Friday, December 20th

8:55-9:30am, School Lantern Festival at Friday Sing

The Lantern Festival is a yearly tradition at Salmon Bay. All elementary students create lanterns during art class that are arranged and displayed on the stage in the Cafetorium during Friday Sing. Lights are dimmed, and the battery operated tealights illuminate the lanterns while special songs are sung. This is a beautiful event and families are welcome to attend. 

Volunteer Opportunity: We are looking for Lantern Festival Helpers!

3-4 Volunteers to help with set up Thursday Afternoon 12/19/24 at 2:30 pm

3-4 Volunteers to help with turning on tea lights Friday Morning at 8:15 am 

3-4 Volunteers to help turn off tea lights and distribute to classrooms after Friday Sing.

Please contact Volunteer Coordinator, Lara Cowles or (206) 272-1728 if you are available to help.

The Community Giving program is off to a great start!

With a week and half left, we still have 37 wishes left to fulfill. 

To give a gift to a family in our community, please click here to sign up for a wish. Gifts must be received no later than Wednesday December 18 at noon.

Unwrapped and labeled gifts can be hand delivered to the front office. Should you wish to have the gift(s) directly shipped to us, drop them off with us outside school hours, or have us pick them up from your residence, please contact Jacqueline Anderson by phone/text at 206-529-7781 or by email. For timely delivery, please ensure gifts are received no later than Wednesday December 18 at noon.

For more information, or if you have any questions, please contact Jacqueline Anderson or reach out to our school counselor Rob or social worker Allie.

Thank you all for coming together to support one another this season!

Winter 2025 Afterschool Program Sessions - Registration starts on December 13th

We are excited to share that the schedule has been finalized for the Winter 2025 Afterschool Program.  Available programming can be previewed on 6Crickets, which includes classes, times, costs and registration information. 

Registration opens at 12 pm on December 13th, and ends on January 10th. 

Flyer with more info can be found here.

Classes this session include:

• Mondays - Coding Video Games (3rd-5th)
• Tuesdays - Chess Wizards (K-5th) or Kids Basic Dance (3rd - 5th)
• Wednesdays - Brick City Engineers (K-3rd) or Crafts - Under the Sea (1st-5th)
• Thursdays - Japanese (K-5th)
• Fridays - Ceramics/Kiln Fired Clay (K-8th)

We’ve updated our Volunteer Request Form, and our Scholarship Form.  Each Volunteer will receive free tuition for their student. Limited scholarships are available for full or partial tuition. Both options are first come, first served. For the younger students, a parent volunteer will ensure they are picked up as requested by their caregiver in the registration form and/or can be escorted to Coho.

Order School Pictures

Families can view and order school pictures here. Each gallery is password protected by an online code. Online codes are SPS student ID numbers and orders are now shipped to homes.

Middle School Athletics:

Winter Sports Information:

Winter sports season (basketball only) is approaching, and I wanted to make sure you are all ready to go when the season starts! The season will begin the week of December 9th, and you will receive an email (if you fill out the interest form) from the coaches as the season gets closer to beginning. Practices are 2x per week with a game on Saturdays. The first game probably won’t be until January. In the meantime, please go through the following steps to be sure your student is ready to go.

1. Please fill out this interest form if your student is interested in playing basketball!
2. Be sure you have completed ALL PAPERWORK prior to season start (students can NOT begin practice until all forms are turned in). 

Email Erin Telford (Athletics Coordinator for Middle School) if you have any questions.

Middle School Theater: 

Salmon Bay Middle School’s production of “Zombie Attack!” (coming mid-January) is looking to have or borrow the following items. Please do not lend anything sentimental.



Requested Items:

• 1980s Newspaper
• 1980s Magazine
• Fake spiders of different sizes 
• Pitchfork
• Syringe (without the needle)
• Fake Snakes
• Holster to hold a police officer baton.
• Police baton 
• Halloween Makeup: White/black/grey face makeup, white/black/grey make up pencils/eye liner, fake blood makeup.
• Donations (not to be returned) of 80s clothing. 
• Stage Fireplace
• Smaller bench (with no back)

Items you would like returned (please label with name and email). All donations and questions can be directed to Rachel Street. Thanks!

Center School Open House:

The Center School in Seattle is a unique public high school that focuses on fostering creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration among its students. Located in the heart of the city, it offers a diverse curriculum that emphasizes arts, project-based learning, and student leadership. The school aims to create a supportive community where students can explore their passions, develop their talents, and prepare for future challenges in a rapidly changing world. With a commitment to inclusivity, The Center School provides an engaging environment for learners who prefer a smaller learning community.

OPEN HOUSE DATES:

Thursday, November 21, 2024, 6:00 – 7:30 pm

Tuesday, February 11, 2025, 6:00 – 7:30 pm



Interested students and parents can RSVP using the QR code in the flyer or the link here.

For more information on The Center School, we invite you to take a virtual school tour linked here.

For inquiries about scheduling a Shadow Day, please contact Michele Hayes, Counselor.

Ingraham High School:

Ingraham High School will be hosting information nights for prospective families on the following dates:

January 23rd, 7pm: International Baccalaureate information night for 8th – 10th grade families. This meeting is in person at Ingraham High School in the math forum. The IB Coordinators are holding two information sessions for families who are interested in learning more about Ingraham’s IB programs – both the long-running Diploma Program and the newly-added IB Career-Related Program. Both programs are for students in the last two years of high school and offer different ways to be an IB student at Ingraham. See virtual meeting option on February 5th. Both sessions will cover the same information, with limited time for questions afterward.

January 29th, 7pm: Open House for prospective families. Meet at 7pm in the Ingraham Auditorium for a brief introduction by Principal Martin Floe and parent groups. Teachers will be available for questions about curriculum. If you are interested in detailed information about the IB program, please attend one of our IB Info sessions on 1/23 (in person) or 2/5 (virtual).

February 5th, 7pm:  Virtual International Baccalaureate information night for 8th – 10th grade families. A Microsoft Teams link will be posted on the Ingraham website calendar.

Resource for Middle School Families and their Students:

New Beginnings is a local organization that focuses on providing healthy relationship education and supporting survivors of domestic violence. One of the resources they provide is a teen support program called Crushin’ It. Students may have an opportunity to take part in a group this coming spring and New Beginnings is available for parent workshops, as well. If you are interested in any information, please check out the website here and reach out to counselor Rob Bright if you would like your student to take part in a group. Middle school students have access to the website on Rob’s Schoology page under Healthy Relationship Information in the Social & Emotional Support folder.

Volunteering at Salmon Bay:

If you would like to Volunteer at Salmon Bay, please click here and select Apply. Applications can take 2-3 weeks so the sooner you do this, the better.

If you would like to Check your Volunteer Status, please click here and enter your Email and Password.

If you need to Renew your Volunteer Application, please click here and renew. Volunteer Eligibility is good for 2 years.

If you plan to Volunteer as a Driver, please obtain both of these things and send them to Lara Cowles or drop off at the main office.

1. Certified Driver Record with the department of licensing: (good for 1 calendar year) 
2. Volunteer Driver Checklist (good for 1 calendar year) 

As a reminder, all volunteers must check in at the main office before they volunteer. If it is your first time volunteering this year, you will be required to show your id so it can be logged – Volunteers are not APPROVED until their ID is logged. 

Current Volunteer Needs:

Please contact Volunteer Coordinator, Lara Cowles:

Volunteers are needed for Recess and Lunch Supervision (daily)

Volunteers Needed for After School Traffic Control on 18th (daily)

Crossing Guard Needed:

We are still hoping to find a Crossing Guard. This is a paid hourly position. Please contact Principal Dixon if you are interested. Also, feel free to share the news with any community members who might be interested.

Attendance:

Morning Arrival/Absence:

The school day begins at 8:55am for K-8th grade. Students should be in their classroom ready to begin work when the school day begins. If your student arrives after 8:55 they will need to stop by the office to sign in and get a tardy slip.

To report your child absent, please email us at salmonbay.attendance@seattleschools.org or call us at 206-252-1728. When reporting your child absent, please include first and last name and the nature of your student’s absence.

Multiple Day Planned Absence:

If your student is going to miss more than two school days, please fill out the Planned of Absence Form and submit this form to the main office at least one week in advance of the absence. Planned absences can be excused for medical appointments, religious or other one-time events. Family vacations or family trips during regular school days are unexcused.

Riding home on the Bus with a friend:

If your student is planning to ride home with another student who is assigned to a bus route, a temporary transportation pass (Yellow Card) must be obtained through our school office. We do require a signed note/phone call or email from a parent/guardian giving permission for their student to ride the bus with a friend, please include route number and full names of students. Bus pass request must be made at least one hour prior to dismissal so please plan ahead of time! 

Picking up students for Appointments:

If you are picking up a student for an appointment, please call the main office 5-10

minutes before your arrival so we can call your student down for pick-up. It gets quite

busy, and a call serves as a great reminder to us and helps us keep everything moving

on time.

If you have any questions regarding attendance please contact our Attendance coordinator, Ileana De Leon.

Notes From the Nurse:

Head Lice: 

Children can easily catch lice through contacts with friends at school, home and in the community. Finding lice early makes it easier to get rid of them. Doing regular head checks on your children is your best defense! 

Basic Lice Facts:

Who gets lice? Anyone!! Frequent, regular shampooing does not prevent lice. Younger children seem to get lice more frequently because of more close contact with others. Animals do not carry or contract head lice. 

How do you get lice? Lice can walk, but they do not fly or hop. They travel from person to person directly (two heads touching) or are transferred via personal items (combs, brushes, hats, pillowcases…)

Facts about Lice: The adult louse is a wingless insect less than 1/8” long and is a pale brownish-gray. Lice do not carry disease. They bite the scalp causing itching. They move quickly and avoid light so they are often difficult to see.

Facts about Nits: The female louse lays 3-6 eggs per day and may live up to 30 days. The nits (egg sacs) of lice are cemented to human hair with “nature’s superglue.” The nits appear as small, silvery oval-shaped specks that look like dandruff. But they are difficult to remove! The nits hatch in about 7 – 10 days. 

• Lice are not a health hazard and do not spread diseases. However, they are annoying, itchy and frustrating!
• Indications of a lice infestation include – itching of the scalp, a tickling feeling in the hair, visible live lice or nits attached to hair, sores or scratches on the head, irritability or trouble sleeping. 
• Almost all cases of lice are spread through direct head-to-head contact. Lice cannot jump or fly to another person's hair. While it is possible to spread lice while sharing hats or brushes, most lice are spread during sleepovers and bed-sharing.
• Nits (lice eggs) are tiny, oval and tan (not hatched) or white (hatched) specks that are glued to the hair shaft. Nits hatch into lice in about 1 week. Off the scalp, nits can't survive over 1 week.
• Lice are approximately 1/16-inch (2 mm) long bugs – about the size of a sesame seed. They move quickly and are difficult to find. Adult lice can typically survive 3-4 weeks on the scalp, but only 24-48 hours off the head. The lice feed on blood from the scalp.

A few important reminders:

• Please keep your child home if they are sick. Also, please do not give them sickness medication prior to school, as this medication will wear off while at school and symptoms will return
• Your child CANNOT self-carry medication (even over-the counter medication) unless approved by me. Your child cannot TAKE medication (even over-the-counter medication) at school without the proper forms in place
• Here is a link for COVID/Respiratory Illness guidelines.
• Children can easily catch lice through contacts with friends at school, home and in the community. Finding lice early makes it easier to get rid of them. Doing regular head checks on your children is your best defense!



I am at Salmon Bay every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Please reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns, or if I can be of further assistance. I look forward to partnering with you and your child!

Nurse Suzanne

206-252-1727

Lost & Found

Don't forget to check out the lost & found before winter break! The racks are filling up once again.

Little Free Library

Did you know there's a little free library in the lobby? Show it some love and drop off gently used books inside for anyone to peruse.

There's also a book cart stocked with items from the PIE (Parent Information Exchange) Committee. Check out these great resources as well!

You can support Friends of Salmon Bay in everyday ways, like shopping at a merchant of your choice or searching online. Learn more here.

Our fundraising page is available all year long, and donations are welcome anytime!

Remember: Donations are tax-deductible. Corporate contributions are welcome. Participation is voluntary. Anything helps and everything is appreciated. Thank you for being part of our amazing community and supporting Salmon Bay!

Join your neighbors and the Salmon Bay Park Stewards for Winter Wonderland - enjoy hot cocoa or cider and festive music as we light up the park with luminarias. Consider staying for the Lantern Festival hosted by FOSB immediately following this event - details above.

When: Friday, Dec 20, 5-6:30pm

Where: West side of Salmon Bay Park

For more info about Salmon Bay Park stewards, click here.

For the event flyer, click here.

PNA Kids and Seniors Pen Pal Project

The Phinney Neighborhood Association (PNA) hosts a Pen Pal Project to connect kids and seniors all over the country, and while we usually have more kids than seniors on our list, we are currently in need of a few more kid pen pals! Check out more information here: Kids & Seniors Pen Pal Project | PNA.