Hello Viewlands Families!
Happy June! June is a month of closure and a month of celebration. We are quickly approaching the end of the school year with only eight more days of school. As we prepare to close this school year, we also celebrate. We honor our year of learning and growing together. We celebrate in our classroom communities and as a school community. As shared last week, June also brings change, changes to classroom routines, disrupted school schedules, and the excitement and worries that accompany a big transition. This can result in big feelings. Thank you families for being part of this "June Jumble" with us by supporting those big feelings and trying to maintain good sleep habits and routines at home.
June is also Pride month. Pride month honors LGBTQIA+ culture and history through visibility, celebration, and education. There are many ways to celebrate pride month around Seattle in June. This weekend on Saturday, the Viewlands Orca Pride club will be leading with pride at the Phinneywood Pride Rainbow Hop. There is more information about this event in the newsletter. We hope many families will come to the Rainbow Hop event!
On Monday this week our 4th and 5th graders that are in the Elementary Instrumental Music (EIM) program showcased their learning in a performance for their families and our 3rd- 5th grade students. It was absolutely beautiful. I was incredibly proud of the performers. Thank you to our student performers for showcasing their learning in such a dynamic way! You all rocked it! Thank you to the families that were able to join! A BIG thank you to Ms. Michal, our EIM teacher. As I shared at the assembly, Ms. Michal is an exceptional instrumental music teacher. We are grateful she is at Viewlands. This was definitely the big highlight of the week!
There were many learning celebrations and highlights from today! We had 6 classrooms that hosted events today.
This morning Mr. Arango and Mr. Thorpe’s classes shared their skits with families and each other. The skits were written and performed by the students. This is a culminating event from the theater experience this spring, which is courtesy of funding from VEPTSA. Ms. Schilke’s class will be performing their skits for families and their buddy classrooms next week. The students created their own mixed up fairytales The students had a grand time performing today. There was a lot of laughter! Thank you to all the families that were able to attend the skits!
This afternoon the 1st graders in Ms. Veliz’s classroom hosted a writers celebration. Every student took a turn on the classroom "stage" to share their writing with their classmates and families. The 1st graders were proud of their writing and many were eager to read it to the audience. Thank you to all the families that were able to attend the writers celebration.
And one more big highlight and celebration today was the Fairytale Ball. Christa, Ms. Norma, and Mr. Brandon’s classes hosted a Fairytale Ball to showcase and celebrate student writing with their families and their classmates. The teachers were eager to share how much growth their students made in writing this year. It was fun and celebratory. Thank you to all the families that supported and came to the Fairytale Ball this afternoon.
It is hard to believe, but we only have 8 more days of school! Next week we have a guest artist that will be here from Arts Impact working with all classes on rhythm and dance. Mr. Pleasant, the guest teacher from Arts Impact, will be here Monday through Thursday next week. This is only possible because of the support from VEPTSA!
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