• Rockwell's PTA programs such as field trips, enrichment programs, classroom grants, and much more rely heavily on our parents submitting their PTA donations (such as Pass the Hat) for corporate matching! Many area companies have a matching program (such as Microsoft an many others) so please don't delay and get your donation matched asap!  

• Additionally, lots of companies will pay our school for your volunteer hours spent here. If you're unsure, please check with your H.R. department.

Holiday Shopping?

•  Give a little back to Rockwell PTA by using our AmazonSmile link!  Bookmark it and use the link every time you shop.

Dear Rockwell Families,

It is such an exciting time of year around Rockwell! The students are (quite literally) vibrating with excitement about the upcoming break, and the celebrations and special time they will get to spend with family and loved ones. We are excited, too: excited to see the progress the students have made, excited to pause and prepare for the next leg of our journey together this spring, and excited to see all of the students return after break, rested, happy, and ready to learn.

Thank you to our amazing PTA for providing us with a delicious teacher birthday luncheon on December 11. The Fiesta Feast was fantastic! We are so fortunate to work with such a dedicated and helpful parent group.

Loom Bands Wanted: We have a team of students on our Anti-Bullying Committee who have been teaching others how to make loom band bracelets and other items out at recess. This is a very popular activity and we go through the materials very quickly. If you have unused loom bands at your home or would like to donate any to their cause, please send them in!

Boundary Adjustment: As many of you know, work on the district's boundary adjustment continues. The Lake Washington School District is working now on adjustments to school attendance boundaries, to go into effect next fall. If you missed the public input meeting for our area, the boundary input form for the Redmond Learning Community is open online through December 15. Information and maps for the different scenarios under consideration are posted on the district website. The link to the online input form is on the same page of the website. Please take a few minutes to review the information and provide feedback to the boundary committee by the deadline.

Winter Weather and Emergency Release: With winter comes unpredictable weather. We try to maintain as much open play space on the playground as we can while keeping the kids safe, so please plan for mud, rain, and/or snow. Also, please make sure that you have updated local emergency contacts on your child's emergency card. In the event of a school closure, we will not release children to anyone not listed on their emergency card. Additionally, if we initiate emergency release procedures because of weather or any other event, please bring photo ID - the person assisting you may not know you, and our student release team will be checking every ID.

Rwandan Orphans Project: In this season of giving, Jean Long, one of our dedicated parent volunteers, has stepped up and volunteered to chair our efforts to partner with and support the Rwandan Orphans Project in Kigali, Rwanda. Jean is planning a school-wide event this spring to engage our students and parents in making a difference for children taken in off of the streets of Rwanda. If you would like to learn how you can become involved, please contact Jean at masumajean@yahoo.com.

Things to keep in mind as you prepare for this last week:

• We have many, many lost and found items. Please come and look this week if your student is missing anything; all items still here at the end of the school day on Friday will be donated to charity.

• Please report any trips to Kerry Bauman in the office at kbauman@lwsd.org. We must track all absences.

• All LWSD schools will be closed for Winter Break December 22, 2014 through January 2, 2015. School reopens on January 5.

• There is NO SCHOOL Monday, January 19, to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Thank you all for being our partners this year. We appreciate you every day. Enjoy your break and Happy New Year from all of us at Rockwell!

Kirsten McArdle

Principal

Parent volunteers are needed to assist with Rockwell's Vision and Hearing Screening Day on Thursday, January 15th.  No experience is necessary.  School nurses from the district will train parent volunteers in screening.  A school nurse will recheck any child with a questionable screening result.  The only requirements are your time, willingness, and being an approved volunteer with the district.  

We are in need of volunteers for a morning shift (8:15-11:15am) or an afternoon shift (11:45am-2:30pm), or come for the full day (8:15am-2:30pm) for double the fun!  

Save the date! Heritage Night will be held January 22, 2015

We still need volunteers and families to sign up for individual booths. This event encourages both students and their parents to share their cultural cuisine, traditional dress and honored customs. Families bring food, share music, pictures and literature from their country. 

Please consider signing up to volunteer and participate in this event.  You can contact Ariane Newell to sign up. Don't delay as this event is coming up quickly!

Jennifer Myrick

VP Events

Many thanks to Shweta Arora For volunteering to co-chair Disco Bingo Night 2/6/15 and also to Valdene Claux for co-chairing the All School Dance 3/20/15!   

It may seem along ways off, but before you know it will be time to party at the Ice Cream social.  We are still looking for someone to chair or co-chair this event..ice cream lovers encouraged to inquire! 

-Ice Cream Social - May 21st: Chair or Co-Chairs needed

Are you great at finding deals and raising money? 

This position is perfect for someone who is good at finding creative ways to raise money for Rockwell's PTA. 

-Coordinate annual "Pass The Hat" fundraiser at Curriculum night in the fall 

-Stay up-to-date, find, and apply for: Local money saving programs (scrips programs at local stores such as PCC and Bartells etc), box tops, contests, local restaurant nights, apply for local or national PTA or corporate grants etc...

Please email our PTA president Cari Scotkin if you can help!

-Volunteer Application:   LWSD Volunteer application. It's easy to complete and is good for 2 years. Fill yours out or check your renewal status today!

-Rockwell PTA Facebook Page: Stay connected and updated on Rockwell PTA info, school & community events, important dates, and more on our Facebook Page.  

Stop by and "Like" us!