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The Good Teen
by Richard M. Lerner, PhD
Join Sandi Wollum, Head of Seabury, and Toby Welch, Seabury's Middle School Planning Teacher, in a book discussion group:
Thursday, November 6th, 13th and 20th, from 7:00-8:30pm.
Join in the discussion using three guiding questions:
- What does it mean for parenting adolescents?
- What does it mean for the gifted learner?
- What does it mean for the Seabury Middle School?
These are critical years for young adolescents and seeing the opportunities that are present during this time is important to their success, their relationships and their well being.
Cost of the workshop is $20.00. Please call Joslyn at 253.952.3111 to register. Childcare will be provided.
NOTE: The Good Teen workshop will replace the SENG workshop until we can train another SENG coordinator to conduct the class.
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It was great to see so many of you at Curriculum Night last night. Teachers enjoyed showing parents what their children are doing in class and having the opportunity to talk about curriculum and classroom routines. We hope it was a valuable time for those who were able to attend.
If you were unable to attend, your next Thursday folder will contain a packet of the handouts that were distributed last night. A scope and sequence containing the skills portion of the curriculum, as well as a curriculum map outlining the thematic curriculum will give you an overview of the material teachers will be covering during the year.
As I shared with parents last night, we serve our children best when parents and teachers work as a team to provide support and opportunities for children. Fall conferences are scheduled for the end of November, but can be scheduled at any time if there are questions or concerns.
Thank you for the support you give your children and our staff. It is great to be part of the Seabury community because Seabury is a place where great things happen for children.
In service,
Sandi |
| Middle School News by Toby Welch |
 I grab a hot mug of tea, a large bowl of oatmeal and head for the table. I pass by the wood burning stove that is pumping out warm air to fend off the early morning chill. I find a spot, sit down and join the 5th and 6th grade students for an early morning breakfast at the Olympic Park Institute. It is day four of our week long trip on the Peninsula and I am excited for the day.
The Beginning of the Year Trip serves many functions and goals; chief among them is the building of community. After 15 years of running this genre of trip with students, it is my experience that the relationships are that are developed and strengthened during this kind of experience have a dramatic and positive impact on the ensuing ten months of school and beyond. My interactions with these students will be deeper because I have gotten to know them in a much more intimate way. I have begun to understand what they are passionate about, what inspires them, what talent and abilities they have, what interests they are pursuing as well as what they are reading. Knowing these attributes generates a platform to engage students in a whole different manner - in a setting that cannot be duplicated during a school day.
I scrape my bowl clean and finish a second cup of tea. The conversations I have had over breakfast will fortify me for the day. It is raining outside and we are headed out to the Elwha River to continue our analysis of the health of the watershed by testing the PH levels of the water, conducting dissolved oxygen tests, and doing a macro invertebrate inventory. Despite the downturn in the weather, I know that I will be in good company and will return at the end of the day with new stories to tell. |
Desperately Seeking Library Volunteers!
The Seabury Library needs some good, consistent volunteer help this year. I only work two days a week and have my hands full with classes, trying to get new books out to kids, matching students with the best books for them, working with teachers on curriculum needs, starting a separate middle school library, searching out good research sites on the Web, trying to update our parent/teacher resource library, writing the library blog .... and so much other cool stuff I'd like to be doing.
Not that shelving and covering books isn't cool, too. But you know the saying: So many books, so little time!
And so far this year, I have no parent volunteers.
So if you can help, please e-mail me at byseabury@yahoo.com and we'll talk!
Thanks in advance,
Becky Young
Seabury Librarian
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Be sure to take time to visit classroom blogs at www.myseabury.org/classrooms. These are not only for students and parents in that classroom but for all visitors to the website to view to see what is going on in the classrooms and at Seabury School. |
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The poem below was written after the 6th graders came back from OPI....
Walking through Olympic National ParkBy: Hadyn Stewart & Ryan Schaefer As we were walking with our backpacks and gear,
We saw amongst the trees a white-spotted deer.
So many critters in this wonderful place,
It is a landscape you could never replace
You're sure to be amazed as you're walking by,
While the trees beside you tower in the sky.
The river so bright you can see your own smile,
You'll see a fish swim by, once in a while.
Everywhere you look there are endless hills of green,
Buildings and skyscrapers, never to be seen.
The Madrone trees, shedding red bark,
Litters the floor of Olympic National Park.
'Tis a shame to leave a place so grand,
Hopefully we'll come back to this magical land. Be sure to visit the 6th grade blog to read the other students' poems and writings.  |
Be sure to invite friends and neighbors to the fall OPEN HOUSE coming up on Sunday, October 19th. Teachers and staff will be on hand to give tours and answer questions about Seabury School and intellectually advanced education for students. If you have any questions about the Open Houses, please contact Joslyn Kearns at seaburyoffice@comcast.net. |
| Choir Club Seeking More Voices |
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Linda Upshaw, Seabury's Music Teacher, is still looking for more Choir participants for the Seabury Choir. They meet on Mondays in the French room from 3:15-4:15pm. Please send your child over to Choir if they are interested. There is no cost for this after school program.
Linda also wanted to let parents know that she is offering Piano Lessons on Thursday afternoons in the French room. These are group lessons. The cost is $20.00 per class and you must sign your child up for four (4) classes. |
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Aftercare News
We are pleased to announce that Bailey Zydek, who started this year as interim aftercare supervisor, was offered and has accepted the position on an ongoing basis. Bailey is a recent graduate of UW where she studied Latin America Studies and Spanish and graduated Cum Laude in both. When she is not at Seabury, she works as a Family Preservation Counselor and serves as a guardian ad litem in Tacoma. Bailey started her work at Seabury in our summer program, and her calm, positive, professional manner with our students quickly caught our attention. As we began the school year, Bailey was faced with the challenge of adapting our aftercare program to the new space in the multipurpose room, and has been doing a great job. Bailey is responsible for coordinating the aftercare program, and she works with 3 aftercare assistants: Rebecca Ruggles, a TCC student and Seabury graduate; Ruth Sackman, student at Stadium High School; and Angie Pratt, a student at Stadium High School. We are grateful to have such an outstanding staff for our program, and for the leadership Bailey is already providing!
During the first month of school, Bailey and her staff have allowed the students to take advantage of the nice weather and given them lots of opportunity to play outside. As the weather turns colder and students spend more time inside, the staff will offer more group activities such as games and art projects in addition to free play. At the start of aftercare, our youngest children play on the preschool playground until snack. Bailey prepares a nutritious snack for all children, and following snack, our older students head to the library to do homework and spend time together apart from younger students. The goal is to provide students with both structured and unstructured time after school in a safe, fun, relaxed environment. Bailey and her staff are doing a great job developing the program.
Please join us in welcoming Bailey to our staff!
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 Seabury School1801 53rd Street NE
Tacoma, WA 98422
(253) 952-3111
Our mission is to challenge gifted children in a community that cherishes each individaul and fosters a love of learning, discovery and creativity. |
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