QAE News: Sept. 8th, 2017

From Principal Roy:

In addition to checking out our fantastic PTSA website for information, QAE News will be emailed regularly to all families.  This provides information to families about events and opportunities happening during school time at Queen Anne Elementary, including important dates and upcoming events. 

Seen around QAE this week…

• We had a fantastic first week at QAE! 
• Teachers focused on building relationships and establishing classroom agreements and guidelines, which are first steps in our Positive Discipline curriculum.  Building trust and feelings of safety are essential components for learning to begin.
• Staff worked with students to establish common behavior expectations in classrooms, playground, hallways and cafeteria.  Establishing common expectations help create a calm, safe learning environment.  Knowing what is expected helps QAE Explorers to be aware, safe and connected. 
• Teachers demonstrated, modeled and helped students practice having 21st century learning discussions.  Through learning what is expected during class meetings, whole group discussions, and activities such as ‘turn and talk to your partner’, students develop their skills in looking at speakers, listening carefully to others, sharing their ideas respectfully, taking turns, recognizing each other’s hard work, and celebrating when they take risks and use a growth mindset.

2017-2018 QAE Guiding Question

A key part of Project Based Learning is that students find the answer to a guiding question so that their research and learning presentation are centered on a rich, thought-provoking question.  For the first time, QAE staff identified a school-wide guiding question to focus on as a whole school this year.  Our QAE citizens were introduced to our school-wide driving question for 2017-2018 this week:  How are we having an impact on the world?  Our guiding question is displayed on posters in the cafeteria, at the front entrance of the Treehouse and in classrooms.  It is a great classroom and home discussion, as we want our QAE citizens of the world to feel that they have an impact on the world through their learning, actions and advocacy.  Helping young learners feel that their school activities are purposeful and meaningful means that learning is not only engaging, it is empowering!  We encourage all QAE families to discuss this important question throughout the year.

Attendance

If your child is going to be away, please email your child’s teacher and Office Assistant Jennifer Connolly at [email protected] as Jennifer is responsible for attendance again this year.

Forms:  Due Tuesday, September 12

Please return all forms sent home in the manila envelope on the first day, by Tuesday, September 12.  We urgently need this information from all families.  Please make sure you update the school on contact information changes during the year.

Student Safety:  Safe Arrivals and Departures

Student safety is a key focus in September, as we have hundreds of children and families arriving and leaving Queen Anne Elementary every day.  We need to work together to teach our children safety procedures, as we will all be arriving in the dark in a few weeks!  If you would like to volunteer to help set up car-pooling and/or a Walking School Bus, please email Principal Janine Roy at [email protected]. 

Bigelow Avenue:  Bus Zone and Drop Off/Pick Up Zone ONLY (New Practice):

• Bigelow Ave. is for buses and parent drop off/pick up only.  Don’t leave cars on Bigalow.
• Please avoid Bigalow during the first two weeks of school due to construction.

Bus Students:  Bus students line up on the basketball court and will be escorted onto buses by staff.

Parent Drop Off/Pick Up on Bigalow Avenue (New Practice):

• Drop off and pick up zone is on Bigalow Avenue (near Newton).  Parked vehicles (with no driver present) in the Pick Up/Drop Off Zone may be ticketed.
• Drop off and pick up routines:  drivers stay in the car at all times; students ONLY enter and exit cars on the sidewalk side, staff will be on hand to help students.

Parent Parking in our QAE Neighborhood

• Park vehicles in a legal parking space, not on Bigalow Avenue!
• Let’s model being respectful neighbors for our children by always following SDOT rules:
  • Don’t park within 10 feet of fire hydrants, crosswalks and intersections;
  • Don’t block driveways.

Staff Parking Lot

• Staff parking is for staff and disabled parking spaces ONLY.  After 4 pm, this space can be used for KidsCo or Enrichment pick up with an adult supervision at all times. 
• Staff parking lot driveway is out of bounds for students as it is unsafe for pedestrians.

Bikes/Scooters/Skateboards:  (New Practice):  We love our bike riders and scooter riders!  But with several significant crashes on our school grounds after school last year, we need to change our practice.  Staff will work with Student Leadership to develop a possible plan for our wheeled vehicles.  In the meantime:  before and after school, please walk bikes/scooters and carry skateboards on school grounds.

Patrols on Newton and 4th Avenue

• Thank you to Instructional Assistant Tobi Nussbaum for supervising patrols again this year.  5th graders will be given forms for parent signature, and then will be trained as soon as possible.  We anticipate having experienced patrollers in place this month once we receive signed parent permission forms.
• Thank you to parents for assisting with crossing in crosswalks during our first few days.

Crossing Guard

We now have Crossing Guard Paige MacMillan at Boston and 4th Avenue every morning.  We would love to have a parent crossing guard in the afternoon.  We would love parent crossing guards on both Bigelow and Boston, and we need people mornings and afternoons.  If you are available to be a crossing guard, please contact Janine Roy at [email protected].  Thank you for any help you can provide!

Music at QAE

This year, all students will receive music instruction from our new General Music Specialist, Rebecca Jackson.  Ms. Jackson moved to Seattle from Colarado to be part of our QAE community, as she relishes the opportunity to create a new general music program at QAE.  Ms. Jackson will be at QAE every morning, and then go to Sand Point to teach music each afternoon.  3rd – 5th grade students will receive general music instruction from September – January.  K – 2nd students will receive it February – June.

SPS provides the opportunity for Instrumental Music to 5th grade students each year.  Ms. Victoria Smith, our new Instrumental Music Teacher, is looking forward to starting her program this month.  Ms. Smith provided information to all 5th grade classes and 4th grade classes this morning.  All 5th grade students are invited to apply, and if we have more students than spaces we will have a lottery.  If there are still spaces left, 4th grade students are invited to submit an application and we will have a lottery to identify participants.  Permission forms went home to parents today and interested students can return their forms to the school office by Friday, Sept. 15th at 8 am. 

Spirit Days:  Every Friday

Providing opportunities for students to be part of a team or club helps us to build community and have some fun together.  Queen Anne Elementary declares that every Friday is Spirit Day.  Students are invited to wear QAE colors (purple or orange) or Seahawks colors (blue or green) or a team shirt.  This is an invitation, not a requirement.   We will begin on Friday, September 15th.  

QAE Individual Picture Day:  Thursday, September 21st

QAE Retakes, Class Photos and Whole School Photos will be in October.  Date announced shortly.

Individual Picture Day is on Thursday, September 21st.  Retakes, class photos and whole school photo will take place 4 weeks later to ensure all of our students are present; date will be determined asap.  So sorry that Photo Day was inadvertently booked on Rosh Hashanah! We have now rescheduled our class photos and whole school photo for Retake Day to ensure everyone is here.   Please return photo forms as soon as possible.

Jog-A-Thon:  September 29th  

An annual tradition at QAE is our Jog-a-Thon.  This is a school-wide event focused on student goal setting for running laps around our school.  Students set a running goal in class to help them learn the importance of setting and achieving a personal goal.  This is a wonderful learning opportunity for students, and a wonderful school-wide event at QAE.  PTSA coordinates a fund-raiser with the Jog-a-Thon, and more fund-raising information will follow from PTSA.  Thank you to our dedicated PTSA for organizing this!

Monthly Assemblies

It is important for students to have an opportunity to come together as a whole community.  There are daily opportunities for grade groups to come together during recess and lunch breaks.  We also want to ensure that our whole school gets together regularly, so that we can share information, celebrate learning, and all students can learn respectful audience behaviors.  Monthly assemblies will be held for special performances, special events and/or at the end of each month to provide the most effective learning opportunities for all students.

Parent Help Wanted:

Lost and Found Coordinator/Director
Yearbook Manager
Running Club Coordinator

Running Club

Running Club is an important part of Queen Anne Elementary, as every QAE Explorer is a member.  Students can run on our on-site track to build up their laps and achieve their running goals throughout the year.  I can’t wait to join them!  We need some parent assistance to get the Running Club ‘up and running’ as soon as possible.  If you are interested in helping with our initial set up, please email Principal Janine Roy at [email protected].  Looking forward to a great running year ahead!

Lost and Found

Lost and Found is located in the Brick Building hallway beside the library.  Parents wanting to assist can contact Jennifer Connolly at [email protected].

September Dates:

Sept. 13  - 1st early dismissal Wednesday:  all Wednesday’s this year end for students at 1:10 pm

Sept. 15 - Spirit Day:  Students invited to wear purple, orange, green or blue to support QAE school spirit and Seahawks!

Sept. 21 - QAE Individual Picture Day, with Retakes, Class Photos, and Whole School Photo in Oct.

Sept. 22 - Spirit Day

Sept. 29 - QAE Jog-a-thon

Contact Us

Families are always welcome to contact our school.  Here are important numbers and emails:

Principal                            Janine Roy  [email protected]                                     206-252-2480

Admin. Secretary             Karen Rang [email protected]                                  206-252-2480

Office Assistant                Jennifer Connolly [email protected]               206-252-2480

QAE PTSA website           http://www.qaeptsa.org/

QAE District website       http://www.seattleschools.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=627&pageId=59665 

Teachers                              Teacher emails are posted on the QAE PTSA website:  http://www.qaeptsa.org/