Family Newsletter
Cleveland STEM High School
June 14, 2024
Hello Cleveland families,
This week, we are thrilled to celebrate our seniors at graduation on Monday night, 8:00 pm, at Memorial Stadium!
Our seniors started their high school journeys learning remotely, disconnected from one another, their teachers, and the school community. Despite this challenging start, this class has done a remarkable job of making Cleveland home. I am full of gratitude for the ways they have welcomed me in (their 4th principal in as many years), and worked collaboratively to work toward building community and a sense of belonging for everyone. It has been a joyful school year, and that is because of this remarkable senior class. They are smart, funny, kind, and an inspiration to all of us blessed staff members who get to learn with them, each day. They will be deeply missed.
As we prepare to end this school year, I also want to extend a warm welcome to all of our 9th, 10th, and 11th graders to Scholar Saturday, from 9:00 - 12:00 pm, to receive support with ending the year strong. If your scholar is preparing for finals or working to complete projects, please join us Saturday morning!
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
- 6/15 | Scholar Saturday (9:00 - 12:00)
- 6/17 | Graduation, 8:00 pm
- 6/19 | NO SCHOOL (Juneteenth)
- 6/21 | Last day of school (1 hour early release)
- 7/15 - 8/2 | Summer Programming
Important Info to Know
Thank you, Cleveland PTSA
On behalf of the Cleveland community, I want to share with the Cleveland PTSA my heart-felt gratitude for your partnership and support this school year. You are a passionate group of families who love Cleveland, love our students, and want to do everything you can to help us thrive. You have made us feel supported and loved this year through the many, incredible staff-appreciation meals you've organized, your support of our (frequent!) student and community events and dances, and the incredible fundraiser you planned to cap off the year. You are a wonderful, dedicated group, and we are lucky to be supported by you all.
Come to Scholar Saturday, 9:00 - 12:00
We look forward to seeing students this weekend!
Graduation day information
For important information on graduation, check out this slide deck 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
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.