Tukwila Family Newsletter

November 2023

Family Newsletter Archive

November Newsletter

The Tukwila Promise

At Tukwila Elementary School

We are respectful.

We are responsible.

We are safe.

All day.

Every day.

November 1-3

Parent teacher conferences. These are early release days.Your child will be getting out of school at 12:40 each day.

Please stop by the Scholastic Book Fair in the Library!

November 1-10

November 9

On November 9th at 10:30 we are having our Veteran’s Day assembly. If you are a veteran, or you have a veteran in your family who would enjoy attending our assembly, please reach out to Mary Rusk at ruskm@tukwila.wednet.edu or come into the school office and ask for Mary.

We would love to have as many Veterans as possible join us.

We will be honoring military Veterans from ALL branches of the armed services, from ANY country. Please join us!

November 10

No School in observance of Veteran’s Day.

November 14

November 17- PTA Popcorn Friday

November 20- Monthly PTA meeting!

November 22- Early release (12:40) for Thanksgiving Break

November 23 & 24- No School-Thanksgiving Break

November 30

Tukwila Elementary will be hosting Big Smiles Mobile Dentist

More info to follow.

PTA News

SEL News from Ms. Rusk

During the month of November we are learning about gratitude. Please enjoy our gratitude newsletter from our Social Emotional Learning Curriculum Character Strong.

News from Health Room!

Autumn is here, and with it comes lots of rain! Unfortunately that often means wet and muddy clothes or shoes. Please consider sending in an extra pair of clothes for your student to keep in their backpack. You'd be surprised how many students go slipping and sliding in the mud and we often do not have extra clothes for them. We are always accepting donations so please feel free to bring your lightly used clothing if you no longer have use for it. Also, please encourage your student to bring their coat to school as the temperatures begin to cool. Healthy students are better learners, let's work together in keeping it that way. Thank you!

WatchDog and WatchMom News We are starting the WatchDog and WatchMom Program at our school, WATCH D.O.G.S.= Dads Of Great Students and WATCH MOMS=Moms of Marvelous students.

The goals of the program are: To provide positive role models for the students, and to provide extra sets of eyes and ears to enhance school security and reduce bullying.

WatchDOGS and WatchMoms are fathers/mothers, grandfathers/grandmothers, uncles/aunts, and other father and mother figures who volunteer at our school.

During the day, WatchDOGS may read with students, play at recess, eat lunch with students, walk the hallways, assist with traffic flow, etc.

If you would like to be a WATCHDOG or WatchDog, please contact Mary Rusk ruskm@tukwila.wednet.edu or 206-901-7510.

The most important piece of this program is having our kids know that there are many, many adults in our community that care about and support our students and schools. Thank you all for helping this program thrive!

News from Ms. Littlefield in Music!

Music classes are going well! We are all learning songs for Veterans Day and songs about fall. We've gotten out some of the instruments and are beginning to play handheld percussion in younger grades and xylophones in older while working on keeping a beat and playing rhythms.

Mrs. Boline, Math Interventionist & Mrs. Deming, Reading Interventionist

Hello Families!

This month we would like to focus on bringing math ideas and concepts together with stories you are reading to your students at home. We know that it is important to read aloud and read with your child, but it is also important to model mathematical thinking in everyday stories. The hope would be that students start to see how math is around us everyday, not just when we are studying concepts at school. Below we outline some easy steps you can take to mathematizing a read aloud at home.

According to the article“MATHEMATIZING READ-ALOUDS IN THREE EASY STEPS” by Allison Hintz and Antony Smith found on http://mtssall.weebly.com/uploads/1/1/5/4/11542285/mathematizing_read_alouds.pdf (The Reading Teacher, 2013), there are three steps you can take to help your student mathematize a book.

Step 1: Choose a book. You can find a list of books and mathematical ideas at the end of this article.

Step 2: Exploring the text. You can do this by engaging your student in discussions before, during, and after reading the book.

Before you read try asking your student to look at the cover and:

-predict what the story might be about

-ask about shapes or count objects they notice on the cover

-ask what they already know about ______ or what they wonder about _____

While reading try asking them to:

-keep track of how many items on a page (this can be verbal or written)

-predict how many they will have by the end or what might come next

After reading ask them to:

-draw a picture of what happened in the story

-how many items did they count in all

-what did you learn about _____ or what questions do they still have about _____

Step 3: Extend the text. Ask your student to:

-draw and label pictures as well as the items they kept track of (tally marks, drawings labeled with numbers, etc)

-if the story were to continue, what ideas would they have for what comes next

Want more ideas? Go to the website, https://tinyurl.com/mathinbooks, for more information about books you can mathematize at home. Books are listed by math topic and offer Spanish and English picture books available to buy or borrow from your local library.

Happy Reading!

The Importance of Good Attendance

This is a reminder that if your child is absent from school you must call the school at (206) 901-7502. If your child is gone for 3 consecutive days or more due to illness, the school district will require medical documentation for the absence to be excused. If your family is planning a vacation during school, it must be discussed and prearranged with the school. If your child continues to have poor school attendance you may be required to meet with the school team and the district stay in school coordinator Katherine Turner.”

Parent Visitors and VolunteersThank you for your interest in visiting/volunteering in the Tukwila School District! The District recognizes the valuable contribution made to the total school program through the volunteer assistance of parents and other citizens; we appreciate your enthusiasm.

The safety of our students is our top priority. Those wishing to visit/volunteer (including chaperoning a field trip, eating in our cafeteria with your child, etc.), must apply and submit to a background check. The Tukwila School District has an all online volunteer clearance process. Paper applications are no longer accepted.

Please allow up to three (3) weeks for processing applications.

Start the application process here: ttps://tukwilavolunteers.myschooldata.net/

Grade-Level News

Kindergarten

News from Kindergarten!

We made it to November, a milestone in the kindergarten year. Students have tuned into the rules, routine and rhythm of school. We are grateful. We appreciate the time to connect with families during conferences this month. It is a valuable time to share information and concerns. Our Fall assessments include the WAKids all inclusive assessment in six developmental areas, which we are still working on. Our kindergarteners were also assessed in iReady Reading and Math as well as literacy in Acadience Benchmark assessments. We also do a Kindergarten Screener. It’s a lot but we can now focus on making progress in all those areas. Thank you for your help and support.

First Grade

Second Grade

News from 2nd Grade!

Hello families! November is a busy month in 2nd grade. Here is what we will be working on this month:

Literacy: Students will be working on writing an opinion and supporting it with details. Students will go through the writing process (prewrite, draft, edit, revise) to improve their writing.

Math: Students will work on solving multi-step story problems. Students will also use strategies to solve addition and subtraction equations within 100. Through the lessons, students will have the opportunity to explain their thinking to their peers.

Third Grade

News from 3rd Grade!

In third grade we are excited to be learning basic multiplication facts (1’s – 10’s). We are also using these facts to solve word problems. To achieve student success and academic growth, students are expected to practice learning their math facts at home each evening during homework time and study sheets are sent home to provide support with this. Students are also expected to read for a minimum of twenty minutes each evening at home. Students are developing their writing skills and the focus is centered upon learning how to write narratives and continue refining their skills in proofreading and editing their work.

Fourth Grade

News from 4th Grade!

Fourth graders are finishing up their first math unit and showing how they can add and subtract to the millions. Next up is multiplication and division! In reading we are transitioning from reading fictional texts and interpreting characters to reading nonfiction texts and determining main ideas. Fourth grade writers will be practicing their persuasive writing skills in the coming weeks. Finally, in science we are concluding our unit on the human machine where students explored the internal and external structures of animals that support survival.

Fifth Grade

News from 5th Grade!

In 5th grade, our students are actively sharpening their multiplication skills through concepts related to area, perimeter, and volume. We encourage parents to support their children in practicing multiplication facts at home to reinforce their understanding in preparation for skills related to adding/subtracting fractions. In addition to this, our students are refining their paragraph writing skills, crafting engaging narratives, and mastering the writing process. Moreover, we remain committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment, emphasizing the importance of promoting kindness and empathy to prevent bullying. Our school continues to educate students about the negative impact of bullying and encourages students to be proactive in standing up against it, fostering a supportive atmosphere for all.