Dear Parents, There are two bills that are currently up for vote in the House and Senate. This legislation will affect student outcome and basic education funding for our schools. Both bills are detailed below. Please contact your Representatives and Senators and express your thoughts and opinions. HB 1443: HB 1443 identifies steps that the state can take – even in bad economic times – to improve student outcome. It identifies instructional improvements, steps to close the educational achievement gap, and ways to support educators. Mainly, it insists that we re-evaluate what we’re doing and make improvements. Because there isn’t much money, it focuses on low- or no-cost items, such as: · Requires kindergarten readiness assessment in required action districts (involves screening for things like phonological awareness that give educators and parents insight into children’s learning needs) · Mandates that required action districts identify how they are measuring student achievement. · Specifically notes that "basic skills areas" include science, in addition to reading, writing and math. This is new and will allow learning assistance funds to be used to support students in science. · Requires a study that measures impact of remediation strategies funded by the learning assistance program. · Directs the state superintendent to adopt consistent procedures that school districts must use to identify and assess highly capable students. · States intent to continue development and implementation of new teacher and principal evaluation systems. · Continues work on developing recommendations for an enhanced salary allocation model. HB 1443 DOES NOT increase funding for basic education, but it does show what existing funding is based on (class sizes, etc.). It is a bill we want passed IN ADDITION to funding in the operational budget that makes sure core student costs are covered. HB 1443 alone will not save the schools. Washington State PTA strongly supports HB 1443 For more information please go here: http://www.wastatepta.org/advocacy/session_2011/Grassroots/grassroots_3_2_11.pdf SB 5475 Changes to the program of basic education are to include all-day K, smaller K-3 class sizes, six hours of instruction for middle and high school students, and program funding for highly capable students. (Transportation, maintenance and operating costs are already part of basic education, but the state allotment hasn’t kept up with actual expenses.) According to existing law, the additions are to be funded by 2018, and will be phased in on a schedule determined by the legislature. SB 5475 also says nothing is “basic” until it is FULLY funded. That leaves all incremental funding for all-day K, highly capable, smaller K-3 classes sizes, etc. subject to cuts (even retroactive cuts!) and could create an unstable and inequitable funding stream from year to year. In its essence, this bill strips protections off “basic ed” and defines it by what it was pre-2261. It says the legislature will decide, year by year, what core costs to cover; and says it will decide that based on how much money it opts to put into K-12. SB 5475 does include a funding mechanism for basic education. As the economy recovers, 60 percent of extra revenue will go into funding education. Washington State PTA strongly opposes SB 5475 KidsCreate Art Club will continue for another session beginning the week after spring break. Monday afternoon meetings will be held from April 25th to June 6th (no meeting May 30th) from 3:40 to 4:45. Tuition is $80 for the session. The theme is: Mosaics! Mobiles! and Bigger-than-Life Paintings! BUILD MOSAIC stepping stones, CREATE 3-D BUG mobiles, PAINT GEORGIA O'KEEFE inspired watercolors, and MAKE your own STAMPS! Join professional teaching-artist, Nicole Appell, as we Spring into Art in this three dimensional art class. Look for another announcement soon with registration information. This Friday, March 25: QAE Launch Party, 7pm Kaspers
Thursday, April 7: QAE PTSA Board Meeting, 7pm, Lincoln Library Monday, April 18- Friday, April 22: Spring Break, No School Afternoon Lego Club starts Tuesday, April 5th. The club will meet in room 103 from 3:40 to 5:10. Please sign up by March 30th on the Playwell TEKnologies website (www.play-well.org). This club is for students in grades K-2. See the Before/After School webpage for more info. Drop-in Meeting w/Dir. Michael DeBell Seattle Public Schools District IV Community Meeting Director Michael DeBell Saturday, March 19, 2011 9:00am - 11:00am Caffè Appassionato 4001 21st Avenue West Seattle, WA 98199 (next to Fisherman's Terminal) Please join School Board Director Michael DeBell for coffee and an informal, drop-in community meeting to discuss public school issues and opportunities District IV includes Queen Anne, Magnolia, and Ballard Michael DeBell http://district.seattleschools.org/modules/cms/pages.phtml?pageid=191468 SPS School Board http://district.seattleschools.org/modules/cms/pages.phtml?pageid=189059 Boardwalk 5K – Annual fun run/walk at UW’s Husky Stadium. Proceeds go to help purchase PE equipment for Seattle Public Schools. Event details are available at http://www.schoolkidscomefirst.com/boardwalk Queen Anne Community Center and would like to spread the word that they are going to visit The Childrenís Museum this Friday, March 18 during Professional Development Day. $35 gets a healthy morning snack, admission to The Children's Museum, an afternoon snack and a whole day of fun! Please contact Queen Anne Community Center for more information at (206) 386-4240.
Open Enrollment for Queen Anne Elementary! Thank you for your interest in enrolling your child/children in Queen Anne Elementary. We were happy so many of you could attend our salons, open houses, and tours to find out more about our amazing school. If you already have a child at QAE with an incoming sibling, you must fill out forms to enroll the incoming sibling as well. You can now submit your application to enroll in Queen Anne Elementary for the 2011-2012 school year between now and April 15th, 2011. HERE'S HOW TO ENROLL: Visit http://bit.ly/f1R3J7 for Open Enrollment instructions, forms, and FAQs. There are different forms depending on what grade you child/children will be in for the Fall, so look for those on the site. In addition to dropping your application off at the John Stanford Center, there are several enrollment open house locations listed as well where you can enroll. IMPORTANT: If you plan to enroll at Queen Anne Elementary, please do so as soon as possible so the QAE leaders can begin planning for staffing for next year immediately. Thank you and we look forward to seeing many new faces at Queen Anne Elementary in September! Friday, March 18th and Saturday, March 19th, 2011 9am to 4pm each day (lunch break from 12 to 1pm each day) Qwest Exhibition Center 800 Occidental Ave S Seattle, WA 98134 FREE to the public Event is for all ages. Come see robots built by 100 different high school teams! Fast paced action. Self guided Robot Pit tours are available, but closed toed shoes will be required (no sandals or open footwear). Eye protection is required and available for loan. Baby strollers not allowed in Robot 'Pit'. More information: http://www.firstwa.org/ We are still in the race for top honors at Zaw Pizza. Remember, order at least $20 worth of food on Tuesday's or Wednesday's in the month of March, and Zaw will give QAE $5 donation. All you have to do is tell them you want to support Queen Anne Elementary. We are even getting some press: http://www.queenanneview.com/2011/03/08/coe-queen-anne-elementary-lead-in-month-long-zaw-school-days-fundraiser/ Yummy! There will be no school this Friday, March 18th. The staff will be having a Professional Development Day.
Thank You. QAE Dear Seattle Host Families,
I have been given the distinct honor (challenge?) of recruiting families to sponsor 30 teenagers from Spain this coming July. Your interest will help me reach that goal. The exact dates have yet to be determined, but roughly July 1-31 is the time-line. Last summer's group flew into SeaTac on July 3rd. The students that will be visiting Seattle are fully insured, speak both English and Spanish, and bring their own spending money. They are excited to practice English with your family, experience authentic American life/culture/food, and assimilate into the daily routine of a typical American family for four weeks. They will require their own bed, but not necessarily their own room. If you have teens in your household that is a plus, but not a requirement! There are multiple benefits in hosting a Spanish-speaking student which include: improved motivation/achievement in your own student’s study of the Spanish language, increased interest in world culture and travel, an opportunity to be an “ambassador” of sorts by sharing the many wonderful things that Seattle has to offer, and the possibility of future travel to Spain to stay with your newly extended European family! I encourage you to discuss with your family the benefits and challenges of this NON-ACADEMIC, purely FUN, summer experience. Please feel free to contact me through the below contact information and visit the websites to learn more. And while not every family can be guaranteed a student to host, it is important that we find as many families as possible in order to ensure that these students will indeed have a home to stay in next summer. My team and I will work hard to find a student that matches the interests of your family! I'm looking forward to an exciting summer!!! ¡Muchas Gracias! West Seattle Resident, Andrew Ward 316-648-9823 senorward@yahoo.com http://www.nacelopendoor.org/hosting.htm http://www.nacel.net/ .... with getting chores done?
.....whining? ......bedtime routines? ......sibling conflicts? .....power struggles? ...or something else? 7 week Positive Discipline Class Begins May 3rd! Learn to discipline with firmness and kindness, have fun as a parent, and set the foundation for important social and life skills. Help your child feel a sense of belonging and significance through mutual respect and encouragement. Based on Jane Nelson’s Positive Discipline books. TUESDAYS 6:30-8:30: May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31; June 7, 14 Facilitator: Julietta Skoog, School Psychologist and Certified PD Parent Educator Location: 4400 Interlake Ave N (Site of Queen Anne and McDonald Elementary; old Lincoln High School in Wallingford) How to register: Contact Julietta Skoog at 252-5950, www.juliettaskoog.com or juliecompagno@mac.com Cost: $100/individual or $150/couple. Includes book and materials. Scholarships available. Testimonials:“I like the changes. The kids are being a little kinder and making deals really help......Role plays were effective....My kids are getting more involved in solving problems and are giving reasons for feelings...Things are calmer...My husband and I are more intentional in our in-the-moment parenting decisions- and have a shared vocabulary to discuss issues and conundrums...Less anxiety. Less frantic. I am less reactive and more thoughtful .” Julietta Skoog School Psychologist Queen Anne/McDonald Elementay (M, Th)-252-5950 Preschool Assessment Team (M, T, F) -252-4758 |
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