PTA Weekly
Important Upcoming Dates
PTA Meeting - Today, October 7th, 6:30-8:00pm
School Picture Day - Thursday, October 10th
Kindergarten Social - Thursday, October 10th, 6-8 pm
NO SCHOOL Friday, October 11th - Teacher In-Service Day
Pledge Drive ends - Friday, October 18th
In-School Flu Shot Clinic - Monday, October 21st
Math Information Night - Thursday, Oct 24 – 6:00-7:30 pm
Move-A-Thon - Friday, November 1st
Time to Get Movin’ for this year’s Move-A-Thon
Mark your calendars! The 12th annual Wedgwood Elementary Move a Thon is coming up on Friday, November 1st.
What is the Wedgwood Move a Thon? It’s one of every little Marmot’s favorite days at school – their chance to run, walk, skip and laugh their way around the track as teachers, parent volunteers and special celebrity guests Marty the Marmot and Mr. Liu cheer them on and mark their laps. It’s a high-energy day at Wedgwood, and our second of three PTA fundraisers – only this is totally kid-powered!
Stay tuned for more details on volunteer opportunities!
Where do your Pledge Drive dollars go?
Every year, the PTA asks our community to raise funds for Wedgwood Elementary. The money reaches every corner of the school, and every student under its roof. And perhaps most importantly, any teacher at Wedgwood can apply for a PTA grant to help provide students with opportunities above and beyond what the district can provide. Below is one example from Ms. Voelk, Wedgwood Art Specialist:
“The PTA provided me with a grant at the start the school year so that I could purchase quality supplies to help achieve my goal of providing all students at Wedgwood with a comprehensive Art History Curriculum. One example of what I was able to purchase with my grant money is the correct paper weight for various mediums we will work with throughout the year. It seems like a simple thing, but exposing students to Japanese sumi ink and then having them explore this medium on the equivalent of printer paper just doesn’t work. I believe that every student here deserves access to quality supplies to help them understand the responsibility that comes with it, as well as elevate students’ craftsmanship and pride in their work. Thanks to the PTA, we’re off to a great start!”
(Psst…if you’d like to see some of the amazing art projects created in Ms. Voelk’s class, follow her Instagram page at marmot_art).
It’s through your contributions that every child at Wedgwood has access to the same resources, regardless of whether you are able to donate $5 or $500. All of our students deserve a quality education, and ability to be part of this strong community we’ve built here at Wedgwood. You can donate with a credit card right here. Thank you for your generosity, and be sure to check out the Pledge Drive thermometer in the entryway to see how close we are to reaching our goal!
Flu Season is Approaching
Flu Shot Clinic at Wedgwood
Flu season is hitting early this year, and we encourage everyone to get their flu shots to protect yourselves and others. On October 21st from 12:30-2:30, students, staff and families can get their flu shot at school. Consent forms will come home with your students this week, or download it here. Consent forms are due Wednesday, October 16th.
A Message from the Seattle Flu Study
The Seattle Flu Study (run by Wedgwood parent and epidemiologist Helen Chu) is learning more about how influenza and other viruses are spread through the city of Seattle. Starting this year, we are bringing the Seattle Flu Study in Schools to school-aged children and their families! Our goal is to understand how the flu and other respiratory viruses affect children and others in their households. This will help us prepare for and control future outbreaks.
You and your family can help us by joining our study. We will mail you everything you need, so you can participate entirely within your home. Participating families will be asked to:
Answer questions about your household using an electronic survey
Send us swabs of each person’s nose right when you join our study
Send us nose swabs again when a person gets sick
Take a test for flu if someone in the family gets sick during flu season
Visit seattleflu.org/schools to learn more.
Kindergarten Social
Come mingle with other Kindergarten families this Thursday, October 10th from 6-8 in the cafeteria. This is a great way to connect with other parents, let your kids socialize outside the classroom, and skip the “what’s for dinner?” monotony. We need your help to make this event happen, so sign up here to help out. Thank you to Janeen Joshi for organizing!
Calling all Library Volunteers!
Our Library Volunteer SignUp Genius is now complete. If you are interested in working with kids in the library, assisting with checking out books, as well as maintaining the overall organization of the library, please sign up now for a slot. Follow the link provided, look for your child's teacher (slots are organized by grade levels), choose any dates that work for you, and sign up.
Due to some reorganization of the library, ALL volunteers will need to attend a Volunteer Training. Training dates and times are included on the SignUp Genius. You can also contact Ms. Leland for more information at klleland@seattleschools.org.
Seattle School Board Elections
It’s almost time to mark your ballots! On November 5th you will vote in all school board races in the general election —not only within your own district—so it is important to learn about every candidate. To help you decide, join us for the last remaining all-candidate forum on October 17th, from 6:30-8pm, in the North Beach Elementary cafeteria. See you there!
Event Lead Needed
Auction Co-Chair
Our annual auction already has an awesome lead, but she needs help planning Wedgwood’s biggest fundraiser of the year! It’s a fun event to plan—the only grownup party we have all year—and most of the logistics are in place. But it’s a lot for one person to do on her own. We need YOU to step up and help plan this event to make it a success. Please consider volunteering and email Roshni Hourselt at auctionwedgwood@gmail.com to learn more!