STAR GAZER GAZETTE Monthly Newsletter

October 2017 Star Lake Elementary

Federal Way Public Schools

UPCOMING EVENTS Thursday-Friday, Oct 19-20

EAGLE MART OPEN

2:00-3:00 pm

Wednesday, Oct 25

STUDENTS CAN WEAR COLLEGE GEAR

Wednesday, Oct 25

HARVEST NIGHT

5:00-7:00 pm Gym

Friday, Oct 27

PARENT COFFEE HOUSE

8:40-9:10 am Staff Lounge

Wednesday, Nov 1

EARLY RELEASE FROM SCHOOL

1:35 pm

Thursday-Friday, Nov 2-3

EAGLE MART OPEN

2:00-3:00 pm

Wednesday—Friday, Nov 8-9

STUDENT LED CONFERENCESS + NO SCHOOL

Teachers Will Be Setting Up Times For You To Visit

With Your Student

Friday, Nov 10

NO SCHOOL—VETERANS DAY

Tuesday, Nov 14

STUDENT PICTURE RETAKES

Must wear school uniforms!

Tuesday, Nov 14

PTA GENERAL MEETING

6:00 pm Library

LOOKING AHEAD

Thursday-Friday, Nov 16-17

EAGLE MART OPEN

2:00-3:00 pm

Wednesday, Nov 1

EARLY DISMISSAL FROM SCHOOL

Time TBD

Thursday-Friday, Nov 23-24

NO SCHOOL—THANKSGIVING BREAK

HARVEST NIGHT Wednesday, October 25th

5:00-7:00 pm

Activities Include:

Painting Pumpkins

(bring your own pumpkin)

Art Activity

Candy In A Haystack

Story Time

Please NO Halloween Costumes

ATTENDANCE MATTERS

Last year an alarming 21.3% of our student missed 18 or more school days. That is 1 out of every 5 students. Our goal this year is to decrease that number to 15% or less of our student body. Please help us reach our goal. Every Day Counts!

Some of our families recently received a letter from Star Lake advising them of how many absences, excused and unexcused, that your scholar has had so far this year. This is part of the district’s focus on attendance to align us with the new state laws. Please see the information in this newsletter about the new state guidelines and go to the Federal Way District website where there is more information and resources that can help you keep your scholar’s attend-ance on track.

Tardies are also being tracked more closely this year. THE SCHOOL DAY STARTS AT 8:35am!!! If your scholar is not in line at the classroom when the bell rings at 8:35, they are tardy. The teachers are marking tardies (excused if they see a parent, not excused if there is no parent) during the first few minutes of class before they have submitted their online attendance to the office. If a scholar arrives after attendance has been submitted, scholars will need to go to the office to get a tardy slip. This makes sure that we know a student is present and an automated absence callout is not generated. If a student comes to the office without a parent to sign them in or a parent has not called us, the tardy is un-excused.

As part of our action plan, we have created an Attendance Incentive program to recognized our students individually, as a class, and school wide. For the month of September 174 students earned a bonus ticket worth 10 Star Lake Way tickets to use at Eagle Mart. In addition, several classes are earning Eagle Wings for tracking their perfect daily attendance. Once the class has 5 days of perfect attendance, they earn an Eagle Wing.

Getting your scholar to school on time will help the class earn more incentives!

Please be patient with us as we figure out all of the pieces to the new attendance laws. Please call us if you have any questions at 253-945-4000.

Greetings Star Lake Families, I was just out on the playground; the wind is kick-ing up and the raindrops are falling. I think the beautiful fall weather we have been enjoying is officially over. Please be sure to have your students wear warm coats and dress every day for this wet weather! Inside our classrooms, our students and staff have been busy digging into learning! We have all of our students leveled in IRLA and students are reading every day in their independent reading level books. They each have individual power goals fo-cused on a reading skill to master and teachers are meeting with students 1:1 and in small groups daily. Please ask your child every night, “Do you have your IRLA book, or book buddy bag?” And encourage them to read K-1 (15 mins at least) and 2-5 ( 30 mins) every day! Please ask them to tell you about their book: who are the main characters, what is happening in the book, what is interesting to them, what are some new words they are encountering? Look at how many words a student can encounter just by READING every-day…and encountering more words means build-ing vocabulary, which sig-nificantly helps students to read complex texts! At our Harvest Night on Wednesday, October 25th we will have a variety of fun, literacy based activities for your family. In addition, we will have a display with IRLA mate-rials, and we will answer questions and give you strategies to help your child’s reading at home. Please also join me on Fri-day, October 27th from 8:40am-9:10am in the staff lounge for our Parent Coffee House. This is a great, informal time to for us to hear your questions, input and ideas about anything going on at school. Please watch the newsletter for future cof-fee house dates, we will try to vary the times to meet family needs. You will soon be receiving an invitation to join your child and their teacher for Student-Led Conferences on November 8th and 9th. Partnering with you in the education of your child is a responsibility our Star Lake staff highly values. Conferences are the perfect time to have students share their learning, celebrate successes and discuss the individualized plans your child’s teacher has to meet their learning needs. Best Regards,

Kris Rennie, Principal

NOVEMBER 1ST EARLY RELEASE DAY

Breakfast and lunch will be served as usual.

Students at Star Lake will be dismissed at 1:35 pm on these dates.

Students who ride the bus will have regular bus service transportation at 1:35.

Parents who usually pick up students may pick up at 1:35.

If there is a hardship, please contact our Star Lake Office.

“Because of You” Hey Scholars! Starting this year, scholars in grades three through 12 have a chance to nominate any Federal Way Public Schools staff member in the district you believe has positively impacted you, your school, and/or your community with the “Because of You” award. Scholars from the superintendent’s advisory created the awards nomination process. Nominations will be reviewed and selected by the Superintendent’s Scholar Advisory team and each month, staff members will be honored. Nominations forms can be completed online, or at your school's main office, and are due by the 30th of each month. Stay tuned as we highlight these extraor-dinary staff members who make a differ-ence each day in our schools! Scholars can nominate staff members in the following ways:

· Online by visiting the district web-site at: https://www.fwps.org/Page/5018.

· By visiting their school’s main office,

filling out a hard copy form and sub-mitting it to the office manager.

Submissions are due by the

30th of each month.

School Picture Retakes

Any student who missed having their photo

taken in October or wants their photo retak-

en, the photographer will be here on Tuesday, Nov.

14th to do that. Please make sure your student is

wearing school uniforms for pictures.

Watch for reorder forms to be sent home.

Parent Coffee House:

Hello Star Lake Families,

Our first Parent Coffee House will be October 27th at

8:40am in the Staff Lounge. Parent Coffee House is a

time for parents to come into the school, meet the prin-

cipal, get information about what is going on through-

out the school year. Stop on in and get some coffee and

doughnuts.

Hope to see you there!

Future Coffee Houses: November 21st at 2:30-3:00pm &

December 8th at 8:40-9:10am

Marcus James, Family Liaison

WELCOME NEW STAFF MEMBERS:

We have a few new faces at Star Lake this year and we want you to have a chance to get to know each of them a little better. We are thrilled they are with us!

Mary Peggins: 1st Grade Teacher-I am a recent

college graduate from Seattle Pacific University. I grew up in Yakima, Washington and love reading, playing board games, and watching Disney movies!

Kelli Thomason: 1st Grade Teacher-I moved here

from Kansas in 2012. This is my 4th year teaching 1st grade. I love to go hiking, eat sushi, and watch scary movies! This year I hope to learn to snowboard and buy a kayak.

Tara Robinson: 5th Grade Teacher-I came from

Saghalie MS, teaching 8th graders for 4 years. I was born and raised in Tacoma. I like to workout, kayak, read and spend time with my family and my dogs.

Becky Taylor: FCP 3-5th-I worked for 5 years in the

Functional Core class at Federal Way HS. I have 2 kids, with the youngest in the Air Force. I like to read, hike and bake.

Tina Severson: ECEAP Teacher-I have worked in

Education for over 10 years. Coming from Auburn School District for past 3 years. I have recently joined the FWSD and work as Lead Teacher in the ECAP Room. I am excited about getting the children kindergarten ready and to be apart of the Star Lake Elementary team.

Walter Skinner: Lunchroom-I grew up in Richland,

Wa, and graduated in 1980 then I attend Columbia Ba-sin community collage. I spent 35 yrs as a butcher 5 yrs working with assorted meat shops and 30 yrs with Safe-way a department manager, from Kirkland to Federal Way all over King County. Through the eighty's and nineties I also coached Gymnastics, with children from 5-18 years old at different clubs around Bellevue and Kirk-land . I have lived in Federal Way for 10 years where my daughter graduated from Federal Way High School. I also love wood working and gardening for a hobby.

Thank you for letting me be a part of Star Lake.

PBIS and Eagle Mart

Our scholars have come ready to spend their Star Lake Way Tickets the past two shopping opportunities and have turned in over 8,370 tickets. Our classrooms shopping with the most tickets have included Mrs. Stroud with 890 and Miss Peggins with 765 total tickets. Please note below those students whom have turned in an excess of 20 tickets or more.

I want to make sure that we can keep up with the Eagle Mart demand so I am sending out a request for items to assist with restocking as we have little funds to support Eagle Mart year round. I’m not asking for money or for anyone to buy things but I’m sure some of you have things around the house that are gently used (like stuffed animals, beanie babies) or those treat bags your kids get at parties, maybe there was a journal, book or small toy that they just didn’t end up using for whatever reason . . . if so Eagle Mart will proudly take those items! We are also interested in any grown up items as we look forward to rolling out our incentive program for our adult staff and volun-teers too! Thanks for considering our request! Always remem-ber to be SAFE, KIND and PRODUCTIVE!

Baune: Ashton, Sophia, Sydney, Xoe

Humphrey: Brooklyn, Armando

Van De Riet: Leighton, Landin, Kingston, Summer, Antonio

Mata: Kaitlyn, Alondra, Baraa, Anna, Carson

Peggins: Sean, Jenna, Alexa, Myles, Evelyna, Dayana, Karmelo, Lisa, Selena, Reanne, Gabe, Jaidyn

Thomason: Adorian, Sadok, Logan, Bryan, Daniel, Orion, Matthew

Coleman: Natalia, Nevaeh, Logan, Justin, Milani, Sydney, Artu-ro, Isaac, Uzziah, Rebecca, Kyleigh

Hall: Jerry, Alivia, LaMiah, Marina, Lexi, Arden, Amore, Chris-tian, Jaybez, Derek, Saif, Joseph, Amanda, Cameron

Stroud: Joey, Amari, Hayden, Santiago, Jasmine, Dylan, Julius, Samanta, Vanessa, Lauren, Zachary, Chelsie, Bailey, Aminah, Skye, Kingston

Whitling: Ola’Ladae, Tatum, Grant, Autumn, Dallin, Oeric, San-tiago, Fernanda, Andrew, Avayah, Ivy, Caidin, Molly, Diana, Andrew, Nadia, Jose, Evelyn

Friedman: Quinnton, Madison, Malaki, Gabby, Alex, Anaiya, Caden

Nelson: Jacksen, Erik, Aaliyah, Adonis, Singetha, Jeremiah

Baker: Maryama, Makarrah

Bartlett: Malachi, Johannah

Karlan: Ryan, Jacob, Federick

Pizarro: Kaiden, Suzanne, Jakob, Gerald

Blair: Paris

Robinson: Deanne, Sequoia, Chris

Rossmeier: Kimonni, Kaori

Withrow: Michael, Raul, Sam, Malick, Braley

Flu Shot Clinic

Health Services is offering a Flu Shot Clinic at the ESC on Thursday, October 19, from 2:30-4:30 p.m. in the Staff

Lounge.

There is no out of pocket cost to you for the influenza vaccine with most insurances. Be sure to bring your insurance card with

you. If you do not have insurance and would like a flu shot, our provider charges $39.99 (check or cash). To register for a flu shot,

email DeAnn Kachman at dkachman@fwps.org. Completing the Screening Questionnaire and Consent Form prior to arriving at

the clinic will help expedite your wait time.

The Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis) vaccine is also available at the clinic. If you would like to reserve one, let us know by the morning of October 17.

Local pharmacies (Rite Aid, Walgreens, Fred Meyer, Safeway, etc.) are also offering the flu vaccine. Contact DeAnn Kachman at 253-945-4576 or Sherry Stewart at 253-945-4575, if you have any questions.

Notes from the Nurse: Flu Season is Here! Flu season occurs in the fall and winter. Influenza, also called the flu, is a contagious viral infection of the nose and throat. It easily spreads between people and can cause mild to severe illness. Prevention is key to minimizing the spread of illness. This includes getting the flu vaccine, wash-ing your hands often, covering coughs and sneezes, and stay-ing home when you are sick. Flu symptoms can come on sud-denly and usually include fever over 100 with fatigue, body aches, headache, cough, sore throat, runny nose, and muscle pain. 5 Reasons to Get a Flu Vaccine: Influenza is more serious than you may think. Influenza claims the lives of about 100 children in the US every year and hospitalizes approximately 20,000 children annually. About half of children who die from influenza were previously healthy. And influenza is the 8th-leading cause of death in the US among people of all ages. Influenza can worsen chronic medical conditions–don’t put your family’s health at risk. Influenza vaccination is especially important for people with compromised immune systems or certain underlying medical conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, and heart dis-ease. Influenza can worsen these conditions or cause serious complications in those who have them. Keep your kids at school and yourself at work. Children have plenty to worry about without having to catch up on missed school work, a big game, or a special get together and when kids miss school, parents often lose work days to care for them. Your child doesn’t live in a bubble. Children share close quarters inside schools and childcare facilities. And let’s face it – their hygiene habits are often less than stellar! Your child is constantly touching, playing, and sharing with others. It’s no wonder more children get influenza every year than people of any other age group. So when you can’t be there to protect your child, the vaccine is. The influenza vaccine is safe and effective. Vaccines are safe and are subject to extensive testing in the US. Vaccina-tion is the best way to prevent influenza. The influenza vaccine can reduce chances of getting the flu by 70 to 90 percent and, if someone gets vaccinated but still gets the flu, chances are they will get a less severe case.

Get Ready, Get Set, DiscoverU! During the week of October 23-27, the Federal Way School District is participating in “DiscoverU”. This is a K-12 program designed to help students explore their interests and to learn more about preparing for their futures after high school.

The Star Lake staff will be talking with students about their personal experiences in postsecondary education, as well as providing fun opportunities for career exploration throughout the week.

“DiscoverU” supports Goal #5 of the FWPS Strategic Plan:

“Every scholar will successfully navigate the critical transitions in their schooling, and will graduate from

high school ready for college, career, and postsecondary experiences.”

As part of our celebration, students will be allowed to wear “College Gear” on Wednesday, October 25.

This includes tops (sweatshirt, t-shirt) with uniform bottoms

UPCOMING FAMILY

EVENTS

The family engagement team is scheduling events for our families. You should have received a parent sur-vey asking what days of the week and evening times families are available. Please fill them out and return them to the school so that we can plan these events around what works best for our families. For now, please be aware that these are the months of our up-coming events:

Harvest Night will be Oct 25th from 5-7pm

Fitness Night will be in January

The Reading Fair will be in March

Multicultural Night will be in May

Federal Way Public Schools BOND

FWPS serves a community that is committed to investing in the success of each scholar having a voice, a dream and a bright future. FWPS has a track record of fiscal responsibility and believes great schools mean great neighborhoods. Investing in the community will attract and retain people in Federal Way, and would result in an increase in jobs.

The $450 million 2017 bond proposition was recommended by a 100 member Facilities Planning Committee and with input from over 200 community members, parents, and staff from across the district.

For more information, visit www.fwps.org/bond, email bondinfo@fwps.org, or call 253-945-2000

Remember to vote Nov. 7; Voting begins Oct. 19.

Annual Notification of Rights

Under FERPA, a school must annually notify eligible students in attendance of their rights under

FERPA. The annual notification must include information regarding an eligible student's right to

inspect and review his or her education records, the right to seek to amend the records, the right

to consent to disclosure of personally identifiable information from the records (except in certain

circumstances), and the right to file a complaint with the Office regarding an alleged failure by a

school to comply with FERPA. It must also inform eligible students of the school's definitions of

the terms "school official" and "legitimate educational interest."

FERPA does not require a school to notify eligible students individually of their rights under

FERPA. Rather, the school may provide the notice by any means likely to inform eligible stu-

dents of their rights. Thus, the annual notification may be published by various means, including

any of the following: in a schedule of classes; in a student handbook; in a calendar of school

events; on the school's website (though this should not be the exclusive means of notification);

in the student newspaper; and/or posted in a central location at the school or various locations

throughout the school. Additionally, some schools include their directory information notice as

part of the annual notice of rights under FERPA.

For details on FERPA, please visit the district website at: http://www.fwps.org/Page/2215.

FERPA forms are available at our office if you would like to restrict information about your

child.

FIELDTRIPS

If you are plan-ning to attend a

fieldtrip with your student this year or help in their classroom, please check with our office to see if you have a current WA State Patrol form on file. This form gives you clearance to be in our school helping with other students. If you have not filled out a WA State Patrol, those forms need to be filled out a month prior to the fieldtrip. You can pick up blank forms outside the office.

PLEASE REMEMBER

THAT HALLOWEEN

COSTUMES ARE NOT

TO BE WORN AT SCHOOL!

School ap-

proved ac-

tivities, such

as involve-

ment in an

athletic or

arts activity,

speech and

debate etc.

Illness,

health con-

dition or

medical ap-

pointment,

verified

within two

school/

business

days.

Family

emergency,

including

but not lim-

ited to a

death or ill-

ness in the

family.

Religious or

cultural ob-

servance or

instruction.

Court, judi-

cial pro-

ceeding or

serving on a

jury.

College, ca-

reer, tech-

nical school,

and appren-

ticeship pro-

gram inter-

views and

visitations.

State-

recognized

search and

rescue ac-

tivities.

Absence di-

rectly relat-

ed to the

student’s