Principal Wheeler’s Weekly Update 9-13-24

Posted on: September 16, 2024

Principal Wheeler’s Weekly Update 9-13-24

Hello Viewlands Families!

We welcomed our youngest orcas to school this week, with the start of kindergarten Monday. We love getting to know our kindergarten Orcas! We continued this week learning classroom routines and school-wide expectations that support individual learning and community building. Being part of a classroom community and a whole school community, requires routines and shared common expectations. Our school-wide common expectations for Viewlands orcas are safe, kind, and responsible.

On Wednesday, we had our welcome back to school all school assembly. It was wonderful to be together and celebrate the start of this new school year. Ollie the Orca came for the assembly, which is always exciting. Ollie also shared a video helping everyone remember what safe, kind, and responsible looks like in our different spaces. We also talked about stewardship of our spaces and how each member of the community must help by taking care of each other and our shared learning spaces.

Our students are all learning and growing their skills at their own pace and starting place. As a public neighborhood school, every Viewlands learner has their own unique stories and their own baseline of skills, strengths, and areas of growth. We will work to differentiate learning opportunities for students, while also honoring the importance of learning from and with one another and the importance of being in community. We will support students talking and listening to each other, understanding the impact they had on the community or another individual, and then problem solving together when needed. We know conflicts will arise, that is part of being in community together. We try to emphasize that consequences are part of every action. We support learning and growing their knowledge, academic skills, social skills, emotional regulation skills, independence, and communication skills.

Together as families, students, and staff at Viewlands, we can all appreciate the idea of creating community that honors the richness of the diversity of life story that is present at Viewlands. Every student has their own unique identity, strengths, and areas of growth. Every family has their own family story. We bring all those unique stories, strengths, and needs into our shared school community.

A few highlights from my visits in classrooms and with students this first full week include: our school wide welcome back assembly; learning with 2nd graders about the origin of mathematics, the Ishango bone, and then participating with 2nd graders in Mr. Brandon’s room as they discussed and engaged with place value using Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic writing; participating and modeling the power of learning through mistakes as 4th and 5th graders modeled and discussed place value into larger numbers and learned mathematical vocabulary; and greeting and engaging with kindergarteners as we get to know each of them.

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

Important Safety Reminder

We have noticed at drop off and pick-up some families are parking on the east side of 3rd and running across the street. This is NOT safe. If you park on the east side of 3rd, you need to use the cross walk at 105th or 107th. Please do not run across the street. 3rd is a main arterial and running across the street is dangerous.

Home-School Red Folders

This week students brought home important beginning of the school year paperwork. Please make sure you return by Monday if possible the required forms (green and the ne white device agreement form) and any of the forms on yellow paper that apply to your child or your family.

The beginning of school packets coming home next week will have a lot of information.

Required for All: Anything on green paper and the white device agreement form is required and must be completed and returned in the red folder
Required for Some: Anything on yellow paper are return only IF it applies to your child/family. If it does NOT apply to your child/family you don’t need to return it.
INFORMATION: All other is information for your family.

Fair Tickets: In addition, today or Monday students are bringing home fair tickets. Children that are 5 years old or younger are free and do not require a ticket. We received tickets for children 6 years of age and older. Those tickets are coming home in the red folders.

Breakfast

Breakfast choices are available to students that need that option. This is typically milk, fruit, and one breakfast option like cereal, yogurt, or a bar. Breakfast is served 7:40-7:50 and all students finish breakfast and return to class by 8AM. Any students that are family drop off in the morning, need to arrive around 7:40-7:45 IF they need breakfast.

Lunch

Students can bring lunches from home or get a school lunch. Viewlands is a school that receives Title 1 supports. As a Title 1 school we can offer a breakfast (typically one breakfast item, one fruit and one milk) and a lunch (one entrée item, one fruit, one vegetable option and a milk) to any child that chooses to have a school meal. Please note that students choosing school lunch (not a lunch from home) are required to get a full meal. Students can’t receive a milk only.

We do our best to encourage students to eat their lunches, but please note the lunch supervision team are supervising a high number of students so we will not be able to check lunches daily. If we see patterns or become aware of children not eating, we will try to do daily check-ins with them to encourage them. If your child is a picky eater, please know that they may not eat well when the options are not something they are willing to eat. Please talk with your child about what they are eating. Families can see the options using the meal viewer, but please note that sometimes the meal choices are not accurate if the central office or school does not receive the items in time, so adjustments are made frequently.

Bring Your Family to School Night

Viewlands will host a Bring Your Family to School Open house on Thursday, September 26th in the evening. This is for all current Viewlands families. Every Viewlands student will be given a Viewlands Passport. The passport will have places to visit that are the spaces your child goes to during the school day, including your child’s classroom, the art room, the gym for PE, the library, and the lunchroom. You

will have the chance to see the spaces and meet the educators that are part of your child’s elementary experience this year. There will be other optional places to visit, including the multilingual team, special education team, school counselor, and VEPTSA.

The event is an open house style. Typically families were here for 30-60 minutes to visit the different spaces. The event will start at 5:30PM and end at 7:00pm. Please plan to arrive no later than 6:30pm so you have time to visit the spaces. Families will need to exit the school building/campus by 7:05pm. This is not a drop off event, students attend with their families.

We encourage walking or biking for the event if possible. If your family will need to drive, please park in approved areas. There is parking available on the west side of 3rd in front of the school, on the north side of the school on 107th, and limited parking in the parking lot with spaces not used by staff. Please do not park on 105th, and avoid parking in non-parking areas on the east side of 3rd Ave.

“Is My Child Too Sick to Go to School” Guidance

The central office health team has guidance:

Viewlands Spirit Days

We are excited to share our Viewlands Spirit Day plan! These are optional, not required, but anyone who wants to participate, we encourage it!

Every Thursday – Viewlands Community Spirit Day – wear Viewlands spirit wear OR the main Viewlands color (blue) OR anything with an Orca on it!
Every Friday – Community and Me Celebration Day – wear something that is about you (the student) and/or a community the student is a part of, simple things like their favorite color or, a sports team you/your family cheer for, a place or community you or your family love to visit or feel a part of, a college you or your family feel connected to, an organization or cause you support, LGBTQIA+ Pride gear, or just something you love to wear.
- 3-5 Fun Fridays Add-Ons to the Community and Me Celebration Day – these will be spread across the year and easy to participate in but completely optional.

VEPTSA

Updates and Messages from our VEPTSA Partners:

Well Resourced Schools

We’re all in shock regarding the dramatic boundary change announcements from SPS this week – more information coming soon from VEPTSA. Join the Konstella Well Resourced Schools Social Group to share thoughts, ideas, community events, and hear from others.

VEPTSA Membership

Viewlands PTSA (VEPTSA) supports our school community providing coordination and funds for school and community events, critical student resources, and advocating for each student at Viewlands. Membership is now FREE! *Use the code Member24 at checkout for a free membership.

Konstella

Join Konstella to access the school/VEPTSA calendar, volunteer opportunities, and classroom directory and events. FAQs and tips.

Fall Enrichment – registration opens Monday, September 23rd at 9:00 AM.

We are thrilled to announce the fall after-school enrichment program running Tuesdays and Thursdays (10/15-12/12). Details on classes and pricing.

Important Upcoming School Calendar Dates

Thursday September 26th 5:30-7PM- Bring Your Family to School Night
Friday, October 4th – School Picture Day
Monday, October 7th – Viewlands Move-a-Thon
Wednesday, October 9th – Walk, Bike, & Roll to School Day
Thursday, October 10th – Multilingual and Latinx Family Night – an event specifically for our Latinx families AND all families with students that are part of our multilingual program. Information will be sent to those families individually.
Friday October 11th – No School, Staff Professional Development Day
Thursday, October 31st – All School Zoo Fieldtrip, lots of approved SPS family volunteers needed during the school day to support this field trip

Neighborhood Information: Piper’s Orchard Harvest Festival

Piper’s Orchard is bringing back the annual “Festival of Fruit” on Saturday, October 5, from 11am – 2pm at Piper’s Orchard in Carkeek Park! Come celebrate the harvest with cider pressing, apple sampling, an Apple Identification Expert (folks should plan to bring their own apples!), a mason bee demonstration, live dance performance, cake walk (“Pie Walk!”), and more! Folks are encouraged to take public transportation, but limited parking is also available at Viewlands Elementary and QFC. Additional Piper’s Orchard Harvest Festival information.