Yearbook Orders

The Yearbook Store is closed but you may order directly from our supplier and have it shipped to your home.

Treering.com Passcode: 1017013593134739

Thank you: Educator Appreciation Week 2025

Sac families showed our appreciation for the school’s staff during educator appreciation week, May 8-12. Our staff puts so much energy and care into growing our kids. For one week, we got to reflect a tiny bit of that care back in their direction in the form of treats, games, and raffle gifts.

Treats

On Monday, staff were treated to breakfast scones and afternoon cookies. Wednesday brought a bagel breakfast spread with deluxe fixings. On Thursday, families provided a crowd-sourced feast that included pastries, fruit, quiche, eggs, hummus, bagels, cheesecakes, truffles, and so much more. A HUGE thank-you to everyone who contributed to turning the staff room into a delectable buffet.

Raffle

Each staff member received raffle tickets to be redeemed in one or more of the daily raffles. Raffle prizes included:

• Shoots & Roots bundle: A Swanson’s Nursery gift card & a cheery little plant and watering can.

• Ships & Chips bundle: Gift cards to Agua Verde Cafe & to the associated paddle club, with souvenir margarita glasses.

• Reels & Meals bundle: Gift cards to the Watershed Pub & two Regal Cinemas tickets, with souvenir Watershed pint glasses.

• Sips & Dips bundle: A gift basket stuffed with wine, crackers, spreads, olives, nuts, fruit, chocolate, and more.

Family Feud Game

Many of you will recall helping your student complete a 10-question survey about their daily lives at Sac. The PTA turned this into a Family-Feud style game in which staff competed to guess the most popular student responses to the questions.

We had a fierce competition with Miss EB taking first prize ($175), and a second-place tie between pre-K teacher Wendy Reed and principal Barry Fisk ($65 each).

The game questions and often-charming student responses are below, for anyone looking for a bit of kid whimsy to brighten the day.

Thank you again to everyone who helped to make this week happen, and to our beloved Sacajawea staff!

Julie Letchner

Educator Appreciaton Lead, 2025

Family Feud Questions & Answers

Q1: Name a hot lunch food that is popular at Sac.

“Pizza” was the overwhelming winner, followed by: burgers, chicken, pasta, and hot dogs.

Q2: Name something that kids do when they’re home sick from school.

The top answer was sleep/rest, followed by: video games, watch tv/movies, read, and a fifth-place tie between taking medicine and playing games. One kid responded, “whatever they want!”--good for you, kiddo!

Q3: Name an adult at Sac who isn’t your homeroom teacher.

Miss Susie (PE teacher) took the top slot, followed by Mr. Ryan, Ms. Walker, Mr. Reddecliffe, and Ms. Park. This one was fun to score because so many Sac staff were named by the students!

Q4: Name an object you have at your desk.

“Pencil” won overwhelmingly, followed by water bottle in a strong second. Third place was tied between pencil box and book, with thinking putty, crayons, and glue all tied for fifth place. 

Q5: Name something that happens at morning meeting.

The winner was morning work / seatwork, followed closely by sharing feelings / mood meter. Othe popular answers included sharing, job assignments, and variations on previewing the schedule.

Q6: Name a snack that’s fun to get at snack time.

Chips won commandingly, with fruit roll-ups or fruit leather coming in second. Popcorn / pirates booty, goldfish, fruit snacks/gummies, and rice krispy treats filled in the rest of the top hits.

Q7: Name something you might see in Sac’s lost & found.

A whopping 37 kids wrote in with an answer of coats/jackets, which is no surprise to anyone who’s scanned the playground lately. The remaining answers were: clothes/sweatshirts, water bottles, gloves, and books.

Q8: Name an activity kids do at recess.

Four square took the top prize, followed by the play structure, tag, soccer, and frisbee.

Bonus Question

We also asked the kids how old they think principal Fisk is, and turned that into a bonus question. The overall student answers were flatteringly young! But there was one kid who guessed 99, a solid handful who guessed 29, and one kid who wrote, “Pretty old, so probably like 13”. 

Thank you to all the families who helped us gather the data to make this game a success!

2025 Sacajawea PTA Award Nominations

Submitting Nominations

It’s fast and easy to make nominations for any (or all) of the awards. Just use the button below to get started!

Awards Details

Each spring, Sacajawea PTA seeks nominations for our Golden Acorn, Outstanding Educator and the Roy Norman S.H.I.N.E. Award.  These awards celebrate the people in our community who have gone above and beyond to make Sacajawea a wonderful place for our students and families.  Please submit your nomination by Friday, May 23rd.  Awardees will be announced at the Ice Cream Social on June 11th.

Golden Acorn Awards
Every year three deserving volunteers receive a Golden Acorn Award.  The Golden Acorn is a Washington State PTA award given by local PTAs recognizing exemplary and outstanding volunteerism and service to the PTA. Golden Acorn nominees should be active volunteers in PTA, our school and/or our Sacajawea community.

Outstanding Educator
This award is given to an individual (teacher, instructional assistant, staff member, administrator -- anyone on staff at school!) who has made significant contributions to our school and community and has helped to enhance the educational, social-emotional outcomes and well-being of our students.

Roy Norman SHINE Award
We are proud to continue the tradition of presenting the Roy Norman SHINE Award. Roy Norman is the late husband of Doreen Norman, Sacajawea’s Admin Secretary for over 20 years who retired in 2022. Roy was a fixture at Sacajawea Events and exemplified the SHINE values that are at the heart of our Sacajawea community (Safe, Helpful, Inclusive, Neighborly, Engaged). Nominees for this award will also have demonstrated SHINE values in how they have supported our school and community.

Please Submit your nomination online by Friday, May 23rd.

Thank you!

Sacajawea PTA Awards Committee
(Heather Platisha, Tiffany Elliott & Charlene Shanahan)

Join Sacajawea at the MLK Day March and Rally, January 20, 2025

Mark your calendars! On January 20th, 2025, Sacajawea families will come together to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by participating in the annual MLK Day March and Rally at Garfield High School. Organized by the Seattle MLK Jr. Organizing Coalition, this event provides a meaningful and family-friendly opportunity to engage in social justice action.

Whether you’re a seasoned activist or new to marches, this day is designed to inspire, educate, and unite us all. Here’s everything you need to know to join the Sacajawea community in this important day of remembrance and action.

What’s Happening?

We’ll meet at noon on the Garfield Community Center playground (located on Cherry Street). From there, we’ll join the march and rally, which includes pre- and post-march events like workshops, an opportunity fair, and inspiring rallies.

New for 2025!

We’re thrilled to announce that Sacajawea families have the option to march alongside Dance 4 Democracy, a vibrant group that brings joy and energy to marches with their soul-inspired protest line dances. People of all ages and abilities are welcome to join the fun, whether dancing or marching alongside.

Want to practice the moves ahead of time? Watch the videos below for access to three of the songs Dance 4 Democracy will perform during the march. Participation in the dancing is entirely optional, so feel free to simply march in solidarity if that’s more your style!

What Should You Bring?

To ensure a comfortable and enjoyable experience, we recommend:

• Dressing for the weather: Bring layers, waterproof gear, and extra warm clothing.

• Snacks: Pack plenty of snacks, especially if you’re bringing little ones.

• Transportation: Don’t forget your ORCA cards or cash for public transit.

• Signs and noise-makers: Bring signs, musical instruments, or drums to amplify the spirit of the day.

• Sacajawea/BLM t-shirts: Show your school pride and support for racial equity.

What Will We Provide?

The Sacajawea Parent Racial Equity Team will have:

• A photographer for a group photo before the march starts.

• Markers to write parent phone numbers on kids’ arms, just in case.

• Extra snacks and drinks to share.

• For questions or day-of updates, contact Robin King at (208) 989-5081.

Prepare Your Family

Help your children understand the importance of this day with age-appropriate resources:

• Books for Young Readers:

  • Picture Books About Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

• YouTube Read-Alouds and Clips:

  • The Story of Martin Luther King Jr.

  • Martin’s Big Words

  • My Brother, Martin

  • My First Biography of Martin Luther King Jr.

  • My Daddy Martin Luther King Jr.

  • For Elementary Students

Make a Sign

Kids love creating their own signs, and it’s a great way to connect them with the purpose of the march. Choose simple, child-friendly slogans like:

• “Love, Peace, and Justice!”

• “I Have a Dream Too!”

• “Equal Rights for All!”

For inspiration, visit Amplifier or the MLK March website for downloadable designs.

Join Us!

This day is about more than just marching; it’s about celebrating community, educating our children, and standing up for justice. Let’s make this MLK Day one to remember!

For more event details, visit the Seattle MLK Jr. Coalition website.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Summary of SPS Engagement Efforts at Sacajawea, Nov 2024

Our Sacajawea community has had several touchpoints with SPS officials and school board members in the past week.

• On Thursday, Nov. 7th, SPS held an engagement session at Sacajawea.

• After Thursday’s meeting, SPS asked our community to provide feedback and questions via their ThoughtExchange survey.

• On Friday, School Board President Liza Rankin and School Board member Gina Topp visited Sacajawea. They toured the school with Principal Fisk, teacher Kara Golgert, and Sacajawea parent and BLT representative Julie Letchner.

• Over the last two weeks, Faauu Manu, Director of Enrollment Planning for SPS, held several small group Q&A sessions at Sacajawea during the school day.

The remainder of this post summarizes these touchpoints and provides links to more relevant information.

SPS Engagement Session: Nov. 7th, 2024

On Thursday, November 7th, Seattle Public Schools held a community engagement session at Sacajawea to present their case for closures. Superintendent Dr. Brent Jones, joined by key district leaders, presented a preliminary recommendation to close Sacajawea Elementary and consolidate it with John Rogers. The district cited factors such as Sacajawea's aging facilities, low enrollment, and resource allocation challenges as driving forces behind the proposed closure. 

Although the presentation emphasized the potential benefits of consolidation, including a more modern learning environment and increased resources, many in attendance felt the district's messaging lacked transparency and did not address the community's specific concerns.

After the presentation, a Q&A session allowed community members to voice concerns about topics such as special education services, community cohesion, and financial transparency. During this session, many of the responses from district representatives came off as vague or incomplete, leading many in our community to be skeptical of their intentions. After the meeting, some district staff and School Board President Liza Rankin stayed after to continue informal discussions with parents. 

As SPS moves forward, a 30-day review period is open for community input, with a follow-up meeting and final decisions on the closure anticipated in early 2025.

To learn more about the meeting, including Q&A details, read our complete write-up of the meeting.

ThoughtExchange Feedback Survey

After the community meeting, SPS officials asked our community to provide feedback via a ThoughtExchange survey. This tool allowed our parents to offer unlimited short questions or thoughts (300 characters or less).

Our PTA team pulled the data from this survey–which was available after completing the survey–and found six main themes in the data.

• Transparency and Trust in Decision-Making and Budget/Cost Estimates

• Concerns Over Resource Allocation and Staffing at the Merged School

• Equity and Support for High-Needs Populations (SPED, ELL)

• Concerns Over Transportation and Safety

• Concerns About Student Well-being and Social-Emotional Stability

• Impact on Community and Neighborhood Cohesion

To read feedback from our community for these main themes, read our complete write-up of the ThoughtExchange survey.

Sacajawea Tour with School Board Members: Nov. 8th, 2024

From PTA Building Leadership Team rep, Julie Letchner:

“School board directors Gina Topp and Liza Rankin—the board president and the member who holds the board seat elected by Sac’s geo-zone—visited Sac on Friday for an hour-long tour. Principal Fisk and preschool teacher Kara Golgert co-led the tour. I was the only additional guest, representing the PTA. We visited the Pre-K portables; four homerooms, including Isaiah Swanson’s distinct classroom; and Mr. Ryan’s art room.

Along the way, Kara highlighted the facilities needs of the students in our pathways programs. Notably, many of these facilities requirements are met by the planned Sac redesign, but not by the new John Rogers building. Barry spoke with both directors in walking one-on-ones. I sprinkled in community perspectives throughout, emphasizing the frustrations of Thursday evening’s meeting, particularly regarding well-resourced staffing and the district’s silence about choosing closure vs. rebuilding.”

Small Group Sessions at Sacajawea with Faauu Manu

Faauu Manu, Director of Enrollment Planning for SPS, held several small group Q&A sessions at Sacajawea during the school day. These meetings occurred at Sacajawea during the weeks of Oct. 28th and Nov. 4th with very little notice given before each meeting (typically one day or less). We created this write-up using the notes provided by various parents who attended one or more sessions with Faauu.

During these sessions, parents raised concerns about the transition's impacts on students and families, with a focus on areas such as special education services, after-school care, transportation, staffing, and community diversity. While Faauu provided some responses, numerous questions remain open, contributing to parental concerns about communication and transparency from the district.

To learn more about these meetings, read our full write-up of the Faauu Manu meetings.