Jodee Reed's blog

Michelle Ota

Thank you for coming to the auction and supporting Salmon Bay, what a fun and exciting night. I could list some interesting sneak peeks on that night alone….thank you to the auction committee for all their hard work.

Spring is here….with the weather getting nicer I know students want to be outside more. However, we still only have supervision from 8:00-8:25 on the playground. We want to keep our students safe so please have your student arrive at school between these times. Thank you.

We often see an increase in thefts in the Spring, my theory is that more people are out and about and we have more foot traffic in and around our building. So please encourage your students to lock up their valuables during class and extra-curricular activities. During class they may use their school locker and during PE or extracurricular activities they may bring their own locks to put on the gym lockers (they just need to remove them at the end of each class/practice).

Sneak Peeks:

In an Intermediate class I got the opportunity to read a few stories the students wrote about the Salish Coastal tribe; a kidnapping, a rugged boat journey, characters collecting berries and fishing.  Middle School Math the buzz in one class was all about the slope of the line and comparison statements using estimation.

In my quick glimpse into classrooms during Ohana I saw students practicing compliments to start the class meeting time. Wow…who would know a simple peer saying thank you would get a 12 year old boy blushing. Students complimented each other from making them laugh, to helping them get prepared for class, to being an amazing group partner.

In other Ohana’s students discussed the change process and teachers used their own experiences to model stages of change.

In Washington State History I was fortunate to be able to watch a very lively Jeopardy game take place around facts the students have covered around our state’s history.

Dear Salmon Bay Families:

You have a great opportunity!

Please participate and give us your ideas. For some time now a group of teachers/parents/principals have been working on getting feedback about what makes alternative schools in Seattle an alternative school. Where do we live up to our mission, and where do we need to go further?

The school board gave us an important nod of recognition when, rather than do an “outside” audit, they agreed it would not yield good data, if, as expected, those doing the audit did not really understand alternative school missions.

The results of your feedback will be important for us at Salmon Bay, as we work to improve the school, and will also be important to the school district as they determine how to sustain alternative education in Seattle Public Schools.

We’d like to see a HUGE participation from Salmon Bay families. Eventually the data will be combined with data from other alternative schools in Seattle School District, as a self-audit report, and presented to the school board sometime this spring. Preliminary results of the survey will also be shared with Salmon Bay families at the same time.

In today’s bulletin you are receiving a link to a survey. The anonymous survey can be completed online by clicking this link:
Alternative School Self Evaluation Salmon Bay Parent Version

Questions about the survey itself can be directed to one of our parent board directors: contact Caleb Banta-Green at cbantagreen@gmail.com.

And, as always, thank you for everything you do to build the community of Salmon Bay School. Jodee

 

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL’S NOTE

Did you know.....

Tidbits that may be of interest to you......Michelle Ota

Rainy Weather can mean rainy day recess. Unless it is torrential rains we allow students to go outside during rainy day recess if they have a coat and a hood/hat. If your student is someone who would enjoy going outside on those days please be sure they are prepared. Supervision: Just a reminder that supervision is provided from 8:00-8:25 outside on the playground and in the cafeteria for breakfast. We ask that as students arrive they are in supervised areas in the morning.

Drop off in the mornings: Please remember to drop off your student in the mornings using the drop off area on 18th Ave NW. 19th Ave NW is the drop off area for buses and we don’t want students crossing between buses. Sneak Peeks:

Brian and Nicolette’s classes worked hard on their Shakespeare play along with so many other volunteers jumping in to make this wonderful experience for our community. Thank you to Jan and her crew for their time and commitment to our students. Both casts blew me away!

7th/8th grade social studies classes are working on Washington Maps...ask me where the Okanagon Highlands are... I was in a first period class at the beginning of the day and was impressed with how the bulletin was being communicated to students and how the topic of community and privileges came up in the class. The teacher took the time to involve myself and others in an impromptu discussion about the use of the school facilities and how it impacts the whole community. It was an “educator’s” moment. In a 7th8th grade Reader’s class the teaching point being covered was around how social issues can change a character in literature. Students were analyzing and making connections of a text involving racism and then making personal connections with other social issues in their lives. In an Intermediate Math class students were looking at the relationship between fractions, decimals and percents. Students brainstormed real world applications of percents and I was happy to see one of the top examples students came up with was, “50% off at stores....” Jodee and I are in the midst of conducting our mid year conferences with teachers, where we are looking at instruction and student learning. Carving out time in our schedules to engage in rich conversations around pedagogy and philosophy is what we love. I also had the opportunity a few weeks ago to go on a learning walk with other colleagues from the district at Aki Kurose. The focus of the professional development was to refine our skills around giving instructional feedback to teachers. It’s always great to go visit other schools and work on how we can improve our practice.

The first day of school is Wednesday, September 8th.

School Hours:

Elementary: 8:30 AM - 2:40 PM

Middle School: 8:25 AM - 2:45 PM

Bus Transportation

Bus routes will be mailed to you from the Transportation Department at the end of August.  For questions about eligibility, pick-up and drop-off stops, or bus assignment call Seattle Public Schools Transportation Office at 252-0900.

Car Transportation

Cars should drop students off next to the West curb on the East side of the school on 18th Ave. NW.  Please DO NOT PARK on 18th in the white curb zone.  This is for drop-offs and pick-ups only.  During drop off and pick up we treat this street as a "One Way" street... please enter north of the school and move south.  Do not double park, or drop off your children so they have to cross over to the school in front of other cars.  When entering the white curb zone, please pull forward so that we can fit in as many cars as possible.  BUSES drop off students on 19th Ave. NW.  Please do not drop off your student on 19th Ave. NW as this creates a dangerous safety risk for students to combine car drop-offs in the same place as the bus-loading zone.

NW 65th Street is a very busy street, with many cars exceeding the speed limit.  The Seattle Police Department has strongly requested that we DO NOT USE 65th St. for drop off or pick up.

Volunteers Needed

FIRST DAY PACKETS:  We need volunteers to help put the First Day Packets together - on Wed. 9/8.  We will meet in the cafeteria at 8:30 a.m. and start stuffing envelopes and then distributing them to homerooms.  This usually takes about 2 1/2 hours.  Any amount of time that you can help is much appreciated!

DROP-OFF AREA SUPERVISION:  We are looking for two parents to help with the student drop-off area.  The drop-off location is on 18th Ave NW, along the east side of the building.  We need parent helpers on Wednesday and Thursday mornings from 7:50 - 8:20a.m.  This is an ongoing job.  A staff member will be training the volunteers.

If you are a middle school family, the return from break means the beginning of our Winter Enrichment Program. Even if you are an elementary family, you may want to remind yourself on WEP mornings to give yourself a little extra time. Also: the lower field is CLOSED on those Fridays and used for cars/drop-off, with supervision in the gym from 8:40 till 9:10, but not before 8:40, so please do not drop off before then, because we do not have any supervision available for your child

Middle School: Please be sure your permission and health forms have been turned in. Also, drop off and pick up can be very chaotic at first. Drivers: drop off ONLY on 18th. (On 19th we have to unload school busses, then load up ski busses.) We ask you to drive in the SOUTH DIRECTION ONLY. If you happen to DRIVE north to drop off, you will be asked to go around the block and get in line going south. Also, in the evening pick up parking is on 18th and north of the bus zone only.

Finally, this is a difficult time for our neighbors. I ask you to not only be aware of your own parking, but also help to remind others who may be infringing on a neighbor’s yard or space.

Also: you’ll see more details elsewhere in the bulletin but this is a reminder that there is a question/answer meeting with the head of district transportation tomorrow night at 7pm at Salmon Bay regarding a possible change to an earlier start time next year.

Thanks! And welcome back!

Dear Salmon Bay Families:

Thank you for all your help in giving students a fun experience, the costume parade and dance, last Friday.

This week I want to remind you that flu season is in full swing. The health department says that 98% of the flu we will see is probable H1N1, and is still considered a mild to moderate flu, like most seasonal flu. Please remember to keep your students home if they have a fever, and make sure the fever is gone for 24 hours before they return.

We will continue to monitor all the precautions here at school that students have learned with regards to hand washing and sneezing, etc. There are handouts available for you in the main office and parent room---just ask the parent volunteer coordinators, or the office people.

Also, use the Salmon Bay website if you want further information, with links to government and district websites.

Thanks for all you do, and take care,

Jodee

Dear Salmon Bay Families:

Conference dates are coming right around the corner. Your home room teacher will be asking you to sign up for a conference one of the 3 days before the Thanksgiving break. There will also be some evening times if needed.
The curriculum nights we did this month are designed to give you a better idea of the content in your student’s class, and how the year will progress. In elementary, the conferences are an opportunity for you to talk with your teacher about the individual progress of your student, and to ask questions about how things are going. In middle school, conferences are student-led and teacher supervised. This gives the students an opportunity to review their own progress, to inform you of how they are doing, and in the process give you further specifics to continue that conversation with them throughout the year.

I’m sure you realize the many ways you can be involved in your student’s school experience, and conferences are one of the best ways, so be sure to sign up for your date.

Take care,

Jodee

Dear Salmon Bay Families:
 
We encourage you to come to our parent-to-parent conversation on October 22.  What is inclusion education at Salmon Bay School? 
 
You might ask yourself: My child doesn’t have an IEP (special education), why should I come?  At Salmon Bay we are proud to have typical learners, gifted students and students with special needs all learning together in the same classrooms. Children who have not had in-class experience with special needs students may come home with questions about their classrooms, table groups or classmates. The panel discussion is intended to help all parents feel more able to handle family conversations about learning differences.
 
Or, you might wonder: I already know a lot about special education, why should I come?  Special education is changing in Seattle Public Schools. Your student is also moving through elementary, to middle, to high school. As your student encounters more inclusion he/she may come home with questions about classmates, group work, or other in-school concerns, and this parent-to- parent conversation will help prepare you for those family discussions.
 
A reminder: this is an adults only event, and Coho Kids Time will provide day-care for those who arrange in advance: 297-7764
 
Hope to see you there.  Have a good week!
 
Jodee

Dear Salmon Bay Families:

Middle School Curriculum Night!  Thursday, Oct. 15, 7 p.m.

Please come and hear about your student’s experience here at Salmon Bay School.

Remember: contrary to popular opinion, we at Salmon Bay do NOT think middle school is the time to take a step back, but, instead it’s time to STEP UP.  You’ll hear information that will make it easier for you to have conversations with your student about their progress in classes, as well as various upcoming events in the year.

Students are always happy and excited when they know you have attended the parent night.

I look forward to seeing you!
Jodee

Dear Salmon Bay Families

Please welcome our newest member of the community, Marie Cho, who will be the reading/literacy specialist at Salmon Bay. Marie has worked in two different districts, Highline and Bellevue, as a Title 1 reading teacher, has 5 years experience teaching first grade, and 7 years teaching kindergarten. Her passion for reading, and getting struggling readers to read will be contagious.
 
Her first day was last Monday, and she has been busy ever since visiting classrooms, assessing students, reading with students, and getting to know everyone.  Please give her a big Salmon Bay welcome, and in the coming weeks look for those little ways to help her transition to her new responsibilities and position.
 
She is also contacting parents to help get our parent/student reading buddy program up and running again.  Our teachers have uniformly praised the work of the last group of parents and the huge difference it made for students who needed that extra time to read.  Every single student who had a buddy made great gains they couldn’t have made without  the program. Maybe you could help out this year? If so, you can contact Marie at 252-1769.
 
Have a good week.  Take some extra time to read with your student, or listen to them tell you about what they are reading. 
 
Take care,
 
Jodee