First Day of School by Kristen Okabayashi
As I write this, the sun is shining in my office window and I’m in shorts and sandals. It has been a gorgeous summer for Seattle, full of sun, warm weather, but not “too” hot! We have been blessed for sure.
That being said, our entire staff is gearing up for the first day of school. The past couple of weeks have been a flurry of activity, with curriculums to review, iPads to get ready, and lesson plans to write. We had a wonderful reminder of how much we have missed our students at the BBQ hosted by PTH, and it was so nice to see so many families there! Thanks again to PTH (Parents and Teachers of Hope) for their hard work organizing and putting on this fun annual event.
When you read this newsletter, we will have finished up our first day of school, which I’m sure will be fantastic. While we will miss the lazy sunny summer days, I think everyone is ready to come back to school and we look forward to a great school year.
Be the change!
Calendar of Events
Tues. 9/2: 8:30 AM First Day of School – 8:40 AM Chapel – Noon Dismiss – P4 Class in Session – ESC Open
Wed.-Fri. 9/3 – 9/5: Kindergarten Only Noon Dismiss – ESC Open
Fri. 9/5: Free Dress Day
Mon. 9/8: Deadline for WA D.C. Lunch Orders
Lower Boys Bathroom Update
Our remodelers have been working hard on our lower floor boy’s bathroom project and have hit some delays along the way, which is not surprising in a school that has been around since 1959. We anticipate finishing up at the end of this week and in the meanwhile, we will have our younger boys use a different bathroom. We will continue to update you as things change.
Middle School Electives
Please remember that middle school student elective forms went home today and are due back to the school office this Friday, September 5, 2014.
PE Update
Due to scheduling needs, our new PE teacher Sachia Barwick will be teaching K-2 PE along with 4th and 5th grade PE. Athletic director Brett Kapels will teach 3rd grade PE in addition to all middle school PE. Planned PE lessons and learning will remain the same.
Café Stellina & WA D.C. – Hot Lunch Programs
Our Café Stellina hot lunch delivery begins next week, September 9, 2014 and our WA D.C. group will begin on September 12. We are sending home ordering information today in the Tuesday communication envelope.
Door Access System
We are thankful to have our new door access system to improve the safety of our campus! The front door will be unlocked during drop off and pick up times. Our preschool and Extended School Care families will be issued a PIN code to provide them a more convenient way to access the building during program hours. If you have questions about the system, you may contact the school office at 206-935-8500.
Newsletter Information
Our newsletter is sent via email every Tuesday and will also be posted to our website at www.hopeseattle.org. Please notify the school office at 206-935-8500 if you require a hard copy. Our weekly newsletter is used for general announcements, calendar date changes or reminders, Parent Involvement Program (PIP) opportunities, sports, and much more! Other communication tools we utilize are Vertical Response, which goes out via email, and SchoolReach, which goes out via phone. Please ensure that the school office has up to date information for your family.
Tuesday Communication Envelope
Each kindergarten through 8th grade homeroom will also send home a bright yellow communication folder with important school forms. Please sign the outside of the envelope, remove the contents and return the folder to your child’s homeroom. Do not place forms inside this envelope, instead attach any forms returning to the school on the outside of the envelope. Our yellow envelopes have not arrived yet so for today please look for these items in your child’s backpack. Thank you.
School Directory & Handbook
Each year the school prints and distributes a school directory for our school families. Every effort is made to publish a complete and accurate directory. If you have had a change of address, phone or email since completing your registration form for 2014-15, please notify Mrs. Wallace by email at swallace@hopeseattle.org by Tuesday, September 9th. Our directory and handbook will be distributed on Tuesday, September 23rd.
Bowl-A-Rama – WA D.C. Fundraiser
We will host a Bowl-A-Rama on Friday, Sept. 26th from 4:00-6:00 at West Seattle Bowl. Cost is $20 per person and includes 2 hours of bowling, shoe rental, pizza and pop. Registration forms coming home today in your Tuesday communication envelopes. Deadline to register is Wednesday, September 24th. This is open to ALL Hope school family and friends, so spread the word for this fun event!
Drop off/Pick up Procedures
Again here are a few reminders to help with our Drop-Off and Pick-Up Procedure: students may arrive beginning as early as 8:10am and our school doors open at 8:15am. Please drop off in front of the school. (If you need to go into school at drop off or pick up time, please park elsewhere as the front of the school gets very busy! At pick up time, please pull forward with the line of cars.) For our students’ safety, please do not double park your car and drop off or pick up your child from the middle of the street. Our north end drive is reserved for preschool families only for morning drop off and late (3:00-3:15pm) pick up. Thank you!
PIP Opportunities
Assistant Volleyball Coach needed: Hope Lutheran is looking for someone to assist Jen Rice with our 6th-8th Grade Volleyball team. The team normally practices or plays games 3-4 times a week. Games are at 3:45 and most practices are at 6:00 at night. Please contact Mr. Kapels if you are interested Bkapels@hopeseattle.org. It is a great way to earn your PIP hours.
