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| Principal's Corner |
Dear Adams Elementary School Families,
Thank you to all of you who participated in our question and answer sessions last Thursday evening. One of the suggestions that that came up was for us to talk more about how to help your children at home with online learning. For this edition of the newsletter, we thought we'd write a bit about the importance of letting children struggle with questions and concepts.
We've noticed that some students are relying too much on adults to help them during lessons. We know you want to help your kids be successful. However, we have learned that students do best when they are allowed to engage in what education experts call "productive struggle." In productive struggle, students learn by trying things and making mistakes. When students are given the answers too soon, they don't have time to engage in this struggle. Of course, we don't want students to struggle so much that they disengage, but we have found that students simply don't learn as much when they have not had to struggle a bit.
So, we are asking that you allow your children to struggle a bit. We hope you know that teachers are used to students struggling and are monitoring this to ensure that students don't struggle to the point of disengagement. When you stand back and allow students to struggle a bit, you are supporting a growth mind set by fostering independence and perseverance, reinforcing effort, and sending the message "you can do it." Please allow your children to go into the virtual classroom alone, just as you allow them to enter their classroom on their own when we were in school. If you feel you must assist your children, we ask that you give hints and not answers, and that you please keep your microphone muted while you assist, so that other students in the class do not hear you.
We are also finding that some students do much better when their adults are out of earshot completely. This is not true for all students, but some students get nervous when they are expected to perform or give answers in front of family members. You know your child best, so use your best judgment when deciding how much you should be present during synchronous learning. For some students, we understand that they need the direct support form an adult and we are here to partner with you on how to best provide that support for your student. We are not asking you to disengage with your students learning; we are asking you to trust the teachers and trust your children. Let them develop independence and a growth mindset by learning how to take risks and make mistakes, and how to persevere and grow.
In Partnership,
Doug, Kelly and Tom
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| Important Dates |
Monday, Nov. 2 - Parent Community Meeting
Wednesday, Nov. 11 - Veterans Day (No school)
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| School News |
Parent Community Meeting
Monday, November 2nd will be our next Monthly Parent Community Meeting from 6:30p-8p, all families and staff are encouraged to attend!
Meeting ID: 898 9653 0791
Passcode: 883582
We'll hear from Principal Sohn as well as PTA Committee Leads on follow-up topics from last week's Listening Sessions, which will include funding gaps, community connection events, the Reflections Art Contest, and equity efforts at our school. Attendees will also have time to ask questions and share ideas and feedback. Hope to see you there!
Spirit Wear Sale SPIRIT WEAR SALE IS LIVE until November 14! Families can purchase new Lime green and Navy blue colors in the classic Adams Eagles design, both t-shirts and Hooded Sweatshirts for youth and adults. This will be our ONLY SALE before the holidays this year--these make great gifts! Any extra dollars donated will help the PTA purchase T-shirts for each staff member! Click here for more information!
Staff Spotlight: Andrea Alvarado WE TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER: Last month, our very own Kindergarten teacher, Andrea Alvarado, was featured in the Ballard Food Bank newsletter! She and her family have been in Ballard since 1998, and she loves to remind her students that they're "never too young to make a difference in the world!" Read how she supports the Ballard Food Bank.
Student Directory
Right now, we are collecting information for the Student Directory using an online form, linked here. If you have multiple children at Adams, please fill out a separate form for each child.
Directory information will be posted online, and will be password-protected to be shared only with students, staff and families. This information is not to be used for commercial purposes. Please contact us with any questions or if you prefer to receive a print version of the document.
Grade Reps
Got questions? They're a great resource to help us navigate this year together.
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| Before and After School Activities (BASAP) |
In-person care options
As a reminder, childcare programs at area facilities are featured at the bottom of this PTA webpage link.
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| Volunteer Needs |
Spirit Wear Sales
We are in need of someone(s) to head up Spirit Wear sales! This person/team will manage the sales of Adams Elementary T-shirts and other items for the purposes of fundraising and building community. Sales have been run through CustomInk in the past, a few times per school year. This person also ensures that the principals/school counselor have access to t-shirts for students receiving family support. Email Alison with interest or questions!
Class parents needed!
Grade representatives will be reaching out for volunteers to organize individual classes for Teacher Appreciation, share tips and tricks for remote learning, and maintain our strong community! Contact your grade representative or Alison Elafros with interest or questions.
Reflections Art Contest 2021
We are looking for a chair person for the 2021 Reflections Art Contest. Opportunity to shadow this year and take over next year.
Ballard Market Fundraising
Ballard Market will donate a portion of your receipt directly to Adams! Just be sure to get the receipt to Nicole's house (via drop off or mail) at:
7107 32nd Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98117
Since we won't be holding an auction this year, this fundraising effort could really add up!
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