Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)

Sonnets are full of love, and this my tome

   Has many sonnets: so here now shall be

  One sonnet more, a love sonnet, from me

To her whose heart is my heart’s quiet home,

  To my first Love, my Mother, on whose knee

I learnt love-lore that is not troublesome;

  Whose service is my special dignity,

And she my loadstar while I go and come.

And so because you love me, and because

  I love you, Mother, I have woven a wreath

   Of rhymes wherewith to crown your honoured name:

   In you not fourscore years can dim the flame

Of love, whose blessed glow transcends the laws

  Of time and change and mortal life and death.

New in this week's Dragon's Fire

Course registration is now open for the 2021–2022 school year. Visit our website for detailed instructions on how to register for classes: https://bit.ly/2PQz8GD.

Before registering for classes, please review the SPS Graduation Requirements.

If you have any questions about registration, email our registrar,Tracey Lott, at tlott@seattleschools.org, for assistance.

Open House Videos  

Hi TCS Community,

Mr. Alex here, visual arts teacher who first started teaching art from room 362 in The Center School four years ago. Later this year, in June, I will teach from this tiny, cozy classroom as the TCS visual arts teacher for the last time. Then, I will say my goodbyes.

In late March I applied for a newly opened visual arts position at Franklin High School. In mid-April I interviewed, was offered, and accepted the position. Franklin HS created and funded this position with the intent of the new hire melding visual arts and social justice in their classes. I cannot imagine a better mix of my skillset and passions than what this position is calling for. For those of you who don't know, I graduated from FHS in 2006, student-taught there, and taught there for my first year in Seattle Public Schools. In a sense, I am going home.

This news may be unexpected, but I will do my part to make sure TCS is set up for a smooth transition to whoever the new art teacher will be. Things will be different, but different doesn't mean worse and change is inevitable. The next art teacher will bring a new voice, fresh set of ideas, and different ways of teaching to TCS.

I will save my goodbyes for another day. I am sharing this news with all of you today simply to keep you informed. My time at TCS has meant more to me than I can put into words ... warts and all. Saying goodbye to our students later this school year will be one of the hardest things I'll ever do as a teacher. I will leave TCS a far, far better educator than when I first arrived four years ago. For this, and the incredible students I've been blessed to teach, I am deeply appreciative.

Thank you for reading this lengthy message!

Congratulations to seniors, class of 2021. You will be the first TCS class graduating at Memorial Stadium at 2 pm on Jun 15. We are working to have an all school attendance to celebrate you. Thank you for your hard work in completing your senior year with senior projects and academic coursework. We am proud of your focus and your tenacity in keeping the dream alive towards graduation and next steps beyond The Center School. Graduation planning is beginning this week. Seniors, it’s your graduation, so create a memorable and fun celebration day of activities.

Is one of these critical positions a good fit for you? Please reach out to Erika Borges at erikaborges@me.com for interest or more information.

What a fantastic Auction Week we had! Because of generous folks like you, we were able to raise $26,690. We anticipate receiving another $2750 in company matching gifts!

Thank You: Thank you to everyone who helped make our 2 auctions so successful! The volunteers, donors, attendees, bidders, students, teachers, and staff. So many came together to make it all happen. Thank you!

Pick Up: If you need to pick up your prize(s), please contact Angie Johnson at angiejohnson@usa.net to make arrangements.

Matching Gifts: If you contributed to one of our auctions please ask your HR Department and let us know if your company has a matching gifts program. Email Rosina at RosinaAuction@gmail.com to make arrangments. Some companies who have participated in the past are: Starbucks, Microsoft, Wells Fargo, Boeing, Paccar, QuoteWizard, Liberty Mutual Group, and Alaska Airlines.

Thanks everyone for supporting our students at TCS!

If you need help figuring out your ORCA card or which buses to take, SPS can help. Read more about what you need to know about taking Metro now that in-person learning has resumed.

The district is in the process of revising the Isolation and Restraint policy and procedures to align to our values of anti-racist actions and working towards de-escalation and trauma-informed responses. Our goal is to ensure our students are treated with dignity and respect while providing staff with essential de-escalation strategies and response techniques that do not cause physical or social emotional harm to the student, family, or the school community. 

We will share the draft policy to be brought in front of the board during this session. Please see the attached timeline of events. The community forum will be providing feedback on the draft policy before it is brought to the school board for review. Members of the ACLU, NAACP, Special Ed PTSA, SCPTSA and other community groups have provided input to the draft policy changes, and we have also partnered with OSPI. School leaders are invited to attend this session. Our secondary student focused group is this Thu, May 13, 5:30–7 pm via Zoom. Again, the policy is a draft and all input in this session will be reviewed.

Meeting ID: 826 7044 0535

Passcode: 842418

Or join by phone: +1 253 215 8782

The Swedish Ballard Teen Health Center is open and has both in-person and virtual appointments available to TCS students. Students are welcome to visit us on the Ballard High School campus. Or we will be on the TCS campus, Mon, May 10 during in-person learning.

Medical Services: Nurse Practitioner ,Karen Boudour, ARNP will be available for all SPS students in clinic for in-person visits on Mon and Fri. telehealth visits will be available Tue–Thu.

Mental Health Counseling: Chelsea Clark, MSW and Soriah Mitchell (MSW candidate) will be providing in-person and telehealth sessions via telephone or video.

To schedule with Karen, Chelsea or Soriah, please call or text our clinic coordinator Say Tuitele at 206-390-3355. You may also reach Say via email at Sailau.Tuitele@swedish.org.

We have appreciated your flexibility and patience as we worked to navigate the logistics surrounding AP Exams at Seattle Public Schools.

Due to the unique challenges of remote learning resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the College Board announced that they will be offering AP exams in three separate administration windows this year to provide equitable access to AP exams for all students. Based on a thorough review of the testing options and the most current health and safety guidelines in King County, Seattle Public Schools has reached the following decision regarding AP testing this year.

All students who wish to take an AP exam will take the test during the College Board’s administration window 3 (Jun 1–4, 7–11). This decision was made to provide all AP teachers and students the most amount of time possible to prepare for the full-length AP exams, knowing that remote learning has posed different challenges for all students. 

More importantly, to ensure the health and safety of all students and staff, all exams will be administered digitally and at home when this option is available. For the exams that only have the option for in-person testing, Seattle Public Schools will offer these exams to students in their respective high school during administration window 3 (Jun 1–4, 7–11). More details about preparing students for at-home digital testing will be shared in the coming days.

At this time, all exam fees must have been paid in full. However, based on this testing update, if you would like to opt out of testing and would like a full refund of the fees, please work with your student’s high school AP coordinator and fiscal specialist to begin the process of requesting the full refund. Please note that refunds take time to process and will likely not be available until summer of 2021.

Detailed information and FAQs about AP testing are available on the Seattle Public Schools website.

Check the Career Center page for more information. Questions? Contact Mr. Rho at ewrho@seattleschools.org.

The PIP Program for Girls virtual summit is designed for girls, by girls, to learn about different areas of interest. The summit is two days long and is on Jul 10 and 11. On the day of education, you will hear from women across industries as they share how they have built their careers and overcome challenges. On the day of action, you will get inspired to pursue a mini project through workshops hosted by professional women. Over these two days, students will experience presentations by leading experts in several industries, panels discussing female-centered issues, live Q&A sessions, and connections with girls all over the country.

Sign up for the PIP Program. If you have any questions, please email thepipprogramforgirls@gmail.com. Visit the PIP website.