UPDATE: Curriculum Night has been postponed. However, Ms. Roy and a QAE PTSA representative will be in the Gym from 6:30-7:30pm fielding questions and putting together an additional FAQ that might have been missed by Janine's earlier email. Childcare will be available for those interested.

Our annual Curriculum Night is this Thursday from 6:30-8pm! It's an opportunity for parents to hear from our teachers! They'll share their vision for how Project Based Learning, Social Emotional Learning, how QAE handles homework, volunteer opportunities and, importantly, some of the nuts and bolts details of classroom life.

Schedule for Curriculum Night
There will be two different sessions for those families with more than one child at QAE. 

• 6:30pm — Gather in the gym for a welcome and staff introductions
• 6:55pm - 1st session in classrooms
• 7:25pm - 2nd session in classrooms

The MakerSpace, library and gym will be open during this time. Stop by and meet our specialists!

Curriculum Night is for parents only. The PTSA is hosting Games Club that evening with a limited number of slots for kids (suggested donation of $5 per child). Sign up for a slot in Games Club here...

We hope you can join us for Family Games Night on Wednesday, Sept. 25th. It's our first fun family event of the year! Please RSVP here to help us plan for Games Night.

With the help of Blue Highway Games, we'll be playing games for all ages from 5:45-7:30pm. Dinner will be easy — a food truck have soft tacos, burritos, quesadillas and nachos available for purchase! Get more details about Family Games Night here...

Hello, families! We are headed into the next step of our planning phase for all in-school art residencies through the city's Creative Advantage program. We could use a few more parents at our next meeting on Monday, September 23rd from 3-6pm. If you are interested, please email parent Gillian Jorgensen at gillianj@mac.com for more information.

The school year is underway, kids are starting to get used to the routine. We've loved seeing all the smiling faces! Hope your first week has gone well!

For those new to the school, the Rocket Reader is an e-newsletter sent by the PTSA to parents. It comes out at least once a week, usually on Wednesdays.

Back-to-School Information Form
​Thanks to those 70+ families who have completed this. It's the one-stop place to pay your student's supply and tech fees, purchase an annual, join the PTSA and share your directory. If you haven't done so, please take five minutes to do so now!

Upcoming Events

• Monday, Sept. 16th - First Monday Morning Meeting
  The tradition returns now that we have room in our fancy new gym! Our entire school gathers to discuss topics, recognize birthdays and start the week together. All families are welcome to attend—it's each Monday morning at 8am in the gym.
• Thursday,  Sept. 19th - Curriculum Night
  It's your chance to hear from your child's teacher and learn about their plans for the year. Please note — this is for adult's. A limited number of spaces in a Games Club will be available during the evening. Check the PTSA site and our FB page for details.
• Wednesday, Sept. 25th - Family Games Night
  See below for more details.
• Friday, Oct. 4th - Our Annual Jog-A-Thon
  Our kid-powered fundraiser and a day that's guaranteed to be a ton of fun is coming soon! Our online pledge system is now live. See the Jog-A-Thon page for all the details.

As we start the year, there are a few volunteer positions where we could use your help. QAE relies on volunteers to make our school flourish. We'd love you to join us! If you're interested in any of the roles or have any other questions, please reach out to PTSA President Sandra Nanney at president1@qaeptsa.org

Auction Focus Group - call it an auction, fundraiser or spring social but once a year we host an event where QAE comes together to socialize and raise money for our school.  We want to change it up this year but before paying for deposits we want to get a group of parents together to brainstorm ideas.  Would you be willing to meet as a small group for coffee? Or after work drink?  FYI - we don’t have a Auction Team Lead yet.  We have plenty of volunteers but not someone to marry it all together.  If you are interested in leading PLEASE reach out to Sandra Nanney @ president1@qaeptsa.org

Legislative Director - do you like following the news? Do you read the voter pamphlets from cover to cover? This role might be right for you.  Looking for someone that will inform our school of legislation that would impact our school community.  Did you know that PTAs were created to advocate for the child.  Please let us know if there are things we should advocate!

Families of Color co-director - Equity, diversity and the ongoing community dialogue to better educate ourselves and our children. Do you have the desire to further the conversation?  Our amazing Leader, Kay Dumlao Doherty, is hoping to have a partner to help further the conversation and share the goals of making sure we take the time to connect and educate.

Fundraising Director - QAE PTSA hosts 3 fundraising events a year.  As fundraising director you will review numbers and updates with the groups running the events.  Support and brainstorm where needed.  Usually the event teams are really focused on the execution to come to the boring board meetings :)  Many years the fundraising director will run 1 of the 3 events themselves.

Assistant Treasurer - are you good with check requests?  Or tallying numbers?  Our co-treasurers would like to round out the team with an additional person.  Full transparency - Kelly Essmeier, our assistant treasurer for 1 year and now treasurer for her 2nd year will be graduating from QAE. She is hoping to pass on the knowledge to the next team so we have good transitions.

We can add a lead to any position you are interested in.  The President roles would appreciate a Co-President or a Co-Vice President to join them at the table.  If you are interested please reach out to Sandra Nanney at president1@qaeptsa.org

We're starting off the school year right with one of our favorite events of the year--Family Games Night, sponsored by Blue Highway Games.

Come play new games, try them and buy them if you love them ! They will bring a selection of games for sale during the event. Games with be a range from educational to just pure family fun! There will also be a food truck there will food available for purchase.
Get more information and RSVP here...

Queen Anne Elementary is officially open! It's was a bright, sunny morning and the playground was filled with smiling faces. We heard from Superintendent Denise Juneau, State Senator (and QAE parent alum) Reuven Carlyle, School Board Director Eden Mack and more! Principal Roy got a honorary hardhat from Hensel Phelps Construction and everyone pitched in to cut the ribbon. Our very own students also helped lead tours of our amazing new space. Photos below! Thanks to all those at SPS and QAE who put the ceremony together! 

Can you believe it's that time? After our ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday, school starts on Wednesday morning! Given that we had a later start time last year at John Marshall, we wanted to remind everyone of the schedule.

First Day:

• For 1st - 5th Grades - Wednesday, Sept. 4th
  • 1st - 2nd grade returning students greeted by teachers outside new Brick Building addition.
  • 3rd – 5th grade returning students greeted by teachers on the Treehouse blacktop.   
  • New students come to the school office so staff can escort them to their new classes.
  • Welcome Back Parent Reception in gym at 8am.  Infants and preschoolers welcome! 
  • School ends at 2:25am (note - this is the only Wednesday that has this later dismissal time)
• For Kindergarten - Monday, Sept. 9th
  • ​First day of school for Kindergarten starts at 7:50am
  • Meet teachers outside Brick Building.
  • Welcome Kindergarten Parent Reception in gym at 8 am. Infants and preschoolers welcome!

School Hours:

• 7:30am - Breakfast & Playground Supervision Begins
• 7:50am - Breakfast Ends, Opening Bell
• 7:55am - School Day Begins
• 2:25pm - Dismissal

Wednesday Early Release

• 1:10pm - Dismissal ​​

Be sure to come by the gym on the first day for coffee and celebration!

The QAE PTSA website has gotten a makeover. The redesign focused on cleaning up a site that had a TON of content built up over the 9 years since QAE first opened. It's also optimized to be viewed on your phone, since we know most busy families are viewing on the go.

We have more to add, but please take a look and let us know if there's anything missing, ways we could improve it or any other idea you may have — write to communications@qae.ptsa.org

They're putting the finishing touches on our newly renovated school to prepare for Back-to-School Night on Wednesday, August 28th, from 5-7pm. We're so excited to see how everything looks!

Students and their families can learn their classroom assignments and meet their teachers and classmates prior to the first day of school. We'll get started at 5pm. Families can come to the cafeteria to see class lists, learn about the PTSA and QAE Spirit Wear, then check out the newly expanded building, the new playground and more!

We look forward to seeing you there! You can RSVP on the Facebook event. If you have any questions, please contact the PTSA at communications@qaeptsa.org

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" 
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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! 
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