Words Of Hope – Tuesday, October 8, 2013
8th Grade Musings by KristenOkabayashi
Last Wednesday I arrived at school feeling upset. The afternoon prior is when the incident out on Oregon St. occurred, and that incident certainly brought out my protective instincts, or “Mama Bear”, as my family calls it. I will be honest and share with you all that I had nightmares that night about it; it was such a violation of the safety and trust we work so hard to create as a school. On Wednesday morning, I was still very much in the middle of the grief process, still stuck in that angry stage.
Fortunately for me, on Wednesdays we have chapel first thing in the morning. Last week, our 8th graders and their teacher Mrs. Newton led chapel, along with a couple songs performed by our chapel band, led by Mr. Franklin. Chapel band opened up with a song written by Mr. Franklin called “We are Loved”. After chapel band’s lovely performance, our 8th graders performed a variety of skits that demonstrated the theme of “God is all knowing”. Many of these 8th graders I have personally known since they were in prek and kindergarten, and watching them perform these skits with a powerful message was such a comfort to me! After chapel, many of these same 8th graders presented their student council speeches to our student body. While I know many of them were nervous, every single one of the students appeared poised, confident, and professional. Their speeches were well written, organized, and full of meaning.
Later on Wednesday, a parent who attended chapel sent me the following message, “I hope that you will pass on to the 8th grade class that their work in Chapel today made my week-probably my month. I was touched, engaged, honored and so proud of their efforts and the sacredness with which they shared their stories, music and especially themselves when they made their speeches for council offices. Their thoughtfulness, focus, poise and joy made me wonder and smile and filled me with gratitude for life.” I couldn’t agree more.
It is our honor as teachers and staff at Hope to teach, mentor, and guide these students from preschool to kindergarten to middle school and into young adulthood. Sometimes, the students in turn minister to us as staff, such as this past Wednesday for me. May all our students mature into caring young leaders like our current group of 8th graders!
Calendar of Events
Mon. – Fri. 10/7 – 10/11: Scholastic Book Fair
Thurs. 10/10: Noon Dismiss – Parent/Teacher Conf. 1:00 to 8:00 pm / ESCXTRA Open
Fri. 10/11: No School – Parent/Teacher Conf. 9:00 am to 1:00 pm / ESCXTRA Open
Mon-Wed 10/14 – 10/16: Standardized Testing Grades 1-8
Wed 10/16: Noon Dismiss – NW District Teachers Conf. / ESCXTRA Open
Thurs – Fri 10/17 & 10/18: No School – NW District Teachers Conf. / ESCXTRA Open
Book Fair Is Here!
We need your help to promote literacy and earn library funds for our school. You can be a part of our Book Fair in many ways. Come and purchase books for kids, grandkids, and yourself! Purchase books from your child’s classroom “wish list”.
The fair will be open after school THIS week and during our parent/teacher conferences. Dates and Hours: Oct. 7th through the 11th, Monday through Wednesday from 3:00 to 4:00 PM, Thursday between 2:00 and 8:00 PM, and Friday between 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM. We will also be open for our preschool families on Tuesday, Oct. 8th and Thursday, Oct. 10th from 11:15 to 11:45 AM.
Student Council Results
Congratulations to all our students who ran for student council this year! Student council representative candidates must apply for the position, create a poster, and present a speech to their class; student council officer candidates must apply with a letter of recommendation from a teacher, create and display two posters representing themselves, and make a speech to the entire student body.
There were some close votes this year, including a couple classes that had to vote more than once! Our student council team for this year is comprised of:
Grade 3 – JohnM and KahinaA
Grade 4 – HallieG and AnnabelleD
Grade 5 – JosieC and JacobyL
Grade 6 – NatalieG
Grade 7 – MaddieJ and GavinD
Grade 8 Officers – JordanM (President), AlexO (Vice President), Connor W (Secretary) and LeoC (Treasurer)
Believe Fundraiser Results
Congratulations to RileyL.; she sold $360.50 worth of Believe items and won a Kindle Fire as a “fabulous job” gift. We had sales of close to $4,700.00 which earns our school PTH 40% of that dollar amount. Way to go Hope parents and students.
Standardized Testing
We begin standardized testing next Monday, October 14, and it runs through the following Friday, October 25. Students in grades 2-8 will take the ITBS (Iowa Tests of Basic Skills) and students in grades 1, 3, 5, and 7 will take the CogAT (Cognitive Abilities Test). Different classes will take tests on different days but we appreciate your care of your child during this time. Please help your student(s) do their best on the standardized tests by making sure they get plenty of rest, nourishment, and water during this two week period
Parent Involvement Program Opportunity
School Crossing Guard or After School Supervision: We are looking for volunteers to help monitor our children. Crossing guard hours before school are 8:00 AM to 8:30 AM and after school from 2:45 PM to 3:15 PM. Adult supervision is needed after school from 2:45 to 3:15 PM. Please contact Mrs.Wallace at 206-935-8500 if you are interested. Training and crossing materials for the crossing guard position will be provided.
Distribute Open House Flyers: Help is needed to advertise our Middle School open house coming up on Tuesday, October 29th to our local community. Please contact our Admissions Counselor, Sally Heit at sheit@hopeseattle.org to volunteer.
First Communion Class – Starts November 3rd
On Sundays from November 3rd through November 24th, 5th grade students and older can learn and review the basic teachings of our distinctive Lutheran belief about the Lord’s Supper. We’ll be discussing how this sacrament is the Gospel of Jesus Christ given to us, not in words, but to hold in our hands, to view with our eyes, and to taste in our mouths. So, make note of and reserve Sundays beginning November 3rd, 9:30 a.m. to 10:20 a.m. for this four-week class. Students 5th grade or older who have been baptized or intend on being baptized by the end of the session are eligible to participate. One or both parents or guardians are expected to join their children in the class and to work with them during the week on their simple homework assignments. Please pre-register by contacting Deacon DanJackson at the church office, church@hopeseattle.org, 206-937-9330, or djackson@hopeseattle.org. There is no fee for the class.
Nursery Coordinator
HopeChurch is seeking someone to fill this newly created position. This position requires most Sunday mornings between 9:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., plus coordination work from home for an average of five hours per week. The job description and application are in the church and school offices. Submit applications to PatraMueller, Family Life Minister at patramueller@hopeseattle.org.