Dear East Ridge Families:
With the weather turning warmer, daylight savings time in effect, and baseball season in full swing I have often noticed that students (and parents) have a tendency to put school responsibilities aside and make extracurricular activities a higher priority. Keeping students focused during the last weeks of school is a challenging balancing act for teachers and parents. Please do what you can to reinforce your child's academic focus and study habits. Your support of our efforts at school makes a tremendous difference in the tone and overall productiveness these last few weeks of school.
Just a reminder that the Student Placement Process for the 2010-2011 school year has already started to take place. If you would like input as a parent, please feel free to fill out the attached optional Additional Information Form. Please remember that we do NOT accept teacher requests. Forms are also available in the front office and are due May 21st in order to be fully considered for student placement.
On Thursday, April 29th we participated in the district-wide Earthquake Drill. Although it is not possible to fully anticipate the nature or extent of a real emergency, there is much value in practicing/rehearsing our probable response. We evacuated the building, settled the students on the playground outside, deployed assigned Search and Rescue teams, set up a First Aid station, and practiced how we would release children to parents who came to get them. In the event of a real emergency, please be assured that we would not release children to just anyone.
Parents would need to report in at either of the school gates (we would have a Parent-Child Reunification Center set up), and we have a system in place to call to the field and release children to only those who have authority to do so. Safety of all of our students is our major goal. Such procedures allow us the best opportunity to maintain that safety and to fully implement our emergency plan in a more calm and controlled manner.
Finally, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude to Karen Gahrns, Staff Appreciation Chair, PTA, and our parent community for the overwhelming pampering we received during Staff Appreciation in May! Please know that all of your kind words, thoughtful gifts, and wonderful treats were greatly appreciated by all of us on staff at this wonderful school. Thank you.
As always, please feel free to contact us at 425-408-4400 with any questions, concerns, or suggestions as we continually strive to make East Ridge a great place for children and their families.
Sincerely,
Richard B. Ito
Guest Principal
Registration for the 2010/2011 School Year
We are now registering students for the 2010/2011 school year. If you or someone you know in your neighborhood has school-age children, please have them come into the East Ridge office and get the necessary registration papers. If you have any questions, please contact the East Ridge office at 425.408.4400.
Measurement of Student Progress
Our testing window for the Measurement of Student Progress (MSP) is May 12th - 20th. Make-ups, if needed, will be from May 21st - 26th . Please refrain from scheduling family vacations, dentist/doctor appointments, etc. during this important testing period. Students missing any of the tests will need to make up those tests by missing class time, and experience has shown us that students usually perform better taking the tests with their class in their normal environment.
One major change in the assessment this year is the number of testing days. The tests have been shortened, and each math, reading and science test will take just one day. The fourth grade writing test will still require two days. This means that third and sixth grade will have two days of testing, fifth grade will have three days of testing and fourth grade will have four days of testing.
Our testing schedule is listed below with other days during testing period for make-ups if needed. All testing will occur in the morning and be done by lunch, with the exception of the 4th grade writing, which will start in the morning and last throughout the day should students need additional time.
Wednesday, May 12th Thursday, May 13th
Grade 3 Reading Grade 3 Math
Grade 4 Reading Grade 4 Math
Grade 6 Reading Grade 6 Math
Monday, May 17th Tuesday May 18th
Grade 4 Writing #1 Grade 5 Reading
Wednesday, May 19th Thursday, May 20th
Grade 5 Math Grade 4 Writing #2
Grade 5 Science
Last day to check out Library books is Thursday, May 27th.
All book are due back Friday, June 4th.
New federal and state requirements on ethnic and race information
Help us meet these requirements by updating your child's ethnic and race information by May 11.
Every year, Northshore School District is required to report student data by ethnicity and race to the state. Recently, the federal government and the state's Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) changed the reporting categories for student ethnic and race data, and the district must have updated information on file before next school year.
The superintendent mailed a letter and the form to families on April 2. Please fill out the form and return it to your child's school by Tuesday, May 11.
The state does not report individual student data to the federal government-only the total number of students in various categories is reported.
The new reporting categories will ask you to identify your child as either Hispanic/Latino or not Hispanic/Latino and by one or more racial groups. Washington has 57 racial categories from which to choose. Forms must be returned by Tuesday, May 11.
How to fill out the form:
1) Please write your child's name, date of birth, school and student ID number (if you have it) at the top.
2) Answer the question: Is your child of Hispanic or Latino origin? (Please check all categories that apply. You must check at least one of the listed categories that apply.)
3) Answer the question: What race(s) do you consider your child? (Please check all categories that apply. You must check at least one of the listed categories that apply.)
If you choose not to update your child's information, the district will be forced to use observation information to update your child's information. We want to be as accurate as possible, and the only way to do that is to have you fill out the information.
Additional forms are available from the main office or online. School staff may not advise you on how to fill out the form, but we can help provide additional information and answer questions.
Additional information is available online at www.nsd.org/ethnicracedata. If you need assistance, please contact Evie Shoeman, Elementary Education, 425.408.7705, or Ellie Snyder, Secondary Education, 425.408.7703.
Volunteer Luncheon
Mark your calendars! We will be honoring all of our parent volunteers at a special luncheon given by the East Ridge staff on Thursday, May 27th, from 11:50 am - 12:50 pm. Invitations will be sent home. We look forward to seeing you there!
East Ridge Hosts Track Meet
East Ridge will be hosting two track meets from
4-6 pm on Wednesday, May 19th and Wednesday, May 26th. Please come out and show your support for our fabulous athletes! Go East Ridge!
Safety Reminders
Please remember to always check in at the office when coming to school. All visitors must wear a badge for identification. Do not keep visitor's badges with you, as we need them for other people that come to our campus. Checking in is a safety procedure for not just those of us on campus, but for you as well. If we have an emergency, such as an earthquake or fire, we need to know who is on campus so we can make sure they are safe. During our recent emergency drill we had a parent checked in until 3:20 pm, but we could not locate that parent. Please always return to the office and check out at the time you are actually leaving. Our staff had to take additional time to search for this parent and in a real emergency, time is of the essence.
Lost & Found
Be sure to check the lost and found for missing
articles, as it is piling up again. Lost and found is
located outside of the front office area.
Encourage your students to stop by and take a
look to see if any of the clothes/items may be
theirs. Items not claimed by the end of the school
year will be donated to a local charity.
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You
Before our Spring break, we had our Mom's in Touch provide a wonderful spread of breakfast "goodies" for our staff. Your thoughtfulness is appreciated.
Thank you to those parents, friends, neighbors, staff members and our Woodinville Community who donated blood at our blood drive in honor of Stacy Murphy. We had 29 volunteers who gave towards this event.
Thank you to Daisy Troop 41389 for cleaning up trash from the field and around the school grounds.
No School
Friday May 28th - Teacher Inservice
Monday, May 31st - Memorial Day
Health Room News
Due to a change in USDA regulations we are no longer able to substitute juice for students that have a milk allergy or intolerance. Instead of juice we are able to offer non-flavored soy milk or lactose-free milk. In order to provide a substitution, a signed form must be on file with the school nurse. If we are currently aware of your child's allergy or intolerance, a form is being mailed home to you. Please contact our school nurse, Cindy Schafer, at (425) 408-6906 or by email at cschafer@nsd.org
PE Shoe Reminder
Please remind your child to wear the proper footwear to PE. They need to come prepared to be active. Too many students have been showing up in boots, dress shoes, extra wide shoes, and sandals.
Thank you for your support on this.
Nan Lucke ( :
Dear Parents & Guardians,
Student Placement
2010-2011
As we approach the final weeks of school, we are about to begin the process of placing students for the 2010-2011 school year. Student placement at East Ridge is guided by the following beliefs and principles:
• Every East Ridge teacher is dedicated to high academic standards and meeting the learning and social needs of each child.
• Every child's placement is important and deserves careful consideration. Classroom teachers, specialists (PE, library, and music teachers), learning support staff and the principal are all part of the placement process. Parent input is important and valued. However, classroom groupings based solely on parent requests can result in unequal class size, and/or classes organized by friendship groups, neighborhoods, sports teams, etc.
• Students benefit from new experiences. A life lesson for children to learn is that working with a variety of student and teacher personal styles is enriching and helps prepare them to successfully handle new and different experiences.
• Balanced classrooms should reflect our diverse society. All classes will be balanced with regards to student instructional levels, behavior, race/ethnicity, gender, socio-economic standing, learning styles, and number of students.
I welcome any new or additional information you have about your child's needs; however, SPECIFIC TEACHER REQUESTS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED for the reasons stated above. If you have additional information you would like to share with us, please feel free to complete an "East Ridge Elementary Additional Information" form available in the main office. Please return your completed form to the office by May 21, 2010 so that your input can be referred to during our placement process.
Placement Process Timeline - A Snapshot View
Optional "East Ridge Elementary Additional Information" forms due May 21
Initial balanced class/student groupings are configured June-August
Adjustments are made due to changing enrollment/staffing August
Final class rosters and teacher assignments determined Late August
Student placement letters home to students Late August
(Class lists will not be posted on the windows before school starts)
Thank you for your support. East Ridge remains dedicated to providing your child with a quality and enriching learning experience.
Sincerely,
Stacy Murphy
Principal
East Ridge Elementary School
Additional Information Form: 2010-2011
(Completion of this form is optional)
This form is a vehicle by which you can provide additional student information regarding classroom placement for the next school year. The information will be considered along with teacher and administrator input as we work toward creating balanced classrooms. Your child's teacher is aware of your son or daughter's preferred learning style, personality, and classroom strengths and challenges. If you have new information to share (health or medical concerns, summer learning plans, etc.), we welcome those comments below. Please know that we consider every child's placement to be important, and that we are committed to working carefully and caringly toward ensuring a successful year for all East Ridge students. The information provided is NOT CONFIDENTIAL and will be shared with staff in their placement meetings.
Child's Name_____________________________________Current Grade:_________
Parent's Name________________________________________________________
Current Teacher______________________________ Date____________________
Please do not identify teachers in your request; specific teacher requests will not be considered.
Quite often, schools have combined grade levels in order to reduce class sizes (Examples: 2/3 split class, 3/4 split class). How would you feel about your child being placed in one of these classes?
Additional information to be considered for my child's 2010-2011 classroom placement:
Please return this form to the East Ridge office by Friday, May 21, 2010
PLANNING FOR THE 2010-2011 SCHOOL YEAR
We are registering students for the 2010/2011 school year. If you or someone you know in your neighborhood has school-age children, please have them come into the East Ridge office and get the necessary registration paperwork.
If you know that your child will not be returning to East Ridge next fall, please let Rae Anne or Barb know as soon as possible, and complete the form below. This is important for us to know so that we may look closely at our enrollment numbers and staffing needs for the 2010/2011 school year. If you have any questions, please call our office at (425) 408-4400.
ARE YOU MOVING OUT OF THE EAST RIDGE AREA?
Please help us plan for the coming school year! If your child is not returning to East Ridge for the 2010-2011 school year, please complete this form, and return it to the main office.
Name (s) of children Teacher's name (s)
__________________________ ___________________________
__________________________ ___________________________
____ We will not be returning to ____ We are undecided at this time
East Ridge next year.
CALENDAR
MAY
Fri., May 7th 3rd grade field trip to Museum of History & Industry (all day)
1st grade - Mrs. Kope's class "Muffins for Moms" 8:15 - 8:50 am
Ms. Long's kindergarten class - Mother's Day Tea @ 2:30 pm
Mon. - Fri., May 10-14 PTA Art Show in Library
Wed., May 12th Measurement of Student Progress Testing begins
Track Meet @ Hollywood Hill @ 4:00 pm
Thurs. May 13th 3rd grade play - Mrs. Lee @ 6:15 pm
Tues., May 18th 6th grade field trip to Benaroya Hall 9:15 am - 1:00 pm
Wed., May 19th Track Meet @ East Ridge 4:00 pm
Fri., May 21st 2nd grade field trip to Pacific Science Center - all day
3rd grade field trip to Port of Seattle 9:00 am - 2:15 pm
Additional Information Forms due into the office
Popcorn Friday! ☺
Tues. May 25th Half-day kindergarten lunch
Wed. May 26th 5th grade marine biology field trip - all day
Kindergarten field trip to the zoo 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Track Meet @ East Ridge @ 4:00 pm
Thurs., May 27th Volunteer Luncheon in Library @ 11:50 am - 12:50 pm
Last day to check out library books
Fri., May 28th No School - Teacher In-service
Mon., May 31st No School - Memorial Day Holiday
JUNE
Tues., June 1st 6th grade field trip to Museum of Flight
Spring Strings Extravaganza & Choir @ NPAC @ 7:00 pm
Wed., June 2nd Spring Band Blowout @ TJH @ 7:00 pm
Thurs., June 3rd Junior Olympics Track & Field @ WHS @ 4:00 pm
Last rehearsal for Tuesday/Thursday strings
Fri., June 4th 4th grade field trip to Mercer Slough 9:00 am - 2:15 pm
All library books due
Last rehearsal for Monday/Wed./Friday strings, 1st & 2nd year bands
Mon., June 7th Author, Derek Munson here
Tues., June 8th Learning Celebration 6:00 - 7:30 pm
Wed., June 9th Safety Patrol field trip to Wild Waves - all day
Thurs., June 11th BBQ Lunch
Wed., June 16th Awards Assembly 2:15 pm
5th grade float parade @ 9:15 am
Thurs., June 17th Closing Assembly @ 9:00 am
(The school has limited space available and requests that attendance
be limited to 6th grade parents
Field Day
6th grade Picnic
Fri., June 18th Last Day of School - Dismissal @ 10:55 am - No AM Kindergarten
