Roxhill s Shooting Star February 2015

Transcription

1 Roxhill s Shooting Star February 2015 A Title 1 School A Message from Our Assistant Principal Dear Roxhill Families, Thanks to all of the families and scholars that came to the Festival of Lights celebration! Thanks to the PTSA and staff for holding such a fun community building event! The student, family and community performances were amazing! So many families brought food to share and came to watch the performances that it was truly an evening to remember! So many exciting things going on this month at Roxhill! We are celebrating Black History Month! Your scholars will be sharing their learning with you throughout the month. We will also have a Black History Month celebration at the end of the month. Saturday Academy is in full swing and students are working hard on the weekend! Our 3 rd, 4 th and 5 th grade scholars are participating in the Global Reading Challenge on Feb. 12 th and 13 th and we are so proud of their hard work and preparation for the event. Roxhill is hosting two events for prospective families this month. On February 10th at 10 am we are having our school tour. We are looking for families to help host this event. So if you are interested please call the office. Also, we are hosting a Kindergarten Enrollment Event on February 12th from 5:30 pm to 7:00. Both events will be a great opportunities to tour the building and learn more about our school. If you know of any families who have a school-age child next year and who live within our attendance area, please encourage them to attend. The Seattle School District will send out enrollment letters to all families in mid-february and open enrollment begins February 23rd. We also have a President s Day observance/mid-winter break on Feb. 16 and 17 th and there will be no school those days. In addition, to the many celebrations and events that we are having, Roxhill is still seeking Parent Leaders to help us strengthen family and community involvement. I have attached a flyer and description of the parent leader program at Roxhill. If you are interested, please contact Ms. Washington or Alejandra Diaz, PTSA President. We look forward to great month filled with lots of learning for our scholars! Please feel free to come by the office anytime with any and all questions or concerns! We love getting to know all of our families and hearing about your experiences! Liz McFarland Asst. Principal Roxhill Elementary Direct Line:

2 Commitment Needed for Parent Leaders Program Hello Roxhill Families, We are seeking 5 parent leaders to support our mission of engaging all families at Roxhill. The research is clear that when families are engaged in their children s education and able to support their children s academic achievement, children succeed. The work of Parent Leaders is focused on family engagement. They work, especially, to connect with families from cultural and/or language groups that face barriers to engagement. They are paid for 70 hours of service time each year. Most work will be done from January to June. Roxhill Parent Leader Job Description Essential functions o Establish positive relationships with family members across cultural and language barriers. o Communicate effectively with family members about how to be involved in their children s education and ways to support their children s academic achievement. o Work closely with the Family Engagement Action Team (FEAT) at the School and help plan and implement family engagement activities at the school, including assisting with the planning and coordination of family events. o Utilize information/skills gained in trainings in the work with parents/families: cross cultural communication, navigating schools, parents/students rights and responsibilities, strategies to support children s learning in math and literacy, best practices in family engagement, etc. 1) Completion of the Seattle Public Schools Hourly Employees hiring process, including proving you are eligible for employment, completing fingerprinting and background check 2) Ability to complete the 2 day Core Training modules provided by the Parent Leader project and attend ongoing trainings offered by the project. Dinner and child care is provided for evening trainings. 3) Submit payroll forms regularly to Roxhill staff (by the 4 th of each month). 4) Coordinate activities and collaborate with others according to your school s plan for family engagement. Benefits of the Parent Leader Program o Existing natural skills in the areas of leadership and outreach are affirmed and strengthened. Training is free and fun. o Connection with parents from diverse cultures at area schools who have similar interests and a commitment to family involvement. o Opportunity to serve as a part of a system/network for children and families. o Compensation for their time. Parent Leaders will be hourly employees hired by the principal and reimbursed at the rate of $14.72 per hour for up to 70 hours of training and service per school year. o Opportunities to partner with teachers on behalf of all parents and advocate for children beyond one s own family. If you are interested in learning more about the Roxhill Parent Leader Training Project or how to become a Parent Leader at your school please contact Sahnica Washington at: smwashington@seattleschools.org / (206) Relevant competencies o Interpersonal skills o Organization o Planning skills o Listening skills o Collaboration

3 Roxhill PTA News IMPORTANT DATES February 4 th 1 st Grade Fieldtrip to NW Puppet Center 9:30-12:30pm February 9 th PTSA Meeting 6:00-7:30pm February 12 4 th /5 th Grade Global Reading Challenge Competition 2:15-3:15 February 12 Kindergarten Enrollment Night 5:30-7:00 (Roxhill) February 13 3rd Grade Global Reading Challenge Competition 10:00-11:00 February 13 Parent s Night Out 5:00-8:00pm February 16 President s Day No School February 17 Mid-Winter Break No School February 18 NO After School Programs February 19 NO After School Programs February 19 Special Education Parent Group 5:30-7:00pm February 28 Community Clothing Exchange 9:00-11:00a March 8 Daylight Savings Time Begins Spring Forward 1 Hour March 19 Special Education Parent Group 5:30-7:00pm March 25 2-Hour Early Dismissal for Students March 30 Report Cards BEST SCHOOL EVER SCHOLARY EXPECTATIONS 1. Be Here! Come to school ready to learn every day, on time. 2. Read 30 minutes a night Read 20 minutes a night at home. 3. Count Everything Count everything around you like a mathematician. Hello Roxhill Families, Thank you for celebrating with us the Festival of Lights it is always nice to see families smiling and having fun while learning other cultures. We appreciate your support and assistance. Your voice is essential as you speak for your family and your child. By being involved in any way you can, YOU can contribute to better outcomes for our kids in the school, in themselves, and in our community. We continue to grow, thanks to you, and we need to continue and sustain our efforts! We, as a team, can accomplish great things and we are stronger together! Please join us in our next PTSA meeting on February 9th from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. in the library. Upcoming events: February 6 th Popcorn Sale 11:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. February 9 th PTSA meeting 6-7:30 p.m February 13 th Popcorn Sale 11:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. February 13 th Parents Night Out 5-8:00 p.m February 20 th Popcorn Sale 11:00 a.m. - 1:30 pm. February 27 th Popcorn Sale 11:00 a.m. - 1:30 pm. If you would like to volunteer during any of these events, or if there is something else you can lend your expertise too at any time, please get in touch or come join us :) Thank you so much to all the families for making possible FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS. Best Wishes, Roxhill PTSA acastelone@aol.com Families and Teachers=One Community!

4 Don t Forget! Coffee Hour is Every Thursday 9:00-10:00am Roxhill Family Resource Room Please join Roxhill staff, community partners, and other Roxhill parents every Thursday morning for some coffee and bagels. Coffee Hour is a casual, weekly gathering where families can connect with each other and learn about important information and resources offered at Roxhill and in our neighborhood. Even if you only have time to say Hi, please stop in and help yourself to a morning treat! If you have any questions about Coffee Hour or know of a resource you would like to be shared at Coffee Hour please contact Beth Graves, Thank You Families, For Making Attendance Count! worn baby, child, and adult clothing to Roxhill on Saturday, February 28 and leave with new clothing that your family needs. All Roxhill families are welcome at this free event and you do not need to bring clothes to donate in order to shop. If you are donating clothes you may drop them off at the Roxhill Family Resource Room on Friday, February 27. Free Parent English Classes English classes will continue for another 10 week session in the New Year! Classes will resume on Wednesday, January 14 and continue every Wednesday and Friday from 9:30am- 11:00am through Friday, March 21. All classes are free to Roxhill parents. Classes are held in the Roxhill Family Resource Room. As the first semester comes to a close, Roxhill scholars are on track to meet their first school-wide attendance goal for the year. Roxhill s first semester attendance goal is to have 75% of our students miss less than 5 days of schools between September and January 29. That s a huge challenge! Luckily, Roxhill has amazing, dedicated families who do everything they can to get their students to school every day. This goal could not have been met with you! Roxhill will have a new goal for the second semester, beginning in February. Please keep an eye out for more Attendance Campaigns and celebrations of your student s great attendance. Community Clothing Exchange February 28 9:00am- 11:00am Clean out your closet and get ready for spring! Communities In Schools is hosting the third Clothing Exchange of the school year. Bring your clean, lightly Incoming Kindergartners and Prospective New Families Enroll now for Fall School Year Roxhill is hosting a Kindergarten Enrollment Event on February 12th for prospective new families from 5:30 to 7:00pm. This will be a great opportunity to tour the building and learn more about our school. If you know of any families who have a school-age child next year and who live within our attendance area, please encourage them to attend either of these two events.

5 To enroll in Seattle Public Schools you will need to bring: Your child's birth certificate CIS (immunizations) Two documents verifying parent name Proof of Seattle residence (i.e. utility bills, lease, DSHS form, housing letter, etc) Admission form (available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Somali and Chinese) Photo ID of parent/guardian Flyers with information for times and dates of Kindergarten Enrollment Nights at other school locations is available now in our main office. English Language Testing Between February 18 th and March 6 th we will be administering the WELPA test to our ELL students at Roxhill. The WELPA is the Washington English Language Proficiency Assessment. It is a test that assesses students proficiency in Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing English. Ms. Pret, Mr. Miller and Ms. Tiegen will be giving the WELPA with the help of our wonderful bilingual IA s. Thinking about the flu vaccine? If you ve been thinking about getting the flu vaccine, you are in good company. Denny International Middle School 2015 Tours and Evening Open House Dates Denny International Middle School 2601 SW KENYON ST, Evening Open House for Prospective New Families: Thursday, February 12 starting at 6:30 p.m. Following the presentation, guests will have the opportunity to meet teachers and staff. The Center for Disease Control regularly ranks the Flu and Pneumonia combined as one of the top 10 causes of death in the U.S. Getting a flu shot for your children can be the best way to keep everyone healthy throughout flu season. Fortunately, students can get the flu shot at the Roxhill School Based Health Center. To request an appointment for your child, stop by at the office any Thursday or give us a call at Daytime Tours: Thursday, February 5; Tuesday, February 10; and Thursday, February 26 from 8:00 to 9:10 a.m. All are welcome - no appointment needed. Description of school offerings followed by a guided school tour. Want Health Insurance? Have Questions? We can help. Open enrollment to renew or sign up for low-cost private insurance has already begun and ends on February 15, Depending on your income, you may qualify for free or low-cost medical insurance.

6 Families who earn less than 138 % of the federal poverty level may be eligible for Washington Apple Health and those who earn between % of the federal poverty level may qualify for tax credits to purchase private insurance. The best way to know what you are eligible for is to apply. Highland Park Elementary has a Neighborcare Eligibility Specialist at the school once a week. She can assist with the application process through Washington Healthplanfinder, a new online marketplace ( To schedule a free appointment to learn more and apply, call our Milgo, our Eligibility Specialist at or Vivian, our Health Coordinator, at Visit the Roxhill Family Resource Room All Roxhill families are welcome to visit the Roxhill Family Resource Room (located in Portable 1) before, during, and after the school day. Family members can access computer, internet, and printing resources as well as shop in our free clothing closet or pick up some extra school supplies for their students. The Family Resource Room is a great space to learn about resources that can help you better support your growing scholar and stay connected with Roxhill!