March 2010 Archives

Dear Wedgwood Families,
Last Saturday, Mr. Spice, Adonis and I had the pleasure of watching a Wedgwood 4th
grade boy’s team play basketball at Ravenna Eckstein CC. They did so well last year that
they were asked to play against 5th grade teams from all across Seattle this season.

Although they didn’t win against this undefeated team, I was not only impressed with
their basketball skills, but the teamwork and determination. Thank you to Cooper,
Dominic, Greg, Kenji, Kevin, Liam, Logan, Owen, Tristan, Zack, and their coaches - Kevin and Dominic’s dads for inviting us to your game.

Their determination and hard work was inspirational and was a reminder of the
abundance of gifts that our children and community have to offer. This is especially
important during times of challenge when we have to struggle with things like playing an
older undefeated team, or the present state of a budget, or a new enrollment plan, or
any other type of change.

Thank you gentlemen, GREAT GAME!

Denise Espania

It’s that time again! The March SCRIP Order is due Thursday, March 11th. Buy those
Spring Cleaning Supplies using SCRIP Gift Cards.

SCRIP Order Forms Due - Thursday, March 11th
SCRIP Cards Delivered - THURSDAY, March 18th
(The SCRIP cards will be ready on Thursday due to No School on the 19th)

MARCH SCRIP GROCERY CARD MADNESS!!
SCRIP Gift cards will be available for purchase on Fridays in March (before and after
School). Come and see how easy it is to use SCRIP!!

Questions:
Antonyia Kranz - wescrip@gmail.com
Marcie Kellegrew - marciekellegrew@comcast.net

It's not about one "talk." It's about continuing the conversation with your kids. Come and learn compelling reasons to start the conversation early and how to keep it going throughout your child's adolescence.

Wednesday, March 10th at 6:30 PM in the library, presented by BirdsandBeesandKids.com - 206.661.2245.

PARENTS ONLY

Open to all Wedgwood Elementary students (K-5), this class is focused on creating an
original piece that brings stories students have read for Wedgwood’s ‘RAW’ to life!’

Students will memorize lines, create original characters and learn what it takes to
prepare their work for performance. Students enrolled in class will perform onstage for
the school community, date TBD. This class fills at 20 on a first come first serve basis.
Come join the FUN! This class is $115 for 7 week class Thursday’s 3:40 - 4:40pm
March 11th - April 29th, 2010 (No class April 1st during spring break). For questions or to
register, contact: Christi Cruz at Christicruz@WedgwoodDrama.com, 206-384-1446.

Commemorate your child's birthday or special occasion with a Birthday Book donation to our library! Here's how this special year-round program works:

• CHOOSE a book with your child from our Amazon Wish-list at www.amazon.com/wishlist/2EKWMN0EPF5UU (hardbacks, please).
• BUY the book and DROP OFF the book in the library, noting your child's name and birth date (or special occasion) and CELEBRATE!

A permanent book plaque, including your child's name and occasion, will be placed in the book and it will join our collection. Our Librarian, Anne Miller (ajmiller@seattleschools.org), will announce their name and contribution over the intercom. Your child will also be recognized on a Birthday Book display.

The Seattle Mariners are offering discount tickets to students, parents and staff of our school. Bring the family for this community building event.

Seattle Mariners vs. Detroit Tigers
Saturday, April 17-6:10PM

The Mariner's have reserved a large block of view seats so Wedgwood fans can sit together. Reserve view seats @$11.00 each by Mon. March 15 to Wedgwood main office. Order forms in KidMail and in the office. Questions: catstine@comcast.net

Kindergarten parents needed Friday March 12 from 10:35 - 11:35
We need LOTS of parents as the children are working on a sewing project that requires a lot of extra helpful hands. Please let Julie Stevens know if you are able to help out at bryceandjulie@comcast.net.

For the next 5 weeks Wedgwood students will be ‘Reading Around the World’ and spending each week reading about countries from one of six continents. Below is the schedule of all classrooms and their current and upcoming continent. If you go to a Seattle Public Library, you can help your child find a book that pertains to their continent. Thanks for your support.

Classrooms
Week of March 8-12
1,6,18, 21 - South America
2,11,20 - Europe
3,7,22 - Asia/Middle East
4,10,14 - Africa
9,8,16 - Australia/New Zealand/Ocean
P1, 5, 19 - North America

Week of March 15-19
1,6,18, 21 - Europe
2,11,20 - Asia/Middle East
3,7,22 - Africa
4,10,14 - Australia/New Zealand/Ocean
9,8,16 - North America
P1, 5, 19 - South America

Good news! Wedgwood was listed for Neighborhood Park acquisition in the 2008 Seattle Parks and Green Spaces Levy. A group interested residents, Wedgwood Parks, is working to make this acquisition a reality. Join us at the next Wedgwood Community Council General Meeting to hear from a city acquisition planner, discuss park selection criteria and brainstorm potential sites with your neighbors. The meeting is March 11th at 7 PM at Wedgwood Presbyterian Church. Your support is very important! A crucial part of this Levy-funded acquisition process is demonstrating community support. Contact WedgwoodParks@gmail.com for more information.

Dear Wedgwood Families,
Last Tuesday evening the boys and I participated in a Wedgwood community service
project at Food Lifeline in Shoreline. We had a great time packaging over a thousand
pounds of corn flakes into 788 individual family size portions. The children had the
opportunity to scoop, bag, twisty tie, and send the bags of cereal “down the river” on the conveyer belt where parent volunteers packaged the bags in preparation for distribution to food banks around the area. The children got up on crates to reach the tables and stayed on task for about an hour and a half! We had a great time with Kenji L,David and Liam S., Spencer and Stella O., Gracie L., Kelley B., Kailin S., Kaelen and Tristan M. and their parents.

Community service activities are a great way to spend time with your children while at the same time teaching the value of helping others and realizing the greater world around themselves.

If you are interested in getting involved our next event is May 1st at the Play Garden from 10am to 12. Please RSVP to Kelly Otis, our parent volunteer that has been coordinating these fabulous events (rileyroootis@aol.com).

Hope to see you soon!
Denise Espania

Multicultural Night, held one night the last week of April, is two-fold: It is the grand
finale of our kids' hard work in Reading themselves Around the World in our 7-week
RAW read-a-thon AND the celebration of their hard work in raising money for our school
at the previous week's Walk-a-thon.

Last year this fun evening brought in entertainment of dancing, singing, and African storytelling. There was also a slideshow of Wedgwood families' trips abroad, and a raffle for great prizes which the kids earned entries based on how many books they read in their "travels." On this night, kids will also be looking forward to hearing Walk-a-thon results, and prizes and drawings for participation will be awarded.

Notes and leads for entertainment are available; we simply need a dedicated group to step up and get it done. Planning meetings can happen in the evenings so working parents can be involved. If we do not have volunteers by mid-March, this important celebration for our kids will be cancelled.

Please sign up by contacting Julie Stevens at bryceandjulie@comcast.net.

It’s not about one ‘talk’. It’s about continuing the conversation with your kids.

Come and learn compelling reasons to start the conversation early and how to keep
it going throughout your child’s adolescence.

Tuesday, March 10th at 6:30 PM in the library
Presented by BirdsandBeesandKids.com
206.661.2245
PARENTS ONLY

Mike Donlin from the district Prevention/Intervention Office will be presenting information about Cyber Bullying. He will discuss Internet Safety and what you can do to help teach and inform your student about how to respond if they are being bullied as well as develop a plan for how to use the Internet responsibly.

As we move into spring and warmer weather, remember KidsPlay offers drop-ins to our before and after school program. If you'd like your child to get some added activity we can be an option. The after school program has space available and the morning program is by appointment only. Contact them at least 24 hours before to complete the necessary form and review the instructions with your child.

Looking ahead to the upcoming "no school" day, KidsPlay will be holding their Fun & Fit - Day Camps. On Friday March 19th for Teacher's Professional Development Day and the week of Spring Break, March 29th thru April 2nd, they will running the program at their studio on NE 45th from 9 AM to 5 PM.

Look for further information in the Weekly and flyers in your child's folders in the coming week. If you'd like to register sooner, just contact Kevin Oyama at 206-979-2868 or kdoyama@comcast.net.

1st grade parents needed Friday March 5 from 10:35 - 11:35 AM
Kindergarten parents needed Friday March 12 from 10:35 - 11:35 AM

We need LOTS of parents as the children are working on a sewing project that requires a lot of extra helpful hands. Please let Julie Stevens know if you are able to help out at bryceandjulie@comcast.net.

For the next 6 weeks Wedgwood students will be ‘Reading Around the World’ and spending each week reading about countries from one of six continents. Below is the schedule of all classrooms and their current and upcoming continent. If you go to a Seattle Public Library, you can help your child find a book that pertains to their continent. Thanks for your support.

Classrooms

Week of March 1-5

• 1,6,18, 21 - North America
• 2,11,20 - South America
• 3,7,22 - Europe
• 4,10,14 - Asia / Middle East
• 9,8,16 - Africa
• P1,5,19 - Australia / New Zealand / Ocean

Week of March 8-12

• 1,6,18, 21 - South America
• 2,11,20 - Europe
• 3,7,22 - Asia / Middle East
• 4,10,14 - Africa
• 9,8,16 - Australia / New Zealand / Ocean
• P1,5,19 - North America

Wedgwood Carnival is coming June 6th! Join an enthusiastic and fun group of parents for our first planning meeting on Thurs, March 18, at 7pm, at The Pied Piper Ale House. Maybe you want to put your creativity to work? Maybe you have suggestions on how to improve the Carnival? There are no bad ideas in Carnival planning! All meetings are in the evenings. Come help us pull off the biggest event Wedgwood offers and support our kids!

Contact John Loschky (jloschky@yahoo.com) with questions and to RSVP.

Dear Wedgwood Families,

I hope your family enjoyed a restful and Olympic filled mid-winter break. Watching the talented athletes from around the world competing in our own “backyard” is a great reminder of the importance of global citizenship.

It is also a great way to get our students excited for our second annual Read Around the World (R.A.W.). Books are a great way to “visit” different countries with our children. It may not be feasible for us to all get into a plane and fly to other continents or drive up to Vancouver, but going to the library or going on line to get information on Europe and learning about the country of Georgia can bring the world right into your home.

Another way to visit the world is by attending cultural events. Many of our families enjoyed a bit of Asian culture during the 4th annual Wedgwood Lunar New Year Celebration. The Lunar New Year committee out did themselves yet again this year with amazing entertainment, a new and well received educational booth experience, great laughs, yummy food, and an opportunity to come together as a community. Thank you to the many volunteers, the committee, and the PTA for this year’s Lunar New Year celebration another amazing event!

Denise Espania

Mike Donlin from Seattle Schools District Prevention/Intervention Office will be presenting information about Cyber Bullying to the families of incoming Eckstein 6th graders in addition to current Eckstein families. The discussion will cover internet safety; including what you can do to help teach and inform your student about how to respond if they are being bullied as well as develop a plan for how to use the internet responsibly.

Eckstein’s orchestra will be performing shortly after the presentation, starting at 7:30PM, and everyone is welcome to attend that as well.

Wedgwood families welcomed the Year of the Tiger at our annual Lunar New Year celebration on Friday, February 12th. The Lunar New Year committee would like to
thank all our wonderful volunteers--the event could not have been a success
without your help and enthusiasm!

Thank you also to all art docents for helping our children create the beautiful Asian
artwork--that was truly inspired! A big shout-out as well to Ms. Jansen and her
students for demonstrating the skills they have learned in PE class--it took courage to
get up on stage to perform in front of friends, parents, and teachers. Good luck,
good health, and prosperity to everyone!