Eckstein Middle School is one of only 125 official FUNDRED Collection Centers in the United States. Thanks to the efforts of art teacher Erin Shafkind, the FUNDRED Sous Terre Armored Truck (retro-fitted to run on waste vegetable oil) will be arriving at Eckstein at 1:30 p.m. on February 11, 2010 to collect FUNDREDS.

The FUNDRED DOLLAR BILL PROJECT is an important artwork organized by artist Mel Chin that involves 3 million students and educators working together with leading environmental scientists, health care professionals, landscape architects, and arts organizations to neutralize lead-polluted soil in New Orleans.

The initial phase of the project is a fun and simple classroom project appropriate to introduce though social studies, science, community service, history, political science, or art and design. The 3 million FUNDRED DOLLAR BILL “artworks” individually created by students will be collected by armored truck and delivered to Washington D.C. where an even exchange of the value of their art currency for actual funds will be requested.

The FUNDRED DOLLAR BILL PROJECT supports OPERATION PAYDIRT, an innovative art/science project to address lead-contaminated soil and helping to end to childhood lead poisoning in New Orleans and eventually many other cities.

For more information about Eckstein’s involvement please contact Erin Shafkind (elshafkind@seattleschools.org)

Please visit the project website: www.fundred.org Download or order blank Fundred Templates: http://fundred.org/get-involved/ Lesson plans and more: http://fundred.org/classroom/plans.php

Tours for prospective students and their parents/guardians will be on Thursdays, February 4, 11 and 25 from 9:00-11:00 a.m.  NO RESERVATIONS ARE NECESSARY.  Eckstein will also have an evening presentation for parents/guardians only on Tuesday, February 9 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the auditorium.    On Thursday, February 25th, after the regular tour (which includes inclusion rooms), there will be about a 30 minute meeting for parents/guardians who would like to know more about Eckstein’s Inclusion program. No reservations needed.

Registration forms for the winter 2010 session of the Eckstein Community Learning Center are now available on the CLC page. Students can turn in their completed registration forms to the main office, or to the CLC table in the cafeteria during lunch Wednesday through Friday of this week. Forms are due Friday, January 8th. Students will receive confirmation letters of their class placements on Wednesday, January 13th.

7th Grade Publishing Night will take place on Thursday, January 14th, from 6:00-7:30 pm. The evening will begin in the Auditorium with a short introduction for parents/guardians while students are preparing in their classrooms. After the introduction, parents/guardians will have the opportunity to view student work. Students will be located in various rooms by team, and they will be available to discuss their work.

Have you ordered your yearbook yet? If not, make sure to do so on or before January 15th in order to get your name engraved on the cover for only $27.00. Bring a check or cash to the Main Office at lunch and place your order as soon as possible. Yearbooks will go on sale again on February 8th, but the price will be raised to $30.00, and your name will not be engraved on the cover. Don’t delay, order today!

Beginning next Monday, December 7, Eckstein will implement the “Catch-Up Cafe” to address the problem of students whose grades are being negatively impacted by missing assignments.  Students who are referred to the program by a teacher will report to the Cafe to work on their missing assignments during lunch until they are caught up on their work. This intervention is expected to dramatically decrease the number of students who are doing poorly in their classes not because they can’t do the work, but because they simply aren’t turning in their assignments.   Attendance to the cafe will be mandatory if students have work to make up.

If you have any questions about the Catch-Up Cafe, please feel free to contact me.  

Thanks very much. 

Mr. Cronas

Varsity and JV girls and boys basketball schedules are now available. Please contact the coaches with questions.

Boys Varsity: Josh Hanson: jjhanson@seattleschools.org

Varsity boys basketball schedule

Boys JV: Keenan Barr: barrk@spu.edu

Eckstein boys & girls JV basketball schedule

Girls Varsity: Gina Gildyard: gcbelloni@seattleschools.org

Eckstein Girls Varsity Basketball Schedule 09.10

Girls JV: Rebecca Wynkoop: rlwynkoop@seattleschools.org

Eckstein Boys & Girls JV Schedule

8^th Grade Promotion

Hello 8^th Grade Families.  If you are interested in talking about and planning for our 8^th Grade Promotion, please drop by the library in the coming weeks.  I would like to hear your thoughts and suggestions on how we can celebrate our exiting students.  Please feel free to join me on any of the following dates:

 Thu 11/19/2009 2:30 – 3:30 PM

Thu 12/03/2009 2:30 – 3:30 PM

Thu 12/10/2009 7:30 – 8:30 AM

 Thanks.

Mr. Cronas

Girls and boys basketball tryouts begin November 17. 

At Eckstein we have both varsity and JV teams.  The varsity team is made up of primarily 8^th graders and competes against teams from across the district on a weekly basis.  Our JV program is made up of 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th graders who are interested in improving their basketball skills; JV players compete against each other and other schools as games can be scheduled.  All players are encouraged to participate with our JV program, however our varsity teams are formed through a series of tryouts.

In order to tryout, all athletes must have a current physical, sport specific safety guidelines, a concussion release waiver and an Eckstein athletics “blue card” turned into the athletics director. All of these documents can be picked up in the Main Office.

Girls basketball tryouts are on the following dates, please contact Coach Gildyard (gcbelloni@seattleschools.org) with questions:

• 6^th and 7^th Graders: Monday, 11/16 after school from 2:45-4:45pm
• 8th Graders: Thursday 11/19 after school from 2:45-4:45 pm

Boys basketball tryouts are on the following dates, please contact Coach Hanson (jjhanson@seattleschools.org) with questions.

• Tuesday, 11/17: All 6^th and 7^th graders
• Thursday, 11/19: All 8^th graders
• Monday, 11/23: Final tryout—all 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th graders who have been invited back from their grade level tryouts

Dear 8^th Grade Families:  The Annual Eckstein 8^th Grade Dinner is approaching!  We plan to have dinner in the Eckstein Cafeteria on 11/10 (Tuesday) from 6:00 – 8:00pm.  Dinner will be provided by the RAM Restaurant which has generously offered to help us out.  The 8^th Grade Dinner has become somewhat of a tradition at Eckstein and I hope you can make it – we’d love to have you.  Please note too that if your 8th Grade student has siblings, they are welcome to join us.  Families are asked to make a donation of $15.00 for dinner.  Individuals are encouraged to donate $5.00 per person.  There is no obligation to make a donation but every bit helps.  In years past, families of 7^th & 8^th grade students volunteered to help set up and break down the dinner.  If you are interested in volunteering for this event, please contact LauraLeigh Young, our volunteer coordinator, at llyoung@seattleschools.org .  Thanks and see you there.  Mr. Cronas