New in this week's Dragon's Fire

Do you want to be loved by all and have ultimate power? This is the role for you! Everyone loves the treasurer because they give out money. They get to control who gets the money too. And it's much less of a time commitment than you might think, only a few hours a month (including a board meeting) that can be done mostly on your own time from the comfort of your home. And with 2 treasurers it is half the work!

This crucial role must be filled ASAP. The CSCA cannot support the staff, teachers, and students at TCS without a treasurer. The current treasurer has a senior and is doing the work of two people. Right now the job is pretty quiet without much work to do due to the pandemic. Now is the perfect time to learn the ropes (and Quickbooks). Springtime is the busiest time of the year getting all the records in order and reimbursing for last minute items.

Please, please consider taking on this role in the CSCA. If interested contact Molly Goldman, Volunteer Coordinator (molly.goldman@gmail.com) or Erika Borges, CSCA president (erikaborges@me.com).

 A great way to feel more connected to The Center School is to join the CSCA Board! We need new people to fill positions that are still open.

If you'd like to volunteer contact Molly Goldman at molly.goldman@gmail.com.

One of the best ways to stay connected to what's happening at school and to meet other parents is to attend our board and parent/guardian meetings throughout the year. Upcoming meetings are posted in the Important dates section at the top of the Dragon's Fire. Zoom links will be sent out via the Dragon's Fire distribution list prior to each meeting. See the list of dates for the full school year.

Please note that the Sep 29 parent/guardians meeting has been changed to Oct 1. We hope to see you there!

To join online, go to MemberPlanet. Click "View The Packet" and then follow the prompts to log in or to set up your new account. It's easy to sign up and there are a lot of great member benefits!

MemberPlanet is our official membership, financial, and communication software provider. It only takes a few moments to fill out your information in the database and you can even pay your CSCA membership dues online.

Note: Even if you choose not to join the CSCA at this time, please put your information in the database so we can keep you in the loop about what is happening at TCS.

Amazon donates 5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the CSCA. Donations allow CSCA to fund the programs that make TCS the amazing place it is!

I’m Shawna Murphy and I am your IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Advocacy) chair on the CSCA Board for the second year. My first year at TCS I served on the board as Advocacy Chair. From time to time I will bring you updates about SPS and local happenings, and this month I have 3, well 4, book suggestions.

Gender Queer, A Memoir by Maia Kobabe is a graphic novel published this year to much critical and popular acclaim. It is an autobiography about Maia’s path to identifying as non-binary and asexual and it has been highly recommended by my 11th grader, who said, “This is an essential piece of LGBTQIA+ media that every queer or questioning kid should read!”

Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon is a very short but inspiring work by a gender non-conforming performance artist who challenges the way we think about the way gender is presented. I especially love Alok’s Instagram feed @alokvmenon.

ACE by Angela Chen is an exploration of what asexuality, the A in LGBTQIA is and what it reveals about our society. This book is part memoir and part cultural commentary with a little science journalism thrown in from a member of the Ace community, who is also a journalist and speaker.

And last but definitely not least, the School District has put together a beautiful 100 page hardcover book called Our Students, Their Stories in collaboration with artist Nate Gowdy, sharing the stories of our Seattle Public Schools LGBTQIA+ students, staff, and families. Through a generous grant, all schools will receive 2 copies of the book. Several TCS folx appear in the book and there will be an opening event coming soon. Stay tuned.

Learn about money for college! Hosted by Aric Reyna and Edward Rho.

When: Oct 1, 4:30 pm

Where: Teams (see link in the attached flyer)

TCS counselor, Michelle Hayes, is creating a School Counselor Schoology page for all TCS students that will include the following information: graduation requirements, community resources, Naviance, college and career information, SEL support, and more! Beginning Monday, Sep 28, students will see an additional course on their schedule called “School Counselor” with Michele Hayes as the instructor. Don’t worry, this is not an added class that students need to attend. But do encourage your student to explore this resource to stay on top of all those non-class school essentials.

This year 1st semester sculpture students will continue a long tradition of partnering with Pottery Northwest, a professional clay studio on the Seattle Center campus. For five weeks, students will be taught by a Pottery Northwest artist-in-residence and TCS Visual Arts Teacher, Mr. Alex. All required clay and materials are being provided to sculpture students, free of charge. The clay and materials are somewhat heavy so transportation via car would be best.

Your responses to this survey will help Mr. Alex plan and coordinate clay and other materials pick-up and drop-off with Pottery Northwest on the Seattle Center campus. The survey is a little complicated and full of dates and times. Mr. Alex appreciates your understanding as he works to create an engaging and meaningful sculpture class experience for students during remote learning and the many challenges remote learning presents for all of us.

Please reach out to Mr. Alex if you have any questions (ahng@seattleschools.org).

Pottery Northwest's address is 226 1st Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109. Their phone number is (206) 285-4421. They have front parking and side street parking for easy pick-up and drop-off.

If you would like to donate funds that go directly to Center School students, please consider donating to InvestED. To donate:

100% of donated funds go directly to student needs such as school supplies, test fees, household goods, etc.

One of the ways TCS stands out from other schools is the community we build: one which many students have been seeking throughout all their years of school. During this time of remote learning, we need to build our community virtually. And MS Teams is our way to do just that!

Everyone at TCS is part of the “TCS – All Community-O365” Team. This is our central communication hub outside of classroom meetings. It serves as a virtual community allowing for general announcements and channels for more targeted non-classroom conversations (career and college readiness, interfacing with administrative staff, etc.), faculty-sponsored clubs, and even a space to share student-created media (which is so important to us as an arts-based school). Basically, if the discussion would “normally” happen on campus, it can now happen in Teams!

Please make sure your student can see the TCS – All Community team. If not, have them go to the “Join or Create a Team” option and enter the code c1fhhh0. Be sure to download the Teams desktop app for full feature functionality.

In the TCS – All Community team, students will have access to all kinds of channels. They are welcome to explore! Here are some highlights:

Encourage your student to join in and help create a TCS virtual community!

Attendance will be tracked for online classes. If your student will have an excused absence or tardy, please follow the regular attendance procedures by calling or emailing Kathy Webb in the attendance office:

Email: kawebb@seattleschool.org

Phone: 206.252.9785

Parents will continue to receive robo calls notifying them of tardies and absences just like during regular school.

Flu Shots: Flu shots are the single best way to protect students, staff and families from getting influenza. Flu and COVID-19 symptoms are similar. The Center for Disease Control recommends everyone over six months to be vaccinated against the flu. Following COVID precautions, Seattle Visiting Nurse Association (SVNA) offers 32 drive through flu shot clinics at 16 school buildings Sep – Oct 2. Parents can register all family members for a flu shot online. SVNA accepts Apple Health, Medicare, and most private insurance (not TriCare or CIGNA) as well as credit cards. Make your appointment through the Seattle Visiting Nurse Association's online form.

School-based health centers also offer flu shots to any SPS student. Flu shots and other services are available with or without insurance. To get a flu shot at a school-based health center, contact the center directly. See a list and map of schools with school-based health centers. TCS students often use Ballard Teen Health Center (206-390-3355).

Expanded Health Services: All SPS students can access mental and physical health services through our many school-based health centers. Services include well-child exams, sports physicals, immunizations and flu shots, mental health support, reproductive health care, access for health insurance, and prescriptions for medications for chronic conditions such as asthma.

Typically TCS students access the Ballard Teen Health Center (but they are allowed to go to any Teen Health Center in the District). The staff at the Ballard Teen Health Center can see students by appointment on Mondays and Fridays. Please call 206-296-4639 or email the nurse practitioner karen.boudour@swedish.org to make an appointment or contact TCS nurse Amnah King for help setting up an appointment.

These are particularly stressful times for teens. Check out these resources for extra support for teen mental health:

All students who qualify for free or reduced price meals receive meals free of charge. Apply for free and reduced price meals for your student using the SPS safe, private, and secure application. You can also apply using a paper application in a variety of languages.

Registration for OneWorld Now's 2020-2021 after school program is now open! This year, OWN has 3 tracks to choose from:

The deadline to register is Sep 27, but all classes will be capped at 17 students and are first-come, first-served. If you need more time or have any questions, email info@oneworldnow.org.

Did you know that if you are 16 or 17 years old, you can sign up now to be automatically registered to vote when you turn 18? In order to qualify as a Future Voter, you must be at least 16 years old, a US citizen, and a WA resident. Every US citizen who is 18 or older or will turn 18 by Nov 3 can vote in the upcoming election. So get registered to vote and be part of the change you want to see!