Dear Rockwell Families,

What an amazing time of year this is! Suddenly it seems our students have all shot up six inches; not only that, but they seem to have matured years. I caught the evening performance of 'The Little Mermaid' on Saturday and was deeply moved by what our students were able to do -- the emotion and animation they brought to the stage left those of us who know their classroom selves in awe. Congratulations to all of our performers, and a deep thanks to all who helped make this show possible -- our PTA, and especially Taunya Covington and Beatriz Gomez-Albadawi for bringing this show to the stage.

I must also send thanks to Ami King, who chaired our Teacher Birthday Luncheon this past week, and to all parents who made and brought in dishes to celebrate our wonderful teachers. We appreciate your thoughtfulness!

As parents of 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders know, we have just completed the first round of SBA testing. Math assessments will take place in May. This is the first year we are taking these assessments and everyone -- most of all your kids -- put so much effort into the process that I know they came home exhausted every night. We are tremendously proud of them, not only for their hard work this past week, but for the active and thoughtful learning they engage in every day.  We know that so much learning and growth occurs in a 180 day school year that is not measured on a test, and it is this we are most proud of.

Finally, I am happy to announce that Rockwell is being recognized again this year by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) as well as the State Board of Education for two Washington Achievement Awards: one for Overall Excellence, and one for English Language Acquisition. It is through the dedication of our teachers and the hard work of your students that this has occurred. We are extremely proud of this honor and will accept the awards this week at a ceremony in Spanaway.

We will be thanking all of our teachers next week, as we mark Teacher Appreciation Week on May 4, 5, 7, and 8. Please join me in letting all of our teachers know how much you appreciate their hard work, and by offering them your support as they advocate for excellent education in Washington state on May 6.

Thank you,

Kirsten Gometz

Would you like an extra recess?
Continue reading to find out how your classroom can earn an extra 15 minute recess.

It is time to bring in those little pink squares you have been collecting all month (or year)! Each Box Top is worth ten cents and we hope to raise $1,000 this week!

That means if each of you brings in 15 (or more) Box Tops, we reach our goal!

 The PTA collects the Box Top funds to use toward the purchase of: 

• Recess materials
• New teacher supplies
• Buses for field trips
• Toymaker or many other programs that enrich your child's education.

Contests are fun for everyone, but they do have rules:

1. Find Box Tops on hundreds of products. Look for this PINK and WHITE little square 

2. Neatly Clip Box Tops from each package. Please make sure they are not expired.

3. Send the Box Tops to your teacher in an envelope or baggie by this Friday, May 1st.

4. Watch the numbers climb on the big pink poster by the gym!

With Rules, come rewards:

1. The GRADE with the HIGHEST average of Box Tops collected per students WINS 5 MINUTES extra of Lunch RECESS!

2. The CLASSROOM with the HIGHEST average of Box Tops collected per student WINS an EXTRA 15 MINUTE RECESS!

 3. As an added BONUS, if Rockwell collects 10,000 Box Tops THIS week, our Principal and Intern will do something special at the year-end assembly! Stay Tuned!

For more information on the Box Tops for Education program, including a list of participating products and how much our school has earned to date, visit http://www.boxtops4education.com/

Stacy Hatch

Student Council is sponsoring a canned food drive this week: April 27-May 1st.

Each pod will have a collection box for non perishable items. All food collected will benefit Hope Link.

 Debbie Conklin

EXTRA! EXTRA!  Read all about it!!

CALLING ALL SUPER KIDS AND SUPER PARENTS!!

We need your help to CELEBRATE our favorite

SUPER HERO'S.... Norman Rockwell Staff!!

Staff Appreciation Week starts next Monday!!

Below is the schedule (*Room Parents may modify slightly due to their classroom needs, watch for information from your room parent(s)!)

MON:  I think you are SUPER because.....

(Kids to bring in their colored and filled out sheet)

TUES:  Hero's Vital Tools & Teacher's SideKick

(Kids to bring in a classroom school supply and wear their teacher's favorite color)

*PTA-Sponsored Coffee cart for teachers

WED:  NO SCHOOL

THURS:  Brain Power Fruits & Treats

(Kids to bring in a fruit or treat to share with class)

FRI:  Super Hero Dress UP

(Kids to wear their super hero costumes) Same rules as Halloween, no weapons.

*PTA "Souper-Salad" lunch for teachers

 **If you can help with the PTA-sponsored events (coffee & lunch), please check out the Sign-up here!

Renee Lawson

Room Parent Chair

From the teachers and staff: The Rockwell Staff loved the Birthday lunch provided by our fabulous PTA!  Delicious salads, sandwiches, desserts and other treats were enjoyed by all.  Thank you so much to all the volunteers that made this day special! 

From The Luncheon Coordinator:  A big thanks to ALL of the parents who donated luncheon items and flowers! I'd also like to thank the following parent volunteers for all the help with set up and clean up: Fumiko Emura, Ikeda Chitose, Kit Craig, and Angie Ballas.

Ami King

VP Volunteer Services

All parents from the Lake Washington School District (LWSD) are invited to attend Lake Washington PTSA Council's 1st Annual Parent Resource Fair. It will be held on Friday, May 8, 2015,6:00 - 8:00 PM, at the Old Redmond Schoolhouse Community Center, 16600 NE 80th St, Redmond, WA  98073. Admission is free and all are welcome to attend. Community organizations who promote education, health, safety, and recreation will be in attendance with information for K-12 students who live in Kirkland, Redmond, and Sammamish. Superintendent Dr. Traci Pierce and district staff from the LWSD will be on hand to answer questions. Free parent education sessions will be offered at the event.  For more information about this event please click Parent Resource Fair for parent ed times/topics and what groups and organizations will be attending.  Questions?  Contact FACE@lwptsa.net

-AmazonSmile: Give a little back to Rockwell PTA by using

our AmazonSmile link!  Bookmark it and use the link every time you shop.

-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 & school info. Stop by and "Like" us!  

 -Register for your account on our New PTA Website !