Due to the snow, the Open House for Prospective Families has been moved to next Wednesday, Jan. 22nd at 6:30pm! Pass this info along to any families you know who might be interested in having their kids attend QAE next year.

See the Info for Prospective Families page for all the details including RSVPs.

Here's the flyer showing all the dates and info!

Our annual whole school Martin Luther King Jr. Assembly has been moved to Tuesday, Jan. 21st to give our students more time to prepare after the snow craziness!  Please join us at 8:15am in the gym! Presentations will be from 1st grade, 3rd grade and 5th grade. Families are welcome to join us for this important annual assembly to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
​
Reminder that Monday, Jan. 20th, 2020 is a school holiday to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Here are some family activities you can do to meaningfully celebrate MLK Day:

• Read with your children. Here are great book suggestions from PBS
• Visit Seattle’s Northwest African American Museum
• Join the 2020 MLK March and Celebration. beginning at Garfield High School at 8:30
• Watch movies about social justice
• Discuss acceptance
• Draw a picture

Our Fall Project-Based Learning Showcase and MakerSpace MarketPlace is next week!

When: Tuesday, Dec. 17th 2019, 5:30-7:30pm
Where: QAE - MarketPlace is in gym/Chillzone, project presentations in classroom areas

Be sure to bring cash to get some wonderful creations from the MarketPlace. Full schedule detail below:

Find some great holiday gifts, relax with friends and cocktails, raise money in support of QAE and support a local business—check, check, check and check! Spread the Explorer Spirit and support our school community in style with Mingle & Shop at Queen Anne Frame & Gift.

When:  Tuesday, December 10, 2019 from 4-8pm (your discount valid all day)
Where: Queen Anne Frame & Gift, 1621 Queen Anne Ave N
Cost: Register for $25, all of which goes to the PTSA Community Events ​Fund!
Register online here...

Enjoy an evening of community while checking off your holiday shopping list. Enjoy cocktails and 20% off all your gift shop purchases.

Shop all day December 10th with your discount, cocktails will be served 4-8pm.

Event sponsored by Nick and Kirsty Papadopulos, parents to Riese (5th grader) and Peyton (4th grader).

Please join us for this special night! Please reserve your spot here.

Questions? Contact Kirsty at ​knpapadopulos@gmail.com

A message from Sandra Nanney, QAE PTSA President:

I hope everyone enjoys their Thanksgiving week away from school. At the end of November I find myself 1) surprised that it’s November and 2) thinking how thankful I am! I want to apologize that I have not done more snippets of wider communication over the past couple of months with the people that I wanted to thank and recognize. It’s amazing how life can sweep you away…

Mary Rea, mom to Colin in Mr. Backman’s 4th grade class, she signed up to help lead our Auction. Remember to save the date: our annual auction will be on March 13, 2020.

Justin Ward, dad to Benjamin in Ms. Scannapieco’s K class, he signed up to be our Fundraising Director for this year. He is going to help provide some structure and oversight to our annual Fundraising campaigns. You'll be hearing more from Justin soon!

Jennifer Lovin, mom to Eloise in Ms. Belcher’s 2nd grade class & Romie in Mr. Backman’s 4th grade class, thank you for leading the charge in auction procurement.

April Jenks, mom to Kayla in Ms. Dickerson’s 1st grade class, thank you for teaming up with Jenn Lovin in creating and organizing the system and data.

Jodie Scott, Marna MetCalf & Nicole Forrest – What a great Jog-A-Thon! Woohoo!!! Thank you to Nicole Forrest for leading the charge on Jog-A-Thon volunteers that day, it takes a village but it really helps to have to organize each helper. THANK YOU to Jodie & Marna for taking on the big job of putting on an incredible event that allows our kids to run with such joy and to help us raise important dollars for the PTSA.

Cindy Reiner, mom to Eleanor in Ms. Dudley’s 1st grade class and Henry in Ms. Thruelson’s 3rd grade class, thank you for volunteering to be the QAE PTSA Assistant Treasurer. She is going to be crucial in making sure that checks are cut in a timely manner.

Shalini Nilakantan, Lisa Christensen, Cindy Weaver, Holly Albright, Nao Inoue, Tiffany Robinson, Kelli Baker, Meg Kelly, Sharon Breiner, Mary Giliam and many more parents for helping with over 3 hours of popcorn sales, popcorn popping, selling and clean up. It was our first ever Popcorn Fri-Yay! We are already looking at hosting another popcorn Fri-Yay in December.

And additional shout out to Shalini & Lisa along with Chris Gupta for an amazing Chili Cook Off & Bingo Night. I sampled each chili contender and I truly had a difficult time picking out a favorite!

Kay Dumlao Doherty, mom to Luna in Ms. Scheer’s 2nd grade, she continues to help make sure we are talking about race with each other and with our kids.

Andrea Hildebrandt, mom to Theo in Ms. Belcher’s 2nd grade, she continues to help us care for our community through so many green and nurturing opportunities.

Veronika Ziegler, mom to Malcom in Ms. Dickerson’s 1st grade, she is helping consolidate many of the volunteer asks that pop up. There will be ample opportunities coming up that she will need people to help sign up.

Chris Smutny, dad to Kylie in Ms. Belcher’s 2nd grade, he will be heading up our annual Fund Drive campaign (kicks off on Giving Tuesday 12/3). More information to come when that rolls out.

I know there are many others that I will have missed in the above and I wish that I was able to see and share out each individual thank you to all those who have helped make the start of this school year so successful.

I wanted to end by recapping and sharing a story around our Jog-A-Thon:

Thank you to all that participated in the JAT this year. We raised almost $37,000!!! For parent bragging rights Ms. Hartmann’s 4th grade class raised the most money of all the classes. Interesting Fact – The Class of 2021, current 4th graders, have been the highest fundraising class since they started in Kindergarten. We don’t usually recognize individual students for fundraising but I wanted to make a special call out to Sloan Weaver in 1st grade – she was the highest fundraiser this year and had bravely gone from office to office at her father’s workplace to ask for donations on behalf of QAE!

One of our parent volunteer put together this great slideshow of the Jog-A-Thon! Love to see those smiles and the energy of our Explorers!

With thanks,
​
Sandra Nanney
QAE PTSA President

Our annual celebration of the season returns! All QAE families are welcome to our Winter Celebration on December 5th. This celebration has become a QAE family favorite as it is a time when we can all come together and proudly share our family traditions to welcome Winter. We invite families to share a favorite dish or a tradition - song, dance, poem, story, or craft. The success of this event is definitely dependent on all families and students participation! Join us for an evening of fun, food, family, and friendship!

When: Thursday, Dec. 5th, 2019, 5:45-7:30pm
Where: QAE Cafeteria and Chill Zone

We need your help to make these celebrations a success! To sign up for food, traditions, or just to help set up and clean-up see links below!  

• RSVP here to bring a dish, side or dessert. 
• RSVP here to share a craft, entertainment or other tradition
• RSVP here to help with set up or clean up​​

​Our Chili Cook-Off and Bingo Night was a ton of fun! Thanks to all those who brought chili and other goodies. The winner for favorite chili went to Reese Christensen in 1st grade for the Kids chili and 2nd place was a tie with Chris Gupta and Chris Nettles! Winner of the Most Creative chili was Ravdin Family for the white turkey and poblano chili. Bingo was a hit as well. Thanks to Shalini Nilakantan, Lisa Christensen and the other volunteers who made this happen!

We'll be honoring veterans during our annual assembly on Friday starting at 8:15am (and remember, no school on Monday!). All families are welcome to join us for this special assembly. We need your help—if you or a member of your family are a veteran we'd love if you shared your reflections with our students.

• If you have a veteran in your family who would like to attend and/or share their reflections, please email Janine at jbroy@seattleschools.org
• If your child is a scout, we invite them to dress in their uniform on Friday. Please email Janine as we'd like to recognize their community involvement at the assembly.

Saturday, November 2nd, 9am-12pm
We're happy to collaborate with Green Seattle for an earth stewardship service project. Our school will help this year at the Duwamish location, just over the West Seattle bridge.

Our friends at GS have reserved up to 20 spaces for our community to join in the action. "Join the fun at East Duwamish Greenspace and be one of hundreds of volunteers planting native trees, shrubs, and groundcovers that will become the future forest of Seattle. All community members are welcome, and no experience is necessary! The event is family friendly and open to all ages."

You don't have to register but we want to give the site leader an idea of people to prepare supplies. Please email garden1@qaeptsa.org with "SGD" in the subject line and the number of people you are bringing. Look for our school garden coordinator, Andrea Hildebrandt, who will be wearing our school colors, at the site when you arrive. Hope to see you there QAE. It's a great way to give back! 

What to Bring
Come dressed for the weather (rain or shine) in clothes you don’t mind getting dirty. Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes (rubber boots, hiking shoes or boots), long sleeves, long pants, warm layers and rain jacket. We'll have tools and gloves for you to use, as well as coffee, water, and a mid-morning snack. Help reduce waste by bringing your own refillable coffee mug/water bottle if you have one.

Where to Meet
Use 8631 39th Ave S as an approximate address for the upper trail entrance, and contact us if you need directions. The forest is located along 39th Ave S, between S Cloverdale and S Trenton Streets in South Beacon Hill. We will meet at the entrance by the yellow fire hydrant, but if you arrive late, just follow the trail and look for us in the woods. The forest is a short walk from bus stops or light rail.

Where to Park
Limited parking is available adjacent to the site along 39th Ave S, and more parking is available in the surrounding neighborhood.

Learn more:
• Green Seattle - https://www.greenseattle.org/get-involved/green-seattle-day/
• Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center - https://www.duwamishtribe.org/

​All QAE families are invited to join us for the Families of Color meeting on Thursday, October 24 from 6-7:30pm in the QAE Chill Room (next to the cafeteria). Please join us in welcoming new families to QAE, a discussion on what cultural competency look like at QAE, and planning events for the year.

Also, we’re looking for volunteers who are interested in supporting the group in other ways - Do you like making posters? We need you! Can you drop off flyers? Let us know! Can you help coordinate community meetings? Have other ideas on programming? Please come! We welcome and need all perspectives.

More info on games club will follow. Questions? Please contact Kay Dumlao Doherty at foc1@qaeptsa.org. ​See you on Thursday! 

Journalist Brandon Macz from the Queen Anne & Magnolia News visited QAE during the Jog-A-Thon and wrote a fun little story (with photos from the run)! Check out the article here...

And a big thanks to every family member, friend and neighbor who donated to support our children! Thank YOU to all the parents for making it happen! Together we raised more than $36,000 to support the school. A big hooray to Ms. Hartmann, Ms. Dickersen and Mr. Backman's classes for each raising more than $4,000!

Passing along a message from Ballard High School:
Students in grades K-8 are invited to join the Ballard High School Dancers for an afternoon of dancing. All participants will learn choreography (taught by the BHS Dance Team members) and receive a BHS Dance T-Shirt. We'll have arts & crafts, face painting, and other fun activities. Costumes are encouraged! A small snack will be provided (gluten, dairy, and nut free). Join us on Sunday October 27 from 2:00 - 4:00pm in the Ballard High School Gym. Click here to register or email us at bhsdanceteam@gmail.com for more information.

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