per dollars raised per student were similar from the direct fundraisers we had fewer students at the school vs. prior year.  So less total dollars.

Can we make changes at the general membership meeting?
Yes adjustments can be made in the majority of the categories. There is a particular chunk in the staffing budget that we cannot touch at this point because we have signed an agreement with SPS to commit to staff. 

​---

We hope to see you on Tuesday at the Community Center to discuss and vote!

Check out this performance ... and their hair and dances moves ... from the QAE Talent Show. Our teachers are the champions!

 As part of the Spring Project-Based Learning Night on June 18th, we'll be doing another MakerSpace MarketPlace. It was a huge hit in the Fall! Sign up here to take part! The signup is for the individuals and small groups who plan to make and sell items at the event and would like to have a booth (or table spot). By popular demand, there will be a bake sale -- you can use the sign up to donate baked good for the event. 

Questions? Reach out to Kristi Barnes at kristi_barnes@comcast.net or Kristin Teske at kmteske@seattleschools.org. Thanks so much!  

Please join us on Tuesday, June 11th at 6:30pm at the QA Community Center for the final PTSA meeting of the year! We'll be voting on next year's budget and hearing from Janine about our move back to Queen Anne. Help us us plan for a great year at our newly expanded campus!

-------

As we move back to Queen Anne into our expanded building, it's time a great time to get involved in the QAE community!

Are you an accounting wiz? Experience doing social media or marketing? Or eager to find out how the WA Legislative decisions affect QAE? No matter your interest, the QAE PTSA Board would love to hear from you!

No PTSA Board experience is necessary, and this is a fabulous way to get involved in shaping the future of your children's school.  Thanks for considering! Please contact president@qaeptsa.org or talk to any of the current officers if you're interested or have any questions!

Here's where we could use help, but we can find a role that works with your interests and schedule!

• Assistant Treasurer – Picking up and completing deposits and owning other income generating aspects (matching gifts, donations, etc)
• Community & Events Coordinator – Do you love throwing parties and bringing people together?  We've typically had 3-5 events a year, but are re-considering what would be best for the community. In the past, we've done Back-to-School BBQs, the annual Talent Show, a Spring Dance Party, etc. But events can be edited based on your own personal passion.  Peak times are around beginning and end of school year.
• Enrichment Coordinator – Help coordinate with the team that will be running the enrichment program.  Heavy lift times - around the start of the program for sign up and toward the end when you will help guide next seasons classes.  September and January.
• Legislative Representative - Keep informed about what’s going on district- and state-wide, and inform our parent community if action is required.
• Technology Director – Organizes Hour of Code. Helps when board members run into technology snafus. Advises on technology programming offered at QAE.
• Fund Drive Lead – We have a one-time campaign of a direct give drive.  Happens in the Fall for 2-3 weeks (timing can fluctuate based on your schedule).  Work on messaging, gather messaging from different individuals and track and thank people for their donations.