Hello Viewlands Families!

Yesterday we had a wonderful day at the zoo! A big thank you to the many volunteers that supported this all school fieldtrip! We appreciate you and value your time supporting this fall celebration with our day at the zoo. We had about 40 students that had never been to the Woodland Park Zoo. It is one of my favorite things to see the wonder in the eyes of students that are experiencing this place and fieldtrip for the first time. I also heard from many students about their favorite things of the day. The baby snow leopards were a favorite of many. There was sadness about death of one and relocation of the other hippopotamus, which prompted some great discussions about companionship in the animal kingdom. I talked with some older students about Juniper one of the bears. When we visited a couple years ago, Juniper was only a new cub. We have pictures of her swimming and playing in the water. Now Juniper is fully grown, but still very playful as you can see in this picture.

The big highlight was the successful zoo fieldtrip! A few other highlights from my visits in classrooms and with students this week: listening to different students share about their Dia de los Muertos reflections; watching the 2^nd graders make Reganadas, a Mexican cookie that is often part of Dia de los Muertos traditions connecting their math learning about arrays to their cookie sheet of cookies; and hearing from 4^th and 5^th graders about their authors chair.

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

Safety Concern with Community Playground Access

A few Viewlands school community members and Creative Kids staff have shared concerns about dogs on the playground Friday afternoons/evenings and on the weekend. Last Friday there were people on the playground with dogs when Creative Kids was supporting students outside. This is a safety issue. Community members have also reported that on the weekend there has been dogs off leash running on the playground. We have also had students step in dog poop on the playground. All of these are safety concerns.

Dogs are not allowed on the school playground even on a leash per the Seattle Municipal Code. The permanent signs that are at school playgrounds that indicate this are delayed. We have put up temporary signs. If you see dogs on the playground, please ask the community members to take their dogs off the playground. I encourage you to notify Animal Control at (206) 386-7387 if you see people violating this rule and refusing to leave. We want to continue to have weekend access for the community to the playground, but the safety issues and dog poop are problematic and impactful to students at Viewlands and Creative Kids.

Dia De Los Muertos

Ms. B, our Art teacher, and Mr. Velez, our Multilingual Instructional Assistant are supported learning about Dia De Los Muertos during art this month. Thank you to Mr. B and Mr. Velez for collaborating on this art integrated learning opportunity at Viewlands. This is our 7^th year of this integrated art learning project around Dia de los Muertos.

Message from Mr. B and Mr. Velez:

In art this month students have been discussing and learning about the traditions of El Dia De Los Muertos and the cultural significance that it has within the Hispanic community.  Students have been using their personal connections, stories, and inspirations to create different art projects. This topic has sparked powerful conversations while also providing a deeper understanding of how other cultures honor family through celebration rather than mourning.  This unit has allowed students to learn about symbolism and symmetry in their work.  The day-to-day work has created numerous opportunities to highlight the importance of both patience and practice as it relates to learning new skills and techniques. In November we will have a Viewlands Ofrenda. Families will have the opportunity to see the Ofrenda during November family conferences.  

VEPTSA

Updates and Messages from our VEPTSA Partners:

Spiritwear Exchange

Do you have Viewlands gear that doesn’t fit your family any more? Bring it to Movie Night and swap it for something else from another family.

Despicable Me 4 Movie Night 

Join us for the fall movie night with pizza, popcorn, and other light snacks. All grades welcome!

Bring the whole family – this is not a drop off event. Friday, November 8^th at 5:30PM! 

Volunteers: We need your help – Signup here

Salmon Celebration and Walk – Saturday, Nov 23 – Save the date!

Join us for our annual salmon celebration at Carkeek park. This year we will visit with the Carkeek Salmon Stewards on Saturday, November 23. Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks.

Important Upcoming School Calendar Dates

• Friday, November 8^th – VEPTSA Sponsored Fall Family Movie Night 5:30-7:30PM
• Monday November 11^th – NO SCHOOL, Veterans Day
• Thursday November 14^th – Picture RETAKE day
• Saturday November 23^rd Salmon Celebration and Walk