Eckstein Weekly News

March

• Mar. 18: PTSA General Meeting (7 pm on Zoom)
• Mar. 19: Track Begins after school on the EMS track
• Mar. 20: Boys Soccer Tryouts (4 pm)
• MR. 20: Eckstein Engineers Information Session (4 pm)
• Mar. 20: Jazz Band Festival (7:30 pm)
• Mar. 21: Winter Sports Pep Parade (HR)
• Mar. 21: 6th/7th Grade Eagle Night (7-8:30 pm)
• Mar. 25: Girls Volleyball Tryouts (4 pm)
• Mar. 25: Boys Soccer Tryouts (3:45 pm)
• Mar. 26: Girls Volleyball Tryouts (4 pm)
• Mar. 27: Student Led Conferences (NO SCHOOL FOR EMS STUDENTS ONLY)
• Mar. 27: Girls Volleyball Tryouts (4 pm)
• Mar. 29: Band Solo & Ensemble & Orchestra Day

April

• Apr. 3: Biker Donut Day (8-8:45 am)
• Apr. 8: End of Quarter 3
• Apr. 8: Spring Choir Concert (7 pm)
• Apr 9: Beginning of Quarter 4
• Apr. 10: Band, Choir & Orchestra Top Ensembles (7:30 pm)
• Apr. 14-18: Spring Break
• Apr. 21: PTSA Board Meeting (7 pm)
• Apr. 25: ASB Elections Open
• Apr. 26: Band Rummage Sale (9-3 pm)

Spring sports are on the horizon. Seattle Public Schools and Eckstein offer three sport options: co-ed track, girls volleyball and boys soccer. Track is a no-cut sport whereas soccer and volleyball are cut sports. As with the fall and winter sports there will now be three teams, a Varsity, JV, and JVC for both soccer and volleyball.

Submit Athletic Forms on Final Forms

Please use FinalForms for all athletic paperwork. WE WILL NOT COLLECT PAPER DOCUMENTS. Most important is having an updated athletic physical. Physicals last two years but if you turned it in last year, please notify athletic coordinator Derek Grandbois as soon as possible. All paperwork needs to be submitted by 4pm on March 14th for the first day of spring sports March 17th.
Learn how to upload forms to FinalForms: https://ecksteinms.seattleschools.org/student-life/finalforms/

Register or log into FinalForms here: https://ecksteinms.seattleschools.org/student-life/athletics/

Coaches Needed

We need two coaches for boys’ soccer a JV, JVC coach.

We need one more coach for girls’ volleyball.

If you are able to coach or know someone in the community/family that is interested, please have them reach out to me at djgrandbois@seattleschools.org

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

We have a new coach this year Avree Lester. She coaches at Roosevelt with Coach Jana.

Tryouts are March 25, 26, & 27 at 4 pm in the gym.

Practices for Varsity and JV will be on Monday and Wednesday from 4-6.

Students will learn their teams through an email from their coaches.

TRACK

Coach Frank is returning as our Head coach.

First day of Track - March 19 after school on EMS track.

The team will meet on the track behind school each Monday (4-5:30pm) and Wednesday (2:45-4:15pm).

Dress for bad weather with layered clothing.

Bring a water bottle!

Use the bathroom before leaving the building, there will be no re-entry.

Sunscreen and a small snack are recommended.

A positive, cooperative attitude is essential.

Your coaches are excited to get the season started! Lace up, take flight, soar Eagles!

We always need volunteers. Learn how to volunteer here: https://www.seattleschools.org/departments/volunteer/

BOYS SOCCER

Mr. Kenyon is coaching the varsity team.

Practices will be twice a week on Tuesday and Thursday after school. Practices will run for approximately 90 minutes from 4:00 till 5:30.

Tryouts/practices will begin on March 20. The first two practices will be tryouts. More will be held if needed. Practices will continue after tryouts are concluded. Students will learn their teams through an email from their coaches.

Tickets are available now on SchoolPay for $3. SchoolPay purchases close on March 20 @ 3 pm. They will be $5 at the door. There will be snacks that cost $1 cash available.

All students who attend Eagle Nights must have a completed Dance Contract in FinalForms to attend. We will not allow students into the Sixth/Seventh grade dance who have not completed a Dance Contract by March 20, 2025. We set this deadline as we have to ensure we have proper staffing for the number of students attending. If your student needs a scholarship, please contact their school counselor.
Learn how to use FinalForms

Eighth grade’s Semi Formal dance is May 16.

There are still plenty of spots available to volunteer at next Friday's Eagle Night. Please consider signing up.
6th & 7th grade dance 3/21: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0B48A8A623A13-55100527-eckstein

8th grade semi-formal dance 5/16: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0B48A8A623A13-55100566-8thgrade

The Eckstein ASB works hard all year to fund activities to impact the entire student body. They plan and pay for dances, spirit weeks, lunchtime activities, assemblies, hot cocoa mornings, birthday beads, and more! The ASB exec board also meets weekly to approve all budgets that run through our account, including all sports, music, the musical, and field trips. We ask that families pay the $10 ASB fee on SchoolPay to help support these endeavors. We have only had about 50% of our normal participation rate this year in funding our main fundraiser. As an FYI, the high schools require students to pay for an ASB card in order to do sports, clubs, or any activity that runs their funds through the ASB account. Those cards run about $50 annually. If you’re willing to support all our efforts at Eckstein, the fee can be found and paid on SchoolPay. If you’ve already paid, thank you! You will not see the fee on your SchoolPay account, if that’s the case.

Hello Eckstein Families! Homeroom teachers will soon be reaching out to you to schedule a Student Led Conference on March 27, 2025.This is a non-school day for Eckstein students only, so that we can hold these conferences. Your student will have the opportunity to share with you in a formal setting, their goals, accomplishments, and areas of growth. Please look for a message from homeroom teachers and sign up for a time on that day for you and your student to come to school for the conference. Remember, these are student led, and teachers are only hosts this day. We look forward to seeing you March 27!

Do you have skills in graphic arts? Are you interested in being part of Eckstein history? The committee planning events to celebrate Eckstein’s 75th anniversary has the job for you. The committee needs a logo to use in communications about the anniversary and on any associated merchandise such as stickers, t-shirts, etc. The logo should incorporate one or more of the features that makes Eckstein unique – architecture, Eagles mascot, or people – and include both the school’s name and 75th anniversary in it. The logo may be in black and white or color. Please email submissions to Jessica Levine (jclevine@seattleschools.org) by Friday, April 4. Thanks for helping this effort!

Do you know that 7 trillion plastic bags are used every year worldwide? Thanks to efforts by our sixth graders and our amazing science teachers, we can help ensure plastic bags and other film don't end up in the environment by joining the Eckstein Plastic Film Drive. Eckstein is keeping Plastic Film from landfills with Ridwell this spring! As part of this limited-time drive, you can bring these types of Plastic Film to school now - May 6th and Ridwell will make sure they stay out of landfills and are turned into new decking materials instead! Start collecting these items at home now. Collections will take place in the main office and in the bins marked in the science hallway.

You can also help Eckstein recycle our school’s Plastic Film for the entire ‘25/’26 school year! Be sure to use: https://get.ridwell.com/eck to join Ridwell with an at-home membership by May 23rd, 2025. If we sign up 10 or more new members by this date, we will be awarded monthly Plastic Film pickups for our school next year! We did this last year, lets do it again! If you've been thinking about subscribing to Ridwell, this is a great opportunity to double your environmental impact! Also, we could use a few extra volunteers to help with this drive in the coming weeks. If you are interested in helping out, please contact jclevine@seattleschools.org.

Get a jumpstart on your spring cleaning! Eckstein Middle School’s Annual Band Rummage Sale is on Saturday, April 26th, from 9am—3pm. This is one of the band program’s biggest fundraisers of the year, and we need your donations to make this event a success! Please set aside your gently used clothing, household items, books, music, small furniture, sporting goods, and more. All donations accepted on Friday, April 25th from 1:30pm—6:30pm in the Eckstein cafeteria (3003 NE 75th Street). Click here to see what donations we will accept. Please share with neighbors, friends, and family. We need your help to make this event a success for our incredible music program.

Parents – talk with your student about the importance of good attendance every day!

Showing up matters for R.E.A.L because it is an opportunity to:

• Build Routines
• Increase Engagement
• Provide Access to resources
• Support Learning

Routines: Establishing a routine of daily attendance helps reduce stress at home, and supports a habit of attendance that will help your teenager get and keep a job.

Engagement: Being in school helps students to get to know each other and school staff and builds relationships that can motivate participation in learning.

Access to Resources: Schools provide access to valuable resources such as meals, health, mental health supports and fun enrichment activities such as sports, clubs, music, and other afterschool and summer programs.

Learning: Students who attend school regularly do better academically in middle school and are more likely to graduate from high school.

You can use the Source to check your students’ attendance record. You can see all absences and lates that your student has accrued since the first day of school. We encourage you to check in with your student and review their attendance record together.

Spring is almost here! Are you and your child wondering if they should join the Eckstein Engineers After School Activity or try out for the FLL Robotics Competition Team? The info session after school has been postponed.

Ms. Amato is also looking for two parent coaches for the competition team next year! Last year’s team made it to the Semi-Finals! If your 7th grader is on the team this year and wants to stay on the team next year, they should let Ms. Amato know ASAP! Can’t wait to see you there! Go Thunderbirds!

We will have another session of Debate Club with Climb the Mountain starting on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. It will meet from about 3:55 pm - 5:30 pm on April 1, 8, 22, 29, May 6 and 13. May 20 is an optional prep meeting for the tournament.

The fee is $300. Scholarships are available. Please email the Eckstein social worker, Ms. Davenport at esdavenport@seattleschools.org.

--Students engage in the MS Public Forum Debate using quotation based debate going indepth on the national debate topic.

--Students will learn how to debate with step by step instruction and engage in practice debates with extensive feedback.

--Students typically need to spend 30 to 60 minutes to prepare for each class day (except no preparation needed for the first day).

--Students can also sign up for the Seattle U tournament as a culminating experience (additional $75 approx fee). Tournament date options for middle school debate include Fri May 23 (online), Sat May 24 (at Seattle U), or Sun May 25 (at Seattle U).

Learn more and register here: https://fs12.formsite.com/hansonjb/school-climb-program/index

The Community Cupboard could use more socks, shampoo/conditioner and we are now getting low on water bottles and backpacks. Community Cupboard supplies: Amazon Wishlist

If you have a working washer or dryer to donate, a local community center could use it to wash our students' clothes. Please email me at: esdavenport@seattleschools.org

For summer program scholarships, you can apply through the Assistance League for up to $500 : https://www.assistanceleague.org/seattle/enrichment-scholarships/# Reach out if you need help applying.

Erica Davenport

Social Worker, MSW

Eckstein Middle School

Work phone (206) 252-5098

esdavenport@seattleschools.org

Save the Dates

• Student-Led Conferences - March 27, 2025 - NO SCHOOL FOR ECKSTEIN STUDENTS ONLY
  Learn more: https://ecksteinms.seattleschools.org/news/student-led-conferences-march-21-2024/
• Eckstein Band Rummage Sale - April 26, 2025 (9-3 pm)
• Eighth Grade Promotion Celebration - June 17, 2025; 5-6:30 pm
  Eighth Grade Cruise - June 18, 2025.