from "Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou

New in this week's Dragon's Fire

From Mr. Alex's sculpture class:

Our Annual Fund Drive goal was to raise $10,000 and our community surpassed our expectations and gave over $13,000! Your donations will help with academic support including instructional materials, Model United Nations, Family Support Fund, and Senior Prep Consulting. The funds are also use for arts integration including Drama, Writers in the Schools, Visual & Studio Art, and guest speakers. The Board Discretionary fund is for teacher and staff mini-grants that are submitted throughout the year. We also fund community support which includes teacher appreciation, committee funds, school events, and the principal fund.

We know this year has been a struggle and we can’t thank you enough for your support.

We are so excited about 2021 at TCS! While this is the time of year when we normally gear up for our big annual community event, the Center School Auction, we all know that large gatherings are a no-go these days. But we also know that our students are relying on us to fundraise so we can enrich their high school experience. Our students are working hard, and we are not going to let them down!

There may be a pandemic, but the Auction Team has gotten creative. We're planning some community celebrations and fundraising events, and we need volunteers. There are lots of ways to help. Can you help us plan an event? Can you host an event? Can you provide supplies or make a donation so we can buy the supplies for an event? Do you have a fundraising idea you’d like to share with us?

Here are some of the ideas we're considering:

Do any of these sound intriguing? Want more info on how you can help, in ways big or small? Email Rosina at RosinaAuction@gmail.com.

And finally, in the past we have been able to offer a weekend or even a week in a vacation home as an auction item. In 2021, many families will be looking forward to a safe change of scenery when that is possible. If you have a vacation home available for a weekend or a week, please email Angie at auctionprocurementtcs@gmail.com.

Healthy relationships are built on respect, trust, honesty, equality, and good communication. Your relationship should help you to feel good about yourself and help your partner feel good about themself. If you feel your relationship is unhealthy, trust those feelings. Don’t stay in a relationship that doesn’t make you feel good or fulfilled. Healthy relationships evolve thorough communication. If you feel your relationship is unhealthy but aren’t ready to end the it, bring this up with your partner so you can discuss ways to make progress towards health and feeling good. These discussions should be focused on teamwork and looking out for the best interest of each individual’s health and the relationship. Discussions should focus on the goal of being healthier individually and together, not placing blame or putting one another down.

Covid-19 testing is available for all students, staff, family, and community members in this outdoor event from Neighborcare Health and Seattle Public Schools. Everyone is eligible to receive a free test regardless of insurance or immigration status. We will bill your insurance if you have it, but will not charge a fee if you do not have insurance or your insurance does not cover testing. On-site interpretation services available through phone. Tue, Feb 2, noon–4 pm

at Madison Middle School (3429 45th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116). Questions, please contact:

Neighborcare Community Access Team at 206-333-2524.

10th and 11th graders, if you are interested in Running Start for the 2021–2022 school year, please attend the Running Start Information Meeting via Teams on Wed, Mar 10 at 12:30 pm to learn about the program and the application process. Parents are welcome to attend.

Interact is a service club for youth ages 12—18 who want to connect with other young people and have fun while serving their communities and learning about the world. Clubs, which meet at least twice a month, are sponsored by local Rotary clubs. Interact Club is an excellent way to get involved in your local community while completing your 60 service hours required for graduation. Join us on Mon, Feb 1 at 12:30 pm via Teams to learn more.

Currently, district-wide, some students cannot see their semester 2 classes on Schoology because they have too many tiles on their Schoology page. Also, some course titles will not have “semester 2” in them. Look for S2 or titles that end with the letter B.

Follow these steps to reorder courses for easier access:

Here is a video that demonstrates how to do this: How to Reorder Classes in Schoology.

The best way to join classes is through the Teams event that should be on your Teams calendar.

Is your student interested in learning a world language not offered within SPS? Is your student already proficient in a world language? Taking a language class at school is not the only way your student can get world language credit toward high school graduation. If your student wants to study a language that isn't offered by SPS, they can take classes in a variety of languages (including American sign language and some native languages) for credit from OSPI-approved providers. See the list of providers. If your student wants to study a language that is not offered by one of these providers (or is already proficient in a language), they can study in a program of their choice and test for proficiency to earn up to 4 world language credits. Tests are provided and proctored by SPS. Read more about registering for tests.

Seattle Public Schools is committed to building a Black Education Program in response to the insights and asks of Black students, families, and community across SPS. This program will be for student credit and will be led by SPS’s community partners and staff across departments. SPS has developed a Black Studies US History A and B course that we will begin offering second semester of the 2020-21 school year. The course will focus on the Black/African American experience from a national and global perspective. This includes, but is not limited to African History, American History, Critical Race Theory, American Enslavement, Black/African American-led social movement, Black/African American social autonomy and economic development, Black/African American Innovation, as well as Black/African American leadership nationally and globally.

This course will count for the 11th grade US history requirement. The second semester course will be a district-wide offering that will be available before school (0-period) or after-school (8th period). It will count for US History 11B and we will prioritize enrollment for interested students who need to meet that credit. Online registration for the second semester course is open now. Priority will be given to 11th graders who respond first. Read the Black Studies FAQ.

For more information contact Manal Al-ansi at maalansi@seattleschools.org and Caleb Perkins at cbperkins@seattleschools.org.

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

Seattle Promise applications are due Feb 1. See the slide show for more information about the program. Apply today before 11:59 pm.

January Scholarship Bulletin is here! There are a variety of scholarship opportunities.

Due to COVID-19 the Seattle Music Commission and City of Seattle partners were unable to host our 9th annual City of Music Career Day. This year, we are going virtual, and want to ensure our event meets your needs! Youth and young adults who are interested in music, entertainment, and creative industries, let’s talk! To learn more and share your input to help design the 2021 Music Career Day, complete our survey here. Please complete by Feb 12!

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Discovery Center is seeking youth and young adult stories about “spreading joy and healing” to include in their upcoming exhibit/experience: Enduring COVID-19: Stories From Our Transforming World. Interested individuals, aged 12–25, please contact, Charlotte.beall@gatesfoundation.org.

The Washington State Legislative Youth Advisory Council invites Washington youth to attend this annual civic engagement and change-making event, on Sun, Jan 31. Read more on IG. Read more about LYAC.

Social Justice Film Festival is seeking submissions for their 2021 Youth Visions competition. Entry fee $5-10. More details here.

OHY is seeking caregivers of homeless youth and youth lived experts to develop a statewide strategy to make policy and system changes. OHY plans to have 10 listening sessions, each lasting 3–4 hours. Sessions are scheduled to run Feb–Apr 2021, subject to change. Participants will be paid $150 for each session.

OHY is looking for 12 youth lived experts (under 30) who’ve experienced housing instability between ages 12 and 24. Trans, LGBQ, autistic, and youth with mental health considerations will be prioritized. Those who have experienced housing instability because of caregivers’ mental health considerations or substance use disorder are also invited to apply. Fill out this form to apply as a youth lived expert. 

OHY is also seeking 10 caregiver lived experts (parent, auntie, uncle, grandparent, chosen family) who have had to navigate gender identity, sexual orientation of their young person or accessing services mental health, or substance use disorder services for their youth. Caregivers of adolescents with autism or intellectual or developmental disabilities will be prioritized in addition to caregivers of adolescents who are personally navigating their mental health considerations or substance use disorder. Fill out this form to apply as a caregiver. 

For youth ages 15–24. The Lab is a collaboration between The Vera Project and the Northwest Arts Streaming Hub. Participants will get hands-on experience in audio, video, design, and livestream production; opportunities to meet with diverse digital creatives and industry leaders; and direct access to more paid opportunities with local organizations. BIPOC, LGBTQ2S, womxn, and youth with disabilities are especially encouraged to apply. Application and more info on ways to participate here. Applications due Feb 7. Interviews Feb 11–16. Notifications of acceptance Feb 19. Stipends range $250–$600. $500 equipment grants available.

SIXR, a VR/AR/XR/360 Video content creation educational non-profit, is hosting a paid 16-week training, networking, and hands-on experience in product design, mentorship, and tech entrepreneurship. Participants will work towards industry-recognized certificates and develop a 3D product design portfolio. Must be a City of Seattle resident, 16–24 years old, and from a historically underrepresented community. Email SIXR@studivo.com to apply and for more info.

Community Carrot is accepting applications for our next class! Seattle-area residents, aged 18-24, who come from low-income backgrounds and want to learn how to start their own business are welcome to apply and can earn up to $1500 in "Carrot Bucks" to spend toward their new business. Curriculum includes how to write a business plan, conduct market research, and financial literacy. Other perks include: paying for business licenses, mentor partnerships, social service connections, and free distance-learning technology. Applications due Feb 10. Learn more and apply here.

Teens interested in film production, being on-camera talent, music production, or curriculum consultation, check out these paid opportunities from CharacterStrong, an SEL training and curriculum company working in all 50 states, focused on Whole Child Development.