Issue: #18
February 8, 2016
This Week:
Monday 2/8 - Thornton Creek Tour
Tuesday 2/9 - Site Council Meeting
Thursday 2/11 - Thornton Creek Tour 
Donations Due FRIDAY!!!
by Lissa Armato - auction@thorntoncreek.org

Donations are due this Friday, February 12th!  We will have the auction table set up the following days and times...


  • Tuesday 3:20-3:50
  • Wednesday 9:20-9:50
  • Thursday & Friday 3:20-3:50
The auction is March 25th!  Get your tickets to the auction!  Buy now!

School. Community. Together.
WE ARE ONE!
From Your Principal
Talents Night Thank You and Gratitude 
by John Miner - jminer@seattleschools.org
 
Major school events like Talents Night mean so much to our students, families, and staff.  Events like Talents Night could not take place without parent volunteers donating time to make the event possible.  Thank you to Kirtsen Fonken and her crews of parents at rehearsals, backstage, on sound, in the green room, and on lights.  It was another fabulous evening of student creativity!
 
Thornton Creek Student Scientists
 
We have another terrific evening upcoming in early March.  Pat Boyle and Tracy Fuentes are the parent leads again this year for our annual student Science Fair.  
The Thornton Creek Science Fair is scheduled for Wednesday, March 9 from 6-8:30 in the cafeteria.  Look for information and signups are in the newsletter.  40 student scientists have already signed up-come join us for this evening of imagination and invention.

There are 4 categories of project:  Collection, Invention, Experiment or Research Project, so almost any type of project fits.

There will be a mentoring session this coming Wednesday in the library from 6:00-8:00 pm to help with projects and get ready for the fair.

Check the newsletter for more info and where to sign up, or contact patboyle@gmail.com or tracyfuentes@gmail.com.
From the Office
Office News
by Jennifer Evans  - jevans@seattleschools.org
 
Open Enrollment
Open Enrollment is Feb. 17 - March 1. New kindergarten families will have the best chance of being assigned to a school outside their attendance area if Choice forms are returned during this window. May 31 is the final deadline for current students to request a different school. Kindergarten Admissions Nights will be held in each of the district's five regions beginning in January. Please see the flier for more information.
School & Program Tours and Open House
by Emily Wong - emily.seattle@gmail.com
Jennifer McDowell -  jenniferwisemcdowell@hotmail.com
Co-Chairs Hiring and Recruitment Committee 

We are quickly approaching the time of year when families take on the challenging task of choosing a school for their children. After break during 5 weeks, Thornton Creek will offer several opportunities for families to see what our school and community are all about.

Our morning tours will begin at 9:30 am on the following dates:

 

  • Feb. 8 (Mon)
  • Feb. 11 (Thurs)
  • Feb. 25 (Thurs)
There will be one evening open house & tour: Feb. 23 (Tues) 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Tours can last up to 2 hours. 

There are two ways for you to get involved:   
  1. Volunteer!  We need parent volunteers to assist creating a welcoming and informative environment for prospective families.
  2. Spread the word!  If you know families who are looking for a great school, let them know about Thornton Creek and the upcoming tours and open house.  You can always refer them to our website.
If you are interested in helping out, please contact Emily or Jennifer.
February Lunch Menu

The February lunch menu is posted here.
From the Library
Library events
By Ginny Allemann - vaallemann@seattleschools.org
 
Gordon Korman was a hit!


3rd, 4th and 5th graders enthusiastically welcomed author Gordon Korman to Thornton Creek on Thursday afternoon, February 4. Mr. Korman explained his journey as a writer, from writing and getting his first book published when he was 13, to his life as a writer today at age 52. One of our students actually brought a copy of Mr. Korman's first book with him to be signed! Mr. Korman told funny stories about how book titles are translated, and read from his new novel: Masterminds: Criminal Destiny. I was delighted with the great many questions kids asked. Many thanks to Secret Garden Book Shop for bringing Gordon Korman to our school. More signed copies are available if your child would still like to purchase a book. See Ginny or email vaallemann@seattleschools.org.

Taking care of books

I have had quite a few books come in recently that have been exposed to sticky things and also to moisture. My advice: please give your students a plastic bag to put their library books in inside their backpack. This will help protect them. Thank you for your help.

Global Reading Challenge In-School Challenge next Thursday, February 11!

Six 4th and 5th grade teams: The Human Beans, Smart Like Dictionaries, Reading Rainbows, The Book Thieves, Rain City Readers, and the Book Stars-will test their knowledge next Thursday for a chance to attend the regional finals at the Central Library in March. 3rd-5th grade classes will be there to cheer them on! Congratulations to all the kids who put in so much hard work on this!
Site Council
February Site Council Meeting 2/9 7pm
by Stacy Earlywine - stacy.earlywine@gmail.com
 
February Site Council meeting will be held on Tuesday February 9th at 7pm. The agenda can be found here.

If you plan to attend and need childcare, please notify Stacy Earlywine by Monday, 7pm to request a spot.
Parent Group
Mark your calendars for the science fair! 
by Pat Boyle and Tracy Fuentes - patboyle@gmail.com tracyfuentes@gmail.com
 
The Thornton Creek Science Fair is scheduled for Wed, March 9 from 6:00-8:30pm. More details are available at: http://tcsciencefair.blogspot.com/

Students can sign up online to exhibit.  All families are invited to attend.

There will be 2 informational sessions to help students on Wed Feb 10 and Wed Feb 24 from 6-8pm in the library

-Pat and Tracy
Thornton Creek Directory 2015-16
by Karen Selboe -   kselboe@gmail.com
 
The Thornton Creek Directory is now available to view and download from the Thornton Creek website.  Access is password protected.  An email including the password will come to you directly from your student's teacher.   Please keep in mind that the password, link and directory information is to be used only by Thornton Creek staff and families.  Do not share the password or directory with anyone outside the TC community, or use information for business purposes.  

Questions?   kselboe@gmail.com
Co-Ed Ultimate Frisbee Team
by Ryan Dean and Julie Bisson - rsdean1@gmail.com and jbisson@comcast.net.
 
Is your 3rd or 4th grader interested in joining the new Co-ed Thornton Creek Ultimate Frisbee Team?

Ryan Dean (parent of Rowan Dean in 3rd grade) and his son Jasper Dean (9th grade ultimate player at Nathan Hale Highschool) will be coaching a new Thornton Creek Ultimate Frisbee Team this spring! The league is organized by Discnw and teams will play 5 versus 5 on a small field.  Games start Saturday March 12th and will continue until the end of April. There is a possible playoff in early May. We will have one practice per week probably after school at a field close to Thornton Creek, the specific day TBD.  

Please check out the link to Discnw with league details:


At this point we are specifically looking for girls to balance out the team. If your student is interested, you can contact Ryan at rsdean1@gmail.com or Julie at jbisson@comcast.net. We are happy to answer any questions about ultimate or the new Thornton Creek team. Thank you!

Parent Group Fundraising
13 AUCTION VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
by Hee Jung - heejungkimbel@gmail.com

The auction committee needs 13 volunteers for this  week's featured volunteer positions:

4:30-8p.m.
Guest Check in/ Registration: 
Give auction catalog, nametags, bidder signs to bidder; direct bidder to auction items/seating area; process bidder registration in Readysetauction data system; 
enter purchase data from silent and live auction into Readysetauction system.
 
8-10:30p.m.
Guest Check-Out:
At the start of shift, enter purchase data from silent and live auction into Readysetauction system; process bidder check-out via computer; direct bidder to merchandise pick-up area.

Make the night even more fun by volunteering together with a friend!  

Detailed job descriptions here.

Please sign up using the Signup Genius link. 

From the Scrip table
by Leslie Cary -   scrip@thorntoncreek.org

Support the school by buying groceries for your family! Stop by the scrip table today to buy scrip cards to the stores where you normally shop (at no extra cost to you). For every $100 spent at a grocery store, the school earns between $3-5. That adds up quickly! Grocery cards available are: QFC, Fred Meyer, Safeway, PCC, Met Market and Whole Foods. Some other cards available are: Amazon, Starbucks, Top Pot Doughnuts, Target, and more.

Scrip are gift cards sold to us at a discount, and that discount (generally between 3-15%) is added to our parent group fund. This fund helps to support many things at our school, including: classroom academic assistants, Mary K, additional counselor and nurse time (beyond what the district provides), scholarships, library materials, art supplies, and much more!
District Approved Communications to Families
Please Note: Information below is not specifically endorsed by the school, nor have they been vetted by school staff.
Advertising Review/Approval Process

Per Seattle Public School Board Policy, outside materials must be approved before being distributed. The materials must meet district criteria, be approved by the Office of Public Affairs, and must be pre-printed and delivered to the school with the approval form attached.

 

You can find details regarding the review/approval process here. All requests to include information in the Thornton Creek Newsletter should be submitted via this process. 

Save your Stuff and Save the Date: Eckstein Rummage Sale

The Annual Eckstein Band Rummage Sale is Saturday, April 2nd, 2016.

Your donations will make this event a success.  Please save household items, books and music, furniture, toys, games and puzzles, sporting equipment, clothing in wearable condition, and any other re-sellable items for the sale.
We are unable to accept unassembled furniture, car seats or strollers

On Friday, April 1st bring your donations to the Eckstein cafeteria between 1:30 and 4:00 pm.  The cafeteria's entrance faces the garden in the east parking lot. (Eckstein's Address is: 3003 NE 75th Street, Seattle)

Mark your calendar and come to the Rummage Sale on Saturday, April 2nd from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.  There will be great deals to be had, baked goods, and music from our very own jazz combos.

This sale is a fundraiser.  Monies raised from the rummage sale go directly to the Eckstein music program and are used to help offset some of the cost of off-campus music performances, repair damaged instruments and provide scholarship to children who needs assistance.  We work to make music accessible to everyone.

Thank you for supporting The Eckstein Bands!  

Contacts: Sarah Fulton (sarahcfulton@mac.com) and Maggie Sweeney (davidmaggie@comcast.net)
Hazel Wolf Tour Dates

Weekday morning tours 9-11 a.m.:
- Tuesday February 23rd
- Monday February 29th

Weekday evening tours 6-8 p.m.:
- Wednesday February 24th
 
No RSVP necessary. 
Loyal Heights Tour Date - February 10, 2016

Loyal Heights Elementary Open House/Tour date for prospective students and parents, will be Wednesday, February 10, 7 p.m.
JAMS Tour Date - February 11, 2016

Jane Addams will be hosting two Open House/Tours for prospective students and parents, on Thursday, February 11th:
Daytime: 9:45 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.
Evening: 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Call the JAMS main office at 206-252-4500 to sign up for the Daytime tour.
Open Enrollment

Open Enrollment is Feb. 17 - March 1. New kindergarten families will have the best chance of being assigned to a school outside their attendance area if Choice forms are returned during this window. May 31 is the final deadline for current students to request a different school. Kindergarten Admissions Nights will be held in each of the district's five regions beginning in January. Please see the flier for more information.
TC Logo Medium7711 43rd Ave NE
Seattle, WA 98115

TEL: 206-252-5300
FAX: 206-252-5301
In This Issue
Auction Donations Due Friday!
From Your Principal
Office Updates
School Tours & Open House
February Lunch Menu
From the Library
Site Council
Science Fair
Thornton Creek Directory
Co-Ed Ultimate Frisbee
Auction Volunteers Needed
Scrip
District Communication to Families
calendar icon
CALENDAR 

The 2015-16 Seattle Schools Calendar (in PDF format) can be found here.   
 
Thornton Creek calendar can be found here

February 8
Thornton Creek Tour 9:30-11:30 a.m.

February 11
Thornton Creek Tour 9:30-11:30 a.m.

February 15-16
President's Day/Midwinter Break

February 17-19
School Days (revised) 

February 23
Thornton Creek Tour 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

February 25
Thornton Creek Tour 9:30-11:30 a.m.

March 8
Site Council Meeting 7 p.m.

March 9
Science Fair 6:30 p.m.

March 17
Family Dance Night 6:30 p.m.

March 25
Auction 5 p.m.

Quick Links


Site Council Information & Meeting Minutes
  
  
  
The Source Children's
Library accounts
Thornton Creek is a Box Tops for Education School

 

Thornton Creek Elementary is a Box Tops for Education school! Look for pink Box Top coupons on products you have at home (e.g. Cascadian Farm cereal), then just clip and drop them in the collection basket just inside the front door of the school. For coupon information, go to:  

www.boxtops4education.com 

Say Thank you

We have a tradition at our school of saying "thank you." If you would like to submit a thank-you note, send an email to ae2newseditor@gmail.com or  click here.


A huge thanks to Kirsten Fonken for Friday night's talent show!

-Catherine Reidy Liermann
A HUGE thank you to Kirsten Fonkin and the many, many volunteers who made our 2016 Talent Show a great success. Giving our children a moment to shine is a unique and deeply valuable aspect of our curriculum and community.  We couldn't do it without countless hours from many dedicated people. Thank you!

-Stacy Earlywine
A belated thank you to Deb Glazer and Erin Nelson who stepped up in a year of uncertainty and transition to lead us to a successful read-a-thon.  I know many burgeoning readers were inspired by the challenge and we are inching closer to our financial goal as well.  Deb and Erin, your efforts are deeply appreciated.

-Stacy Earlywine
NEWSLETTER SUBMISSIONS
Do you have an article or Bulletin Board item you would like to submit to the newsletter?

Click here for submission guidelines. Click here to send your article to the editors. Content is due Thursday for the following Monday's edition.