Queen Anne Elementary is participating in Hour of Code for the sixth year! And we need your help to make it a success!

Hour of Code is an annual event at QAE teaching beginning coding skills to all students.  It is important that every student has an opportunity to learn computer science, and this event also teaches problem-solving, logic, and creativity.  These are vital skills no matter what field students go into as adults.  Only a tiny fraction of us are learning computer science, and fewer students are studying it than a decade ago (and women account for only 12% of computer science degrees).  That’s why our entire school is again joining in on the largest learning event in history: The Hour of Code, during Computer Science Education Week.  More than 100 million students have participated already (and our kids are among them!)   ​

This year's Hour of Code focus is creativity. See the series of videos that highlight creativity and feature Bill Gates, Malala, Serena Williams,  Sheryl Sandberg, Neymar and many more. Show them to your kids to get them excited!

Volunteers Needed
The Hour of Code Team is looking for volunteers to help the students throughout the day on 12/6. This is a fun activity, and it does not require any advanced technical skills. Please sign up here today! We're going to start with a volunteer meeting at 8:30 for a quick tutorial about what programs students will be doing and how you can support. We'll then head to classrooms. We'll be sure you're in the class of your child. If you can stay throughout the day, great. If you can only stay for part of the day, just note on the volunteer form.

Sign up here to volunteer...

If you work for a technology company, we'd love to have a group of engineers volunteer!

If you have any other questions, please contact Greg Marks, PTSA Technology Director and Hour of Code maestro, at tech1@qaeptsa.org.

​PBL Night is Thursday, Dec. 13th from 5:30 – 7:30pm at John Marshall.  This year, we will be adding the first ever QAE MakerSpace MarketPlace!

Project-Based Learning Showcase Schedule

• 5:30-6:30pm - 3rd–5th grade MakerSpace MarketPlace in John Marshall Auditorium
• 5:55pm - Kindergarten performance on stage in John Marshall Auditorium
  
• 6-6:30pm - K-2nd grade PBL Presentations in classrooms
  
• 6:30-7pm - 3rd-5th grade PBL Presentations in classrooms

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If you have family or friends thinking about registering at QAE next year, please invite them to this fantastic event!

MakerSpace MarketPlace
Makerspace MarketPlace is a place to support the student directed MakerSpace fall challenge. Students wrote proposals to “make a difference for themselves, the community or the world”. 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. There will also be a raffle and a bake sale to raise funds for the QAE MakerSpace. MakerSpace MarketPlace will be open from 5:30 – 6:30pm in the Cafeteria. 

If your child would like to sell their MakerSpace items at the MarketPlace or showcase his or her learning, please fill out the application here:
https://qaeptsa.wufoo.com/forms/2018-qae-makerspace-marketplace/

After we receive your entry, we'll follow up with more details!
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If you would like to make or contribute baked goods for the MakerSpace Bake Sale, please sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409084eaaad29a0fb6-makerspace

Come support our students and community, buy delicious baked goods and see the amazing learning happening in MakerSpace! 

Questions?
Kristin Teske (Teacher) - kmteske@seattleschools.org
Kristi Barnes (MarketPlace) - kristi_barnes@comcast.net
Pia Silverlieb (Bake Sale) - silverlieb@yahoo.com 

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.

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.

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

Calling all QAE citizens to our June Project Based Learning Showcase on Thursday, June!  This is our chance to celebrate student learning, hard work and determination.  We encourage all families to celebrate both their child’s PBL work and see the PBL products of other students and older students so all children develop a vision for what is possible in the years ahead.
 
PBL Showcase Schedule
5:30 – 6:00  - Kindergarten (classrooms)
5:45 – 6:30 – 1st grade Symposium begins in Cafeteria and breaks out into hallway and 1st grade classrooms
6:15 – 7:00 – 2nd and 3rd grade   Brick and Treehouse classrooms
6:45 – 7:30 – 4th and 5th grade Treehouse and Portables

Our wonderful Head Teacher / Kindergarten teacher Katie Cryan Leary put together a site that summarizes what each grade has done for PBL this year.

Take a look at the site:
http://qaepbl.weebly.com/blog/fall-2017-pbl-projects

From "What's in My Heart? ​What's in Your Heart?" to "We Are Seattle" to "Food Justice", learn more about how our students into a complex challenge and learning!

Queen Anne Elementary is Creative Approach School that joins Project Based Learning (PBL), Social Emotional Learning (SEL), and our Five Pillars with the Common Core Curriculum. A couple of amazing parent volunteers, Jenny Brailey and Mike LaRocque, helped put together these videos that highlight what each of the Five Pillars means. Check them out and share with other parents as well as those incoming families who are considering QAE!

• We are self-directed learners
• We encourage each other to think critically and learn more
• We are concerned, confident and compassionate citizens of the world
• We learn everywhere, we learn together
• We are creative

We are self-directed learners

Poet Charles Waters is coming to QAE on Thursday, Jan. 25th to talk about poetry with our students. ​Antioch University will be bringing 30 signed copies of Charles Waters' book Can I Touch Your Hair: Poems About Race, Mistakes and Friendship for sale the day of his visit. The can be purchased for $15 each with cash or check. Parents are welcome at the assemblies! 8-8:50am for K-2 and 9:10-10am for 3rd-5th grades.

We've had enough pre-sales of his book that Antioch will be able to give 30 copies of the book to Puget Sound area schools that do not have sufficient funding for their libraries!

We'd also like to give a last minute call out for student art that encompasses the themes of race, friendship and mistakes. Please have your child submit their work to their teacher by Tuesday, January 23rd.

A message from Julie Colando:
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Thanks to PTSA we are thrilled to welcome poet Charles Waters to QAE for two assemblies on Thursday, January 25th. 8-8:50pm for K-2 and 9:10-10 for 3rd-5th grades. Attached is a book order form for copies of his breathtaking new book: Can I Touch Your Hair? Poems About Race, Mistakes and Friendship.
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Charles Waters will read poems from some of his earlier work as well as poems from this new book. as well as talking about his writing process as a poet. He will also read poems with students from QAE, who will be working on poems and artwork around the book's themes–race, mistakes and friendship in advance of his visit. Antioch University will include one QAE student's poem in a chapbook they will be publishing with a previously unpublished poem of Charles Waters'. This chapbook will be distributed to public school libraries in our area. 

You can download the book order form below. BOOK ORDER FORMS ARE DUE BY TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2018.

Thank you very much!
Julie (on behalf of the Reading Culture Committee)

Our first Project-Based Learning Exhibition is this week! 

Come to the school on Thursday evening, December 7th, from 5:30-7pm to see some of the results of our kids hard work this Fall! You can view in-progress and completed PBL presentations.

Here's the schedule:

• 5:30–6pm - Kindergarten - Treehouse classrooms: 30-minute exhibition window
  
• 5:45–6:15pm - 1st Grade - In Brick Building classrooms: 30-minute exhibition window
  
• 6:00–6:45pm - 2nd–3rd Grades – In or near classrooms: 45-minute exhibition window
  
• 6:15–7pm - 4th–5th Grade - 4th grade in the Cafeteria, 5th grade in Treehouse classroom, 45-minute exhibition window
• 7pm - Exhibition ends

​"We called ourselves the Explorers and we knew we wanted our kids to learn differently." - Mr. Jeffery

In exchange for receiving a very significant discount when we purchased new cases for our school's iPads, the company that makes the cases produced a video about how our students use our iPads to learn and explore.

It really captures part of what makes QAE so special!

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Our 4th annual QAE Hour of Code is on Wednesday, Dec. 7th. Hour of Code is a North America-wide event to help students understand how to create their own computer codes and engage in the problem solving and logic that underlies it. QAE is again joining in on the The Hour of Code during Computer Science Education Week. More than 100 million students have participated already (and our kids are among them!) Living in a world surrounded by technology, we know that whatever field our students choose to go into as adults, their ability to succeed will increasingly hinge on understanding how technology works. Only a small fraction of students are learning computer science, and fewer students are studying it than a decade ago (and women account for only 12% of computer science degrees).

The Hour of Code is a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify code and show that anybody can learn the basics. Here’s a video to get you inspired!

To accomplish our goal of everyone at Queen Anne Elementary coding, we need parent help! Here’s how you can get involved:

1. Talk about software development and coding with your kids. How does software impact the work you do? How does it impact the world around them? Get them excited about this critical field and its applications.

2. Volunteer to help on Wednesday, December 7th. We need morning volunteers, sign up to volunteer...

3. Learn some coding skills. Go to code.org and Khan Academy and take a few introductory or advanced coding classes on your own and with your kid(s)

4. Sign up to bring snacks in for the volunteers and staff on December 7th. Fed parents are happy! 

5. Tell others about the Hour of Code... friends, family, grandparents. Get them excited and involved. Encourage others to sign up themselves, their kids, and their schools to participate in this movement to bring 21st century skills to all kids. Get more info on the Hour of Code site.

Thank you for all your support and help as we introduce our kids to the skills they need to flourish in the 21st Century. We learn everywhere, we learn together!