Madrona Monthly Newsletter

We are delighted to welcome our new and returning families to Madrona Elementary School for the 2024-2025 school year. This is going to be a great year and we are delighted you are now a part of our Madrona Family!

This week has been AMAZING! On the first day of school, Superintendent Jones and members of his cabinet visited our school. We greeted students and families, visited classrooms, and witnessed the joy and brilliance that has always existed here at Madrona. It was such an honor to share our opening with him again this year. I know he enjoyed meeting all of you and welcoming our beautiful scholars back to school.

So far this week, I've observed our scholars being focused and doing what they do best - energizing our community with joy and demonstrating that they know how to follow the P.A.T.H. (Professional, Attentive, Thoughtful, and Hardworking).

This year, one of our schoolwide goals is to increase student achievement at all levels. To reach this goal, we will:

• Engage in quarterly Data Team meetings to analyze our collective literacy and math data.
• Collaborate in grade level teams to analyze assessments and determine our instructional next steps.
• Engage in Instructional Cogens/Walk Throughs to highlight the effective instructional practices that are occurring across our community.
• Host grade level specific family nights to share our instructional goals, strategies, and best practices with our families.

We believe that engaging in these collaborative practices will help us better understand the strengths and needs of our community. During our upcoming Curriculum Night on October 10th, we will highlight some of the practices and strategies we will be engaging scholars in this year.

Please read the rest of our newsletter to learn more about our school-wide operating systems/procedures, and what's happening in our great community this month.

In Partnership,

Principal Carter

Our playground gate will open at 7:35 am and close at 8:00 am. During this time, our Madrona staff will welcome our students and guide them inside the building to eat breakfast. Students who do not want to eat breakfast, will be encouraged to walk the labyrinth, or line up behind their teacher's name on the playground and wait for the bell to ring.

Our first bell will ring at 7:50 a.m., this is when teacher will walk their scholars into the building. Our second bell will ring at 7:55 a.m., this is when all students/staff are expected to be in the classroom engaged in meaningful learning. If your student arrives to school after 8:00 am, please bring them to the office to receive a pass to class.

How you can help:

• Please make sure your student arrives to school between 7:35 - 7:50 am to eat breakfast and socialize with their friends.
• Please drop your student off at the back gate along 32nd street prior to 8:00 am.
• Please make sure your student is dressed in their school uniform and ready to learn.

Our students will continue to exit from different locations on our campus:

• Kindergarten: Will be dismissed from their classroom doors; NW side of the building along 32nd Avenue.
• Grades 1st - 3rd grade: Will be dismissed by class from the playground. They will exit through the playground gate, along 32nd Avenue.
• Grades 4th - 5th grade: Will be dismissed from the SE side of the building along 33rd Avenue.

If 4/5 students need to pick up a sibling, they will be escorted around the school building to the playground gate. They will wait outside the gate for their sibling to be dismissed.

Dismissal policy

If your scholar has an early dismissal, please pick your child up prior to the last 30 minutes of the school day. We are implementing this policy because it is extremely difficult to navigate the number of early dismissal requests we receive within the last 30 minutes of the day.

How you can help:

• Please stand on the outside of the cones next to the playground gate.
• Please communicate with your student who will be picking them up prior to the end of the school day.
• Please make sure you are on time to pick up your student. On Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, school will be dismissed at 2:25 pm. On Wednesdays, school will be dismissed at 1:10 pm.

Please keep your student at home if they have one or more of these symptoms:

• Fever
• Cough (new, changed, or worsening)
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose

Please call the office at (206)252-3100 to report your child's absence.

Breakfast and lunch are free for all students. All meals will be served and eaten inside our cafeteria. Here is our lunch schedule:

• Kindergarten, First, Second Grade: 10:25 am - 10:45 am
• Third, Fourth, and Fifth Grade: 11:25 am - 11:45 am

How can you help:

• If your student brings a home lunch, please encourage them to eat their home lunch first before taking a hot school lunch. This will allow us to ensure equity for all students.
• Please remind your student not to share food with their classmates. Some of our students have severe food allergies.
• Please do not pack food that needs to be warmed up. We do not have a microwave students can use.

According to our schoolwide data, cell phone, smart watches, and headphone usage were one of our top 5 issues for our community. In order to resolve this issue, we will implement the following expectation around personal electronic devices.

• Cell phones and headphones should not be visible or used during the school day. Please speak with your scholar about this expectation and remind them to properly store their items away in their backpack for safe keeping. They will not be allowed to have their phones in their pockets during school operating hours. If you need to contact your student during the school day, please contact the Main Office at (206)252-3100 and we will gladly relay the message to your student.
• Smart Watches should be powered off or on do not disturb during the school day.

If students need additional support to adhere to this new policy, we will follow these steps:

First Instance - We will engage the student in a conversation about the expectation.

Second Instance - We will contact home to seek support from the family.

Third Instance - We will work with the family to develop a Check-in/Check-out cell phone plan for the student.

Fourth Instance - Schedule a follow-up meeting with the family to discuss next steps.

The goal of our policy is to remove all distractions and barriers, so that every student is able to focus, achieve their full potential, and have a successful school year.

Madrona is a uniform school. Uniforms will be worn Monday through Friday unless we are celebrating spirit week. Our colors are light blue, dark blue, and black shirts with khaki bottoms. If you need support with outfitting your student(s) with a uniform, please contact the office.

Also, our wonderful PTSA has organized a Uniform Swap on Saturday, September 7th , from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm at Madrona Park & Playfield. Please join them if your student needs uniforms.

On Wednesday, your student should have brought home a back-to-school packet. Please review the table of contents, sign the applicable forms, and return them back to school by Monday, September 9th.

Thank you for your support!

Early next week, we are planning to distribute student devices. In order for your student to receive an iPad or laptop, we need you to complete and return the Device Agreement Form found in the Back-To- School Packet. If you have any questions, please call the main office at (206)252-3100.

Please note, 32nd Avenue will be closed during school operating hours. This will allow our students and families to walk, roll, and bike safely to and from school. Please review the attached notification from Seattle Department of Transportation.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Principal Carter.

Thank you

Sept 13th - Popsicles in the park for Kindergarten Madrona Families, Madrona Park & Playfield @ 2:30 - 3:30 pm.

Oct 10th - Curriculum Night - 5:30 - 7:00; Dinner will be provided

Oct 11th - No School, State In-Service Day/TRI Day

Oct 21st - Student Picture Day (Individual), Free Dress Day

Oct 28 - Nov 1st - Spirit Week, Details to follow

Nov 18 - 26 - Scholastic Book Fair

Nov 23 - Parent Teacher Conferences

Nov 25- 26 - Parent Teacher Conferences (No School for Students)

Nov 27 - 29 - No School, Thanksgiving Break

Dec 6th - Picture Retakes (Individual)

Dec 12th - Winter Concert, Details to follow

Dec 23 - Jan 3 - No School, Winter Break

Email: recarter@seattleschools.org
Website: https://www.seattleschools.org/schools/madronaes/
Location: 1121 33rd Avenue, Seattle, WA, USA
Phone: (206)252-3100