Friday
November 21
Spirit/Pizza Day
Picture Retakes
Wednesday
November 26
Special Friends’ Day
10:30am
Early Dismissal;
11:45 for PS/PK/K
Noon for 1-5
No Aftercare
Thursday-Friday
November 27-28
Thanksgiving Vacation
No School
Thursday
December 4
Admission Tour
9:15am
Town Meeting
6:30pm
Friday
December 5
Spirit/Pizza Day
Saturday
December 6
Admission
Open House
1-3pm
November 20, 2008
Annual Giving Update
Family Friends' Day is Wednesday
Save the Date for the Town Meeting
Hot Lunch Info
New Sister for Primo
Math, Science in Art
Interesting Upcoming Lecture
Family Thanks Westside Community
Annual Giving Update
100% participation = $1000 per classroom
Congratulations Westside, 83% of our families have given to annual giving. That’s an amazing number! We’ve raised over $90,000 and have received donations from over 190 of our parents, grandparents, staff, Board and friends! WOW! Great job everyone; thank you for your support!
Guess what else is amazing? We had 15 students donate to annual giving! Thank you Ashley, Kayla, Greta, Bailey, Luke, Eli, Clare, Tatum, Emily, Kate, Christopher, Meredith, Jack, Emma and Alyce, and thank you graduate Ellie!
When children give to our school because it means so much to them, it makes a difference. Add to that the teachers, and the Board and the grandparents, and it makes an even bigger difference. Then add 100% of the parents, and we’re creating a school that is not only successful in its fundraising and its finances, but is successful in everything it does!
That being said, we’re not all the way. We’ve raised a lot of money, and it will go a long way to bridging our gap, but we need everyone’s participation. There’s still a lot of matching dollars out there that we haven’t even started to touch - not one classroom has reached 100% participation. Every class is close; some are really, really close, but not one has reached our goal. Remember, every class that gets to 100% participation earns Westside an extra $1000. That means every donation makes a difference, big or small. We can’t do it without our whole community working, and donating, together.
If you haven’t already, please join the 100% of staff, the 100% of Board, and 83% of families and help us reach 100! We can’t do it without you. Click here or email Jana to pledge.
Family Friends’ Day is Wednesday!
Family Friends’ Day is Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving (next week!!!). Invitations should have already gone out to your family friend. If you need special parking arrangements, please let your teacher know. We will have some reserved spaces for guests who may not be able to move around very easily.
Please keep in mind that school gets out at 11:45am for PS, PK and K students, and at noon for Grades 1-5. Family friends can pick-up your children, but please let your teacher know if that’s the plan. Remember, there is no aftercare. School closes at noon!
If you don’t have a family friend available for this day, don’t worry! Friends can be shared, you can be your child’s friend, or you can trade off with another parent!
Family Friends’ Day is a great way for children to share Westside with someone important to them. It should be fun for everyone involved!
Save the Date
Town Meeting, Dec. 4, 6:30pm
Town Meetings are a great opportunity for the parent community to interact with the Board. Don’t miss this chance to learn about their goals for the year. Stay tuned for more information after Thanksgiving.
Hot Lunch News
By Blue Plate Express
December and January lunch menus are online and ready to order. Get your orders in before the holiday season begins. You will have one less thing to worry about. Remember our online deadline is Sunday night for the following week. Phone orders must be called in by Friday 4pm for the following week. Thanks and have a Happy Thanksgiving Holiday from the Blue Plate crew.
New Sister for Primo
Congratulations to Primo in Preschool on his new baby sister, and to parents Lindsay and Carlo. Fiamma Violetta was born on November 7th.
Math and Science in the Art Room
By Margery Lamden, Art Teacher
As the leaves fall, the autumn days reveal the skeleton of a tree. What a perfect time to teach structure and proportion of the human body. I brought a life size plastic skeleton to class for the 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. We discussed how Michaelangelo would begin every new statue, by first drawing a skeleton of the statue. We talked about how Leonardo da Vinci was the first artist to study the physical proportion of the human body. I asked the students to figure out what proportion means and what proportion has to do with a skeleton? One student said, “I think it is like fractions, the relationship of one part to another.” What a great connection! I helped the artists “see” proportion. For example, I pointed out that the length of the hip bone to the head is about the same length as the hip bone to the toe and the length of the shoulder to the elbow is a little longer in length than the elbow to the wrist. I explained to the students that they were going to construct their own miniature skeleton using wooden sticks of various widths. The atmosphere in the classroom was full of enthusiastic energy and everyone began their sculpture. After a lot of focus and hard work the students completed their unique constructions. The 4th and 5th grade “works of art” will be on display in the art/music room until winter break. Please come and see these creative and well thought out structures any Wednesday after school.
Parent’s Role in Building Social, Emotional & Academic Competence by Laura Kastner, Ph.D.
Date: Wednesday, Dec. 10, Time: 6:30-8pm
Location: Giddens School Auditorium
620 – 20th Avenue South, Seattle
How do parents determine childrearing priorities in the midst of competing interests and limited time (e.g. homework, athletics, chores, lessons, social life)? Parents need to have strong authority, but how do you stay out of power struggles? Dr. Kastner will address these topics and more in her presentation and discussion. Bring your own questions for what is sure to be a thought-provoking evening.
Dr. Kastner teaches in the U.W. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and maintains a private practice. The author of a number of books, Dr. Kastner was elected “Psychologist of the Year” by the Washington State Psychology Association. This lecture is free and open to the general public.
Family Thanks Westside Community
Six months ago, the father of one of our students, Fraz Eltahir, was shot almost a dozen times during a robbery. Many friends rallied to support the family and the student while Fraz was in the hospital, and then in the rehab center. Today, he is up walking again, working on regaining the use of his right hand and a smile has returned to his face. Natalie Eltahir is so grateful for the continued support the Westside School community provided for her family, and especially for the help making ends meet while the major breadwinner was incapacitated. She said more than a few times that she has never known such generosity before and thanks the entire community! Fraz was on the KIRO news a few nights ago thanking the first responders and wanted to make a similar statement to the Westside Community- but without the cameras. There are not enough words or hugs to express it, but thank you all!
