~Audre Lorde, "A Litany for Survival"

New in this week's Dragon's Fire

This is a strange and unusual year. Volunteering doesn't look the same as before, but we need volunteers just as much as ever. While we don't need you for baked goods or in-person events, there are still many ways to help. Maybe you can even create a whole new way for us to do an event virtually or in a socially distant way. We need your time and creativity!

Please fill out the survey to indicate what events or types of events you are interested in being part of. We also want to know what untapped resources you have to offer (for example, special skills or expertise in an area of interest to students or parents). And who knows, maybe at some point we might want you to send in cookies again!

Thanks for participating in this survey. It will take all of us coming together to make this year a success for our students and community!

The Center School seeks to extend learning beyond the classroom by involving our students in the city and the world beyond. To help support that effort, the CSCA seeks additional funds from families twice a year. The Annual Fund in the fall and the auction in the spring are the primary ways the Center School Community Association raises money.

We are now two weeks into our fall Annual Fund campaign. We know these are challenging times for families, and we only ask you to give what you can.

The TSC community is one of the things that drew us all to this school. While CSCA needs money to fund our mission, there are other ways you can support our community:

Regular exercise has many benefits that seem particularly important in this time of upheaval. While exercise is beneficial to the body in many ways, it can also help our teens with mood regulation, better sleep, and self-esteem. In a time when our kids are spending even more time indoors and on screens, there are clear benefits to getting outside for your exercise.

For more info visit: https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/exercise-wise.html.

It is Washington State law that everyone must wear a face covering that covers their nose and mouth when they are outside of their home. Because some people may be infected with COVID-19 without showing any symptoms such as a cough or fever, wearing a face covering is key in slowing the spread of the virus. Some examples of face coverings include cloth masks, bandanas, scarves, surgical masks, and N95 masks. To effectively decrease the chance of infection, face coverings should be worn properly. A proper face covering has to cover both your entire nose and mouth, otherwise you increase the chance of being infected. We can all do our small part in containing the COVID-19 virus by wearing our face coverings properly!

As winter weather sets, SPS would like to remind families to continue with safety practices advised by King County and Washington State: wash your hands frequently or use hand sanitizer when you cannot wash, wear a cloth mask covering your nose and mouth, practice social distancing, and avoid gathering in groups. COVID-19 cases are on the rise in King County, so please do your part to stop the spread! See the King County COVID-19 resource page.

We all need adequate, quality sleep to function well. This is particularly true in stressful times, and it's even more true for teenagers. Studies show that teens need between 9 and 9 ½ hours of sleep each night. See this graphic from Nurse Amnah's nursing students on why teens need adequate sleep. And try these simple tips to help your student sleep better:

Now that you know the benefits of getting some daily exercise (whether you do it inside or outside), why not use some of the flexibility in our online schedule to crush your PE requirement! High school students in WA state must complete 1.5 credits of PE in order to graduate. That translates to a total of 225 hours of exercise (.5 credits = 75 hours) over four years. If you exercise 1 hour a day, five days a week, you can easily complete .5 credits in a semester.

What kind of exercise counts towards the PE credit? Just about anything that gets your body moving! Here are some ideas:

If you want to try something new and can sign up for a class (crew, archery, etc.), that's great. But you can definitely complete your PE credit entirely with resources available for free and from your home. Get creative! This is great practice for real life when there are not scheduled PE classes every day and fitness is 100% up to you. Find activities that require you to move your body that you enjoy!

Download the Alternative Learning for PE Credit form here. It's also available on Ms. Hayes Schoology page and on the TCS website.

At this time, the expectation of the College Board is to have students test in person, and there is not an option for online exams. We do not know if SPS will be open for in-person learning when tests are administered in May. If we are not open and the College Board does not offer an online option, students may not be able to take the AP exams. SPS is currently working with the College Board on this issue. We will keep you posted as more information becomes available.

This year, each AP exam is $102. There is no fee for students receiving free and reduced price lunch. Fees will not be collected until second semester (the payment window is Feb 1– Mar 5).

All Students who wish to take AP exams must register by Nov 12. Read instructions for registering.

If you need the join code, please contact your AP Teacher or Mr. Rho at ewrho@seattleschools.org.

SPS will remain remote with limited in-person instruction through the end of the first semester. This means that through Jan 28, in-person instruction in our buildings is limited to a small number of students receiving special education services. A leadership team has been re-convened to inform next steps. Due to changing Covid conditions, there is no guarantee that buildings will reopen next semester. Read the full announcement about the building reopening plan.

The bulletin shows scholarships with a due date in Nov or Dec. See Naviance for a comprehensive scholarship list with due dates beyond Dec 2020.

View Ridge Elementary School needs volunteers to help elementary students with homework in reading, math, and other subjects. Hours are: Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri after 3 pm and Wed after 1:45 pm.

For more information, contact Denise Koenig, School Secretary, at dbkoenig@seattleschools.org.

Volunteers first need to go through the SPS Volunteer Application. For remote volunteering, they would be considered “Category B Volunteers" (Category B is remote, working 1:1 with students). Read about the volunteer application process. If you are interested in becoming a virtual volunteer, please view the virtual volunteer guide and find how. For more information about being an SPS volunteer, read the SPS handbook. 

TIPS hires teens ages 15–19 who are passionate about giving back to their community and pairs them to intern with nonprofit causes. We provide students with a paycheck and a platform to develop professional skills so they can learn how to act on issues facing their communities. Learn about internships.

Application Deadline: Mar 5, 2021

Machinist's Inc. facility in South Seattle is offering entry-level internships to high school students who will learn directly from aerospace machinists, inspectors, fabricators, and management to begin building skills into manufacturing careers. The schedule is part-time for 12-week, part-time schedule. Interns will work with master craftspeople and experienced technicians on the shop floor. 

Does your family need a little extra help this Thanksgiving? Please see the attached list for food assistance resources around the Puget Sound.

Seattle Parks & Rec department is providing free community spaces for students grades 6–12 to engage in SPS remote learning. Students are required to bring their own laptops or tablets to access learning platforms. Lunch is provided daily. Registration is required. Find locations and register here.

The Seattle Public Library has launched Tutor.com! Tutor.com has over 3,000 vetted expert tutors to help youth with schoolwork via tutoring and academic coaching in a variety of subjects in a safe and secure online classroom. One-on-one help is available in math, writing, science, history, foreign languages, college essay writing, Advanced Placement (AP) courses, and more. The service is available 7 days a week, 2–10 p.m. in Spanish and English, and 4–7 p.m. in Vietnamese. Teens and adults can also use this service to get help filling out job applications and writing a cover letter and resume. Read more and connect.