"Lift Every Voice and Sing" by James Weldon Johnson

New in this week's Dragon's Fire

From Mr. Alex's advanced drawing and painting class:

Save the date! The CSCA fundraising committee is getting ready for our upcoming TCS community event. This will be a virtual event happening Sat, Mar 27, and we need your help!

“Chat Room” Cheerleaders (4 volunteers—1 from each grade level): We are looking for outgoing personalities who can monitor the “chat” on our fundraising platform. Quick training on this easy platform. You will also lead the grade-level breakout session (“cocktail hour”) prior to the main event. This will be a chance for parents to socialize and get to know each other! Estimated time commitment is 3 hours on the night of the event.

Computer Operator (1 volunteer): We are looking for someone who is detail oriented and comfortable with computers to operate our fundraising platform on the night of our event. You will work alongside the event coordinator. Training on this easy platform will be provided. Estimated time commitment is 3 hours on night of the event.

Event Co-Emcee (1 volunteer): We are looking for a co-emcee for our virtual fundraising event. We are looking for an outgoing personality. Previous emcee experience a plus! Estimated time commitment is 2 hours prep a week prior, then 3 hours on the night of the event.

Streaming Expertise (1 volunteer or advisor): We need someone producing the livestream for our virtual event. Do you have livestreaming expertise? We don't. Can you help us?

Student Event Coordinator (3–4 volunteers): We need your help to coordinate fun, social events for our students in Apr/May. Our students have been working hard, and it's time that they got some social time and maybe meet some new classmates. We have some fun ideas (e.g., virtual trivia night, virtual escape room), but we need help making them happen. We can help you with a general event plan that you can execute.

Can you help? Contact Rosina Geary Auction@gmail.com.

Our Annual Fund Drive goal was to raise $10,000 and our community surpassed our expectations and gave over $13,000! Your donations will help with academic support including instructional materials, Model United Nations, Family Support Fund, and Senior Prep Consulting. The funds are also use for arts integration including Drama, Writers in the Schools, Visual & Studio Art, and guest speakers. The Board Discretionary fund is for teacher and staff mini-grants that are submitted throughout the year. We also fund community support which includes teacher appreciation, committee funds, school events, and the principal fund.

We know this year has been a struggle and we can’t thank you enough for your support.

We’ve all had those nights where we want nothing more than to shut off our brains and fall into a

deep sleep only to be left tossing and turning. Life stress is often the cause of those frustrating

nights, but what if sleeping could also add to that stress? Surveys have shown that teens who

have fewer than 8–9 hours of sleep a night report waking up feeling more stressed due to the lack

of sleep. Teens who also get fewer than 8 hours of sleep report feeling sluggish, irritable, sad, and

depressed. Adequate sleep is an important tool that allows our brains to cleanse themselves each day and allows for improved cognitive function. By allowing yourself to sleep 8-9 hours each night, you can also lower your risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cognitive

decline. But most importantly, by getting your full 8 hours you can lower your stress instead

of adding to it. Maybe early bedtimes aren’t just for children anymore.

Healthy relationships are built on respect, trust, honesty, equality, and good communication. Your relationship should help you to feel good about yourself and help your partner feel good about themself. If you feel your relationship is unhealthy, trust those feelings. Don’t stay in a relationship that doesn’t make you feel good or fulfilled. Healthy relationships evolve thorough communication. If you feel your relationship is unhealthy but aren’t ready to end the it, bring this up with your partner so you can discuss ways to make progress towards health and feeling good. These discussions should be focused on teamwork and looking out for the best interest of each individual’s health and the relationship. Discussions should focus on the goal of being healthier individually and together, not placing blame or putting one another down.

Mr. Alex here with important information for art kit pick-ups.

This semester, for 3rd period Beginning Drawing and Painting, I will be handing out drawing kits, sketchbooks, and art kits for a partnership with the Vera Project on the same day. I have prepared drawing kits, drawing paper, and sketchbooks for each student. These are yours to keep. They do not need to be returned at the end of the school year.

Additionally, Beginning Drawing and Painting will be partnering with the Vera Project for a month-long project exploring fiber arts, stitching, and watercolor as expressions of line, composition, and self-care art. This partnership will begin in-class on Monday, April 19th and end in June. During this time, each lesson will be led by Vera teaching artist Shannon Bodrogi, a specialist in fiber arts, with me acting in a support role. In preparation, Vera Project staff are preparing art kits for each student. These kits are also yours to keep.

We are planning an art kit pick-up event outside of the Vera Project on the Seattle Center campus on Sat, Feb 13 from 11 am to 3 pm. Students will receive all the art supplies they need for the entire semester at this event. We will create proper social distancing and provide some PPE. Please wear a mask to this event. To help with our planning, please (students and parents together) complete this brief survey. When taking this survey, please note for yourself (in your phone or calendar) which day and time you intend to pick up your art kit.

The Vera Project address: 305 Harrison St, Seattle, WA 98109

Phone: 206-956-8372

Mr. Alex's phone: 206-999-4257

For reference, here is the Vera Project's address and a map of a convenient loading and unloading parking area right outside of their building. This is where we will set up tables for art kit distribution. Present will be myself, Shannon (our guest teaching artist, and Lev (Vera education manager). If you have any questions, please contact Mr Alex at ahng@seattleschools.org.

10th and 11th graders, if you are interested in Running Start for the 2021–2022 school year, please attend the Running Start Information Meeting via Teams on Wed, Mar 10 at 12:30 pm to learn about the program and the application process. Parents are welcome to attend.

Seattle Public Schools is currently in the process of transitioning to Microsoft Teams for Education, a new Microsoft video conferencing product specifically designed for education settings. This new platform has better features and controls that educators and families have been requesting that they can't currently use in Microsoft Teams. With Microsoft Teams for Education, classroom educators will be able to use breakout rooms and can manage the class chat feature and comments to improve the student remote learning experience. We are making progress toward the successful implementation of Microsoft Teams for Education. Beginning this month, K–8, middle, and high schools will begin the transition to this new platform after training is completed by educators. It is expected that elementary schools will begin this transition in the spring. When it is time for your student's school to transition over to Microsoft Teams for Education, your student will receive an email notification that they have been invited to a Teams meeting. It is important that students do not decline these meetings, because they will disappear from their calendar. Students will now access all of their Teams meetings from their Teams calendar. Students can expect to see a Class Team activated for each class that they have. The Class Teams are located in the "Teams" button on the left-hand side within the Microsoft Teams app. Families will not have to download a new Teams app to access Microsoft Teams for Education. Also, students will now access the chat history from a meeting within their Class Team. There will no longer be a chat history created in the "Chat" button on the left-hand toolbar. More information will be provided as it becomes available.

Secondary Report Cards will be made available for families to view in the Source two weeks after the end of the first semester. The first semester ended on Wed, Jan 27. Families may request printed copies of report cards if they are unable to access remotely. If a student has earned an “Incomplete” final grade, they should have received an Individual Learning Plan to earn a passing grade for the course. Read more.

AP Exams this year will be online. Payment deadline is Mar 5. The fee is $102 per exam. Parents, visit the Source to pay through SPS SchoolPay (debit/credit only). Students who receive free or reduced price lunch do not need to pay the exam fee. After completing payment, contact TCS Registrar, Tracey Lott, to notify her that you have paid the fee. If you do pay for the exam but decide later to cancel, you will receive a full refund. Refunds might take as long as summer to process.

Due to health and public safety concerns, the Mar 2021 school day SAT has been canceled. The plan is to provide the school SAT to all seniors in fall 2021. Students are still able to register and take the PSAT and SAT but will need to register on their own through the College Board.

Next school year, Seattle Public Schools will have a $69.8M budget shortfall due to several factors, including limits on how much money SPS can collect through our educational levies and state formulas that determine the amount of funding Seattle receives for transportation and other critical programs. Our expenses are outpacing revenue. SPS has been preparing for this coming year’s shortfall and has a plan to resolve the deficit. The School Board has been hosting a series of meetings to determine SPS budget priorities and how to address the gap. The Board will vote on the final budget for 2021–22 on Jul 7. While next year’s budget reductions will be challenging, more significant shortfalls are projected beginning in 2022–23. Learn more about projected budget shortfalls and the proposed 2021–22 reductions, including Option School transportation.

Currently, district-wide, some students cannot see their semester 2 classes on Schoology because they have too many tiles on their Schoology page. Also, some course titles will not have “semester 2” in them. Look for S2 or titles that end with the letter B.

Follow these steps to reorder courses for easier access:

Here is a video that demonstrates how to do this: How to Reorder Classes in Schoology.

The best way to join classes is through the Teams event that should be on your Teams calendar.

Is your student interested in learning a world language not offered within SPS? Is your student already proficient in a world language? Taking a language class at school is not the only way your student can get world language credit toward high school graduation. If your student wants to study a language that isn't offered by SPS, they can take classes in a variety of languages (including American sign language and some native languages) for credit from OSPI-approved providers. See the list of providers. If your student wants to study a language that is not offered by one of these providers (or is already proficient in a language), they can study in a program of their choice and test for proficiency to earn up to 4 world language credits. Tests are provided and proctored by SPS. Read more about registering for tests.

Check the Career Center page for more information. Questions? Contact Mr. Rho at ewrho@seattleschools.org.

See scholarship opportunities in the SPS February scholarship bulletin.

Connecting Seattle area High School Students with creative professionals through creative workshops. Center School students can apply to start right away for our free program. We're especially interested in juniors and seniors because we want to broaden the number of potential applicants who are eligible to receive scholarships at the end of the school year. Our next workshop is Fearless Drawing with Bruce Morser on Sat, Feb 20. Please register by Feb. 10 so that we can ship the necessary supplies.

Due to COVID-19 the Seattle Music Commission and City of Seattle partners were unable to host our 9th annual City of Music Career Day. This year, we are going virtual, and want to ensure our event meets your needs! Youth and young adults who are interested in music, entertainment, and creative industries, let’s talk! To learn more and share your input to help design the 2021 Music Career Day, complete our survey here. Please complete by Feb 12!

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Discovery Center is seeking youth and young adult stories about “spreading joy and healing” to include in their upcoming exhibit/experience: Enduring COVID-19: Stories From Our Transforming World. Interested individuals, aged 12–25, please contact, Charlotte.beall@gatesfoundation.org.

Social Justice Film Festival is seeking submissions for their 2021 Youth Visions competition. Entry fee $5-10. More details here.

OHY is seeking caregivers of homeless youth and youth lived experts to develop a statewide strategy to make policy and system changes. OHY plans to have 10 listening sessions, each lasting 3–4 hours. Sessions are scheduled to run Feb–Apr 2021, subject to change. Participants will be paid $150 for each session.

OHY is looking for 12 youth lived experts (under 30) who’ve experienced housing instability between ages 12 and 24. Trans, LGBQ, autistic, and youth with mental health considerations will be prioritized. Those who have experienced housing instability because of caregivers’ mental health considerations or substance use disorder are also invited to apply. Fill out this form to apply as a youth lived expert. 

OHY is also seeking 10 caregiver lived experts (parent, auntie, uncle, grandparent, chosen family) who have had to navigate gender identity, sexual orientation of their young person or accessing services mental health, or substance use disorder services for their youth. Caregivers of adolescents with autism or intellectual or developmental disabilities will be prioritized in addition to caregivers of adolescents who are personally navigating their mental health considerations or substance use disorder. Fill out this form to apply as a caregiver. 

SIXR, a VR/AR/XR/360 Video content creation educational non-profit, is hosting a paid 16-week training, networking, and hands-on experience in product design, mentorship, and tech entrepreneurship. Participants will work towards industry-recognized certificates and develop a 3D product design portfolio. Must be a City of Seattle resident, 16–24 years old, and from a historically underrepresented community. Email SIXR@studivo.com to apply and for more info.

Community Carrot is accepting applications for our next class! Seattle-area residents, aged 18-24, who come from low-income backgrounds and want to learn how to start their own business are welcome to apply and can earn up to $1500 in "Carrot Bucks" to spend toward their new business. Curriculum includes how to write a business plan, conduct market research, and financial literacy. Other perks include: paying for business licenses, mentor partnerships, social service connections, and free distance-learning technology. Applications due Feb 10. Learn more and apply here. Applications due no later than Feb 10.

Teens interested in film production, being on-camera talent, music production, or curriculum consultation, check out these paid opportunities from CharacterStrong, an SEL training and curriculum company working in all 50 states, focused on Whole Child Development.