Nathan Eckstein Middle School PTSA
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Eckstein Weekly News

The Weekly is distributed on Thursdays during the school year. Please send submissions by *Tuesday at 5PM. Inclusion is at the discretion of the Eckstein PTSA. Your 2020-21 Eckstein Weekly is edited by the PTSA Communications Team.
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The Eckstein Weekly ~ May 25, 2020

5/31/2020

 
Picture
A Message from Your PTSA
Dear Families,
We hope this finds you and your family safe and healthy. Fun news this week! There are plans to celebrate our 8th graders, you'll get a chance to grab all those stinky sneakers from student lockers, and a new student news program has dropped. Read below to check it out.
Also - if your children are struggling with isolation and being stuck at home, scroll down for resources from our Eckstein counselors. You're not alone!
We know it all feels a bit distant right now, but we will be back at school again one day, and we need to start planning NOW!
Please consider joining the Eckstein Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA). We have several positions turning over and we need your help! Your involvement is ESSENTIAL to the success and happiness of Eckstein's students and families.
Being on the board is an amazing way to know what's going on with your student, your school and your community.
Stay safe!


PTSA Positions - We NEED You!
Join the Fun on the Eckstein PTSA Board!
Help maintain a successful and healthy community at Eckstein! There are several open positions for 2020/21. If handling one position on your own seems like too much - grab a friend and share the role!
Open positions:
Treasurer: All finances are managed in QuickBooks
Membership: Position starts in summer to ensure membership forms get into the 1st-week packets; helps promote PTSA membership at school events (or get someone to do it for them).
Building Leadership Team (BLT): Attends two meetings a month as representative of the PTSA and reports information back from the teachers to the board.
FUNdraising Chair: Coordinates fundraising AmazonSmiles, Script, box tops. Planning other community building-events (like speaker series) is optional and would be great.
Reflections: Runs Eckstein Reflections program
Volunteer Coordinator: Manages and coordinates volunteer positions

Please help our school continue to be a place for our kids to learn, be supported and be safe. Contact Natalya Yudkovsky (natalya.yudkovsky@gmail.com) to get involved.

I have LOVED serving on the PTSA board these three years at Eckstein. It's been such a wonderful way to connect with other families, meet staff and teachers and find ways to bond with my teenager. Thank you for the opportunity!"
“During my time as a volunteer, I have gotten to know front office staff and teachers. And knowing my way around the school, finding out about the big and small needs of our staff and seeing my kids in the hallways make me feel like a part of the community.  I had been missing that as a parent after my kids left elementary school.”
"While serving on the PTSA board, I learned about the work teachers are doing to support equity and diversity for our kids! Especially the English as second language program and the incredible number of languages spoken at Eckstein."

Eckstein News!
Tune in to this week’s student program here!
This week we have an additional teacher segment for you and your student to view, click here.


Mental Health
A Note From Our Eckstein Counselors
We are hearing from more and more of you that your kids are really struggling with the difficulty of staying at home. They are missing friends, feeling alone, struggling with online learning, getting stir crazy or bored. As parents, we are juggling work, worry about our kids & the dual role of parent/teacher all in the midst of so much uncertainty.

These are very trying times and there are no easy answers, but here are a few resources that may help. Know you are not alone in your struggles.
How to Help your Teenagers if They're Having a Tough Time during the Pandemic: Seattle Times
Coping during COVID-19 Resources for Parents: Childmind.org

Remember to breathe… and make time for yourself! These are extremely challenging times for all of us and we are having to call on all our personal resources to deal with the stresses of trying to balance work, supporting our kids, being both parent & teacher, and worrying about our own health or the health of those we care about.


Academics and Creativity
Summer Learning Opportunities 
Please visit this website to learn about summer learning opportunities for our middle school students.
We encourage families to register next week.

8th graders interested in Latin at Roosevelt? Immediate action required. 
Latin at Roosevelt has only enrolled about 2/3 of the students necessary to make this program run next year. It's in danger of being canceled. If your 8th grader is interested in having Latin as an option for the foreign language requirement at Roosevelt, please immediately email both the principal Kristina Rodgers at karodgers@seattleschool.org and Priscilla Scofield the Latin teacher at pascofield@seattleschools.org.  

Drive-In WiFi Hot Spots 
Washington has WiFi hot spots located around the state to support anyone without broadband wifi at their homes. Click here.

Free Tutoring!
Some generous former Eckstein students (current high school students) would like to help those who need tutoring during this time of school closure.
We've received links from two groups who are looking to help.
TeenTutoring
This is a website created by Taylor Bailey and Claire/Ian Eggleston. The purpose is to help teens who are struggling during these unprecedented times with certain academic concepts through tutoring with their peers. You can become a tutor to help your peers, or you can be tutored by one of your peers. All tutoring is FREE to any Seattle Public Schools student who needs it!
LearnInShelter.org
During these unprecedented times, we as a group of student volunteers recognize the struggles of middle and high school students. We understand your problems as students due to recent school closures and are coming together on online platforms to support each other. Our mission at Learn In Shelter is simple: to provide free, high-quality tutoring for students in need. Our sessions are led by qualified tutors over zoom calls.

8th Graders - Registration Update for Roosevelt
Roosevelt needs all incoming students to register ASAP if they haven't already!
Here is the link to complete this process.
Roosevelt needs to move in to the next phase of the scheduling process, but that cannot happen until students have picked classes.
If you have any questions about completing registration, please contact School Counselor Daniel Eneberg - ddeneberg@seattleschools.org. 

Beat the Boredom, Get Creative!
Coyote North has opened registration for ONLINE classes this Spring! Students (10-15 years old) can learn anything from stop-motion animation to jewelry-making, to dance, and more! Classes are pay-what-you-can. Registration can be completed on our website here. Coyote will also be rolling out shorter tutorials with an offline option coming soon. If you have questions, contact Alex Peterson at alex@coyotecentral.org.

Laptops for Eckstein Families and Students
Eckstein has been able to distribute laptops to families in need of a device. If you are in need and weren't a part of our deployment, please reach out to Ms. Anderson at jaanderson@seattleschools.org to request a device. We have computers ready.


Do You Need Help?
School Meal Support
Student meals are now also served from yellow buses on routes throughout the city. SPS continues to provide food at 26 school meal sites Monday – Friday, and weekend meal support is provided by the Backpack Brigade and Food For Schools.
Click here for more details.

If your family needs a lunch or weekend food essentials and are unable to come to school, please contact you student's counselor (contact info below). If you would like to help deliver meals, please contact Beth Cogan at bethbenbear@gmail.com.
  • 6th Grade - Luz Santacruz-Ochoa: lmsantacruzo@seattleschools.org
  • 7th Grade - Reema Ziadeh: raziadeh@seattleschools.org
  • 8th Grade - Niki Duncan: nmduncansort@seattleschools.org

Do You Want to Give Help?
Ways to Help Your Eckstein Community
  • Volunteer to help deliver meals (see Food Support/Delivery, above)
  • Donate to the GoFundMe for the family of Arnold Gonzalez (see Eagle Life, above)
  • Donate to the Eckstein Annual Campaign fund, to help the Eckstein community now and in the future (see Eagle Life, above)
  • Become a member of PTSA Board! As parents "graduate" out of the Eckstein community, we need new parents to join us. The more the merrier and the more involved, the greater good we can do.
  • Tech Support. The Seattle Council PTSA is in dire need of volunteers to help (remotely) parents operate devices and access Schoology. If you can help, fill out this form. Bilingual help is especially needed.

Other News
Video ReCap of Meeting With Chandra Hampson
In case you missed it, you can view our meeting with School Board Director Chandra Hampson here (Password: 9b*!=Wh?). Some topics discussed: Differentiation for advanced learners within classrooms, opening schools in the fall, and summer learning opportunities.

The Roosevelt PTSA Board Needs YOU!
Starting at Roosevelt in the Fall? Help build community at Roosevelt High School and join the Roosevelt PTSA Board for school year 2020/21!
Open positions include: Vice President, Volunteer Coordinator, Instructional Council Rep, Mini-Grants Coordinator, Golden Grads Luncheon Coordinator, Rider Day Coordinator, and First Day Packets Coordinator. You can find descriptions of these roles here. If you are interested or have questions, please contact Natalya Yudkovsky.


Keep on Reading
Ms. Sterling's Reading Suggestions
Check out the 2019 end-of-the-year lists she put together!
Sports Suggestions
Sci-Fi Suggestions
Romance Suggestions
Realistic Fiction Tough Issues Suggestions
Realistic Fiction Lighthearted Suggestions
Nonfiction Suggestions
Mystery Suggestions
LGBTQ+ Suggestions
Horror Suggestions
Historical Fiction Suggestions
Graphic Novel Suggestions
Funny Suggestions
Fantasy Suggestions
Biography/Memoir Suggestions
Author of Color Suggestions
Adventure Suggestions

The Weekly is distributed on Fridays during the school year. Please send submissions by *Wednesday at 5PM* to Eckstein Weekly Inclusion is at the discretion of the Eckstein PTSA and Administration. Your 2019-20 Eckstein Weekly is edited by the PTSA Communications Team. Sign up for the Eckstein Weekly here!
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  • Translate
  • Support Eckstein
    • Volunteeer Opportunities! >
      • Secretary
    • Donate >
      • Eckstein Annual Campaign
      • Other Ways to Donate
    • Become a member
  • Eckstein Weekly News
  • Calendar
  • Resources
  • Community Supporters
  • PTSA Board Members
  • PTSA Bylaws
  • Contact