Finch Elementary News
September 25, 2023
Principal's Corner

We hope this newsletter finds you well as we transition into the beautiful fall season. It is so hard to believe that we are finishing our first month of school already.

Our students are engaging in new learning and continuing to practice routines and procedures both as a whole school and in their individual classrooms.

We continue to strive to be our best and practice our motto of We are Finch! Every One; Every Time; Every Where! At Finch Elementary we teach our students the behaviors we expect according to these standards.

  • Be Safe
  • Be Respectful
  • Be Responsible

Our partnership in your child's education is a priority here at Finch. One way that you can partner with us is through our PTO group. They play a crucial role in enhancing the educational experience for our students. Consider joining or volunteering for upcoming events. Your involvement is greatly appreciated.

Reminders
  • Don't forget to check your child's backpack for important notices and assignments.
  • Encourage your child to read for at least 20 minutes each day.
  • Follow us on social media and our website for updates and glimpses into classroom activities.
  • Please ensure your child comes to school dressed appropriately for the weather as we transition into cooler fall temperatures.

Thank you for entrusting us with your child's education. We look forward to a month filled with learning, laughter, and memorable moments. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to our office.

Wishing you a fantastic October!

Warmly,
Carmen Steele and Heather Curley
Upcoming Dates


Sept. 26th ~ 1st Day of Preschool
Sept. 27th ~ Individual Picture Day
Sept. 27th~ PTO Ice Cream Social 5:30 pm, PTO Meeting 6:00 pm
Oct. 2~ School Custodian Appreciation Day
Oct. 5th ~ NC Homecoming SPS Stadium vs. EV 5:00 pm
Oct. 9~ Indigenous People's Day
Oct. 11th ~ Finch PTO Skate Night 6:00 pm
Oct. 13th ~ NO SCHOOL (Teacher Professional Learning Day)
Oct. 20~ Toothsavers
Oct. 25~PTO Meeting @ 6:00 pm
Oct. 26~ 5th grade to Symphony
Oct. 30~ Individual Picture Retakes
Oct. 31~ PTO School Carnival





FINCH CONTACT INFORMATION

Main Phone: 509.354.2600
Attendance: 509.354.2555
Main Office: 7:30am-4:00pm
Fax: 509.354.2616
School Times:
Mondays 9:30-3:00
Tuesday-Friday 8:30-3:00
North Central Feeder Pattern Event
Unite the Pack
Reading is Fun
For our K-2 learners, we will soon start our Reading is Fun program again! Reading with your child at home is an opportunity to partner with us and your child as they become a stronger reader. We will send home books for every K-2 student every Thursday or Friday. Books are returned the following Thursday morning for an exchange and new assignment. Please be on the lookout for their first book bag and assignment in the month of October.
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Drop-off Procedure and Student Safety Patrol

DROP OFF... Safety is our number one priority here at Finch! That includes making sure that all students are safely exiting vehicles at morning drop-off. If you are dropping your child off at school in the morning, please arrive on Kiernan Avenue and proceed into the drop off loop. Enter the drop off loop and pull all the way forward so several vehicles can enter the loop and traffic doesn’t backup. Have your student ready to exit out of the passenger side of your vehicle.

We kindly ask that we leave the front of the school for district transportation and daycare vans and not for parent drop-off. Keeping the flow of traffic steady helps alleviate the congestion on Milton Street. If you need to walk your students to the blacktop or to the south facing doors, please park on the street. There is no parking or waiting in the drop off loop. Parking in the loop can cause traffic/congestion and is a safety issue for students, families, and staff. When exiting the loop, make a right turn only on Milton Street.

SINGLE POINT OF ENTRY.... Families, if you need to come into the building to talk to your child's teacher, administration, or other staff members, please come through our front doors and check-in with the office.

STUDENT SAFETY PATROL... Our 5th grade leaders are learning how to safely cross our Finch Community at our crosswalks closest to Finch. They are doing an amazing job at learning what it takes to do this job while keeping everyone safe. Please remind your child to use the crosswalks and listen to our 5th graders when it is safe to cross the road. We will have another set of new faces at our crosswalks mid-October learning the role. When you get a chance, please thank them for their service and for being a Finch leader!

Thank you for working with us to keep the Finch community safe!
Morning Supervision

As a reminder, students that are eating breakfast may arrive at 8:10. Supervision will begin at this time as they allow students into the cafeteria.

Students that are going straight to their indoor line-up, please arrive no earlier than 8:15. Our supervision will be in the building starting at this time.

Thank you for helping keep our students safe.
Attendance Is Critical to Your Student's Success in School!
Attending school regularly and on time helps children feel better about school. Being at school daily will help your student create good work habits, as well as succeed in school. Please call the Attendance Line if your child will be late or absent at 509-354-2555. The links below share current research and tips regarding student attendance and how to determine if your child is too sick to attend school.
Late Start Mondays

Mondays will continue to be set aside for teachers to collaborate and learn together before students arrive. School will begin at 9:30am EVERY Monday morning. Students may arrive starting at 9:10 for breakfast or between 8:15-8:25 if students are not accessing breakfast in the morning. We will release at 3:00 pm each day.
PTO

Our Parent-Teacher Organization would love for you to join! There are currently two events planned for the month of September and October. On September 27, please join us for an Ice Cream Social at 5:30 and the meeting following. On October 11, we will have our skate night at 6 pm.
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Counselor's Corner
Hello Finch Families! 
I'm excited for another great year serving the Mustang community as the school counselor. I want to start the year by offering your family the opportunity to participate in our Bite 2 Go Program! Bite 2 Go is a weekend food program that provides students with a bag of shelf stable meals and snacks every Friday. The support of this wonderful program has helped feed many Finch students over the past nine years! A sample of what is included in the food bag is pictured below. To learn more about the program, please visit:  BITE2GO | ABOUT US - Bite2Go. If you are interested in your student(s) participating in this program at Finch, please call or e-mail me and I will add you to the list! Feel free to reach out throughout the school year if your family is in need of any other resources or support!

Nicole Lenhartzen
Finch School Counselor
(509) 354-2556
nicolel@spokaneschools.org 
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Extra-Curricular Opportunity
Is your child interested in playing basketball through Hooptown? Registration is still available and there are also free options for those that qualify. There are a few different options to choose from. K-2 will be recreational. Grades 3-6 can choose from a recreational league or a competitive league. Please click on the link below for more information.

North Central Pre-School

CTE Early Childhood Ed Programs
Our Early Childhood Education (ECE) Program serves children ages 3-5 at North Central High School. This program partners high school students with preschoolers in a safe, nurturing, and interactive environment. ECE programs offer a rich and stimulating learning environment where children can develop positive relationships with others. The curriculum focuses on play-based learning. This program offers high school students the opportunity to gain experience working with young children as they determine their future post-secondary pursuits. 
Benefits to Preschool Children (ages 3–5) and their families
A safe, nurturing, interactive environment that promotes skills including social, emotional, cognitive and physical development for 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children. Each program recognizes and respects ethnic, cultural, and religious diversity within all families served.
Benefits to High School Students
High school students benefit by gaining an understanding of how children progress through developmental stages from ages 3 to 5. Under the supervision of the high school teacher, our high school students work closely with the preschool students by conducting lessons, art projects, storytelling, supervising learning centers and coordinating games and activities that develop large motor skills. Most importantly, they learn how to effectively and appropriately communicate with young children.
The class also offers high school students five articulated college credits through Spokane Falls Community College.
Program Requirements
To be eligible, children must be 3 years old by Aug. 31, and may continue to participate up to 5 years old. They also must be potty trained. Typical enrollment is 18 to 20 high school students each paired with one or two preschoolers. The Preschool Enrollment form and the Certificate of Immunization Status are required for program enrollment. Program fees are $15 per month to cover the cost of supplies and snacks.
If you are interested in the program, please call and inquire about openings. Spaces fill quickly in all of our programs!
Rebecca Hill
509-354-6200
Finch is Hiring!!
Interested in supporting our Finch community? We are looking for both A.M. and P.M. Crossing Guards and subs. The A.M. shift is from 8-8:30 T-F and 9-9:30 on Mondays and our P.M. shift is from 3-3:30. Please get in contact with our office if you are interested in supporting the safety of Finch students.
Parking and STA Bus Stops Near One Spokane Stadium 

High school soccer and football games begin at One Spokane Stadium in one week. Families, please use this parking pass that allows you to park for free this fall in designated lots for SPS events only, and also this graphic showing STA bus stops and routes near the stadium.

Finch Elementary Cross Country
We are so excited to have so many students participate in Cross Country this year! Participants will be doing a time trial either this Thursday for K-1 or next Monday for grades 2-5.

TIME TRIAL DATES...
*K-1 will be doing time trials on Thursday, 9/28, at their regular practice time.
*2-5 will be doing time trials at Audubon Park at 4:00 pm on Monday, 10/2.
5th graders helping our Kinders at recess
Modeling safe recess play
Exploring and having fun at recess
CEP Survey
Please help support our students by taking the Family Income Survey for school funding. This funding provides needed academic interventions for our students. We lost one Reading and one Math Interventionist this school year due to the lack of participation in completing this survey last school year. Please click on the link below to access the instructions and next steps.