Thursday
January 31
Experience
Learning Night
6:30pm
Friday
February 1
In-Service Day
No Classes.
Last Tuition Payment Due for 07-08
Monday
February 4
Re-enrollment applications mailed
Tuesday
February 5
Tour 9:15am
Wednesday
February 6
Your 9:15am
Thank You for Annual Giving Ice Cream Social
Thursday-Friday
February 7-8
Parent/Teacher Conferences
No Classes
Childcare Available
Monday
February 11
4/5 to Islandwood!
January 31, 2008
Thank You for Annual Giving Ice Cream Social
Thank You for Participating in the Feasibility Study
Westside SPIRIT News! Procurement Info and Advertising
From Jo Ann - Spanish at Westside
Thank You for Helping for 4/5ers Raise Money for Islandwood!
Thank You for Annual Giving Ice Cream Social -
Wednesday, February 6
Thank you everyone for your amazing support during our annual giving campaign. We had almost 100% participation, and raised over $113,000. That’s a record! In appreciation for making this fundraiser such a huge success, Westside is having an ice-cream social! On Wednesday, February 6th, just before the end of the school day, ice-cream bars will be served to all our students! And parents, if you want some ice-cream, please visit your child’s classroom at the end of the day.
Thanks again for your financial support of Westside School. It helps us provide enrichment classes, tuition assistance, classroom supplies and an excellent education for your children.
Thank You for Participating in the Feasibility Study
Thank you for participating in our recent feasibility study with The Collins Group. We received some very valuable feedback, and look forward to sharing the results with you! The Collins Group is still in the process of finishing the study, and will share the results with the Board, staff and teachers in February. Then, in early spring, the results will be shared with our entire community!
Thank you for taking the time to give us your thoughts on this potential project. It is really helping us clarify the scope and key elements of our plan. Please stay tuned for more information.
If you have any questions or comments in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to ask Jo Ann Yockey, Head of School (joanny@westsideschool.org) or Jana Riggan, Director of Development (janar@westsideschool.org) or Denise Tabbutt, Board President (denise@saltchuk.com).
Westside SPIRIT News
Don’t miss out on the $100 JaKs drawing! All procurement forms turned in by Friday, February 1 (tomorrow) are eligible. Remember, at this point we just need the form. The “stuff” can come later.
Item of the Week
4 Diamond Club Tickets
Sit close to the action with 4 second-row, behind home plate, Diamond Club seats to the Seattle Mariners. Tickets include two parking passes, private club dining and all the beverages and snacks you want.
River Rafting Trip for Two
Enjoy the thrill and adventure of river rafting on a day trip! This experience for two includes lunch..
Procurement Ideas
Do you have a favorite restaurant that you frequent all the time? Ask them for a donation. We get 100% of value for every restaurant gift certificate!
What should we donate?
Any item you get donated from a business is great. A good rule of thumb is this: if you want it, chances are someone else will too!
Should you buy an item and donate it?
Items in the silent auction often go for under value. If you want to purchase something to donate to the auction, restaurant certificates are a great idea. They always go for 100% of value. And cash is another great option!
Do I have to turn the item in with the procurement form?
No. Procurement forms alone are fine right now. Items can be turned in as we get closer to the auction. Of course, if you have the item, you can always bring it in.
Where do I get these forms?
Procurement forms are available in the office, or online at www.westsideschool.org/donation.htm or www.westsideschool.org/community/auction.htm.
Need a Donation Idea?
Meet at Drop-Off, Thurs., Feb. 14
Want to have some coffee and discuss procurement possibilities? Meet the auction procurement team for coffee and ideas at the admin house on Thursday, February 14th, right after drop-off. Get all your questions answered, and enjoy some Valentine’s Day treats!
Advertise in the Auction Catalog
We want to hear from you!!!
Interested in reaching Westside parents with your business, hobby or special announcement? We are selling ad space in the Westside SPIRIT auction catalog! Advertising dollars help supplement the cost of the auction and it is a great way to communicate with parents and other Westside supporters.
For as little as $50 you can -
- Congratulate a coach for a season well done. Many of our Westside parents volunteer as coaches and/or mentors in extra-curricular activities. It’s a great way to say thanks!
- Spread the news that you have a new or existing business in West Seattle. Advertise in the catalog and let other parents know that you are a fellow Westside parent/alum.
- Advertise your service/professional business. Many businesses do not have tangible items to sell and have not participated in our auction. Consider contacting your accountant, dentist, doctor, real estate agent, bank, etc. and see if they would like to advertise.
For pricing and questions, please contact Lisa Medina. Advertising forms are available online.
From Jo Ann
Spanish at Westside School
I want to let our community know that I have accepted Heidi Suarez’s resignation as our Spanish teacher. Heidi and her family are members of our Westside community, and it is with sadness that she has to leave our faculty to care for personal concerns. Currently, I am looking for a new teacher to present engaging Spanish lessons with a commitment to grow our program, and Heidi will sub as much as she can during this interim.
A few of you have suggested that we find subs to teach enrichment classes when these teachers are out. However, our classroom teachers would rather use this time to teach their core subjects. Often, subs occupy students with busy work, and our teachers would rather use this classroom time to enhance student learning. When I hire a new Spanish teacher, I will make sure that he or she can present and teach a quality program.
When we added a second language to our enrichment program it was because research showed people were looking for more choices of languages. The option of two foreign languages available at the elementary level in the U.S. was not, and still isn’t, widely available. To build the best option for Westside School to meet the challenges which embrace Globalism, Westside School expanded our commitment to foreign language instruction in 2005. We set out to strengthen our Spanish curriculum and to add Mandarin Chinese.
In two years, our program has grown to offering both languages in kindergarten through fifth grade, twice a week. Many other schools limit foreign language experiences by limiting choice, offering only a once a week experience, or by rotating choice of languages over semesters rather than consistency through the year. I want to reaffirm Westside School’s commitment to both these programs. I hope to make an announcement soon that a new teacher is ready to join our staff.
Thank You for Helping the 4/5ers Raise Money for Islandwood!
By Hallidie Haid, 5th Grade Room Parent
We would like to thank the Westside School community for helping the 4/5ers raise over $500 at the parents night out event- we had 21 kids and 13 helpers who very much enjoyed a night in the gym together. We missed the handful that cancelled due to illness and hope they are feeling better. If anyone has any comments about having this event in December versus January, we welcome the input.
In addition, the 4/5ers raised $600 during the December Barnes & Noble Fundraiser. Those same skilled 4/5ers also earned $200 in tips wrapping at Barnes & Noble that Saturday afternoon so it was a big hit all the way around. The teachers are purchasing books for their classrooms from Barnes & Noble with the gift card. We hope that this will be the beginning of an annual tradition and thank Barnes & Noble and Beth Mortimer for setting it up. The two classes are off to Islandwood the week after next. If you see one of the students, be sure to ask where the banana slug fits in our eco-system, and what unusual property they impart if you lick one!