The Arts Festival is Coming in Just a Few Weeks!

Join us 1:50–2:00 at 20th Avenue NE and NE 95th Street for a special dedication of the statue, “Madrona Meeting.” Artist Julia Harrison will discuss her inspiration and the materials she used to create the birds and trees. (*Public art administered by the Office of Arts & Culture with SDOT 1% for Art Funds..)

After the dedication, we’ll kick off the festival on Sacajawea’s lower playground. Students will have plenty of creative outlets—from making tie-dye t-shirts to crafting puppets with Half-Pint Puppets’ owner Stephani Sachs and clay mold statuettes with Julia Harrison. Enjoy a couple of hours full of performances, food, the student Maker Market, and much more!

You can help make this day a success by volunteering for a half hour. You’ll find details about the festival and volunteering opportunities on our SignupGenius page.

Upcoming Community Events, 5/9/19

Here’s this week’s collection of community events curated by our Equity Team.

1. The Groovement. May 10 from 7:00pm–9:00pm at Paul Robeson Performing Arts Center. $16. https://groovement2019.brownpapertickets.com/

2. Life Wide Angle/Close Up Exhibit Opening Week. May 10–17 at Wing Luke. $17. https://www.wingluke.org/life-wide-angle-close-up

3. Family Saturday: Koi Day. May 11 from 10:00am–2:00pm at Seattle Japanese Garden. $4-$8; free for youth 12 and under. https://www.seattlejapanesegarden.org/events-calendar/2019/5/11/family-saturday-koi-day-2019

4. Preserving History and Community at the Nisei Veterans Hall. May 11 from 11:00am–12:30pm at the Nisei Veterans' Committee Memorial Hall. $30. https://www.atlasobscura.com/events/preserving-history-and-community-at-the-nisei-veterans-hall

5. Black Radical Imagination: Fugitive Trajectories. May 11 at 1pm at Frye Art Museum. Free. https://fryemuseum.org/calendar/event/7122/

6. Second Saturday Spectacular: Northwest Bookshelf. May 11 from 3:00pm–4:45pm at University Heights Center. Suggested donation, tickets required. https://www.uheightscenter.org/events/northwest-bookshelf

7. Devi. Through May 11 at ACT Theatre. $27-$42. https://order.acttheatre.org/events/devi?psn=11142

8. Te Fare O Tamatoa's Tahitian Dance & Drumming Showcase 2019. May 11 from 5:00pm–8:00pm at Highline Performing Arts Center. $20. https://tfot.ticketleap.com/showcase2019/

9. Bonsai Fest! May 11–12 at Pacific Bonsai Museum. Free. http://pacificbonsaimuseum.org/event/bonsai-fest-2/

10. By the Fire: Sami Folktales and Legends. May 12 at 2 pm at the Nordic Museum. Free. https://nordicmuseum.org/events/174245

11. Brown v. Board Turns Sixty-Five with Integrated Schools. May 16 from 6:00pm–8:30pm at Garfield High School. Free, registration required. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brown-v-board-turns-65-seattles-school-segregation-story-tickets-60738873606

12. Celebrate Africa Day! May 16 from 4:00pm–7:00pm at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Discovery Center. Free, RSVP requested. http://events.gatesfoundation.org/events/africa-work-stories-that-provide-insight-into-progress-and-impact/event-summary-be6aa8f839234edeade080daa647b912.aspx

13. Loreen Lilyn Lee: The Lava Never Sleeps. May 16 at 7:00pm at Third Place Books Seward Park. Free. https://www.thirdplacebooks.com/event/loreen-lee-lava-never-sleeps

14. Justin Jesty: Art and Engagement in Early Postwar Japan. May 16 at 6:30pm at Seattle Art Museum. Free. http://seattleartmuseum.org/visit/calendar/events?EventId=65226

A Quick Overview of The DuFour PLC Model

What’s a PLC?  Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are groups of educators who meet regularly to share expertise, analyzes student work, plan instruction and collaborate to improve teaching skills and the academic performance of students.   

What makes the Du Four model different? The Du Four model is based around four questions and four pillars.  We use the four questions to plan instruction, assess student progress, and respond instructionally. 

Here are the questions:

• What do we expect our students to learn?

  • Guaranteed aligned curriculum across grade levels and vertically from one grade to the next.

  • Common Core, learning targets, standards in student work and rigor

• —  How will we know they have learned it?

  • Use our assessments, observations and data to monitor student learning.

  • Common assessments, quick checks for understanding, formative assessments, summative assessments, results analysis

• How will we respond when some students do not learn?

  • Teachers collaborate to understand student learning needs and respond

  • Re-teaching, classroom interventions, specialist or tutor interventions, home connections

• How will we extend and enrich learning for students who have demonstrated proficiency?

  • Acceleration and/or enrichment

  • Whole class or in Small groups, individual differentiation, student choices

 The Pillars help us to structure our work according to the values we hold as a school community.  Here are the pillars:

• Mission – Our mission helps us define our purpose and answers the question, “Why do we exist?”

• Vision – Our vision gives us direction for how we will accomplish our mission and answers the question, “What must we become?”

• Values – Values help us define our mission and vision, set goals, and decide on the non-negotiables that are important to our work.

• Goals – Goals help us to define measurable action steps with data we can collect to measure our progress toward meeting our mission and vision[FRL1] .

 Still want more?  Try these links:

•  http://www.washougal.k12.wa.us/teach_learn/images/plc_article.pdf

• http://www.allthingsplc.info/

Educator Appreciation Week: We Need Your Help!

The teachers and staff work hard for our kids all year so let's show them how much we value their dedication! 

We are looking for volunteers, homemade treats and “self-care shop” donations. More information and sign-ups online: https://tinyurl.com/sac-educator.

Schedule of Events:

• Monday, May 6th - Coffee, Pastries and Fruit in the Staff Lounge 

• Tuesday, May 7th – Salsa, Chips and Dips Bar

• Wednesday, May 8th - Spring Flowers 

• Thursday, May 9th – Self Care Shop

• Friday, May 10th - Cookie Bar 

• Monday, May 13th – Special Gift and Notes of Appreciation

• Wednesday, May 15th - Catered Lunch in Staff Lounge

• All week - "Shout Out" Wall! 

Our "Shout Out" Wall will be set-up outside the cafeteria where students and parents can write compliments to our amazing Sac teachers and staff. Be sure to stop by during the week and post a few sticky notes on the wall. You'll be sure to make somebody's day! 

More details in the full flyer for the week. 

Questions or ideas? Contact Charlene Shanahan at charlene.shanahan@gmail.com. 

Principal Friesen's Weekly Letter, May 2nd, 2019

Dear Sacajawea Families,

Over the last few weeks, I’ve written two letters in response to tragic terror attacks that have happened around the world and in our own country. Today, I am here once again thinking about the recent events in Sri Lanka and California.

With each one of these hate-filled attacks, I am renewed in my commitment to ensuring our Sacajawea community is a place where every we honor every child and family, no matter our differences. Our identities are rich and diverse, and I want our children to live their experiences with confidence in who they are. Though we have differences, we have many more things in common, and our diversity is a big part of what bonds us as a caring place for children to learn and grow. 

Together, we are continuously learning about each other and ourselves while finding ways to be more inclusive. Sometimes we make mistakes in this endeavor, but if we keep communicating and working together with open hearts and minds, we will be successful in building a place where our children learn compassion, caring, and inclusiveness.

YOU are welcome here!

In Partnership,
 
Rachel Friesen
Sacajawea Elementary School