WOH For Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2016
Off to College! by Kristen Okabayashi, Principal
This fall, our family had a big transition as oldest son Ryan flew the coop and headed off to college at Western Washington University in Bellingham. Even though he is probably the quietest Okabayashi in our house, we all really miss him, maybe BECAUSE he’s the quietest! But he’s made a very easy transition to college life as he’s been blessed with a fantastic roommate, he loves his classes, and the campus is so beautiful!
Launching Ryan off to college has caused me to consider what kinds of skills he’s learned that have helped him make an easy transition to higher education, and what is important for my kids and all our students as they head off to high school. Of course, strong academics are important, as he graduated from Hope ready for high school, and during high school he took many honors and AP classes, so he felt academically prepared for college when he then graduated from Seattle Lutheran High School. But what else is important?
In Ryan’s case, he’s had the opportunity to explore areas where he felt interest in such as chess and history, but he also was stretched outside his comfort zone to play varsity sports and turn into a leader at school. Last spring, he was invited to speak at the Seattle Rotary Club’s monthly meeting as one of the “students of the month”. He is not a natural public speaker but I felt so proud of him when he gave a speech about dealing with the adversity of recovering from two knee surgeries, a speech where he was witty and eloquent. At his high school, public speaking is a common occurrence, so in addition to his responsibilities in helping lead student council, speaking in front of people is a regular part of the day. I feel that the adults in his life encouraged him to be resilient and confident in himself.
Another quality that is so important to instill in our students is care for others and our community. Our teachers at Hope do a tremendous job of this, and you as families are so great about supporting us in this work. Just last week our middle school students delivered 1,500 cranes to a West Seattle girl going through cancer treatment to cheer her up and support her, under the guidance of Mrs. Kunkel. Our students have an impact on our community; even our parking lady who helps us in the mornings donated money to the Orange Ruler Fundraiser. We hope our students will graduate knowing they are loved by God and that they can show that same love for others.
May all our kids be ready for their next big steps!
Calendar of Events – Click Here
Wed. 10/12: 8:40 AM Chapel led by Grade 6 – The Forgiving Prince
Wed. 10/12: Turn In Day for Orange Ruler Fundraiser! Deadline is 11:59 PM
Mon. 10/17: Fun Run – 1:30 Pig Race at SLHS Gym, 2:00 Fun Run at Hope
Oct. 17 – 26: Standardized Testing 1-8 Grades
Wed. 10/19: 8:40 AM Chapel led by Grade 5 – God to the Rescue: God Makes a Way
Chapel Talk Sheets – Click Here
Hope Church Events – Click Here
Hope Youth Events – Click Here
PIP Opportunities – Click Here
Visit SignUpGenius and search by pth@hopeseattle.org. Orange Ruler Fun Run help needed!
PTH Hosted Fall Frolic – November 5
PTH invites Hope Lutheran Church and School families to their all school fall frolic celebration! Saturday, November 5, 4:30 to 7:30 PM at the West Seattle Christian Gym.
Featuring activities for all ages: games, crafts, face painting, pizza & cider, contests, and more!
Admission is just $10 per child (ages 3 and up) and includes five (5) activity tickets. Accompanied adults and kids under 3 are free! Presale tickets will be available at the door on the day of the event at Will Call. Admission tickets may also be purchased at the door on the night of the event; however they will only include two (2) activity tickets. Additional activity tickets will be available for sale during the event for $1 each.
School Athletic Calendar of Events – Click Here
School Clubs – Click Here
Chess Club starts tomorrow and meets the 2nd Wednesday of each month from 3:05 to 4:00 PM in the 6th grade classroom – open to students in grades 3 – 8.
Box Tops Treasure Chest Campaign Continues
We are hoping to again provide much needed supplies for our Hope Preschool Program so it’s time to collect your box tops and turn them in! Box Tops are on several products most of us already buy including cereal, Kleenex, some baking mixes, etc. Fill up a collect sheet bring it in to the office and your child can pick a prize out of the treasure chest. Thanks for your help in this important ongoing fundraiser for Hope! Additional sheets will be sent home next week.
A Note from Admissions
A parent emailed me recently saying that their child’s switch to Hope has been “life changing” and how wonderful it was to pick up a “happy, open, school-loving kid” again. I love these kinds of emails! It gives me and the staff such a good feeling about the work we are doing here at Hope.
We want to share that good work with others, and encourage you to invite friends, family and neighbors to one of our three open houses we are hosting this year. November 1st is our Kindergarten Information Night, perfect for parents who are just starting to explore kindergarten options. The entire school will be open at the All School Open House November 15th, and January 10th we are excited to showcase our play-based preschool program. Look for the bright green Open House postcard in your yellow envelope today and share it with a family who might be interested in checking out our preschool through grade 8 programs. Posters are also available to share at your place of business by contacting Sally at sheit@hopeseattle.org.
If you feel that pictures speak louder than words, share this Hope Lutheran School video with them! We are so excited to share this with you created by Hope Lutheran and Seattle Lutheran High School alums, Chris Scragg and Colleen Lyell. They did an amazing job, creating a piece that we feel reflects the true spirit of Hope Lutheran School. Share it with others and thank you for being a part of our Hope School family!
Join us for scrumptious Italian food, Tuesday, October 18, at Mioposto, 4-10pm!
What better way to warm up on a blustery Fall evening than to grab fabulous grub with friends and support our 7/8 graders. Mioposto has generously offered a percentage of the night’s proceeds for our 7/8 grade Washington DC Enrichment program. If you’re unable to eat in, consider take-out and if you want to beat the crowd take advantage of their Happy Hour menu from 4-6:00. There will also be a raffle with great prizes: UrbanSitters, Funky Jane’s and Menashe Jewelry certificates plus much more.
Want to make the evening a date night? UrbanSitter is not only donating to the raffle but they are offering this exclusive deal to Hope parents! UrbanSitter is a website and app that helps parents find and book their community’s most trusted babysitters and nannies. Here’s the list of sitters Hope Lutheran School parents personally recommend: https://www.urbansitter.com/school/hope-lutheran-seattle-wa. Sign up for free and use code VIPOFFER for a $50 credit towards your first booking, good until November 30, 2016. We look forward to seeing you at Mioposto! (2139 California Ave SW)
Seattle Lutheran High School Open House – Thursday, October 20, 2016, 7:00 – 8:30 PM
At Seattle Lutheran High School we provide high-quality academics, in a safe and loving environment, that help develop strong leaders in our community and globally. Please join us for our Open House which will feature a tour of the facility, as well as interaction with Seattle Lutheran’s faulty, administration and students. Enter through the gymnasium which is located on Genesee Street at 41st Avenue S.W. For more information visit our website at http://www.seattlelutheran.orgor contact Rachel Bigliardi at 206-937-7722 or rbigliardi@seattlelutheran.org
West Seattle Cheerleader Mini Cheer Camp
The WSHS Cheerleaders will be holding a Mini Cheer Camp Friday, November 11 in the West Seattle High School Gym from 10:00am to 1:00pm. K-5th grade kids will have a great time learning fun cheers and making crafts with the Westside cheerleaders. Campers will receive a tee shirt, pom poms, official team hair bow, picture of themselves with the cheerleader AND perform as an honorary West Seattle Cheerleader at an upcoming home basketball game!
The cost of this camp is $60. Registration paperwork and payment are due by October 27th to be guaranteed a t shirt the day of camp. Those who register after the 27th will receive items at the basketball game performance. Space is limited so register early to ensure your spot.
Contact Melinda Fredricks at wshsminicheercamp@wshs.com if you have any questions.