Author: hwk8ptsa

PTSA Highlights from the 2023/24 School Year

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It’s hard to believe we’ve reached the end of another school year already, and yet here we are! We’re counting down to the last bell, and our Pacific Northwest weather (finally) got the memo – SUMMER IS HERE!

It’s been a busy year for the PTSA, with lots of impactful projects, positive partnerships, and moments worth celebrating. To share with you some of the amazing school- and community-facing initiatives that have happened over the past 10 months, we’ve created an end of year newsletter.

Join us for a peek behind the scenes at what’s been achieved, thanks in no small part to the generous contributions our Wolf Pack Families have made this year – not to mention the village of volunteers who donated their time and energy to help at every stage of every project. We couldn’t be more proud of what has been accomplished.

Here are some of the best bits – read the newsletter for the full scoop!

HELPING STUDENTS LEARN & THRIVE
– Dedicated $10,000 to ensure equal inclusion (providing scholarships for sports fees, field trips, overnight trips, spirit gear, choir, and band/orchestra fees)
– Provided $2,000 of financial aid
– Funded supplies for Field Day, and purchased 78 yearbooks to ensure all 5th and 8th graders received one
– Funded presentations from Pacific Science Center for Earth Day

SUPPORTING STAFF
– $22,500 for tutoring
– More than $8,000 for enrichment activities (all grades)
– $8,100 to support our E-STEM vision and framework, Storylines
– $500 for athletic uniforms
– Provided breakfast, coffee, and lunch during Staff Appreciation Week, May 6th-10th

SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT & E-STEM ACTIVITIES
– Solar Panel project fully completed
– Living Wall 100% supported by PTSA and community volunteers
– Window tinting installed on Cafetorium windows to reduce glare from sun
– Recycled 40lbs of batteries, plastic film, cork, and threads

BUILDING COMMUNITY
– Organized and sponsored community events including a family movie night, Halloween Trick or Treat, a skate night, Winter Clothing & Ski Swap, BIPOC Family Night, a coat drive, and Bike to School Day.
– Presented Spring Fling, our first in-person social party fundraiser in five years, raising more than $25,000 to support school programs and events.

Students, staff, families – THANK YOU for an AMAZING year! To those who are graduating and/or moving away from Hazel Wolf, we wish you every success and hope you’ll stay in touch. To those who will return after summer break, we look forward to seeing you and creating more memorable moments together!

HAPPY SUMMER, WOLF PACK FAMILIES!

Read the newsletter here

Images courtesy of Hazel Wolf K-8 PTSA
Clockwise from top left: Holiday Cookie Exchange (staff appreciation event); Winter Clothing & Ski Swap; snack drive; PTSA Board President Christa Kleiner at Spring Fling; Bike to School Day signage at school; our Living Wall.

Call to Action… Sign on Letter Urges SPS to Stop Plan to Close Option Schools

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During recent Seattle Public School’s (SPS) closure and consolidation plan meetings, parents and caregivers asked high-ranking district officials what the plan is for option schools and alternative programs.

The responses received gave parent-led coalition All Together for Seattle Schools a high degree of confidence that SPS plans to eliminate most or all option K-5 and K-8 programs in schools.

While SPS has not addressed this publicly, All Together for Seattle Schools is proactively making it known to SPS leadership that this would be a mistake. They have created a sign-on letter to urge the district to stop a plan to close option schools and alternative programs at the K-5 and K-8 levels.

Please consider signing on to the letter here!

If you’d like to do more, here are some suggestions of ways to take action:

  • Write to the superintendent, Dr. Brent Jones, and the school board. Tell them why we need to support diverse learning options in our school district. Include a story about your own experience showing why you think alternatives help students learn and thrive in school.
  • Reach out to parents and community members you know who care about this issue, and ask them to do the same.
  • Visit alltogetherforseattleschools.org to get involved in this citywide effort to avoid a massive mistake around school consolidation.

Option schools and alternative programs (including dual language, highly capable cohort, and others) promote positive academic outcomes for students, help create an environment that sparks innovation in learning and, given their waitlists, could actually increase SPS enrollment.

Please consider adding your voice to this call to action, and sharing with fellow parents and caregivers in your community.

Sign on to the letter here

Image credit: Canva

Help our Community Thrive: Join the PTSA Board!

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Are you looking for a rewarding experience that brings you closer to the inner workings of our school, and offers a deeper understanding of how and why decisions are made?

Do you have skills you’d love to share, and a desire to make a positive difference in the lives of our students, staff and families?

Are you interested in helping build a thriving, connected community here at Hazel Wolf K-8?

The PTSA Board is the place to be! We continue to need great people to help develop, plan, organize and promote our programs, events and initiatives. As a priority, in preparation for the 2024-25 school year, the following open positions need to be filled:

Co-Treasurer – This person helps with all aspects of accounting, from preparing and presenting budgets, to tracking and recording income and expenditure, and keeping accurate, detailed records.  

Communications – From updating our website to posting on social media, writing blog posts to designing flyers for events, this position helps keep our community in the know.

Community Events – If you’re passionate about planning social events that bring our community members together, this is the board position for you!

Fundraising – Do you love organizing innovative and fun ways to raise money for a good cause? Join the board as Fundraising Coordinator and help us continue raising the funds that make great things happen for students, staff and families in our community!

To express your interest in any of the positions listed above, please email Christa Kleiner, our current PTSA Board President, or text her at 206-335-2497.

If you’d like to help but don’t see something that fits, Christa would still love to here from you! Let her know what skills you’d like to share, or if you have ideas for ways we can make our school and community great. 

EMAIL Christa
Learn more

Feeling Grateful for… the Virginia Inn!

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During the first day of a busy St. Patrick’s Day weekend, Seattle’s iconic Virginia Inn generously donated 50% of proceeds to our PTSA. We’re thrilled to be able to share that, as a result of this incredible kindness, we received a donation of $4,623!

Craig Perez – co-owner of the historic restaurant and bar, and a Hazel Wolf 4th grader parent – was the man behind the idea for this wonderful event, and we can’t thank him and the Virginia Inn team enough for their support of our school community.

Thanks also to the families who came out on March 16th and enjoyed food and drinks from the Inn’s delicious menu. We hope you had a fun downtown adventure with family and friends!

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If you’re a small business owner who’d like to organize an activity or event to help raise funds for our PTSA, and directly benefit our school community, please email Christa Kleiner (current Hazel Wolf K-8 PTSA Board President) to discuss your ideas!

Image credit: Christa Kleiner

Guest Expert Joins ADHD Parent Group for Inaugural Educational Event, April 25th

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Do you have family members with racecar brains and no brakes? Do you have students with enormous potential that just don’t quite connect?

Hazel Wolf K-8’s ADHD Parent Group would like to invite you to its first educational event, featuring guest speaker Bethany Febus ACCG PCC.

When? Thursday, April 25, 2024 | 6pm
Where? Cafetorium at Hazel Wolf K-8 ESTEM School, 11530 12th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98125
Cost: Free of charge

In A Brain-Based Approach to Understanding and Supporting ADHD, Bethany will share her extensive personal and professional experience, and research-based understanding, of ADHD; providing valuable insights and working strategies that go beyond tips and tricks.

During her presentation, Bethany will walk through a framework for understanding the ADHD brain in a way that empowers families and educators to work in new, effective and rewarding ways with their ADHD children.

Refreshments will be available and all are welcome to come, including those from outside the Hazel Wolf K-8 school community. Free, on-street parking is available in the surrounding residential area (please take care not to block driveways and other access routes).

We look forward to welcoming you to what promises to be an evening of insightful learning and supportive conversation. Click below to proceed with registration, or email Leslie Schuyler with any questions.

Register HERE


ADHD, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, is a neurological disorder that impacts the parts of the brain that help us plan, focus on, and execute tasks.

Hazel Wolf K-8 ADHD Parent Group welcomes parents and guardians of kids with ADHD. The group exists to provide parents and caregivers with education, resources, and support to help children grow and thrive at school and in life. For more information, or to be added to the group contact list, please email Leslie Schuyler.

Flash Spirit Gear Sale, now through April 26!

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If you missed ordering your Wolf Pack gear earlier this year – or you wish you’d ordered more sizes or different items – this is your chance!

Now through April 26, we’re having a Spirit Gear flash sale. From tees, hoodies and pajama pants, to water bottles, jewelry and stickers, you can show your Wolf Pack pride in a variety of ways while also helping raise funds for PTSA-sponsored programs and events that benefit our school community.

Click below to browse the items available and get started with your order today! Once orders have been processed, all items will be delivered to student classrooms.

ORDER HERE


Questions about the items available or the ordering process? Email us at spiritgear@hazelwolfk8.org.

March 16th: Brunch to Benefit Our PTSA

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Looking for a brunch spot to kick off your weekend? Look no further than Seattle’s iconic Virginia Inn!

This Saturday, March 16th, 50% of the Inn’s proceeds will be donated to our PTSA, thanks to the incredible generosity of Craig Perez – co-owner of the historic restaurant and bar, and a Hazel Wolf 4th grader parent.

Virginia Inn, 1937 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98101
Browse menus and plan your visit at https://virginiainnseattle.com

Please go enjoy an amazing brunch, lunch or drink, knowing you’ll also be helping raise funds that the PTSA will use to support a variety of programs that make a real difference for students, staff and families.

And, since weather reports suggest we’ll have a beautiful Pacific Northwest day on our hands, why not make a day of it and enjoy other downtown favorites such as Seattle Art Museum, Pacific Science Center, or the Olympic Sculpture Park?

Cheers to delicious brunches in historic hotspots, and a fabulous way to kick-off St. Patrick’s Day weekend – plus, HUGE thanks to Craig and the Virginia Inn team!

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Are you a local business owner who’d like to organize an activity that will help raise funds for our PTSA, and directly benefit our school community? Please email Christa Kleiner (current Hazel Wolf K-8 PTSA Board President) to discuss your ideas!

Image credit: Virginia Inn