Seattle Schools Visual & Performing Arts/The Creative Advantage secured funds for schools to purchase instructional materials for visual arts programs. We were able to use these funds to purchase additional art supplies creating individual Art Totes for each GLES student. Ms. Hammer and Mr. Salcedo will instruct your student on how to use the items in the Art Tote as soon as next week! 

The supplies are ready for pick-up in the school covered entryway starting today, Wednesday Feb. 24th, during the following times:

• Monday-Thursday: 7:30am - 2:30pm
• Friday's: 7:30am - 1:00pm

Please wrap your student's name label on one strap of the tote so that we can identify who hasn't picked one up.

​*We are hoping all totes will be picked up by March 5th.*

We can’t meet for STEM Night this year, but we can still share our projects, experiments, and research from home in a Virtual Science Fair. Submit your video by March 14 at Flipgrid.com. Please ask your teacher or room parent for the Join Code. 
​
The final product will be a Flipgrid page that all Green Lake students and teachers can access to watch and learn what their peers have discovered! You can comment or ask questions of other presenters, just like at STEM Night. Participants will be entered to a raffle for prizes!

• All Students in All Grades are welcome to participate.
• ​​Groups are OK - just stay safe in your pods or bubbles. 

​
Choose your Topic or Question:

• Anything that you are curious about!
• Find ideas in books or using Google.
• ​It can be a big experiment or project, or simply a question you researched.  

​
Dig in to your Topic:

• Question: What do you want to find out?
• ​Hypothesis: What do you expect to happen or to learn?
• Method: How are you researching or testing your question?
• Results: What did you find?
• Conclusion: Was your Hypothesis right or wrong? What do your results mean? Did this make you curious about any other questions?

Recording your Video:

• 5 minutes or less
• Start with a sign listing your Name, Grade, Teacher’s Name, and Project Title 
• Include these elements: Question, Hypothesis, Method, Results, Conclusion.
• You can record your voice, show pictures or signs, and/or do a demonstration.

​
Submitting your Video: 

• Submit at flipgrid.com until March 14 
• Use the Join Code provided by your teacher or room parent, and sign in with child’s Seattle Public Schools email address. Access is restricted for privacy and security.

​
​Check back for examples by GLES students coming soon!
​
Contact Kim Decker, PTA STEM Committee Chair, with questions: kimberlybdecker@gmail.com

The Drama Dragons are back in Action and this time the casting call is open to all ages and schools!
​
We will be changing actors every scene to minimize in-person interactions so there are lots of parts big and small for all. We are casting ALL AGES (with priority given to 5th graders and then 4th graders from the last film project). So get a friend or 2 together and do a scene from "The Princess Bride" and have fun performing again.
 
Time Commitment: Each scene will have 1 or 2 Zoom rehearsals in March, will meet once in April on location (in masks) for in person blocking rehearsal and possible costume fitting and then will film over 1 or 2 days on location in May. The film will have a summer release if all goes well. So if you are in only one scene it is a 4-5 day commitment with the time being less than an hour except the film day which might be longer.
 
The cost is $150/student, $100 for siblings. Please register here by March 1st.

Check out the script link here
List of parts link here

**For Green Lake Families: If the cost presents a hardship for your family please contact familysupport@greenlakedragons.org for scholarship assistance.**

The last film, Adventures of a Comic Book Artist, was a huge success! If you haven’t already, donate here to view it!

Contact Molly Goldman molly.goldman@gmail.com with any questions!

Dig into Science, Engineering, or Math and get ready for the 2021 Virtual Science Fair! In early March, students will be invited to submit a short video describing a project, experiment, or question they investigated. These videos will make up our 2021 Virtual Science Fair, since we can't get together in person this year. All students in K-5 are welcome to participate. Teams are okay - just stay safe in your pods or bubbles. All types and scopes of project are encouraged - the only requirement is to be curious about something and dive in to figure it out! Did we mention there will be prizes?

*For more info contact Kim @ kimberlybdecker@gmail.com

If you weren't able to pick-up your t-shirt yesterday - no problem! They will be available starting tomorrow and all of next week at the office during office hours (Mon-Thurs 8-2:30pm and Friday 8-1:00pm). Swing on by and get yours!

Just like last year, the PTA's Social Justice & Equity Committee will be sponsoring the cost of these t-shirts for all students, teachers, and staff to wear during Black Lives Matter at School week, which is Feb 1-5, to ensure we can all stand in solidarity. For those who are able, willing, and wanting to make a donation toward offsetting that cost -- We thank you in advance. You can donate to the SJE committee here: greenlakeelementary.schoolauction.net/fundraisers2020/sje
​
Looking to learn more about the national movement, Black Lives Matter at School Week, and its origins right here in Seattle Public Schools? Take a look here. And feel free to reach out to socialjustice@greenlakedragons.org and equity@greenlakedragons.org with questions or pick-up timing conflicts.

-GLES PTA Social Justice & Equity Committee 

Thank you to everyone who attended the PTA meeting last night. For those who were not able to attend, the meeting minutes including all questions asked of our two district representatives, Dr. Concie Pedroza and Sherri Kokx will be posted sometime next week. If you have additional questions for Dr. Pedroza or Ms. Kokx, send them to secretary@greenlakedragons.org and ptapresident@greenlakedragons.org . We will be sending all remaining questions to Dr. Pedroza and Ms. Kokx on Monday and will share their responses when available.

As we’re looking ahead to a possible return to the classroom for K-1st graders, the PTA would like to call your attention to the District administered Pulse Survey results. The district sends out a survey every year in the spring to assess the climate in each school. This year because of remote learning, they did a “pulse” survey in the fall to assess how remote learning was going. Results were published on their website in December. 

The link is here if you’re interested in checking it out. https://www.seattleschools.org/district/district_scorecards/school_surveys. To view Green Lake’s results, click on “See survey results in Panorama portal”, then click on “104 schools” and scroll down to Green Lake. From here, the tabs at the top allow you to cycle through students, teachers and staff, family members, and all respondents.  Clicking the green “Explore” button after each category of survey questions allows you to view the individual questions for that category. You can also change the year in the top right corner to view results for prior years.

This survey did not go out in the spring of 2020 due to the unexpected switch to virtual learning, however it will be administered again this spring. Please take the time to give your feedback when the survey comes around again.   

Thank you!
Sarah and Mandy

The Green Lake Elementary teacher-designed Black Lives Matter t-shirts are back, just in time for Black Lives Matter at School week in early February! Your GLES student(s) can each receive one t-shirt at no charge. Families can pick them up at school on Wed, Jan. 27th between 11 am and 2 pm. We will have an assortment of sizes available.

• For grades K-2, the drive-thru/walk-up pick-up area will be on 65th in front of the school. 
• For grades 3-5, the drive-thru/walk-up pick-up area will be on 1st Ave NE behind the school (where we did morning drop-off last year). 

Just like last year, the PTA's Social Justice & Equity Committee will be sponsoring the cost of these t-shirts for all students, teachers, and staff to wear during Black Lives Matter at School week, which is Feb 1-5, to ensure we can all stand in solidarity. For those who are able, willing, and wanting to make a donation toward offsetting that cost -- We thank you in advance. You can donate to the SJE committee here: greenlakeelementary.schoolauction.net/fundraisers2020/sje
​
Looking to learn more about the national movement, Black Lives Matter at School Week, and its origins right here in Seattle Public Schools? Take a look here. And feel free to reach out to socialjustice@greenlakedragons.org and equity@greenlakedragons.org with questions or pick-up timing conflicts.
​ 
We stand together against racism and hate, and we're committed to an equitable education and a welcoming community for all our students.
​
-GLES PTA Social Justice & Equity Committee 

Is your student interested in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math? Join us to plan this year's "STEM Night", our annual Science Fair celebration at Green Lake Elementary. We are excited to re-envision this year's event as a remote "asynchronous" project, compiling students' videos of their research or experiment into a video montage for the entire school community to enjoy. We will need help in planning, coordinating communications, encouraging students participation, compiling and editing videos, and managing prizes for student participants.

Join us for the Planning Meeting this Friday (Jan. 15th) from 5-5:45 to get things started!

Contact: Kim Decker - kimberlybdecker@gmail.com - for more info.

Please join Dr. Habenicht for this week’s Coffee and Connect (Wednesday, January 6th at 8:00 am).
Our main topic is technology issues, but if you have other questions or concerns, feel free to bring them.  We really value your feedback! 

​*Please refer to the GLES Weekly Newsletter for the Teams link.

Is “learn to paint” on your New Year’s resolution list this year? If it is, (or even if it’s not!) join your fellow GLES parents for a fun afternoon paint and sip party. Party host and fellow parent Jen will be walking us step by step through painting a simple but elegant winter landscape. All levels and ages are welcome (kids too!) for this relaxed and engaging event.

All painting supplies will be delivered to your door before the party along with a non-alcoholic beverage and printed instructions in case you can’t make our online gathering. Nervous about your painting ability? Loosen up your inhibitions with a wine and snacks add on package!

Two consecutive weekends to choose from:

• January 17th or 24th from 1-3pm. Choose the date that works best for you!

​
Special thanks to Queen Anne Painting for their sponsorship of this event!

Sign up here.
Learn more about virtual parties here.​

Dear GLES families,
​
For the past several days, many of us within our school community have been discussing KUOW’s December 5 story, “Locked in ‘the cage.’ Report finds disturbing discipline measures at Seattle school”:
 
What happened at View Ridge Elementary last year – where a Black, second grade boy was singled out and repeatedly placed in a jail-like outdoor cage, sometimes for several hours – is truly disturbing and heartbreaking. It involved bad actors, community complicity, fears of whistleblowing repercussions, and a lack of knowledge in how to properly report concerns. At the district level, it involved unclear and very questionable policies.
 
As experts in the Seattle Public Schools (SPS) community have noted, incidents of student abuse are in no way limited to the stories KUOW has been covering the past few months, and they happen disproportionately to Black and brown students, and to students in special education.
 
Student abuse in our schools is something that needs to end once and for all.
 
We want you to know that our PTA board is aware of this topic, and our social justice and equity co-chairs have been participating in community conversations about solutions. A community-led, BIPOC-led effort is getting underway with the Seattle Council Parent Teacher Student Association (SCPTSA) to research and develop a list of recommended calls to action for PTAs and SPS families who want to advocate on behalf of ending student abuse. School Board members as well have called for an immediate audit, report and action plan.
 
Families, we all must play a role: Working harder to truly see, truly listen to, learn from, and advocate for the unheard, and take ongoing action to create an inclusive, anti-racist, anti-ableist culture in our community.
 
If you’re wondering what you can do, here’s a start, and we welcome your additional ideas and dialogue.
 
·  Know that our PTA allocates a portion of our budget to promoting equity and anti-racism within our school and across the district. We always welcome new ideas and feedback, and we always need more volunteers to support this programming. Contact socialjustice@greenlakedragons.org or join the Facebook group Green Lake Families for Advancing Social Justice and Equity if you’d like to get involved.
 
·  Join Families of Color Seattle in calling on SPS to “provide credible and measurable assurances that the horrendous treatment of Jaleel will not happen again to another child; and to institute and implement anti-racist policies that center BIPOC students with disabilities as those currently furthest from educational justice.”
 
·  Follow and amplify the work of two of many valuable local resources: Black Lives Matter at School, the national organization that started here in Seattle; and the Seattle Council PTSA, which just announced the development of a new Student Safety Committee, is working with SPS and its families on developing a community-based anti-racist policy for the district, and is an important party to watch in the coming weeks for community calls to action around student abuse.
 
·  For reporting incidents of student abuse, here is some guidance.

• Talk with your teacher about the incident.
• Talk with the school counselor, Monica Schneider, at 206-252-5328 or mmschneider@seattleschools.org.
• Talk with the principal, Dr. Habenicht, at srhabenicht@seattleschools.org or        206-252-5320.
• Also contact the SPS Office of Student Civil Rights at 206-252-0306 or oscr@seattleschools.org.
• Should other methods fail, contact the district’s ombudsperson, who serves as an independent liaison to assist SPS parents and community members in helping to resolve problems, complaints, conflicts, and other school-related issues.

 
PTA board members will continue to participate in the community conversation on this topic and provide an update in the new year as more develops. If you have questions, please reach out to ptapresident@greenlakedragons.org,
socialjustice@greenlakedragons.org or equity@greenlakedragons.org.
 
Thank you,
 
Sarah Lindner, PTA president, 2nd year
Mandy Seever, PTA president, 1st year
Dawn Larson, PTA social justice & equity co-chair
Molly Sahebjami, PTA social justice & equity co-chair
Julia Nash, PTA Secretary
Kat Johnson, PTA treasurer, 2nd year
Anjali da Victoria Lobo, PTA treasurer, 1st year
Amanda Howes, PTA communications chair
Lisa Illingworth, PTA room parent coordinator
Mary Ellen Russell, PTA legislative chair
Jennifer Koch, PTA new family liaison
Angie Sterwald, PTA development chair
Annika Sgambelluri, PTA events chair

Looking for a fun activity to do during Winter Break? Look no further!  Movie Club is here!  Join us daily at 12pm to watch a movie with other GLES students!  ALL K-5 students invited!! (Siblings too!)

Parents, please enter your email information in the Form link here or below to be included on the distribution list for secure movie links.  

• We will be using Netflix's Teleparty.  You need a personal laptop (no school issued laptops/tablets) and a Netflix account.  
• You will need to download the Teleparty plug in from this site: https://www.netflixparty.com/
• If you cannot get a Netflix account, please reach out to Jennifer newfamilies@greenlakedragons.org and she will try to accommodate you.  

Here is the schedule:
Monday 12/21 - Dragons Rescue Riders: Huttsgalore Holiday (TV-Y, 46min)
Tuesday 12/22 - Over the Moon (PG, 1hr40min)
Wednesday 12/23 - Disney Chicken Little (G, 1hr, 22min)
Thursday 12/24 - Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (PG, 1hr, 59min)
Friday 12/25 -  <no movie>
Monday 12/28 - Disney Short Films Collection (TV-Y, 1hr, 29min)
Tuesday 12/29 - Secret Life of Pets 2 (PG, 1hr, 26min)
Wednesday 12/30 - Animal Crackers (TV-Y7, 1hr, 45min)
Thursday 12/31 - Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa (PG, 1hr, 30min)
Friday 1/1 - Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse (PG, 1hr, 56min)

Note: Chat will be monitored and if unkind or inappropriate content is used, the movie will be shut down. Please follow up with your kids on expected behavior. 

Please enter your email in the below form to be included in the secure distribution list!  https://bit.ly/3r6vy93

Email Jennifer at NewFamilies@greenlakedragons.org with any questions! 

Let's Get Quizzicle - Pub Trivia
Date: Saturday, 1/30 @ 7:30pm
$50/team
​
Are you a current-events junkie? A history buff? Or maybe your head is just full of random facts that have no value in your daily life, but make you the king or queen during trivia? Then this is the party for you! Join us for a relaxed, virtual evening where you can get to know other GLES parents and flex your factoid muscles. We will deliver beer and bar snacks for a party of 2 to make the evening all the more memorable. ALL parents are welcome, but we would really love for those who are new to the school to join! GLES has a great parent community - let us help you get to know others! Registration will close on 1/18 and will be limited to 12 teams.​

Sign up HERE. Learn more about virtual parties HERE.

Contact Green Lake Elementary School Auction Committee with questions at auction@greenlakedragons.org

GLES is one of three public schools in Seattle that serve medically fragile students. Ironically, even though we have a large population of wheelchair enabled students, there is no accessible route to the playground. We need to raise $150,000 by February 2021 in order to complete our vision of accessible ramps and slides by the time school opens next Fall. Please visit our Go-Fund-Me Charity site to check out renderings and learn more about this three-year project to create an amazing play area for all of our kids. If you have any questions, reach out to playgroundcommittee@greenlakedragons.org

We apologize for any confusion on the tree sale this year! You can definitely come down to pick out your very own special tree at our NEW Location: Phinney Neighborhood Association lower lot - 6532 Phinney Ave N Seattle WA 98103 (behind the main PNA building). We provided the pre-order option for those who felt more comfortable getting a tree that way this year. Trees have been flying off the racks! Place online orders here.

We are still in need of volunteers. We're asking for volunteers by grade level, but if those times don't work for you no worries - we'll take all the help we can get this year! Come hang out with a couple of your fellow GLES parents and get some socially distanced face time in. We’re carefully monitoring the COVID regulations and will have lots of safeguards in place. We'd love to see you there!  Sign up here 

Email volunteers@greenlakedragons.org with questions.

The Green Lake Elementary PTA Tree Sale is our oldest fundraiser - 35 years! This year things will look a bit different. We're excited to offer pre-order and contactless pick up! Choose the tree type and size you prefer, and our volunteers will pick out the best looking tree they can find and set it aside just for you.  Come to the lot during the designated pre-order pick up time and a volunteer will bring your tree out to your car. It's that easy! Place orders here.

This event is entirely staffed by YOU, our amazing GLES friends and families! Please sign-up TODAY for a shift or two! We've suggested sign up times by grade but please sign up for whatever works best for you. (K/1 Nov 29-Dec 5) - (Grades 2/3 Dec 6-12) - (Grades 4/5 Dec 13-19).

*NEW Location: Phinney Neighborhood Association lower lot - 6532 Phinney Ave N Seattle WA 98103 (behind the main PNA building).

We understand these are unprecedented times and we are happy to answer any questions you may have regarding volunteering and safety.

Have a high schooler who needs to fulfill service-learning hours? Sign them up!

Questions? Email volunteers@greenlakedragons.org

And as always, thank you one and all! Your time and efforts help to fund vital programs & services within our school.