Hello Viewlands Families!

This week we sent home the 2nd trimester elementary progress reports in the red home-school folders. Families should have received the progress reports this week on Wednesday or Thursday. If you didn’t receive the progress report, please reach out to your child’s teacher. These are important communication tools to share how your child is progressing on grade level standards across content areas. While families do not have to sign the progress report, we want to make sure every family receives and reviews the progress report. In elementary school the progress report uses a numeric system for standards based grading. In secondary (middle and high school) this will transition to a traditional letter grading system.

As a school community we have been noticing an increase recently in some challenging verbiage being used student to student, students about themselves, and in some tag games, primarily across 2nd to 5th grade classroom, but not exclusively in those grades. This has included students commenting on physical characteristics of other’s people bodies, for example using the word "fat", and some students commenting on their own self-image negatively. This has also included labeling groups or individuals in a tag game in ways that are not school appropriate and can be hurtful. This week and in the next couple weeks before spring break, our classroom communities will be bringing these topics up in community meetings. Not only can these actions cause harm to an individual student or a group of students, they hurt our school community. We appreciate your partnership, talking at home about positive self-image and reinforcing that we don’t comment or label other people’s physical characteristics or identity.

A few highlights from my visits in classrooms and with students this week include: wiffle ball Wednesday with 4th and 5th graders at lunch recess; building and writing with a few kindergarteners; having lunch with a couple 3rd grader and learning more about their families, love for cousin time, and for one of them a goal to know every African country; and listening to robust discussions in a couple 1st through 3rd grade classrooms.

Your children are bright, inquisitive, and creative thinkers. We will continue to seek ways to make every student feel known, valued, and empowered through the year.

In Partnership,

Carrie Wheeler | Viewlands Principal

The Child Nutrition Eligibility and Education Benefit Application form is important. This is not only about receiving breakfast and/or lunch meals. This is an important application that provides direct funding for schools, reduced fees for secondary students, fee waivers for college applications, and additional benefits. The funding received directly support Viewlands as a Title 1 school, through Title 1 funding and LAP (Learning Assistance Program) funds, and allows us to be one of the schools that provides free breakfasts and lunches for every student.

The goal is to accurately reflect the percentage of eligibility for our enrollment in Seattle Public Schools to the state to maximize the funding Seattle Public Schools receives. Right now with budget challenges, maximizing funding is critical. We need to have accurate understanding of our population in Seattle Public Schools.

This means we need all families to complete the application EVEN if your family would not be eligible. There is a box to mark that indicates your family is not eligible so you would only need to enter your name, student names, and birthdates/ID numbers, no financial information would be required. If you are unsure, please do not mark that box and complete the full application.

With recent changes to SNAP and direct certification, we expect fewer students to qualify automatically, which means every family response is more important than ever.

If your family has not completed this, you received an e-mail from Principal Wheeler on Thursday, 3/26 and a paper flyer with the QR code was sent home with your child Friday. Please complete this by Monday, March 30th. The link to the form is below. You can change the language in the upper right corner.

The new superintendent started Monday, February 2nd. He has organized seven community conversations centered in in the School Board Director districts and a city-wide virtual community conversation. Superintendent Shuldiner has expressed that the community meetings will be an opportunity to connect, share, and dream big together. There are five opportunities remaining.

We all want Seattle Public Schools to be successful for ALL students. All families are encouraged to share their ideas and connect with new leadership by being part of a community conversations! Viewlands is part of district 1, so the closest location to our attendance zone is at James Baldwin, but you can attend a different one if that location and time frame work better for you!

• Tuesday, March 31, 6:30–7:30 p.m., West Seattle Elementary, 6760 34th Ave SW
• Thursday, April 2, 6–7:30 p.m., Virtual, online; link forthcoming

Every spring students 3rd-8th grade and again in 10th grade take a state testing in English Language Arts (reading and writing) and Math. This is sometimes referred to as the "state test". These tests are benchmark assessments to show how students perform grade level standards in those content areas. This starts in 3rd grade. Students will take them every year between 3rd and 8th, and then once again in 10th grade. All students are allowed as much time as they need to complete these assessments. They are not timed.

These tests are scheduled in May with make-ups extending to the first few days of June. It is important students attend school as most prefer to take these tests at the same time as their peers. Please do not schedule appointments or trips during the tests. The schedule is available on the website.

The science test for 5th grade is scheduled for April 29th. It is important students attend school as most prefer to take these tests at the same time as their peers. Please do not schedule appointments or trips during the tests. The schedule is available on the website.

Blockbuster Bash: Live Auction & Last Minute Tickets

Online Auction: Bidding Ends 5pm Saturday!

There are many amazing, high-value experiences and items still waiting to be bid on! Fun teacher experiences, wine and trivia night, barre class with a happy hour, concert tix, and more! Bidding closes on Saturday at 5pm! Bid Here

Join us at Old Stove Gardens in Ballard this Saturday, March 28. This is a fun night to connect as a Viewlands community and raise funds to support our students and school (Grownups Only!). Box office closes tonight at 8pm. Get Your Tickets

Viewlands Orca Cup Soccer – Saturday, April 25, 2-4pm (Sandel Park, 9053 1st Ave NW)

This is a free community event open to all Viewlands families. This is not a drop off event, adults must accompany their children. The event includes some warm up, fun games, and friendly soccer games. We will have energetic music, a photo op with a custom Orca Cup trophy, stickers, snacks, and special guest … Ollie the Viewlands Orca. For more details check out the Konstella event. Volunteers are needed, signup here >

• April 13th-April 17th – NO SCHOOL, Spring Break
• Wednesday, April 29th, 5-7PM- Viewlands Evening of the Arts and Culture