New in this week's Dragon's Fire

Please join the CSCA on Thu, Nov 9, 6:30–8:30 pm for a presentation from Dr. Jason Kilmer on stress management, student anxiety and depression, and ways parents can help. Dr. Kilmer is an associate professor in psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington. He will give his presentation followed by a brief Q&A session. CSCA thanks Dr. Myra Parker for facilitating this presentation. You can learn more about Dr. Kilmer in his bio. Following Dr. Kilmer’s presentation, the final hour will be a Q&A session with Dr. Casey.

The meeting will held via Zoom. Links will be sent out early this week and will be posted on the CSCA page of the school website. The meeting schedule for the 2020–2021 academic year is posted on the CSCA page of the TCS website.

TCS is a unique community with a small group of dedicated teachers and students from all over the school district. TCS seeks to extend learning beyond the classroom to involve our students in the city and world beyond. To help support that effort the CSCA seeks additional funds from families twice a year. The Annual Fund in the fall and the Auction in the spring are the primary way the CSCA raises money.

We are launching our Annual Fund now and there are multiple ways you can donate:

The TSC community is one of the things that drew us all to this school. While CSCA needs money to fund our mission, there are other ways you can support our community:

This is a strange time and many of us are struggling with how to talk with our kids about current events. You may have heard or read Dr. Casey's Community Letter, but we're reprinting the resources she shared here to help your family through this week and beyond.

Finally, this is an unusual election season, and it may take longer than normal for the votes to be tallied. This may cause additional apprehension and stress for students and your family. Please take care of yourself and your loved ones. You can find health and wellness resources provided by trusted community partners.

We all need adequate, quality sleep to function well. This is particularly true in stressful times, and it's even more true for teenagers. Studies show that teens need between 9 and 9 ½ hours of sleep each night. See this graphic from Nurse Amnah's nursing students on why teens need adequate sleep. And try these simple tips to help your student sleep better:

Getting your flu shot is more important this year than ever! Schedule your drive-through flu shot appointment now! There are 12 locations in Seattle to choose from. Everyone over the age of 4 is welcome in a car or on foot. Please bring insurance information if you have it. There is no cost if you don't have insurance. An appointment is required. Please register in advance.

SPS will remain remote with limited in-person instruction through the end of the first semester. This means that through Jan 28, in-person instruction in our buildings is limited to a small number of students receiving special education services. A leadership team has been re-convened to inform next steps. Due to changing Covid conditions, there is no guarantee that buildings will reopen next semester. Read the full announcement about the building reopening plan.

This semester, 5th period 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 Tue, Nov 17 and end with a short period (due to early release for winter break) on Fri, Dec 18. 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. We are planning an art kit pick-up event outside of the Vera Project on the Seattle Center campus on Sat, Nov 7, 11 am–3 pm with additional pick-up windows available until the Nov 17. 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 number: 206-999-4257

Graduation dates are available on the SPS website. TCS graduation 2021 is scheduled for Tue, Jun 15 at 8 pm. No further information is available at this time. Let's hope we can graduate in person!

Seniors and their parents are invited to attend one SPS's many upcoming financial aid events. Experts will be on hand to offer support with completing the financial aid forms required to access money for college. Multiple languages supported. Read more on the SPS College Preparation Events page.

Upcoming Events (all events are virtual):

More statewide events are listed on the flyer in English, Spanish, Somali, Vietnamese, or Amharic.

Join the SPL's service learning program to gain job skills and earn service learning credit. Opportunities include being a Learning Buddy to help other students succeed in school or participating in Teen Service Learning to work on service projects with other teens. Service Learning will be held weekly on Mondays 4–5 pm, Oct 5–Dec 14 via Teams.

Beverly Lackey loves working with kids: seeing their growth, witnessing the “Aha” moments, and watching them come alive on stage gives her the same feeling she used to get when she was on stage. “This is my jam,” she says of teaching.

After college at a small liberal arts school—Hendrix College in Conway, AR, known as the Ivy League of the South—she was accepted into the St. Louis Black Repertory’s Professional Internship program. The program involved a comprehensive theatre format, including assignments from the administrative, educational, and artistic departments. As an intern she traveled throughout the region, performing in touring productions at area schools, community centers, and other organizations. It was during the rehearsal process for a holiday show, an original play called The Christmas Story, where she met Charles Lackey, her future husband.

Ms. Lackey and Charles moved to Seattle in 1998 and have worked at many different theater organizations in the area. She started in company management, babysitting visiting artists at the Rep and got to meet all the stars. Then she moved into education. She has worked with Seattle Children’s Theater, Book It, ACT, SPT, Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center, Perseverance Theater in Juneau, AK, and the 5th Avenue Theater. She was first introduced to TCS in 2001 while subbing for a friend who was a teaching artist for Seattle Rep which had a partnership with the school. From 2004–2009, Ms. Lackey was a teaching artist at the Rep and taught Intro to Theater and Theater for Social Change, and also coached actors.

Ms. Lackey is excited for the opportunity to grow the theater arts program at TCS. She has set up her virtual classroom to be inviting by having music students have chosen playing when they enter. She has also established a partnership with Freehold Theater for this year and is helping develop an original student-written musical to be performed this winter. She loves producing and working on new works—new territory that has never been stepped on before.

Ms. Lackey is a Freehold Studio diversity scholarship recipient and is excited to enter this partnership. Freehold theater describes itself as “a destination where anyone with an inquisitive spirit can join in the celebration of the inherent risk of being human.” She wants students at TCS to be able to develop their resumes and follow their passions whether in a university program or by staying and building up the Seattle theater scene.

Ms. Lackey comes from a small country town called Natural Steps, Arkansas. She grew up with woods behind her house just like in Little House on the Prairie. She describes herself as a simple person, not complex, no piercings or tattoos. She has a beautiful fourth grade boy named Langston who goes to John Hay Elementary School. In her free time she likes camping, playing bocce ball, exploring the nature of the Pacific Northwest, and playing her ukulele (badly). She is a Seahawks fan and loves reading “nerdy” books about theater.

The Seattle Public Library has launched Tutor.com! Tutor.com has over 3,000 vetted expert tutors to help youth with schoolwork via tutoring and academic coaching in a variety of subjects in a safe and secure online classroom. One-on-one help is available in math, writing, science, history, foreign languages, college essay writing, Advanced Placement (AP) courses, and more. The service is available 7 days a week, 2–10 p.m. in Spanish and English, and 4–7 p.m. in Vietnamese. Teens and adults can also use this service to get help filling out job applications and writing a cover letter and resume. Read more and connect.

Looking for a post high school career with a steady income? The US Army provides free training and skill development so you can launch the career of your dreams. Join us at the US Army Career Expo Nov 10 at 10 am to find out what the Army has to offer. This is a virtual event hosted by Northgate Army Recruiting. Register now.

AIGA Link is a Seattle-based program that connects high school students with art and design professionals through creative workshops. High school students are invited to join to participate in upcoming virtual workshops. The November workshop is printmaking with Fred Lisaius. Students must register to apply for workshops.