Blog Archives

Eckstein PTSA newsletter for Dec 17, 2020

12/17/2020

Read and translate our weekly newsletter.

December 10th, 2020

12/10/2020

December Eckstein PTSA meeting
Monday, Dec 14
Special presentation by Librarian Erin Sterling starts at 6:15pm
PTSA business starts at 7pm

Email us for the meeting link

All our Board meetings are open to anyone in the Eckstein community. This month, our regular meeting is preceded at 6:15 with a presentation by our Eckstein Librarian

Let’s talk comics and graphic novels! Ms. Sterling will talk about why comics and graphic novels are popular, the academic benefits of reading comics and graphic novels, and give suggestions of comics and graphic novels in all genres. The presentation will include voices from students and other teachers. Thanks to an EAC grant, we will be giving new graphic novels to students furthest from educational justice before the December break! In January we will be doing a graphic novel book drive to give out at our school’s lunch site, so if you have any graphic novels around your house you or your students are ready to donate, start putting them aside and look for further details to come!

Eckstein PTSA newsletter for December 10, 2020

12/10/2020

Read and translate our weekly newsletter.

View the Reflections online showcase with Eckstein students!

12/9/2020

Lekha Dhaka, 11, and Maddie Field, 13, have been selected to represent Eckstein in the annual Reflections art competition sponsored by the National PTA. Lekha, a 6th-grader, and Maddie, an 8th-grader, created original artwork inspired by this year’s theme, “I Matter Because …” Their pieces are on display in an online gallery showcasing the top artwork from participating Seattle schools. Winners of the Seattle Council PTSA competition will compete at the state level; results will be announced at a later date.

The 2020-21 Reflections artists and volunteers will be honored during a virtual art reception on Sunday, Dec 13 at 4pm. The informal celebration will consist of a short art activity with participants sharing their creations with one another at the end of the session. Please come with a piece of paper and something to write or color with so you can join. Register for the reception today.

Lekha Dhaka
Lekha's photomontage began as a selfie taken during a trip to Joshua Tree National Park. “One thing that inspires me to make art are the things that I collect and take pictures of, like shells or flowers, when I'm out walking,” Lekha said. “I like to use found objects and make collages or jewelry or crafts with them. I love lots of art mediums — painting, drawing, calligraphy, yarn projects — but I really wanted to learn Photoshop, so I chose photography for the Reflections competition.” The photo is a collage of things and people who Lekha said helped shape the person she is today. “My parents, friends and dog support me and help me achieve my goals,” she said. “Images of my neighborhood, like beautiful flowers and social justice signs, inspire me. Collectively, these images make up my matter, and I know I matter because all of these bits and pieces make me whole.”

Maddie Field
Maddie said this year’s theme and the chance to learn new computer skills are what inspired her to interview a diverse group of people about why they matter and if they ever felt they didn’t matter, and then turn their responses into a short film.

“I made a video because my dad makes videos for work and he showed me how to use video software once, and I thought it was kind of cool,” Maddie said. “And I thought making videos and films sounded cool. And the Reflections theme this year was a topic that I cared about.”

Shop with Amazon Smile and give back to Eckstein

12/9/2020

This holiday season, consider supporting our students and community when you shop at Amazon.com. The Eckstein PTSA currently participates in the AmazonSmile program, where 0.5% of eligible purchases is donated to our organization. Here's how you can help:

Go to smile.amazon.com on your web browser or activate AmazonSmile on your Amazon Shopping app on your iOS or Android phone (found under settings on your app)
If this is your first time visiting, you will be asked to choose a charity you would like to support. Search and select "Eckstein Middle School PTSA"
Start shopping! Donations will accumulate every time you begin your shopping experience from the smile.amazon.com URL.
On your browser, you may also want to add a bookmark to smile.amazon.com to make it even easier to return and start your shopping at AmazonSmile. When you’re using the app, always check for the “AmazonSmile” logo to ensure you’re activated for AmazonSmile.

Eckstein PTSA newsletter for December 3, 2020

12/3/2020

Read and translate the weekly newsletter.

A Diverse Community of Life Long Learners