Welcome to the Rocket Reader's first issue of the 2023-24 school year!

9/22/2023

The Rocket Reader is a regular QAE PTSA Publication that includes information about the goings-on at Queen Anne Elementary. For even more information, please check the PTSA website on which we keep an up-to-date calendar and provide more detailed information about many facets of Queen Anne Elementary. We also encourage you to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Thank you for reading, and please let us know if there's anything else you would like to hear about!
Your QAE PTSA Communications Team

A Note from the PTSA President:
Hello parents and welcome to 2023-24! I am so excited to have each and every one of you with us this year. Like last year, the PTSA’s focus is going to be investing in our community. Last year was the first year that we were fully back together post-pandemic. While we had some growing pains getting ramped back up after several years, by the end of the year, we’d settled into a cadence of having events and a greater sense of community. I know I feel fortunate to have my family a part of this school.
We have an incredible team of volunteers set up to make this year great too. We’re adding events, we’re maximizing all the hangout time we all look forward to, and we’re going to make this a great year!
There is a more serious topic that has been top of mind for me, and—I know—many of you: the budget constraints facing Seattle Public Schools. SPS is facing a significant budget shortfall moving into 2024-25 school year. SPS has made it clear that school closures are on the table and that they will be prioritizing budgeting for “well-resourced schools.”
I want to be clear that we do not know whether this will impact QAE.
What we do know:

Most of the district’s budget comes from state funding (61%). Most of these funds are apportioned based on the number of students in a district and assuming a certain number of students per school (400 per elementary school).
Because funds for things like Principals are based on those school sizes, smaller schools draw resources away from other places.
Based on this reasoning, the district has developed the idea of “well-resourced schools”, which they are promoting as a way to solve budget issues
QAE has 214 students.
Many other elementary schools also are below this target of 400 kids per school (including John Hay) and we have reason to believe one of the elementary schools on Queen Anne will be under consideration for closure.

As we all know—and have felt—QAE has many distinctive characteristics and draws a unique group of families. While we do not know what the impact will be, it is important that the district hear from us on three topics:

The reasons your family chose to be at QAE,

That option school make a difference in your life, and

QAE’s impact on you and your children.

We’re asking that you reach out to the school district with your thoughts. We’re hopeful that explaining why QAE is special will help inform their decision-making; in particular, we’d like to articulate the unique value that option schools like QAE (which focuses on project-based learning) have for families like ours. We believe that a positive message sharing the benefits will be received much better than focusing on the deficiencies of SPS.
Additional resources:

What You Can Do
Let SPS know what Queen Anne Elementary means to you! Please send an email to Regional Executive Director of Schools for the Central District, Director James Mercer with your QAE story. Ultimately, we want the district to know how much we value option schools in general, and Queen Anne Elementary in particular.
In your email, please include how many students you have at Queen Anne Elementary, and where your child[ren] would have attended school if not for QAE, be it the school for which your family is zoned, a private school, or any other option. Then please detail why your family chose QAE, and what drew your family to an option school, whether it's QAE's focus on Project Based or Social-Emotional Learning, the size of the student body, the fact that it is an option school and, therefore, able to pivot quickly whenever there's a need, or any other reason particular to your family. Any personal anecdotes about Queen Anne Elementary and why it is so valuable to you or your children would be wonderful to include as well.
Our goal is to make enough noise about the benefits of Queen Anne Elementary that the district will definitely hear us. Thank you!

Move-A-Thon is October 6!
One of the most fun events of our QAE school year returns! The Move-A-Thon will take place during the school day on October 6th. Students will run, walk, roll, or move however they choose around a track set up around the playground. There will be a DJ, t-shirts for every student, and popsicles!
This year, we're aiming to raise $50,000 as a community. The funds raised go towards supporting school programs such as art classes and supplies, project-based learning, reading specialists, classroom instructional assistants and community events. This year, we are using Zeffy, a zero-fee fundraising platform, so 100% of the proceeds go straight to programs you want to support! Help us meet our school-wide fundraising goal by joining a classroom team on Zeffy here.
You can help out by volunteering on the day-of. Please make sure you have completed the SPS volunteer application here then sign up for one or more volunteer slots here. We also welcome spectators. Please come cheer on our movers!

2023 Schedule:

Grades 3-5: 12:05 to 12:35
Grades 1-2: 12:45 to 1:15
Pre-K & K: 1:30 to 2:00
ALL-SCHOOL PARTY (DJ/Popsicles): 2:00 to 2:25

Don't hesitate to contact moveathon1@qaeptsa.org with any questions!

Wednesday, September 27 - Pizza Available!
All are welcome and encouraged to attend the first PTSA General Membership Meeting of the school year at QAE from 6-7:30pm.
The agenda will include a variety of topics, including our efforts to keep Queen Anne Elementary open as an option school.
Please RSVP here with the number of adults attending the meeting so we know how much pizza to order.

Curriculum Night Next Week!
Curriculum night is Thursday, September 28 from 5:30-7pm. You will hear from Principal Warren and the specialists before visiting your child[ren]'s teachers in their classrooms. We look forward to seeing everyone there!

Fall 2023 After-School Enrichment
Join your classmates for fall after-school enrichment activities. Options this year include sports, coding, Legos, dance, crafts and improv!
The fall schedule is available here. Scholarships are available! If you are interested in receiving a scholarship, please contact Principal Warren ASAP at [email protected]!
Registration begins on Saturday, September 23rd at 9 a.m.

Save the date for this year’s QAE PTSA Auction!
The event, which we’re calling “Sunglasses at Night,” will take place at the Fremont Foundry the evening of Saturday, March 9, 2024. It will have an 80s theme; costumes highly encouraged but not required! Local celebrities Chris and Pat Cashman will be our MC and auctioneer.

Contact [email protected] if you’d like to volunteer to help with planning or procurement.
Contact [email protected] if you have something you’d like to donate.

September 23 (9am) – Registration Opens for Fall After-School Enrichment. Learn more and register here.
September 23 (12pm) – Central And North Seattle Schools PTA Alliance Fall Picnic at Volunteer Park. More info here.
September 27 (6pm) - PTSA General Membership Meeting. RSVP here.
September 28 (5:30pm) - Curriculum Night
September 29 - Picture Day
October 6 - Move-A-Thon
October 6 & 7 - Bellevue Jazz & Blues Music Series - Complimentary Student Tickets Available.

Rocket Reader