Genesee Hill PTA News

Jan. 19, 20244

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Events


Jan 22 - PTA General Membership Meeting 6-8 PM


Jan 24 - First Grade Musical


Jan 25 - Open House at Madison MS for incoming 6th graders 6:30PM


Jan 29 - PTA Enrichment classes begin


Jan 31 - Spirit Day - Comfy PJ Day


Feb 5 - Public School Funding 101 event, 6 PM at GHE


Feb 7 - Kindergarten Musical, 6 PM


Feb 9 - Lunar New Year Celebration, 6 PM 


Feb 15 - Kindergarten Tour 9-10 AM


Feb 19-23 - Mid-Winter Break - No School


March 13 - PTA General Membership Meeting


June 13 - PTA General Membership Meeting


April 19 - PTA Spring Auction




Hello PTA members, 


We hope this message finds you staying warm on these colder days. We can not believe it is already mid January. These past few months we have loved spending time in community with each of you. Whether celebrating at the Fall Festival, sharing traditional cuisine and stories at Unity Night, or hearing your voices at our last general membership meeting, we have felt a deep appreciation for your engagement. 


As many of you are aware, we continue to navigate the challenges of ensuring a high-quality education for our children with the backdrop of SPS budget cuts and ongoing challenges of funding public school education in Olympia. We expect the SPS budget cuts to only be deeper in the coming years. However, a key role of the PTA is to advocate for our kids. Through actively participating in advocacy, we can influence decision makers to prioritize and allocate necessary funds that directly impact our children's education. This is why your PTA Board set a goal to increase community engagement in advocacy. We wanted to take a moment to celebrate some accomplishments and highlight ways you can join us in this work. 


This year, your Legislative Chairs have organized a new GHE Advocacy Committee. With the help of our amazing community, we have organized an advocacy pathway that will start with hosting the 1st West Seattle Elementary Public School Funding 101 event on February 5th at GHE at 6pm. Joining us that evening is Seattle School Board President, Liza Rankin and Advocacy and Policy Manager Vivian van Gelder


This past Monday, our committee also organized several families and their students on a trip to Olympia to meet with our State legislature representatives to advocate for appropriate school funding. These opportunities were also supported by our neighboring elementary schools. Michael and I have worked this year to organize the first WS Elementary School PTA Leadership coalition as an avenue to collaborate with our larger WS community and leverage the collective power of local PTA communities. 


Throughout the year we invite you to join us on this advocacy engagement. You can expect more information on how to participate, whether you have a minute to spare or hours to donate. We will be sharing how to attend community meetings, connect with your local representatives, vote on important initiatives, attend SPS Board meetings, and share your personal narratives to uplift the transformative impact of a well-funded elementary education. 


We believe that elementary schools serve as the cornerstone of our children's educational journey, shaping their academic foundation and nurturing their curiosity. Let us stand united, a force in numbers, working towards a common goal -- providing our children with the educational foundation they deserve. 


Thank you for your commitment to this work and your unwavering support of every child at GHE.


Sincerely, 

Lia and Michael, co-presidents


Get involved

It's the first PTA general membership meeting of 2024! We'll meet on Monday, Jan 22 from 6 to 8 PM at school. Food and childcare provided. On the agenda:


  1. How you can engage with the GHE community,
  2. Info on the 'how to' of GHE (how to find report cards, how to meet your students' friends, and other frequent questions).
  3. What does a parent/school partnership mean to you? Join us for this conversation about family engagement.



We value inclusion and access for all participants and are pleased to provide reasonable accommodations for these meetings. Please contact specialeducation@geneseehillpta.org to make a reasonable accommodation request. People with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations or who have questions about physical access may call 832-868-6409 in advance of the meeting. 


Events

Lunar New Year Celebration on Friday, Feb. 9, 6-7:30 pm

Please join the fun at our Genesee Hill Lunar New Year Celebration! We will have activities, snacks, lion dancers, and the opportunity for those who don't celebrate to learn more about this holiday that is so important to many in our community. Details and sign up here: Lunar New Year.


Save The Date - GHE Spring Auction Friday, April 19, 2024

Are you up for joining a committee? Do you have an item to auction off? Planning has started for our spring fundraising event.  If you're interested in providing support of any kind, please reach out to fundraising@geneseehillpta.org



We value inclusion and access for all participants and are pleased to provide reasonable accommodations for these meetings. Please contact specialeducation@geneseehillpta.org to make a reasonable accommodation request. People with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations or who have questions about physical access may call 832-868-6409 in advance of the meeting. 


Volunteer

Check out the Volunteer page on our PTA website, where you can find a comprehensive menu of volunteer options.




New:  Lunar New Year on Friday, February 9th! We need your help to recreate this 2nd annual event! Details and sign up here:

Lunar New Year.


Reminder: We have an ongoing need for extra recess support! Our greatest need is Monday and Thursday, between 11:10 and 11:50. Please sign up HERE!


To volunteer during the school day, whether on campus or on field trips, all volunteers must complete some basic online training, a background check, and be approved by Seattle Public Schools. Get the details.


Family engagement

Tips for supporting the growth of our children as we reflect on our children’s educational journey moving into the new year.


  1. Let them make mistakes
  2. Minimize screen time
  3. Prioritize playtime
  4. Read to your children
  5. Create opportunities to talk about school with your child
  6. Participate and engage in school events and activities that impact your child’s education
  7. Create daily routines for homework, meals, and sleep


List adapted from teacher recommendations and these articles: resource 1 and resource 2.

Community

Register now for Ms. Sealey’s Summer Fun Camp

Need somewhere for your kids to go this summer and have so much fun they don’t want to come home?  And when they do they are so tired and happy to go to bed early? Well now is the time for you to sign up for Ms. Sealey’s Summer Fun Camp at Whale Tale Park! 


This camp has been happening for over 8 years and families just love it!  There is no website so you must send an email to summer_fun_camp@yahoo.com to get all the details and forms. Camp is for all K-5th grade and the camp includes science, art and sports; there is something for everyone!  Camp is limited so don’t wait and send email now, also ask around and find out from many GH families who have attended this camp.



Genesee Hill Elementary| 5013 SW Dakota St | Seattle, WA 98116| 206.252.9700