Calendar
October
8: No School (In-service Day)
19: Photo Retake Day
20: SED Committee: Executive Function Online
Summit, 7 pm
21: FOSB Meeting, 7 pm
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Good Evening Salmon Bay Community!
Wow, we just finished September and a whole month of school. As I have told my staff, it has felt like a whole year already! I can’t stress enough how wonderful all the staff at Salmon Bay are doing. Recently I have had some time to visit classrooms and I am so impressed with the level of rigor that students are getting in their academics, but also the amount of discussion and time spent with social emotional learning (SEL). I am truly impressed with how well students are adjusting and doing at school with all things considered.
I am reminded daily about how excited students, families and teachers are to have school back. Personally, this is my first real year at Salmon Bay seeing and getting to know students. I forgot how much I missed it! I love getting emails, and phone calls from families saying how great their students are doing and how much fun their kids are having this year. It blows my mind because for some students this is normal, and yet to many of us, it’s hard. I like knowing that students can create the road map to their education while we, as educators, support them.
Enjoy your kid’s day from school today. The sun is shining, the air is crisp, and there is fun to be had outside. Please take time to spend this with each other.
Best,
Suro, Barbara, and Darren
Salmon Bay Admin Team
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Seen at Salmon Bay
This week, we are excited to share activities taking place in two of our middle school classrooms!
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Ultimate Challenge
Check out this fun activity from Monica Beckman's STEM class! As part of Ultimate Challenge, students are introduced to the Engineering Design Process. During the Spaghetti Tower Challenge, students must build a tower in 20 minutes using just 20 pieces of uncooked spaghetti and 1 meter of masking tape to support a marshmallow as high off the table as possible. This semester’s highest tower measured 68 cm!
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Hispanic Heritage Month is September 15 – October 15. One example of student activities in observance of Hispanic Heritage Month comes from Ticely Reeve’s homeroom. Each day when students enter the classroom, they are greeted with a slide sharing important announcements as well as a “Did You Know?” fact or introduction to an interesting person. You can see examples of slides from Ticely’s class above.
Students are also participating in a mini biography project that allows them to 1) Introduce an important person of Hispanic Heritage to the class while 2) learning about credible sources and practicing using PowerPoint. These skills are intentionally layered into the Hispanic Heritage Month (mini) Biography Project because of their importance during student projects later in the year.
As the month has progressed, student interest in the individuals they are learning about has increased. Ticely shared that the class has had a number of thoughtful conversations and that students have begun asking if they can send her their own “Did You Know” facts!
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Salmon Bay School - Photo Retake Day
Our school has scheduled photo retakes for October 19th. Students will receive a proof of their school picture (the photo taken last week) soon.
Use Picture Day I.D. EVTBSDQFQ
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Ballard Market Receipts
We are continuing to collect Ballard Market receipts to benefit Salmon Bay! If you shop at Ballard Market, please save your receipts and send them to school with your child. We bundle our receipts together and receive 1% of sales back as a donation to the school. That 1 % may not seem like a lot, but 1% of what we collectively spend on groceries adds up to significant funding for our school!
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Covid-19 Information
Please visit the SPS Contact Tracing website for detailed information regarding what to do if your student has symptoms or has close contact with someone who has Covid-19.
IF there is a case of Covid-19 within a Salmon Bay classroom, a communication will be sent out to classroom families. One classroom communication have been sent out to date.
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Elementary students- Classes are underway and books are circulating! Please let me know if you have any questions about policies and procedures. We have been reading and learning about Hispanic Heritage Month and just started learning about Indigenous People’s Day. We read: “Fry Bread”, “First Laugh, Welcome Baby” and “Rez Dogs” at different grade levels this past week.
Middle School Students- Last week I had 6th grade students came to their first library class. They learned how to use the catalog and checked out books! I also had rotations of 7th / 8th graders come through for the same lesson. Students can look for books in our library from their laptops through the “Destiny Discover” application. eBooks are also available on the catalog for check out. Middle school students are welcome to come into the library with teacher permission on Wednesdays and Fridays for book check out/return and afterschool until 4pm M,T,Th and F. In addition, formal library lessons/classes will be 1x a month for the most part.
Donations- Our library is always in need of book donations. If you have a high quality, high interest and age-appropriate chapter books, graphic novels and picture books please consider donating them to our library for student use. You can have your child bring them into the library or we can coordinate for delivery.
Also, I am working to make the library cozier and more living room like. I would love to have a few floor lamps and even a large floor rug. Do you have one to donate? Let me know!
Lastly, I intend on making an Amazon wish list for books and will share this link soon.
Always feel free to reach out.
Kindly,
Corinna Wright
Teacher-Librarian
206 252 1767
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Nutty Squirrel Community Kit
We are excited to partner with Nutty Squirrel Gelato again this fall. Order the Community Kit and a $5 donation will be made to Salmon Bay School (or another participating school of your choice).
Each kit contains 2 pints of gelato, take-n-bake brownie tray, salted caramel sauce, squirrel stash sprinkles, honeyberry postcard and Nutty merch.
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This sandwich board sits just outside our front doors. There is a doorbell located in the upper left corner. Please push the doorbell to request assistance if needed. |
Salmon Bay Building Procedures
As we settle into the schoolyear, we wanted to share the following tips and procedures with you regarding building access. Our building is still closed to parents and visitors. If you need to pick up or drop off a student, please help us out by doing the following:
- When picking up a student, please call 5-10 minutes before arriving. We will call your student to the office, sign them out and have them meet you outside.
- When calling the office, please tell us your student’s name and grade level.
- When you approach the front doors of the building, locate the sandwich board, and push the doorbell (located in the upper left corner) once. A staff member will come out to meet you and offer assistance. *See the photo of Britta and Caitlin showcasing our doorbell above!
- If you approach the front doors and notice one is ajar, please remain outside and push the doorbell for assistance. Our doors are old and sticky, and sometimes don’t latch completely. We are happy to help you, but parents need to remain outside the building unless specifically directed otherwise.
- Make (and confirm) after school plans with your student before they arrive at school each day. Our office is very busy before and after school, limiting extra calls home during these peak times is a huge help.
We greatly appreciate your patience and cooperation as we work to meet everyone’s needs and keep our community safe.
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Lost and Found
As you can see from the photo above, our Lost & Found is overflowing! We have water bottles, hats, snack containers, sweatshirts, and jackets of all varieties. If your student is missing an item, please suggest they visit the Lost & Found located in the music hallway on the first floor. If your student isn't sure where Lost & Found is located, remind them that they can ask their teacher or any staff member for help.
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Please be sure your student’s sweatshirt, jacket, lunch box, water bottle, etc. is labeled with their name!
This is one simple thing you can do to help us reunite students with their lost items.
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Playground Request
We need your help! Lately after school and on weekends, the playground at Salmon Bay has been left a mess. This is really frustrating to our students and staff. You can help us by:
- Keep an eye out for anyone littering or making a mess on the playground.
- If you see individuals making a mess or inappropriately using the playground, let us know.
- Talk with your kids about keeping the playground clean during the school day, but also after school and on weekends.
- Set a good example. Clean up after yourselves and help pick up other trash and recyclables when safely possible.
- Spread the word. When you visit the playground with friends, remind them to help keep our playground a safe and clean space for all.
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Supporting Students Thru SBA Testing
Information was sent to families of 4th - 8th grade students this week regarding the upcoming Smarter Balanced Assessments (SBA) which begin next week. We hope the following information, prepared by Counselor Rob Bright, is helpful to you as you work to support your student(s) when they are participating in assessments.
How Parents Can Help Students During SBA Testing
- Talk with your children about upcoming tests to help relieve test anxiety. Try not to overemphasize the tests. Help them build self-confidence by making sure they understand you just want them to make their best efforts.
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Stick to normal routines. Adequate sleep and proper nutrition are important throughout the school year. A good night's sleep and a healthy breakfast can promote learning every day and are especially important to help start each morning as alert as possible. Make sure they have a snack they can have during break time.
- Make sure your children arrive at school on time without the need to rush to their testing location.
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Please, please, please make sure that their laptop is plugged in overnight, charged and ready to go.
- Encourage your children to take their time in answering the test questions and to answer every question. It is not a race to the finish. Taking time to read the question thoroughly can make a big difference.
How Students Can Do Their Best on SBA Testing
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Please, please, please make sure that your laptop is plugged in overnight, charged and ready to go.
- Stay relaxed and confident while taking the test. Breathe deeply and slowly to help you relax and stay focused.
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Read each question carefully, more than once if necessary. Make sure you understand what is being asked.
- Answer the questions you positively know first. Then, go back and complete the other test questions.
- If you are unsure of an answer, eliminate the incorrect choices. Draw on your understanding of the concept, skill and given text to select the best answer from the remaining choices.
- Remember, there is only one correct answer for each multiple-choice question.
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If a question requires you to do more than one task, such as “identify and provide support,” make sure you have answered every part of the question in the response.
- Do not rush through the test. Take your time and pace yourself. Do not be concerned if other students finish the test before you.
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After you have completed the test, go back, and review each test item. Be certain you have correctly marked your answer for each multiple-choice item. Make sure you have answered all parts of short-answer and extended-response questions properly and completely.
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Answer all questions to the best of your ability. Even if you do not know the full answer, you may know enough about the topic to earn partial credit. Try not to leave any questions blank.
Final reminder: This is an assessment to see where you are in your learning. After last year, and remote learning, this assessment will help the school better understand who needs more support. Please focus on doing your best but try not to become anxious about it. (That goes for students and their parents)
Period (Menstruation) Supplies
If your student is in need of period supplies while at Salmon Bay, we can help!
- Jenny B (School Counselor) has an open basket of pads, tampons, and some wipes on the bookshelf outside her office (in the Library)- students are welcome to take what they need. Librarian Corinna and Counselor Rob can also help if needed.
- The Front office and School Nurse also have supplies in the Main Office- they are also available in the Nurse’s bathroom.
- If your student has gotten their period or is expecting their period in the near future, an extra set of pants, undies, and a set of supplies kept in their backpack can come in really handy.
If you have any questions, please reach out to us. Periods can be tricky and periods at school can be extra tricky. If you would like to donate period supplies for students, reach out to me (Jenny).
In Community,
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Friends of Salmon Bay (FOSB)
Looking Ahead to the Next FOSB Meeting:
Thursday, October 21st at 7pm
Meeting ID: 837 6931 2922
Passcode: family
Volunteer Opportunity: Parent Reps Needed
Friends of Salmon Bay is seeking grade specific Parent Representatives to further provide a voice to our parent community and act as a liaison between teachers and students in their grade and FOSB's many programs and initiatives. This is a great way for parents to get to know others in their class community as well as their teachers in order to advocate on their behalf, gather consensus, generate ideas and bring forth any issues or concerns.
Elementary Class Representatives
Having a FOSB parent grade rep from each of our grades K-5 allows parents to have a voice and grow understanding of school systems in general. It also allows FOSB to know what the important issues are for each of your grades. Specifically, we would only ask that you talk with the co-chairs ahead of time of any potential agenda items you would like to add, attend the monthly meeting, and bring back highlights to your grade. The time commitment should be minimal and hopefully the impact is great!
Middle School Class Representatives
For Middle School we would love to have a parent from each grade and team: 6th Grade, 7th Grade Olympics, 7th Grade Cascades, 8th Grade Olympics and 8th Grade Cascades. Class Representatives could do anything from poll parents about topics for one of our parent education events, plan a grade/team specific gathering at the park or talk to teachers about ideas or issues they may be seeing in the classroom.
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Parent Education Series
FOSB's Special Education and Disability (SED) Committee is hosting viewings from Seth Perler's TEFOS (The Executive Function Online Summit).
What You Will Learn:
*how and why we need to re-frame our understanding of behaviors (from inattention and school/homework resistance to emotional or physical meltdowns) from being intentional acts to stress responses (often cognitive stress in school-related tasks)
* why developing self-regulation ("self-reg") and not self control is key to supporting children at home and at school (and why there's a difference)
* the importance of relationships: how the "self-reg" of parents, teachers and caregivers is inextricably linked to children's own ability to "self-reg"
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Loyal Heights Teen Program Re-Opening
Loyal Heights Teen Program is back. Due to Covid-19 there are new entry guideline that have been put in place to keep participants safe. To enter the building and participate in programs at Loyal Heights Community Center all participants must be fully vaccinated or have proof of valid negative Covid-19 test within 72 hours. The building will be locked and only participant who are registered for programs will be allowed to enter. You have to register in advance to participate in all programs. Families and teens must have an active account in Active Net to register for these programs. All drop in activities have been canceled for the time being. Find out more about programs offered here.
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STEAM After School Enrichment Classes
Join BEAM Experiences for virtual STEAM enrichment classes. We specialize in social, creative, project-based activities, with an emphasis on fun and technology. Fall enrichment offerings include Video Game Design, Minecraft Group Challenge and Desert Team Survival. Click here to learn more about our programs OR visit our website.
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Virtual After School Classes with Creative Coding
Creative Coding online uses your child’s own creativity to make learning coding fun, as they write their own, unique computer game. Your child’s own ideas are more interesting and motivating to them than any “class assignment”. Our caring, supportive teachers use positive reinforcement and proven, project-based
learning to help your child succeed at their own pace. Social interaction between kids is half the fun, as they share and play each other’s games in a supportive, welcoming environment.
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Illumination Learning Studio Student Camps
As our kids return to the classroom this year, Illumination Learning Studio is offering a variety of school year enrichment programs including school year camps for grades K-5. School Year Camps run from 9:00-4:00pm, with options to extend Before and After camp. You can find more details and camp descriptions on our website: bit.ly/ILS-2021-SYC
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