Principal Friesen's Letter, Feb. 7th 2019

Dear Sacajawea Families,

I hope you are all staying warm and safe in our current weather! Yesterday, we were all happy to be back at Sacajawea! Thanks to all of the students, staff and families who did an excellent job of keeping our Snow Pick-Up and Drop-Off procedures smooth and safe for all. We are anticipating the possibility of more inclement weather on Friday, but hoping that the storm will not arrive before school is out for the day. In case of any Sacajawea-Specific changes in procedure, I will communicate by email and a recorded phone message as I did this morning. Any changes that are district-wide will be communicated through normal district channels as they have been earlier this week.

This week, we are engaging in Black Lives Matter at School week. Due to the snow days, the week will extend through February 12th. Our Sacajawea Equity Team and various students and teachers have put up posters and displays throughout Sacajawea that will be here during February, which is also Black History Month. These displays are just one part of the learning students are doing at Sacajawea. Classroom work and assemblies will also include learning about Black history. The learning we do during Black History Month is just one way to help us remember that Black History is all of our history, and that the story of our world includes all kinds of people. 

In addition, this week, we are celebrating Lunar New Year. Due to not having an assembly on Monday, we will spend some time at next Monday’s assembly reminding students of this celebration. In the meantime, when your child comes home with a red envelope at some point this week, ask them what they’ve learned about it!

Here's some information about the holiday from our Equity Team:

February 5, 2019, the year 4717 begins! 2019 is the year of the Pig. Lunar New Year festivities begin on the first day of the first lunar month on the Chinese calendar and continue until the 15th of the lunar month, when the moon is full. 

Chinese legend holds that Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on New Year's Day and named a year after each of the twelve animals that came. The animals in the Chinese calendar are the dog, pig/boar, rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, and rooster. Also, according to legend, people born in each animal's year have some of that animal's personality traits.
 
Each day of the fifteen day celebration has its own traditions, such as visiting in-laws, or staying home to welcome good fortune. Families gather together for meals, especially for a feast on New Year's Eve. At Lunar New Year celebrations people wear red clothes, decorate with poems on red paper. Red symbolizes fire, which according to legend can drive away bad luck. Another tradition includes giving cash in a red envelope, called a "hongbao," to children and single adults. Lunar New Year ends with the lantern festival, celebrated at night with displays and parades of painted lanterns. 

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

In Partnership,
 
Rachel Friesen
Sacajawea Elementary School

Hiring Team Training, Coming in February, March, and April 2019

Every year, Seattle Public Schools starts the hiring process for next year’s staff as early as late March or early April. While we don’t anticipate big staffing changes next year at Sacajawea, there may be a need to convene hiring teams as early as April and possibly later in the summer as our staffing needs change. Parents are an important part of our decision process whenever we hire new staff. 

If you’d like to be on a hiring team, you will need to take the District/SEA hiring training. You only need to take it once in your life, and you will then be eligible to be on a hiring team in any Seattle Public School in the future.

The next upcoming trainings are: February 12th, March 19th and April 16th. If you attend an upcoming training, or you have already been trained, and are willing to participate in interview teams, please let Rachel know by emailing rlfriesen@seattleschools.org. Thank you!

To find dates and sign up, please review this document. 

Curious How Seattle Funds Their Public Schools?

In February 2019, Seattle voters will be asked to replace two expiring levies to fund Seattle Public Schools. Curious about how these levies will affect our school? On January 31st, the SPS budget department is going to talk to us about how the Seattle Public Schools budget works, and give us information about the upcoming levies. We’ll have a movie night for the children, while adults have the opportunity to learn about the budget and levy process.

Read more about the levies from the SPS on their Levies page.

Upcoming Community Events, 1/24/19

A collection of community events curated by our Equity Team.

1. International One Acts. Jan 25–Feb 2 at Studio East Mainstage Theater. $19. http://studio-east.org/international-one-acts/

2. Children’s Film Festival Seattle Inspires Kids to Be the Dream. Jan 24–Feb 9 at Northwest Film Forum. $9/$12. https://childrensfilmfestivalseattle.org/

3. Tet Festival: Vietnamese Lunar New Year. Jan 26-27 at the Seattle Center. Free. https://www.tetinseattle.org/

4. Duwamish Longhouse 10 Year Anniversary Open House. Jan 26 from 10:00am–5:00pm. Free. https://www.facebook.com/events/366735193902746/

5. Celebrate Libraries Rally. Jan 26 from 11:00am–11:30am at the Central Library. Free. https://www.spl.org/event-calendar?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D130776366

6. "Noodlephant" Story Time & Book Signing. Jan 26 from 11:00am–12:00pm at University Bookstore. Free. http://www.ubookstore.com/events?evmonth=01&evyear=2019&eventid=2018112412470200&pre=20190114&pst=20190130

7. Mirai Screening. Jan 26 from 11:00am–1:00pm at the Capitol Theater Olympia. Free for kids 12 and under. https://olympiafilmsociety.org/club-mirai/

8. FOCS Monthly Gathering: Capoeira w/FICA. Jan 26 from 3:00pm–5:00pm at the Union Cultural Center (UCC). Free, RSVP. https://goo.gl/forms/991F1Sm2hgXtUtIl1

9. Celia Perez - The First Rule of Punk. Jan 26 from 7:00pm–8:00pm at Third Place Books Ravenna and Jan 27 at 2:00pm at the Central Library. Free. https://www.thirdplacebooks.com/event/celia-perez-first-rule-punk
https://www.spl.org/event-calendar?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D130692667

11. Omochitsuki/Rice Cake Making Event. Jan 27 at 11:00am at the JCCCW. Free, $5 donation. https://fukuokaseattle.jimdo.com/

12. Celebrate Asia. Jan 27 from 2:30pm–7:00pm at Benaroya Hall. $31 and up. https://www.seattlesymphony.org/concerttickets/calendar/2018-2019/symphony/celebrate-asia

13. Fiddler on the Roof, Jr. Through Jan 27 at Rainier Arts Center. $15-$20. https://broadwaybound.org/fiddler-on-the-roof-jr/

14. GI Jews: Jewish Americans in WWII Film Screening. Jan 27 from 6:30pm–8:30pm at the Museum of Flight. Free. https://www.holocaustcenterseattle.org/programs-events/414-gi-jews-jewish-americans-in-wwii

15. School Funding Education Night with Assistant Superintendent Jolyn Berge. Jan 31 from 6:00pm-7:00pm at Sacajawea.

Sacajawea Party and Auction: Event Site is Live

March 2nd, 5:30 - 10:00 p.m. at the Landing at Tyee on Lake Union

Join us in celebrating our school while raising funds to support the many programs that help make Sacajawea an inclusive and caring community. It's the largest annual fundraiser hosted by our PTA. The event is fun and welcoming to all (except kids – this one is adults only!) and the highlight is our Student Art Auction. We hope to see you there!
 
We need your help! We are a 100% Volunteer Coordinated Event. We know there are many talented parents, teachers and staff at Sacajawea. Can we utilize your talents to help cover event costs so that every dollar raised will go to funding our PTA initiatives? We have a list of needs on our event site. Thank you in advance to our wonderful Sacajawea Community!

You'll find tickets, event details, and FAQs on the event site.

More questions? Contact Mimi: mimifontenelle@gmail.com