The Seattle Council PTSA is hosting a series of community engagements with Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Brent Jones. Please join us to share your voice with our district leader about safe and welcoming environments. To register, please use the following links. ASL and closed captioning will be available at each listening session. Interpretation in each of the top 5 languages (Spanish, Somali, Vietnamese, Cantonese, and Amharic) is available as well. All listening sessions are 5:30–7:30 pm via Zoom on the dates listed.

May 16: General public

School News

New Student Orientation

The Center School will be hosting a New Student Orientation for incoming students for the 2022/23 school year on Thu, Jun 9 from 5:30-6:30 pm. There will be a pre-event meeting for families of students with IEP’s at 5 pm. New students are encouraged to attend the Center School Art Showcase from 7–9 pm where they can see current Center School students perform in theater and dance. If you have any questions, please email school counselor, Michele Hayes at mrhayes1@seattleschools.org.

Prom Details

The Senior class has been planning our long awaited prom and we are getting close to the magic day! Prom this year will be held at the Tyee Yacht Club in Seattle from 7-10 pm on Fri, Jun 3. Juniors and Seniors are invited and Seniors may bring one guest each. Underclassmen may only attend as a guest, and guests who do not attend Center must have a Guest Permission Form completed and turned in before the event. Our theme is Fairy Garden and we can’t wait to see your most elegant, ethereal, and magical interpretations!

Students, we will provide refreshments and a dessert selection but feel free to grab dinner with your friends or family beforehand. If families have any questions or want to be involved in the event planning, feel free to email tcsclass22@gmail.com

Tickets will be available for in-person purchase (cash only) at Center from May 23 until Jun 2 or you can purchase tickets online right now via schoolpay! To order, log in to The Source, choose Schoolpay from the list of options on the left. Choose Class of 2022 Prom Tickets at the top of the list. Senior tickets are $25 for students and their guest. Juniors are invited to attend (no guests please) and tickets are $35. Prom will be held at the Tyee Yacht Club.

This is going to be an incredible night and we hope to see you there, singing and dancing your heart out with your classmates and school community!

Bell Times Update from SPS

The proposed changes to school start times (bell times) were not introduced at the School Board meeting on May 4 as expected. We have received a lot of feedback from families and our community partners about the challenges this proposal would create for families and staff. We are taking more time to work through ways to address those challenges. Seattle Public Schools is committed to providing reliable transportation that gets students to school on time and ready to learn. Staff will continue to work with schools, families, and partners over the next several weeks as we refine this plan. We also will continue to communicate updates to families as soon as possible. You can find the latest information, including updates to the frequently asked questions on the bell times webpage. Thank you to everyone who has contacted us about the proposed changes through our Let's Talk link as well as through other methods. We will continue to review all feedback and share it with staff and School Board Directors. Let's Talk is the best way to share your comments and concerns.

Did You Miss the Musical?

It's not too late to see Musical Theater's production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Sadly it's not the performance where Ms Neel was disqualified for misspelling bourgeoisie, Mr Chipps was disqualified for misspelling isosceles, and Mr Scilletta was introduced as the world's tallest fifth grader, but it's still a ton of fun from a very talented cast. Watch now.

Buy 2021/22 Yearbooks Now

Students wanting a yearbook can now preorder and pay on Schoolpay. To order, log in to The Source, choose Schoolpay from the list of options on the left. Choose Yearbook Presale & Purchase from the bottom of the list. You may need to scroll down to see it.

Internships & Programs for Teens

Please see the list of paid and other opportunities that Mr Rho has curated for teens needing work experience, community service hours, and fun.

Parenting

The Risks of Accommodating a Child's Anxiety

How to foster resilience and self-regulation in kids instead.

Key Points

Accommodation is any action parents engage in with the purpose of alleviating their child's anxiety or stress.
Parents may accommodate due to their own personal histories and beliefs systems. Intense child reactions can also increase accommodation.
Parental accommodation has been shown to increase child anxiety over time and reduce response to treatment.
Long-term coping skills and increased confidence require helping the child face life challenges and get outside their comfort zone with support.

Read the full article.

Bulletin Board

The Bulletin Board section publishes information about art, photography, film, theater, writing, and other programs and competitions outside of TCS that might be of benefit and interest to our students. If you know of an opportunity that our students might want to hear about, contact the Dragon's Fire at dfsubmitarticle1@gmail.com.

OneWorld Now’s Summer Intensive Language & Leadership Program

Students can study beginning Arabic, Korean or Mandarin Chinese. They will have the opportunity to develop leadership skills and experience new cultural practices and traditions. They will also meet students from across the county.

Dates: Level 1A: Jun 27–Jul 8, Level 1B: Jul 11-Jul 22

Time: Mond-Fri, 9 am-1 pm

Location: Zoom

Eligibility: Any student in 7th-12th grade in the 2021/22 academic year

Cost: Sliding scale based on family size and income

Credit: up to 1.0 world language credit in just 4 weeks (equivalent to 1 year of study)!

Application deadline: Jun 5

Learn more and apply: oneworldnow.org/summer

Reel Queer Youth Summer Camp (Hybrid)

Reel Queer Youth (RQY) is a video production and media literacy program for LGBTQ+ youth and allies grades 9-12. Brought to you by Three Dollar Bill Cinema, NWFF, and NFFTY.

During this week-long camp (Aug 1–5, 11 am–2 pm), participants will create a film using available media and tools, under the guidance of Reel Queer Youth facilitators and special film industry guests. We'll learn about different forms of filmmaking (narrative, documentary, experimental), and how story and identity can be shared through each. We’ll also cover planning a production, recording video and sound, and editing to create dynamic films.

Celebrate your story and connect with other young LGBTQ+ and ally filmmakers this summer! More information and registration.

Teen Nights at the Rep

On select Fridays throughout our 2021/22 season, teens are invited to see our shows for $5 with a free pre-show reception, fun activities, and a chance to hang out with other teens in a youth-only space! Last show is Jun 3. More information and tickets.

The Annual 14/48: High School Festival

This entirely youth run 48-hour theatre festival puts up 14 world-premiere plays written, directed, acted, designed, music directed, and produced by high schoolers. Sign up for any role, no experience necessary! Click here for more info and how to apply.

PLURAL+ Youth Video Festival Call for Entries

Young filmmakers, the PLURAL+ Youth Video Festival is now accepting video submissions from young filmmakers about the pressing social issues of migration, diversity, social inclusion, the prevention of xenophobia, and coexistence between religions. Learn more and submit. Deadline: Jun. 17

Listings in the Bulletin Board section for any specific commercial or organizational product, process, or service, or the use of any trade, firm, or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the public and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by The Center School or the CSCA.

Dragon's Fire wants to hear about what's going on in our school community. Please submit articles and images to Dragon's Fire by 5 pm Friday afternoon for inclusion in the next newsletter. Read our submission guidelines.

If you have comments, corrections, or additions to Dragon's Fire, please contact the editor at dfsubmitarticle1@gmail.com. We welcome your feedback!

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