April is National Poetry Month! As the world reawakens and we contemplate the possibility of hope, try one or more of these 30 ways to celebrate National Poetry Month.

take the leaf of a tree

trace its exact shape

the outside edges

and inner lines

memorize the way it is fastened to the twig

(and how the twig arches from the branch)

how it springs forth in April

how it is panoplied in July

by late August

crumple it in your hand

so that you smell its end-of-summer sadness

chew its woody stem

listen to its autumn rattle

watch it as it atomizes in the November air

then in winter

when there is no leaf left

   invent one

~Eve Merriam

New in this week's Dragon's Fire

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

A huge thanks to everyone who supported our online and live virtual auctions! If you missed the events, it's not too late! You can still donate at our auction site: https://csca.schoolauction.net/cometogether/give.

As we get ready to return to in-person school, you're probably thinking, "How can I help my child with this transition and how can I support the teachers and staff at The Center School?" The answer is easy! Join the CSCA!

The CSCA has many positions to fill for next year. Now, more than ever before, it's important for our school to have a strong parent community to support staff and especially students. Board positions require minimal time and make a big difference for our school. (Bonus: Being a board member is a great way to feel connected to the school community and know what's happening at the school.)

Please volunteer and help make next year the best year ever! If you can help or have questions, please reach out to CSCA president, Erika Borges (erikaborges@me.com) or volunteer coordinator, Molly Goldman (molly.goldman@gmail.com).

The Board of Directors for Seattle Public Schools voted on Wed, Mar 24, 2021 to appoint Erin Dury as the District IV Director representing Central and Northwest Seattle including Magnolia, Queen Anne, and southern neighborhoods in Ballard. The District IV seat became vacant after the resignation of Eden Mack. Read more.

More and more substances are being laced with fentanyl. In just two years (2018–2020), King County saw a 167% increase in the number of fentanyl overdose deaths. Read more about life-saving steps everyone can take to bring the death count down.

New this week in bold. Check the Career Center Announcements webpage for details and links.

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

TCS's Mr. Rho and the UW Dream Workshop have collaborated to create this career and college readiness workbook for TCS rising juniors and seniors. View the workbook now.

Partnerships across Pierce and King County have come together to host a week long (1–2 hours a day) virtual healthcare career exploration event Apr 26–30. Events will all be in the afternoon and the agenda, while still in development, looks roughly like this:

Interested? Email Ms. Wynn for more information at wypottingerlev@seattleschools.org.

This is a reminder to please submitted your FAFSA application if you have not done so. The deadline is Apr 15 This is an important and last requirement to complete for eligibilitiy for the Seattle Promise Scholarship. If you need any assistance, Seattle Promise has workshops. Our Seattle Promise outreach, Savannah Daniels, can assist you! Check for open workshops here.

A Scholarship Opportunity for African American Students Interested in Journalism with awards of $500–$2,500. Open to graduating high school seniors and undergraduate students of the African American Diaspora studying in WA. Award recipients will be matched with a mentor from the Seattle Association of Black Journalists. This is a great launching point for a career in journalism, photography, broadcasting, documentary film/audio production. Application deadline is Mar 31. Apply now.

WA Ethnic Studies Now is looking for submissions by artists up to age 25 living WA state to submit visual art of any medium that responds to the question: How can we use art to tell the stories of BIPOC and our communities? Work must be submitted as a high res digital file between Mar 1 and Mar 31. Winners will be announced Apr 17. Read more about WA Ethnic Studies' mission and the contest.

The Leaders of Today Competition prompts students to write a short essay or film a video about a specific change they wish to enact in one of the following three categories:

The winners of the competition, our “2021 Leaders of Today Youth Visionaries,” will get the unique opportunity to work with one of our adult ambassadors, ranging from an MIT Professor to the mayor of the City of Bellevue, to realize these changes. This collaboration can lead to mentorships and one of a kind leadership positions. Find more information about our competition and organization on our website. Or read the flyer.