Hello Salmon Bay Families!

The first couple weeks of February have felt incredibly busy, with so much happening at the school - book fair, global reading challenge, Valentine's Day, field trips, FOSB events, and so much more. Thanks again to all of the parents, volunteers, and staff who make things run smoothly for our kids. It's a lot of work, and every moment you show up is appreciated.

Today's Friday Sing set list included What A Wonderful World, by Louis Armstrong. There are many magical moments that happen on Friday mornings, and hearing our kids sing these words was definitely one of them.

Whether your Mid-Winter Break brings you adventures in the world, cuddles on the couch, or camps to keep your kids busy, I hope you all have a wonderful world around you during this week off.

Upcoming Events:

Note: if you are planning a class, grade band, or all-school event that is not currently listed in the FOSB newsletter, online calendar, or FOSB FB events and would like for it to be added, please reach out to fosbnewsletter@gmail.com with relevant details to have them added.

Pi Night on Thursday 3/14 6-8 pm, Salmon Bay Cafetorium

Do you like to eat pie? Do you like to play games and solve puzzles? Mark your calendars and make sure to join us for a fun night eating pie celebrating math at Salmon Bay. Two lucky winners will be able to throw pie in the faces of Principal Dixon and Vice Principal Aquino!!  Parents and siblings are welcome to join in the fun. In the coming weeks we will be asking for volunteers to help with the event. Note: This is not a drop off event.

Let’s Go Sounders!

FOSB Community Building Initiative Team has some fun sporting event opportunities coming up! First up - Seattle Sounders! We had a blast last year at Lumen Field. Some of us even got to watch part of the game on the field! If you missed your chance last year, we’re going back! Get your tickets early as inventory is limited. 

What: Seattle Sounders vs Colorado Rapids

Where: Lumen Field

When: March 16 at 12:30pm

Who: Salmon Bay Student and families

How: Tickets are $35 each. Please purchase through SchoolPay (look for "nonprofit groups" tab). Tickets sold quickly last year, so don’t wait!

Scholarship donations are greatly appreciated to help make these events equitable, no amount is too small! Donations are accepted through SchoolPay. 



For scholarships, please email FOSB Treasurers at fosbtreasurer@gmail.com before February 12th, 2024. Email syl@sylvialoh.com for questions.

Announcements:

February FOSB Meeting

Thank you to all who joined our February FOSB meeting, both in-person and on zoom. A great discussion was had. We also had a chance to hear from our librarian, Corinna, who has had a really busy month with some great things happening in the library world! The agenda and minutes from the meeting can be found here. Please reach out to fosbchair@gmail.com with questions, or if you would like to be involved.

Volunteer Opportunity: Observe a Music Class

Are you interested in seeing what happens in music class at Salmon Bay? At our last FOSB meeting, our wonderful music teacher, Mark Oesterle, said he would like to have a few parent volunteers come observe his classes and share with the Salmon Bay community what is happening in music. If this sounds fun to you, please contact Mark to schedule a time to visit: Please email Mark (meoesterle@seattleschools.org) and FOSB Chairs Julie & Caitlin (fosbchair@gmail.com)

Coming in April: Kids on the Run!

FOSB will be launching a free before school running club on Wednesdays and Friday mornings from 7:45 am - 8:30 am. Parents and siblings are welcome to run with us. Our goal is to make running fun and help kids get a great start to the school day. Those who are interested can challenge themselves and register to run a 5k in June. Stay tuned for details and information on how to sign up.

Salmon Bay Theatre

Middle School: Under the Hulders’ Spell

Equal parts spooky and funny, this original tale is packed with characters based on magical beings from around the world.

Registration: February 12 - March 3

Auditions: March 4-7th 

Rehearsals: Monday-Thursday from March 11th to May 2nd in the cafeteria (Once casting decisions are made, a rehearsal schedule will be published - most students will not be required to be at rehearsal every day)

Tech Rehearsals: All students will be required to attend tech rehearsals the April 24th to May 4th

Performances: May 3rd and 4th.

Cost: $180

Email Melissa Mock at mjoymock@gmail.com to request a discount code if your family could use some financial support. The cast is capped at 40 students, so don’t wait to sign up! 

If your student is interested in being a crew member for Under the Hulders’ Spell please fill out this Tech Theater Interest survey. We will be providing some opportunities for students who want to do tech theater, but we need to gauge interest to see what that will look like.  

Elementary School: Just So Stories and Scenes

How did the elephant get its trunk? Why do leopards have spots? What makes a whale's throat so large? Students in each level will use aspects of story theater and creative dramatics to devise scenes based on Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories and perform together in a three-act show. 

Registration: February 12 - March 22

K/1st - Mondays from March 25th - May 20th, 3:30-5:00, 

2/3rd - Thursdays, March 28th - May 23rd, 3:30-5:00

4/5th - Wednesdays, March 27th - May 22nd 2:15-4:30

Tech rehearsals: Monday through Thursday May 24th - June 6

Performances: June 7 and 8

Cost: $165

Email Niahm Ward at nimwardie@gmail.com to request a discount code if your family could use some financial support. Each class is capped at 15 students, so don’t wait to sign up! 

If your 3rd-5th grade student is interested in being a crew member for Just So Stories and Scenes please fill out this Tech Theater Interest survey.. We will be providing some opportunities for students who want to do tech theater, but we need to gauge interest to see what that will look like.  

Save the date! The 2024 FOSB Auction is Friday, May 3.

Planning is underway for the annual FOSB auction and you won't want to miss the experience. Our live event will be held at Metropolist in SODO on Friday, May 3. Doors will open at 7 p.m. 

Volunteers are needed to help the auction committee put this massive event together. We are currently looking for people to help create decor. We will have jobs for those who want to create items while binge-watching a tv show at home and we will have jobs for those who want to work in small groups together on a larger piece! If interested in helping with decor, please contact Decor Lead Erin Rosenberg (erinkpate@gmail.com).

If you have an item to donate to our live auction line-up or interested in hosting an auction party this year, please contact Auction Chair Shelby Reynolds (shelby@ShineEventDesign.com).

REMINDER: Lost & Found Clean Out

All lost & found items will be removed from the school on the Monday morning after mid-winter break. To view an album of photos, please click here; this is everything that was in the lost and found as of 1/30. There are more things that have been added since the photos! Take a look! Find your missing clothes! Unclaimed items will be donated to Mary’s Place and Goodwill. Please email fosbnewsletter@gmail.com with any questions.

Save the Date: Multicultural Celebration & Potluck

Wednesday, April 17th, 6:00 - 8:00 PM

SAVE THE DATE! The FOSB Building Community Initiative (BCI) invites the entire Salmon Bay Community to a Multicultural Celebration & Potluck. This event aspires to bring our community together to share and celebrate our diverse cultures, heritages, and whole selves through food, music, hands-on activities (arts, crafts & games), and live performances. Families can participate by simply attending or volunteering to share something that feels meaningful to you and your cultural identification.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! We're currently in the planning stages, and looking for several go-getters to join small teams that organize the communities' contributions to the potluck, hands-on-activities, and performances. Please consider volunteering as a coordinator by clicking here to learn more and sign up! We are hopeful that coordinators can begin working with BCI leaders to plan and secure participation in February, with the bulk of organizing occurring a few weeks prior to the event - no more than a couple hours per week.

Questions? Want to help? Contact Chase Treisman (phone: (480) 787-6531 or chasetreisman@gmail.com)

Resources:

Central & North Seattle Schools PTA Alliance (CANSSPA)

The mission of the Central and North Seattle Schools PTA Alliance (CANSSPA) is to advocate for all children to receive adequate and equitable education through a model of network building, resource sharing, and collective advocacy. Learn more here.

Ongoing Announcements:

Volunteer Opportunity: Teacher Snack Shack

We continue to keep snacks supplied for our teachers; if you are able, please volunteer to bring snacks, drinks or Keurig pods to school on Fridays. Feel free to drop snacks in the front office or the Volunteer Coordinator office. Sign-up for snack delivery here.

School Spirit Wear

Want to show some school pride? Salmon Bay apparel is available for purchase online! You can choose from a variety of shirts and sweatshirts and have them delivered straight to your door. Both Youth and Adult sizes are available. Use this link to order.

School Crossing Guard - Still Needed

Seattle Schools is hiring crossing guards at multiple locations including Salmon Bay! You can find out more by clicking on this link.

Get to know the PTO (that's FOSB!):

Stay Connected

Set yourself up to stay aware of FOSB events and news this school year! Sign up here to receive FOSB emails as they are released. Subscribe to our web calendar at this link, or follow us on FaceBook for more info about meetings and events.

Additionally, there are GoogleGroups and Facebook groups for most grade bands. If you’re looking for a way to connect with other Salmon Bay parents and caregivers, consider joining the relevant Google and/or Facebook Group for community building amongst parents and caregivers in the same grade levels and classes as your kid(s)! To be added to the appropriate email list(s), send an email to sb-join-email@googlegroups.com, and let us know which grade group(s) you would like to join.

Everyday Ways to Give

You can support Friends of Salmon Bay in everyday ways, like shopping at a merchant of your choice or searching online. Details about programs offered by Fred Meyer, Bing, and Office Depot/Office Max are on our website. Consider signing up!

More Info on FOSB Committees:

Please check out our website for more information about FOSB’s existing committees and ways to get involved!

School Reminders:

The following dates, activities & announcements pertain to the school and come from information provided by school staff/teachers/admin. We are pleased to include them as reminders to our community, but this may not be an exhaustive list of everything the school has planned. Please check with your student’s teacher(s) or office staff for more information.

News from Principal Dixon:

Snacks:

We have students that feel hungry occasionally and come to the office asking for snacks. We’d appreciate any type of snack donations to the office with the intent to give to students when needed. Thank you!

Attendance: We’d like to remind parents of a few things regarding attendance. When you’re sending an email to the attendance inbox to inform us of an absence, please also include the nature of the absence. We’d also appreciate that kids remember to sign in at the office upon late arrival no matter what the reason is.

Middle School SEP:

Middle School Families, please double check if your kids’ SEP program needed an online waiver through the vendor and make sure they’re completed. Also, please ensure that you have made your payments for the upcoming SEP programs. You can do full or partial payments (if you’re requesting partial scholarship) through School Pay. If you are requesting any scholarship, please contact school counsellor Rob to arrange for it. You can reach him at rabright@seattleschools.org

If you have any problems with payments, please reach out to our volunteer coordinator Elif at elgumrukmokr@seattleschools.org 

All School:

Camp season is fast approaching, with 5th grade heading to Islandwood on March 18th. Please keep an eye out for detailed information as well as payment requests coming out shortly after Mid-Winter Break.

Elementary School:

Please keep an eye out for SEP information that will be coming from both the school office and your kids’ teachers. We will have only 2 weeks after the break before the programs start.

The Kindergarten Team is excited to start Book A Day program on Tuesday, February 27. Twice a week, Kindergarten students will bring home books to share with their families that we have chosen because we think they will support Salmon Bay families to grow as a community.

Middle School:

WEB Mentors organized a Rock Paper Scissors tournament for 6th graders as part of our Spirit Week. We used the official Rock Paper Scissors Association rules and Eliza in Teddy’s Homeroom won the competition. Congratulations to Eliza! 

News From Athletic Department:

Middle School spring sports are right around the corner!!! The available sports are Girls Volleyball, Boys Soccer and Co-Ed Track. It is looking like these sports will begin around the week of March 11. You will hear more by the end of the month after filling out the interest form below.

To Do List:

1) Complete this Interest Form (Note: I made a mistake last week on the interest form, if you could please fill this one out instead, that would be greatly appreciated!)

2) Start getting the Middle School Paperwork completed and turned in to Erin Telford. Digital copies are preferred. (ALL PAPERWORK must be completed before your student athlete can participate)

***Ultimate Frisbee is not run through SPS in the Spring, so please connect with Sam Olson if you are interested in that sport*** 

Upcoming Camp Dates: Spring 2024 Class Camp Trips

* Please note: these camps are planned by the staff at Salmon Bay, not by FOSB. Please keep an eye out for pertinent planning information from your child’s teacher(s). Dates listed here could possibly change - check in with teachers for the most current info or if you have specific questions. 

March 18 – 21, 2024: 5th Grade at Camp Islandwood

May 20 – 22, 2024: 3rd Grade at Camp Colman

May 22 – 23, 2024: 1st Grade at Indianola

June 3-5, 2024: 4th Grade at Camp Seymour

June 4 – 7, 2024: 8th Grade at Camp Orkila

June 5 – 7, 2024: 7th Grade at Camp Naturebridge

June 7, 2024: Kindergarten Camp Day

June 12 – 13, 2024: 2nd Grade at Camp Indianola

School Calendar Dates:

• February 1 – February 29: Open Enrollment School Choice priority applications will be accepted (tiebreakers apply)

• February 12-16: Secret Garden Book Fair

• February 12-16: Spirit Week - Please see “School Happenings” section for daily themes • February 19: Middle School Report Cards go live on the Source

• February 19: Presidents’ Day – no school

• February 19-23: Mid Winter Break (No School)

• February 28: 100th day of school

• March 1 – May 31: School Choice late applications will be accepted (NOT eligible for tiebreakers). 

• March 8, 15, 22, 29: SEP Days

Legislative Information:

Hi! Do you want to keep your finger on the legislative pulse for the SB community? We could use your help; if this interests you, please reach out to fosbchair@gmail.com.

From the Washington State PTA:

Many districts are in a funding crisis with at least four districts in binding conditions and the potential of another 20 districts to be in binding conditions next year. Our legislators need to act NOW. The Washington state constitution says that it’s the “paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for the education of all children residing within its borders.” The McCleary decision in 2017 took steps to reduce the state’s reliance on levy funding in order for school districts to be more equitably funded, but the state is not holding up its end of the bargain. There continue to be critical funding gaps related to special education services, operating costs like utilities and insurance, transportation, and outdated staffing models. Let’s make sure our legislators hear the parent voice so that we can support ALL students.

Ask your legislators to prioritize education funding by supporting these bills: HB 2180, HB 2494, SB 5873, HB 2458, and SB 5882/HB 1960. When the state funds basic requirements like special education, school operating costs, transportation, and staffing, it allows school districts to use enrichment levy dollars to actually provide the “extras” instead of returning to the use of levies to fund basic education. Without further action, your tax dollars will be spent paying for these basic school and student costs and mandates, leaving vital services and staff at risk for reduction in the coming years.

Please click here for more information.

SPS Board Proposal Information

A group of SPS parents/caregivers from across the city have come together to share information about upcoming SPS Board proposals, and to figure out actions to support our schools and students. The group formed a group called All Together for Seattle Schools. Find out more on their website here.

Upcoming School Open Houses/Registration Info:

Reminder: Open Enrollment for School Choice Ends Thursday, Feb. 29

Seattle Public Schools (SPS) Open Enrollment for School Choice ends Thursday, Feb. 29. If you are interested in applying, please do so now. The School Choice form is available on The Source and at the John Stanford Center. 

Every SPS student is assigned to their attendance area school based on where they live. Families may apply to request that their student attend a different school through the School Choice process.  

School Choice applications are accepted through Wednesday, May 31, but are only eligible for priority tiebreakers if received during Open Enrollment on-time period in February. 

More information is available on the Open Enrollment for School Choice webpage.  

Questions? Contact the enrollment services team.

Ballard HS Shadowing Information

Ballard HS allows shadowing for prospective students during certain dates in February. Prospective students need to find a current Ballard student to host their visit and a Shadowing Permission Form must be completed. The current BHS student should have the completed paperwork turned into the Main Office at least 3 days ahead of the proposed visit. 

Students interested in Music, may contact the Directors: Jay Gillespie (Band)  jrgillespie@seattleschools.org, Courtney Rowley (Choir) chrowley@seattleschools.org or Dan Valdez (Orchestra) dmvaldez@seattleschools.org. They may be able to arrange for a shadow with a current music student.

For more information, click here.

Community Announcements:

Looking for summer camps or other extracurricular activities? OneStopCamp is a free tool created by fellow Seattle parents to help you find relevant camps in your area. Check it out here.

Children’s Piano Lessons Available with Chandry Abreu

Chandry Abreu is a vocalist and piano teacher who brings her passion of music and love of singing to her students. Chandry’s experience in early childhood education has helped her develop age appropriate pedagogy in children’s music instruction. Chandry is an experienced early childhood teacher with a background in classroom teaching as both a kindergarten and 1st grade teacher. She is additionally experienced in Dalcroze Eurhythmics, a pedagogy in which kinesthetic movement, ear training, solfegetto, and improvisation are key components in learning and enjoying music. Teaching highlights include 10+ years as a kindergarten and first grade classroom teacher as well as teaching as a faculty at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music in New York. Other credentials: BA in Music: Voice Performance, M.S.Ed in Early Childhood Education, active teaching artist/musician/performer. She teaches from her home in Green Lake. 

Weekdays 3-6pm, Sat & Sun

Free 30 Min Lesson

Contact: CApianovoiceseattle@gmail.com or click here for more info

Read-a-Rama

Read-a-Rama's 2024 children's camp dates are here! Join us for one of our fun and fabulous spring day camps, and mark your calendars for summer camp in July and August. Camp locations and registration information will be shared in January.

Save the Dates:

Winter/Spring Saturday Camps, all dates 9:30-4 pm

February 17, March 16, April 27, May 18

Ballard Basketball: Mid-Winter Break Camps

Dates: February 20 - 23

Location: Ballard Boys and Girls Club

Times:9:30am - 12:30pm for 3rd-5th grade all genders (beginner to intermediate)

12:30pm-3:30pm for 6th-8th grade boys (intermediate)

Scholarships are available so fees aren't a barrier to participation

To register for Mid Winter Spring and & Summer Break Camps, visit this link. Questions? Email Sara Wetstone at ballardbasketballinfo@gmail.com

Seen Around School:

Taking Care of the Salmon

Students in Mr. Wenzel's class check the chemical levels in the salmon tank in the main lobby.

Banana Slug!

Always a Friday Sing favorite! Thanks Jenny, for leading us with such great slug energy!

SPS Safe Schools Hotline: 206-252-0510.

The Seattle School District Safety and Security Department is staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.