APRIL
- 4/11-4/15 - No School, Spring Break
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Tues. 4/19 - 6:30pm-8:30pm Site Council Meeting Join us!
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Tues. 4/19 - 7pm-9pm Special Education PTSA meeting (link)
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Sun. 4/24 - Landscaping Work Party, 1pm-4pm Sign up!
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Mon. 4/25 - 6:30-8:30pm Parent Education Series (1st of 2 part series) Register Here
MAY
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Tues. 5/10 - 6:30pm-8:30pm Site Council Meeting Join us!
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Sat. 5/14 - 9am-12pm Landscaping Work Party Sign up!
- Mon. 5/16 - 6:30-8:30pm Parent Education Series (Part 2)
- Mon. 5/30 - No School, Memorial Day
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From Thornton Creek Site Council |
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Hi Thornton Creek friends!
Just a short note this week, to let you know that our April Site Council meeting will be held Tuesday, April 19 at 6:30pm on Zoom. Please note that it’s later in the month than usual, due to spring break. If there’s anything you’d like to see on the agenda, please email me: chair@thorntoncreek.org.
I’m having a hard time realizing that it’s already April, and time for spring break! My fifth grader reminded me that there’s only 10 more weeks of school (?!)—not that anyone’s counting. But rather than checking out, I encourage you to think about how we can best build community (for our kids and with one another) in the remaining few months. Feel free to reach out, I’d love to hear from you.
In partnership and community,
Chelsea Lin (she/her)
Chair of Site Council and TCPG
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Equitable Schools: How Innovative Schools Can Be Inclusive
Two-Part Series, Mondays: April 25 and May 16, 6:30-8:30pm via Zoom. Register Here
Caregivers, parents, and community members welcome!
Learn how innovative schools can become more inclusive to children who are culturally and neurologically diverse, and how this benefits the wellbeing of all, including typically developing children.
This workshop will discuss how the brain becomes wired by developmental trauma and stress from sensory processing challenges, and how teaching in neurodevelopmental and culturally responsive ways bolsters brain development for all children. Included in this workshop:
- How neuroscience and indigenous values intersect and inform us on how to teach and discipline children
- How embracing excluded-group values creates a healthier childhood and future adulthood for all
- How supporting identity development in children turns their vulnerabilities into strengths
- Practice in becoming more anti-biased and inclusive within your home and community
This series is co-presented by TC PTA and TCPG.
Betty Peralta, MIT, MSc, IMH-E® (III) Betty Peralta of Alta (Alternative Learning and Therapeutic Avenues) is a therapist, teacher, and consultant, with a specialty in adult-child interactions. She uses the NeuroRelational Framework, Research on Indigenous Parenting, Hand-in-Hand Parenting, and other disciplines to approach stress responses in children. She helps set children up to live their best lives by working with their caregivers, educators, and therapists. Learn more at altavenues.com
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Get Ready for Bike Everywhere Month! |
May is Bike Everywhere month and we will begin preparations by welcoming the Bike Fairy back to Thornton Creek! Beginning April 22nd and continuing through through May 27th (Fridays only) the Bike Fairy will install safety light sets on any bicycle parked at Thornton Creek (generally 30 minutes after class start). While supplies last, and again Fridays only.
We are also helping to coordinate Bike Trains, groups of riders to help less experienced riders gain comfort riding to school. Strength in numbers! Check out the Bike Train section near the bottom of this email (view this newsletter as a webpage if the bottom is cut off).
Finally, May 20th is National Bike to School Day and we hope to have free quick tune-ups courtesy of a local bike shop. This is not confirmed yet so stay tuned.
Get your bike out of storage, inflate your tires, clean and lube your chain, and get ready to roll!
Sincerely,
The Bike Fairy
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Come enjoy spring, reconnect with other TC families, and help keep TC's landscape wonderful by joining us at an upcoming landscape work party. We will be covering beds with wood chips (mulching) in the rain garden / library patio area first and then moving to weeding and mulching near the front door and parking lot area. Upcoming days and times are:
- Sunday, April 24 - 1pm-4pm
- Saturday, May 14 - 9am-12pm
See more examples of our work on the TC landscape on our TCPG website.
Thank you for making a difference at Thornton Creek!
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Health and Safety Info and Reminders for the School Community |
Masks at school
Masks continue to be optional, but strongly encouraged for staff and students at Seattle public schools. Follow what feels right for your student and remind them to respect the choices of others. Check out SPS guidance and FAQs at this SPS page.
Norovirus-like Illness on the Rise
While COVID has stabilized in our community, a norovirus-like illness is on the rise in schools and long term care facilities. This is an indicator that there are high levels of this illness circulating in our community (some of these cases have been linked to raw oysters). Check out Public Health’s Norovirus Infographic which also gives info on cleaning and outbreak management recommendations. Thanks to Jessica Knaster-Wasse of Public Health for alerting us to this trend.
Attendance and Illness
If your student is displaying any new symptoms (not caused by another condition) please keep your student home. Take a look at the symptoms guidelines.
Check out all of the updated SPS protocols for Covid exposure and what to do if your child has symptom(s) of Covid.
Covid Testing
Rapid antigen tests are available to students until supplies are depleted. To register your student for a Rapid Test please sign up here.
PCR tests are currently available for students who are experiencing symptoms. Please register here.
Families can order At-Home tests (rapid antigen) from the following sites:
SPS Quarantine Requirements
All people with Covid (with or without symptoms) need to isolate for at least 5 days from a positive test. Follow here for the latest quarantine requirements if your student has tested positive for Covid. Per SPS and Public Health guidelines, students who are: a close contact of someone who is COVID-19 positive, have submitted proof of vaccine status and are symptom free do not need to quarantine.
Seattle Public School Links
Safety during the 2021-2022 school year
Seattle and King County Public Health Community Links
King County Schools COVID-19 Response Toolkit
King County COVID-19 free testing locations link
Here’s to a Happy and Healthy Spring!
Erica Seddig and Courtney Bell
Safety and Health Committee Co-Chairs
Questions? Concerns?
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Beginning the Friday after we return from Spring Break (April 22nd), the Bike Trains will be back! A bike train is a group of students and parents cycling together to school for enhanced safety and visibility and can help less experienced riders gain comfort and experience riding to school. More information here:
Please note that this is not a formally organized activity with volunteers, but we are providing the route and time information to better allow the Thornton Creek community to find one another along common bike routes as they commute to school. As such, we will require these safety guidelines:
- You will ensure you and your child have an appropriate level of skill and comfort for riding to school and will accept all risks of participation
- You must accompany your child on the bike train (or have enough comfort with your child riding to school that you would allow him, her, or them to ride alone to school)
- You must wear a helmet
- Rules of the road must be followed (speed limits, signaling, single file, for example)
- Please be especially cautious at all stop signs, especially major crossings (indicated on the maps)
- Please be community-minded and help each other out: ensure riders are keeping up and help guide the students in safe riding principles and lead by example
The proposed northbound and southbound routes can be found here (note times are approximate and may vary depending on the overall speed of the group):
Happy (and safe) riding!
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We have a tradition at our school of saying "thank you." If you would like to submit a thank-you note, send an email to submit-news@thorntoncreek.org. Thank you! |
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Quick Links and Information |
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Thornton Creek Is a Box Tops for Education School. Look for new BLUE Box Top coupons on products (e.g. Cascadian Farm cereal), and then just scan your receipt. Get the app at BTFE.com.
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Submitting news or thank-you notes for publication: Please read the submission guidelines. Then, e-mail your item to the editors. Blurbs must be plain text (no Word documents) and generally have a 200 word limit. Attach any image as a PNG or JPG image file. Content is due on 2nd and 4th Mondays for the 1st and 3rd Monday editions.
Advertising Review/Approval Process: Per Seattle Public School Board Policy, outside materials must be approved before being distributed. The materials must meet district criteria, be approved by the Office of Public Affairs, and be submitted with the approval form attached. You can find details regarding the review/approval process here. All requests to include information in newsletters should be submitted via this process.
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Site Council Officers:
Chelsea Lin, Chair
(unfilled), Vice-Chair
Roddy Theobald, Treasurer
Jessica Prince, Secretary
Text THORNTONCREEK to 22828
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Tel.: 206-252-5300
Fax: 206-252-5301
Principal: Gerrit Kischner
Asst. Principal: Laurie Miller
Bell Times:
Mon-Tue-Thu-Fri
7:55am to 2:25pm
Wednesday
7:55am to 1:10pm
Attendance
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