Hello Beacon Hill International Families.

We hope you all had a joyful and refreshing summer break with your families! We are all working hard to prepare for the beginning of school. Here is some information that you may find useful for the beginning of the school year.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Head Teacher, Stevie Norman, at smnorman@seattleschools.org

This year, we are opening our school doors to Beacon Hill families on Thursday, August 29th from 3 – 5 pm to meet your student's teachers, chat with admin, learn more about school services and find out their class assignments for the school year. We look forward to seeing you there!

The first day of school starts on Wednesday, September 4th! Normally, Wednesdays are early release days, but NOT on the first day of school. So please make a note that students will be released at 2:25p on September 4th only.

Arrival:

Students arriving at school for breakfast may be dropped off at the lower playground (near the cafeteria) as early as 7:35 am. We ask that students refrain from roaming the building and visiting classrooms until the first bell rings at 7:50 am. This is a critical planning time for teachers and there is limited supervision. If students are not eating breakfast, we encourage families to bring students as close to the first bell as possible. Families are welcome to wait with students in the courtyard.

When the first bell rings, students can enter the school and go to their assigned classrooms. Students may enter the school using all doors after the first bell rings. On the first day, 1-5 grade students may walk to their new assigned classroom. For our newly arriving 2024 kindergartners, your child's teachers will provide you with first-day arrival procedures during the meeting with your child's teacher prior, to the start of school. During the first week, there are many staff members on hand to help new students or lost students of all grades find their way to their new classroom.

The second bell rings at 7:55 am and the expectation is that all students be seated and ready to learn at this time. After the second bell rings, all doors will be closed and secured. We ask that all students who arrive late enter through the front doors (located on 14th street) and check in at the front office before heading to their class.

Dismissal:

School is dismissed at 2:25 pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and the first day of school. School ends at 1:10 on Wednesdays (except the first day of school). Students in grades 1-5 will meet families on the upper field in labeled areas for each class. We ask those picking up students at dismissal to not pick up their children at the lower playground due to security concerns. It is difficult for our teachers to keep track of students leaving. Having one place for pick-up makes it less stressful for our teachers and staff. We also ask you to please be sure to speak to your student’s teacher to check them out. This will take longer on the first few days of school as our teachers get to know you and those who will be picking up our students. Families of kindergartners will go into their students' classrooms to pick up their students.

Older siblings of kindergartners will be sent to the kindergartner's classroom, where the sibling(s) and kindergartener can be picked up.

Kindergarten families should use the side door entrance off Hill Street (Launch entrance). These doors are the closest to your student's classroom. This entrance will be locked until the last bell rings, then a staff member will open these doors. If stairs are difficult, we recommend using the cafeteria entrance before any of the other entrances.

Due to safety concerns for our students and our after-school program partner, Launch, this year we will ask families to leave the lower playground and lock doors at 1:25 pm on Wednesdays and 2:45 pm on Mondays - Fridays. This was a hard choice to make as we know for many years the lower playground was an amazing place for families to meet and an opportunity for kids to play together after school.

However, one of the benefits of our school is being so close to another great park that we unofficially call, the Upper Playground. We hope families will continue to converse and let students play together at the Upper Playground this year. If for any reason you need to get back into the building after doors are locked. Please know that you can always enter the school through the front entrance by ringing the buzzer.

Thanks for your understanding!

All visitors must check into the office and get a visitor’s badge. If you would like to speak to your child’s teacher, please schedule an appointment with them.

We welcome having volunteers in our school and supporting all our school events. Seattle Public Schools requires volunteers/chaperones to go through a process to be approved. Please find out more at the SPS volunteer website or by contacting Romelle Bradford, rlbradford@seattleschools.org.

For the SPS 2024-2025 Academic Calendar click here.

August 29 Beacon Hill International Meet and Greet 3-5 pm.

September 4 First day of school for 1st – 12th grade students. Sept. 4 is not an early release Wednesday. Early release will occur every Wednesday except for the first week of school.

September 9 First day of school for preschool and kindergarten students

October 11 State In-service Day (no school for students)

November 11 Veterans Day Observed (no school)

November 25-27 Family-Teacher conference days in elementary and K-8 schools (no school for elementary and K-8 schools)

November 28-29 Thanksgiving and Native American Heritage Day (no school)