Family Newsletter
Cleveland STEM High School
June 7, 2024
Hello Cleveland families,
Our hearts are with the Garfield community tonight and we continue to grieve with the students, staff, families, and community partners who are processing the senseless act of violence they experienced yesterday. Most importantly, we are brokenhearted for the family of the victim.
Within the Cleveland community today, many of our teachers held space for students in classes to process the incident. Moving forward, we know that we must continue to focus our attention on supporting community and belonging, taking seriously student mental health needs, working with community partners and families, and taking preventative measures whenever possible.
We hope that you and your family have a safe and restorative weekend.
Principal Jeff Lam
Assistant Principal Jacklyn Cable
Assistant Principal Laura Roesener
Admin Intern Jenn Kekuna
Admin Intern Trisha Pilapil
Important Dates and Events to Know
- 6/8 | Summer Festival
- 6/10 | Senior checkout
- 6/11 | Senior Breakfast and graduation rehearsal
- 6/12 | CHS Spring Concert, 6:00 - 7:30 pm
- 6/17 | Graduation, 8:00 pm
- 6/19 | NO SCHOOL (Juneteenth)
Important Info to Know
Senior check-out is on Monday the 10th!
We're excited to share important information regarding senior check-out procedures happening on June 10th for students in Humanities classes. Running Start students will check out on June 11th. This process is crucial for ensuring that all graduation requirements are met.
During senior check-out, each student will have the opportunity to sit down with their counselor to review their graduation requirements and officially complete the check-out process. Upon completion, students will receive hard copies of their check-out form and an unofficial transcript (S1 one grades only) for their records.
Additionally, each student will receive a card containing important dates. It’s essential to keep this card safe as it will serve as proof of check-out and will be required for participation in the graduation ceremony.
For more details and to stay updated on all things seniors, please visit our dedicated page here.
Senior breakfast and graduation rehearsal is Tuesday, June 11th
Senior Breakfast will be from 9-11am in the cafeteria, and graduation rehearsal starts at 11 in the gym.
Senior surprise event on June 14th is cancelled
Unfortunately, we will have to cancel the Senior Surprise that was scheduled on June 14th at 6pm. Thank you to all the families who sent in pictures of their graduating senior. Don't worry! The special presentation including these pictures will be held during Senior Breakfast from 9-11am on Tuesday, June 11th in the cafeteria. Graduation rehearsal will follow at 11am in the gym. Thanks so much for your support families.
Graduation day information
For important information on graduation, check out this slide deck that we will be sharing with students on Tuesday. This slide deck includes all the information you will need to be prepared for the actual event, including:
- Name cards (to ensure each student's name is properly pronounced at graduation!)
- What to bring and what NOT to bring to graduation;
- Where graduates need to line up,
- Where you can find parking
- What to expect as you walk across the stage for graduation
Check out Alice in Wonderland this weekend!
CHS Drama Club will present Alice in Wonderland this weekend. Admission is free and concessions will be available for sale. We'll see you there!
Open Mic Night is on Tuesday, from 5:00 - 8:00 pm!
If your student would like to participate, click here!
Laptop collection schedule
Please see the image below for our laptop collection schedule. 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students will return their devices on June 18th during their Humanities classes, and seniors will return their laptop on either June 7 or June 10th through their Humanities class. Any student who "misses" their laptop return day can check in their laptop to the library on June 18th.
Our Family Co-Design Work
We have invested part of our Mental Health grant money into family and youth co-design work, and I'm thrilled to share with you that Mx. Jimenez and Ms. Keegan serve as our Family Co-Design leads. This work is done in collaboration with like-minded schools and supported by a facilitator from the Family Leadership Design Collaborative. You can learn more about the vision behind Family Co-Design work, here.
Learn more about their work:
Family Co-Design - Tymmony Keegan
I am delighted to share that in addition to piloting a Black Studies course here at Cleveland, I am now a member of Cleveland’s Co-Design Crew! In collaboration with SPS School & Family Partnerships staff, our levy liaisons with the City of Seattle’s Department of Education & Early Learning, and a brilliant facilitator with the Family Leadership Design Collaborative, we are beginning to take on the challenge of redefining relationships and partnerships between school and family. I’m really looking forward to supporting this critical work with Cleveland families and staff.
Youth Co-Design - isaura jiménez guerra
I’m excited to continue working on youth empowerment work through an AIS role focused on youth leadership and organizing. Through our work with co-design, my role is to support young people in identifying the issues that directly impact them so that they can organize and build collective power. I bring to this role my prior experience as a youth organizer and labor organizer and am excited to continue creating space where young folks can build connections and take action. I’m grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with young folks, community members, and our co-design crew.
What is Co-Design?
In short, in co-design, diverse stakeholders come together in order to collectively identify issues or problems of practice, and to design solutions. Co-design is an iterative process made up of cycles in which people:
- Build relationships & theorize around shared issues
- Design and develop tools, practices, processes, and other solutions that push beyond the status quo
- Enact or pilot these solutions and collect data on what happens
- Analyze & reflect on what was learned, in order to revise theories and designs
If you are interested in being a part of the Cleveland Co-Design Crew or just have questions, please reach out!
- Family Co-Design contact → Tymmony Keegan – tjkeegan@seattleschools.org
- Youth Co-Design contact → isaura jiménez guerra – isjimenez@seattleschools.org
Free Mental Health groups!
Are you interested in your child joining free and confidential groups this semester? Cleveland is offering several different groups which will take place on a rotating schedule during the school day starting in March. Filling out this referral form does not guarantee a spot in a group. The results of this survey are confidential and only read by a school counselor or social worker. Please fill out this interest form to see what group options are available.
Access for mental health services
Joon is a Seattle-based company that provides online therapeutic services for 13-24 year old clients. When students are signed up for services, they are matched with a therapist with expertise in their particular areas of need.
If this sounds like a service your student might benefit from, you can refer them right now, using this link. This service is free for Cleveland students and it is available through, at minimum, the end of this school year.