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What's HOT the week of January 3, 2022

won’t you celebrate with me

by Lucille Clifton

won’t you celebrate with me

what i have shaped into

a kind of life? i had no model.

born in babylon

both nonwhite and woman

what did i see to be except myself?

i made it up

here on this bridge between

starshine and clay,

my one hand holding tight

my other hand; come celebrate

with me that everyday

something has tried to kill me

and has failed.

New In This Week's Dragon's Fire

• Service-Learning Requirement Waived for Class of 2022
• 9th & 10th Grade Classroom Presentations
• Nov 12 Make-Up Day Jan 27
• Deadline to Request AP Exam Accomodations
• Financial Aid Applications Now Open
• TCS Reflections Entry Moves On to Statewide Competition
• New Opportunities on the Bulletin Board

Service-Learning Requirement Waived for Class of 2022

The School Board has approved suspension of the service-learning graduation requirement for all students graduating in the class of 2022. The board took into consideration many factors including the impact of the pandemic on students, health and safety restrictions in schools and other public places, and people (including vaccinated individuals) getting ill from COVID. The class of 2022 has been impacted by the pandemic now for 3 years, causing them to have very little opportunity to complete service learning before and during the pandemic.

9th & 10th Grade Classroom Presentations

Ms Hayes and a guest TCS student will be visiting 9th and 10th grade Language Arts classes on Feb 9 and 16 to present on graduation requirements and study strategies. Ms Hayes will email out the presentation to families after the presentation dates. Find more information on graduation requirements here.

Wed, Feb 9

Period 1, Ms. Neel 8:55–9:40 am

Period 2, Ms. Neel 9:45–10:30 am

Period 3, Ms. Carroll 10:40–11:25 am

Wed, Feb 16

Period 1, Mr. Grays 8:55–9:40 am

November 12 Make-Up Day

To make up for the lost school day on Nov 12, the Seattle School board has designated Thu, Jan 27 (a day initially scheduled as a break between semesters) as a regular school day.

Deadline to Request AP Exam Accommodations is Jan 18

To take an AP Exam with accommodations, a student must be approved for each accommodation by the College Board’s Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office. The request for accommodations must be submitted by the College Board deadline of Jan 18. Read more on the SPS website.

Financial Aid Applications Now Open

Seniors and parents of seniors: It's time to secure college funding! Applications for federal and state financial aid (FAFSA and WASFA) are open. A complete FAFSA or WASFA is required for most scholarships, grants, and loans. Apply early to get as much financial aid as possible. Read more on the SPS website.

How You Can Support Art at TCS

Ms Janet has provided us with this message about how you can support the art program at TCS:

Thank you, thank you, thank you for the fabulous donations of found objects, which have sparked epic amounts of joy and creativity! Many of you have asked how you can further support the TCS visual art program. I have created an Amazon wish list of materials that we need for the art room. Requested items include fluorescent light filters, full-spectrum lamps, art supply upgrades, and more. The list is a work-in-progress and will be updated throughout the school year. There is no pressure to contribute, of course! If you choose, click on the link to buy items to be sent directly to TCS. Thank you!

TCS's entry in this year's Reflections competition "Lifeguard Not on Duty" by Valentine Wulf, 11th grade), is a city-wide finalist and will advance to statewide competition this spring. Congratulations!

Artist's Statement: The people in power want us to save the world for them. Corporations push the responsibility onto consumers, and adults push it onto children, who are seen as inspirational martyrs for stopping a ticking doomsday clock they didn’t wind. In this piece, adults hide behind the single lamb they’ve pushed to the frontlines to face off against their own shadow, as their slowly sinking ship fills with water. He will save the ship. He will stop the clock. He will change the world. They think he’s doing it to save them. He’s doing it to save himself.

View the gallery of entries.

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.

Gain Job Skills at Your Library

Seattle Public Library's Student Assistant Program provides jobs for high school, G.E.D., undergraduate, and vocational school students to gain work experience in a public library. Student Assistant positions are available at the Central Library and branches throughout Seattle.

Student Assistants work at the Library 12–15 hours per week. Their positions are temporary and can be held for up to two years (if they are enrolled in school). High school students must be available to work for at least four months.

How you can apply:

The Seattle Public Library is accepting applications for the Student Assistant Program until 5 p.m. on Jan 10, 2022. Please read the City of Seattle's job bulletin to learn about the job responsibilities, qualifications, and how to apply.

Students who meet the eligibility requirements are invited to complete their online application in NEOGOV (via the City of Seattle's Job Opportunities website) during the Library's open application period.

Students who are hired as Student Assistants will begin their employment at the Library in Feb 2022. Note: All new Student Assistants must provide proof of COVID vaccination as required by the City of Seattle.

To learn more about the Student Assistant Program, please join our virtual Q & A session via Zoom 4:30–5:30 p.m. on Wed, Jan 5. A current Student Assistant and a supervisor will discuss the job responsibilities, provide tips for a successful application and respond to students' questions.

Foundry 10 Sprint Student Internship Applications Open

Foundry 10's internship program is a great way to explore a passion or interest area. We invite you to apply with a specific project in mind, and if you are selected, you will have the opportunity to spend the semester collaborating with an expert mentor to complete your project. Foundry10 will provide all the materials and resources you need to the best of our ability.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the foundry10 internship program has shifted to remote learning. Therefore, all work on your project will be done remotely during dedicated internship school hours. All foundry10 intern meetings will be held online via Zoom (orientation and mentor meetings). How you choose to communicate directly with your mentor and group members (if any) is up to you.

Application Process:

• Applicants must be at least 14 years old and live in WA.
• You may apply with up to four people per group. Fill out only one application per group.
• Applications are due by Sun, Jan 9 at midnight.
• After you have submitted your application, your application will be reviewed and you may receive some follow-up questions via email.
• If selected, the internship will start on Feb 24 and end on May 19. Due to COVID and the school curriculum, dates may vary.
• Due to staff shortages, we can only select 5-6 projects this session.

Internship Details and Application Tips:

• The best intern projects are specific, well thought out, and can be completed within one semester. For example, instead of "a photography project", you might share more details and describe your project as “a portfolio of photographs that tell stories about local teachers.”
• Be creative! Pick something that has personal meaning to you and your team, and be ready to explain what that is and why you want to pursue it.
• You don't need to be an expert or have any experience in what you want to do, just excitement, an idea, and a willingness to learn.
• At the end of the application please give your project a name. For example, if you are creating a video game that is a similar version of Mario Bros. a project name could be "Mario Cousins."

The internship will be on Tuesdays and/or Thursdays between 10 am and 3 pm. These dates and hours are subject to change, and you will be notified accordingly.

Read more and apply.

BAM 20 Under 20 Applications Open

Bellevue Arts Museum and the Teen Arts Council are pleased to present an exhibition showcasing young artists in the Puget Sound area. Local artists under the age of 20 may apply to have their artwork featured in the 20 Under 20 exhibition, which will be on view in BAM’s Community Education Gallery between May 6 and Oct 2, 2022.

This year’s Teen Arts Council wants to know: How do you rise up from challenging times and envision a new future? Over the past two years, approaching our new normal has been a difficult transition for so many of us. As teens, we have faced the daunting return to in-person school, ever-shifting public health policies, struggles with our personal identity, and difficult conversations surrounding racism and systemic inequities. These challenges have left us to wonder: How can we find balance between uncertainty and optimism? To figure this out, we’d like to hear our communities’ thoughts on ways we can come out of these experiences stronger. We invite you to reflect upon your unique stories of growth, progression, and your vision for your community in our annual teen-made and teen-curated exhibition.

This exhibition will feature youth ages 13–19 as emerging artists and is juried by the Teen Arts Council in collaboration with Bellevue Arts Museum staff. 20 Under 20 is an exciting opportunity to display work in a public and professional space and will showcase a range of artistic media highlighting some of the best talent of the next generation of artists, designers, and craftspeople.

Deadline to apply is Feb 6.

Read more and apply.

Become a 2022 tSB Prophet!

Shred mountains, learn new things, gain friends and make an impact on your community through The Service Board’s Core Program!

Each year, tSB brings together a group of high school students and adult mentors from a diverse range of academic, racial, cultural and economic backgrounds to engage in our six-month Core Program (CP).

As a tSB Prophet, some of the fun things you’ll get to do include:

• Learn how to snowboard at resorts across the Pacific Northwest
• Participate in fun interactive workshops around social justice education and personal development
• Volunteer in your community through service learning projects that’ll count toward High School graduation requirements
• Make dozens of new friends to last a lifetime
• Learn more about yourself and your community
• Make connections with caring adult and peer mentors
• And more!

Things to Know Before You Apply

• tSB meets Wednesdays & Saturdays from Jan–Jun
• On Wednesdays, we engage in active workshops centered on our youth-led, social and environmental justice, and personal development curriculum. Some of our recent workshop topics have included: self care, food justice, gender & sexuality, art & social justice, financial literacy, and more!
• On Saturdays, we go snowboarding at some of our local mountains or participate in service learning projects across the Puget Sound!
• Come ready to participate in service. By participating in tSB, youth can receive up to 80 volunteer hours.
• We provide the gear, snowboarding lessons and transportation to the mountain. There is a small fee to participate, but nobody will be turned away for inability to pay – scholarships are available. Over 90% of tSB youth participants are on full or partial scholarship.

Apply to be a 2022 tSB Prophet now!

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.

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