News from your North Beach PTA
We are all heartbroken at the news that North Beach is listed on both of SPS’s proposed plans for future school closures and consolidations. We feel worried for our children and their friendships, our wonderful teachers and staff, and our amazing school community. These feelings are real and raw and hard.
Many of us feel fired up and ask “What can I do?”, “How can I help”, “What’s the plan?” Others feel hopeless and that there’s simply nothing that can be done. Most of us will experience all of these feelings throughout the coming days, weeks, and months (I myself felt them all in the same hour the day the news was released).
I encourage everyone to feel the hard feelings AND stay engaged and invested in North Beach!
We simply do not know at this point what will happen to our beloved school next year. We do know that this school year is continuing uninterrupted and the kids and staff need our support to make this year (even if it is our last year) great!
What you can do to help:
Come to the Emergency PTA meeting on Tuesday, Sep 17th at 6:30pm in the Cafeteria (zoom option available) - we will have childcare, talk about what’s happening, next steps, and some tangible things every member of our community can do now to fight the funding issues at the core of the school closures. (Zoom meeting ID: 725 318 3208, Passcode: northbeach)
Support our school this year by showing up and volunteering! There are lots of ways our staff and teachers need our help everyday!
Be a room parent! The most direct way to support your child’s teacher.
Work a lunch shift! It only takes 1.25 hours and it is SO helpful to our school.
Join one of our committees planning fun things like Harvest Carnival, The Big Give, Staff Appreciation, Field Day (email: vp@northbeachpta.org for more information).
We are in this together and we will take each step as it comes. And in the meantime, let’s make this school the best it can be for our kids and staff!
After School Enrichment Programs are back!!
Mark your calendars for October 1st at 12noon when registration opens for the fall session of PTA sponsored after-school enrichment clubs. We have a great line-up with some new offerings this fall (LEGOS! ROBOTS! MAD SCIENCE!). Check them out at 6crickets.com by searching for our school name.
Fall session of clubs begin the week of October 14th and run for 8 weeks ending on December 13th (no clubs over thanksgiving break when school is not in session). Any questions, contact enrichment@northbeachpta.org
With the news that North Beach is on the list for school consolidations and closures it can feel so disheartening and futile to advocate. However, it is important to remember that the fight for fully funded education has just begun!
Whether or not a school closes there is still a significant need to advocate for our students in a variety of policies and areas of concern:
Special Education services
Highly Capable (HCC) and Advanced Learning (AL) services
Three tier bell schedule
Class sizes
Before and after care
… and many, many more
Using the North Beach Way we can stay strong and agile in the advocacy ahead:
- We take care of ourselves by being self aware, knowing when we need a break from advocacy work or doom scrolling.
- We take care of each other: by collaborating and communicating as a school and city. This fight is greater than any single school.
- We take care of our school: by centering our students when we discuss consolidations and closures.
Advocacy action item:
For an in depth review of the SPS Budgeting crisis and easy ways to contact State Legislators and the Seattle School Board visit fundsps.com.
Does your child purchase food at lunch?
Sign up for the new "My School Bucks" payment system. Seattle Public Schools implemented a new system (My School Bucks) for managing how you pay for your student’s school lunch (and breakfast). Check it out here to get set up for the year.
Go to our Community Events page to find community events, parent & student education opportunities, camps during school breaks, sports teams, and summer camp information.
