Hello Salmon Bay Families!

Hello Community! We are in the final sprint before the last day of school! All of the parents that I've spoken with recently have the same look - the "what event/activity/celebration have I forgotten about?" look! As tired as we parents are, seeing our kids barrel through all of these celebrations is heartwarming. The elementary theatre program put on a lovely re-telling of Three Just-So-Stories by Rudyard Kipling tonight. Seeing those kids take a bow, so proud of themselves, makes all the hard work worth it.

Seeing all of the hugs and excitement after the play, reminded me again that we have an incredible community. A school worth fighting for. Please continue to read updates in our School Advocacy section below. There will be one more SPS board meeting of the year - originally scheduled for 6/10, the meeting has now been rescheduled to 6/26. Please consider going, and bringing a Salmon Bay community member with you. If you are unable to attend, please look into the other ways that you can be a part of this conversation.

Have a wonderful weekend! Two weeks until the last day!

Upcoming Events:

Note: if you would like to publicize an event here, please reach out to fosbnewsletter@gmail.com with relevant details.

June 13th, 6:30-8:30 PM: FOSB June Board Meeting

Please join us for our last board meeting of the school year. June's meeting will be FULLY VIRTUAL. No one will be meeting in the library.

Zoom link here.

(same link for all FOSB meetings this year)

Meeting ID: 836 3649 7160

Passcode: 654321

We are hoping to schedule an end-of-year celebration for the following week - on June 20 - to toast all that we accomplished with YOUR help! Celebration event details to follow.

Board meetings are open to all FOSB members. (If you’re an adult with a student at Salmon Bay, you’re automatically a FOSB member.)

Meeting agendas and previous meeting minutes are posted on our website.

Please email FOSB Chairs with any questions.

June 14th, 5-8ish: 3rd Grade End of School Year Potluck

We hope you can make this end of the year celebration for our grade! This will be a casual gathering at Golden Gardens with beach games, lawn games, quiet games/art, and shared food. Please let us know if you'll be able to make it by RSVP-ing here. 

June 21st, 2:30 PM: 1st Grade End of School Popsicles

For our last hoorah this year - let's gather at Salmon Bay Park after school (remember it's a 1 hour early release - 2:25pm) on the last day of school for popsicles in the park. There will be frozen treats - but we welcome any and all other treats, snacks or park games to celebrate the end of this school year.

June 21st: Last Day of School!

Don’t forget, early dismissal on the last day - summer starts at 2:25 pm. 

June 22nd, 1 PM: 2nd Grade end of year picnic/potluck!

Congratulations 2nd Graders!! Please meet us at the Soundview wading pool and playground to celebrate our new 3rd graders!! Keep in mind it is a wading park so swim gear, towels, change of clothes encouraged. This event will be potluck so bring something to share! Let us know what you’re bringing so we all don’t bring the same thing! Here’s the sign up link. 

School Advocacy:

Upcoming School Board Meetings:

June 26th, DETAILS TBD: June School Board Meeting

The regularly scheduled June School Board meeting (Originally on Monday, June 10th) has been rescheduled to this date. We will update you as details become available.

Are you available to attend? If so, please email Salmon Bay parent Sarah Jackson and FOSB Chairs. It would be great to get a collection of Salmon Bay voices together to advocate not only for our school, but for all schools and all students in this process. Wear red for ed!

All Together Schools

All Together Schools is a vocal advocate for parents and students in the midst of the current school closure/budget conversation.  The site was developed by a group of Seattle Public Schools (SPS) parents from across the city and of different backgrounds. They believe that in the face of a budget crisis, SPS needs to partner with families, communicate more transparently, and advocate to the state legislature for increased school funding. Their goal is to offer clear and concise information so that all of us together can understand what's happening at SPS, and all of us together can advocate for our schools, educators, and students.

Read & Sign our Open Letter

We are gathering signatures of those who support maintaining option schools and alternative programs in SPS. These programs:

1. Promote positive academic outcomes for students with diverse learning needs.
2. Create zones of innovation in education.  
3. Do not cost more and closing them will not save money.
4. Are popular. Eliminating options may harm SPS’s efforts to increase enrollment.

All signatures collected will be shared with Superintendent Jones and the SPS Board of Directors as endorsing the position of the letter. You can be anonymous. Post on your social media or text to your network of families, students, educators, community members, and other concerned residents. Here’s a direct link to the signature page for sharing.

The letter can be found here. Please consider signing.

More information from All Together Schools most recent email can be found here.

Waitlist Update for Salmon Bay

SPS has moved some kids off of the waitlist in recent weeks, but they have not yet fully enrolled Salmon Bay for next year. The Enrollment and Planning department at the district has not responded clearly about why they haven’t yet filled our school to their projected (purple book) numbers even though there remain many families on the waitlist. Please reach out to Julie and Caitlin if you have additional ideas on how to help advocate for our school.

SPS Thought Exchange

The district has created a ThoughtExchange to gather parent/community comments on their current plan to close schools. There are many avenues for advocacy, and this is one that is important as it is set up by the district. If you have a moment, please take a look and consider advocating in favor of not only Salmon Bay, but option schools in general. Specific problems we are facing are that waitlists are not moving, and option schools in general seem to be on the chopping block.

Find the link here.

Advocacy Roles - Researcher, Videographer

All Together for Seattle Schools is looking for someone who can help with each of these two pieces. Are you that person? Or know someone who could be? Reach out so Julie and Caitlin can put you in touch.

Videographer:

Can you create a video that tells the story of the importance of option schools? How has attending Salmon Bay made a difference to your student? Or, maybe you aren’t the videographer, but can help with some of the logistics? We could use some leadership around this task.

Researcher:

One narrative that is circulating is that option schools were created as a response to white flight when bussing was mandatory in SPS. A counter narrative is that they were created with social justice in mind. We have been told that the Seattle Times, the paper of record, archives might offer an answer. Are you able to dive into this topic and share what research you find?

District Two School Board Director

Salmon Bay is represented by newly elected School Board Director Sarah Clark. Her email can be found here. Please reach out to her if you have concerns regarding the current conversations surrounding school closures and/or waitlist movement.

Announcements:

4th Grade Parent volunteers needed: Tuesday, June 18, 6:30-8:30pm

We are looking for 4-6 4th grade parent volunteers to help with 5th grade promotion. Traditionally, 4th grade parents support 5th grade promotion so that parents can just enjoy the celebration and not worry about the details. It's a pay it forward model and next year's parents get to do the same! Please contact Katie.

Kids on the Run

Thanks to all the kids and parents that ran with us on Wednesday and Friday mornings this spring. We had a lot of fun running through the school halls this morning as part of our last practice. We plan to start the club back up next spring. If your child is interested in running in the meantime, you could try out Rain City Flyers or Loyal Heights Co-Ed track and field. Happy running!

Incoming 9th Grade Performing Arts Meeting at Ballard High School

Ballard High School’s Music and Theatre Departments are hosting an Incoming 9th Grade Performing Arts Meeting for all students who will be involved with the BHS Music and Theatre programs next year. It will be held on Monday, June 17^th at 7:00 PM in the Ballard High School Performing Arts Center. It is a time to meet the teachers, learn about the program, hear from current students, and meet other 8th graders that will be in the program next fall! We will also be talking about next year’s calendar of events and answering many questions that people often have as they enter the performing arts program. Please help us to pass the word along! 

Ballard High School Cross Country/Track & Field Summer Training:

For 8^th graders heading to Ballard High interested in a summer training opportunity with the BHS Cross Country and Track & Field team. This is a great opportunity to learn more about these no cut sports and meet other incoming 9^th graders as well as returning athletes! Registration is required for all Ballard High Sports, information can be found here. Once registered you will be added to the communication email list.  Summer practice opportunities begin June 24th! All fitness levels welcome!

Welcome Incoming Freshman Families to Ballard HS!

Did you know you can sign up for the Ballard HS PTSA Newsletter anytime? Learn about upcoming events for new students and families, Ballard Athletic paperwork deadlines, and find out about our BHS PTSA and how you can get involved! Incoming Class of 2028 Sign Up Today. Families, you can also explore more about Ballard HS, including our summer open library hours, on our School Website and the Incoming Families page.

Lost & Found

The lost & found is FULL! Plans are being made to sort, clean and donate items in mid-June. Would you like to help with this huge, yet oddly satisfying job? Please email Erin if you're interested!

Please stop by the lost & found or send your kids to look before the big sort happens.

School Reminders & News:

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:

Dear Salmon Bay Families,

We have 1 BLT (Building Leadership Team) parent representative role available for the 2024- 2025 school year. Akash Niranjan has served his two years. If you are interested, please answer the questions below and email them to me. The BLT members will review and vote for our next parent rep.

• What is your experience in leadership roles?
• What kinds of collaboration work have you done?
• How does equity and inclusion show up in your work?
• How do you see yourself as a parent representative for the community? 

In partnership and gratitude,

Barbara Dixon

School News:

We had a mostly empty building this week with 4th grade at camp at the start of the week and 7th and 8th also gone for most. Kindergarteners also had their day camp today at Camp Long. With the sun shining, and getting to the last 2 weeks of school, we know that everyone is looking forward to the summer break. However, we still have plenty of events on the school calendar. Please read on to keep up to date with what’s happening at Salmon Bay. 

Elementary School News:

All the fourth graders came back with a smile on their faces and stories to tell, Camp Seymour was a blast! 



Middle School News:

The school is almost over and the 8th grade promotion day is coming up soon. We sent out a detailed email about the day yesterday but here is a summary of events for 8th graders on promotion day, Monday June 17th.

• 8th grade rehearsal is at Ingraham High School at 10am. Buses to arrive at Salmon Bay at 9:30 for pickup. Please have 8th graders to school on time for bus.
• 8th grade picnic to follow from Ingraham to Golden Gardens (expected ETA to GG is 12:00pm)
• Students will walk back to Salmon Bay from Golden Gardens and be back for school buses.
• 8th grade promotion ceremony at 7pm at Ingraham High School
• Students should plan to arrive at Ingraham High School between 6:30 – 6:45 pm on the evening of June 17th. We will line students up at 6:45 pm. Suggested attire is semi-formal but there is no set dress code.
• No tickets are needed to attend. We hold this event at Ingraham to ensure we have space for family and friends to join the celebration. 

Library News:

As we come to the end of the year, here are some important dates and reminders from the library:

• This week was the last week of elementary school library classes
• June 7 is the last day to check out books
• June 10 ALL LIBRARY BOOKS ARE DUE
• June 10-14 Device return for elementary students
• June 14th 6th grade Device return
• June 18th 7th/8th Device return

If you have lost a book, please let Corinna know by emailing. She will mark is as "lost" and you can pay for the book in "Schoolpay" via "The Source".

If you need help with this, here is a tutorial video: 

School Calendar Dates: 

June 10: Elementary Instrumental Music Concert - 2:40pm (assembly), 6:30pm (evening concert)

June 11: Elementary School Talent Day

June 12-13: 2nd Grade at Camp Indianola

June 13: Middle School Marimba Concert - 7pm (arrival by 6:45pm)

June 14: Elementary School Field Day

June 17: Middle School Graduation: Picnic at Golden Gardens, and Ceremony at Ingram High School

June 18: 5^th Grade Promotion at 7pm

June 19: Juneteenth (No School)

June 21: Last day of school; 1 hr early release (2:25) 

Seen Around School:

Playground Days!

Kids (and teachers) are soaking up every moment of sun on the playground!

Just So Stories!

The elementary theatre kids put on a great production of Just So Stories!

Ongoing Announcements:

Teacher Snack Shack

We could use a few more volunteers to help stock the teacher lounges with snacks and coffee through the end of the year. Highly requested items include: protein bars, small bags of chips, fruit, chocolate covered espresso beans, sparkling waters and coffee pods of non-flavored coffee. Sign up here if you can donate some snacks!

Lunchroom Volunteers Needed:

Volunteers needed in the elementary lunch period from 11:10-12:05 daily. Please check that your volunteer paperwork is up to date and sign up here. Ms A appreciates any days you can come in to assist her during lunch! She shared during our last FOSB meeting that lunch time is a great time to get to know and connect with the students at school!

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 ID Cards: Families can now purchase an ID card online for $5. ID card orders take about 7-10 business days to arrive to the home.

2023-24 Salmon Bay K-8 Picture Days

Online Code: SPS student ID number

Resources:

Interrupting with Care: Navigating Identity Based Harm:

recording and resources available

"It was only a joke." "I didn't realize what that meant." "My friend told me it was okay." Young people use derogatory language and perpetuate harmful stereotypes as they test boundaries, repeat what they hear in the media, attempt off color humor, and more. How do you navigate if your child is found to be using microaggressions - those words and actions that offend and hurt, even though they may be unintended - and racism towards others? Learn some ways to have authentic conversations about race and privilege, as well as practical strategies for dealing with when microaggressions or racism happen to your child, to their classmate, friend, or if they are the ones who have used the language. Discuss and practice how to “call in” privately, interrupt in the moment publicly, and receive interventions gracefully. 

The recording of the presentation by Rosetta Lee hosted earlier this week is available at this link (Passcode: 5ijJBKP+) and viewing will require registration to help curb any problematic trolling or misuse of her intellectual property. Content begins just after the 1 minute mark. Rosetta also shared her slides and these resources: conflict and bullying, microaggressions, talking to kids, and adolescents. Please reach out to Julie & Caitlin with any questions!

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

Stay Connected & Get Involved!

While you automatically receive emails from Salmon Bay K-8 administration, staff, and teachers on all things school-supported and classroom related, it doesn’t always include FOSB-related events, opportunities, and information. Tap into these information pipelines to stay connected and find ways to get involved.

• FOSB Calendar
• FOSB Friday Bulletins 
• FOSB Facebook
• Grade Google and Facebook groups (request to join)
• FOSB Committees
• Monthly Board Meetings
• Monthly Community Coffee (held before the first Friday Sing of each month)

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!

Community Announcements:

June 1 - Rainbow Hop 

Kick off Pride Month on the Ridge! There are still some seats left for the (amazing) free pre-event anti-bullying play at the Taproot Theatre, and seats can be reserved here. The play starts at 9:30am. ILS Greenwood will have its annual Rainbow Hop balloon dance party starting at 10:45am, following our Toddler Music and Movement class.

Upcoming Camps (5-11 year olds):

We are thrilled to share some exciting events lined up for the upcoming months at ILS Greenwood:

1. **School Year Camp:**

  – June 19: From Trash to Treasure

2. **Summer Adventure Camps** - 

Full day - 5 - 11 year olds

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.