Please join the Nathan Hale Music Department for its 12th annual Pancakes & Performances fundraiser on Saturday, January 23rd, from 8:30 to 12:30.  Listen to Nathan Hale’s music groups perform while enjoying an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast.  Cost is $5 for adults and $3 for kids 11 and under and will be held in the Nathan Hale lunchroom.  There will also be a small silent auction and raffle.  For more information, please contact Brenda Waldrop at waldrop_watrous@msn.com.

(By the way, there’s an underscore in between the waldrop and the watrous in the email address.)

On February 9, 2010, voters within Seattle School District will be voting with an all mail-in ballot to replace two expiring levies that continue funding for schools. The first is a three-year operations levy. This Seattle school levy funds 23% of the Seattle Public schools operating budget for teachers, librarians, counselors, textbooks, and bilingual & special education specialists. The second levy, the six-year school levy, provides safety health and maintenance improvements and academic and technology updates to Seattle schools and grounds.

The Eckstein School PTA Board has endorsed the renewal of the levies and has reserved Wednesday, January 27 from 7-9pm for an Eckstein phone bank on behalf of the upcoming School Levies vote.  The phone bank will be held at the Schools First headquarters at 524 Dexter Avenue N.

Please contact Patrick O’Kelley (pwokelley2@gmail.com) to sign up to attend the phone bank.

We’re raising $$ for Eckstein’s 8th-grade trip to Japan, June 2010, and Pasta Freska is giving us a whopping 25% of the day’s proceeds to help underwrite this trip, ensuring ALL of Eckstein’s outstanding Japanese scholars can go!

Location:
Pasta Freska, Westlake
1515 Westlake Avenue N
Seattle, WA 98109 US
When: Sunday, December 6, 2:00PM to 7:00PM   
Phone: 206.420.4878 (Paige Gilbert, organizer)

Bring your family, friends – and neighbors! – to Pasta Freska on Westlake for a mouth-watering buffet dinner of Italian cuisine from Seattle’s most unique and congenial chef, Mike Horri.

Northwest Source says: Horri is just a really good cook, not  to mention a dynamic presence in the dining room.

We’re raising $$ for Eckstein’s 8th-grade trip to Japan, June 2010, and Pasta Freska is giving us a whopping 25% of the day’s proceeds to help underwrite this trip, ensuring ALL of Eckstein’s outstanding Japanese scholars can go!

Thanks, Mike!

Adults: $15
Children: $12 (10-12), $7 (4-9)
3 Seatings: 2pm, 3.30pm and 5pm

Please RSVP to Paige Gilbert (lisbethpaige@yahoo.com) and indicate which seating you’ll attend.
Parking: East side of Westlake, opposite the restaurant.

Thank you for coming!
Domo Arigatou Gozaimasu!

To receive the E-vite for this event, which you can use to invite others
and RSVP, contact Paige Gilbert at lisbethpaige@yahoo.com.

Thank you!

See the flyer

The candidate’s night forum saw good turnout from the community and from candidates.   One parent’s recap of the evening, including questions asked and candidate responses, can be found here.

Staff appreciation lunch on Wednesday, October 28th

Show our wonderful teachers and staff how much we appreciate everything they do for our students.  We need volunteers to provide lunch items - especially main dishes, salads, and beverages.  We also need a few helping hands for set-up and clean-up.  To volunteer, contact Deb Frockt debfrockt@hotmail.com.  Thanks!

David Doerr is the Eckstein family communicator for the Student Assignment Plan.  He will be gathering feedback and sending it to a contact at Seattle Schools.

Seattle Public Schools is committed to providing an excellent education for every student.  The new student assignment plan is an important step we must take to ensure that each school is an excellent school.  The plan will be implemented in phases beginning in the 2010-2011 school year.

The proposed boundary maps have been released and are available on the SPS website. Through the month of October and November there will be Community Feedback Meetings through Seattle, you are encouraged to come and make suggestions as minor revisions to the Boundary Map can happen prior to the proposed map going to vote at the School Board on November 18.

You can view the latest news and upcoming meetings at http://www.seattleschools.org/area/newassign/index.html.

Note: There is a meeting at Eckstein on October 10 (Saturday) from 10:00am to noon.

In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns, you can send them to David Doerr at drddrd@yahoo.com with the subject line “New Student Reassignment” and every Sunday night he will be consolidating all questions and concerns and sending  them to a contact at the Seattle Schools.

PLEASE JOIN US…

NORTHEAST SEATTLE

ELECTION CANDIDATES NIGHT

MONDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2009
7:00 – 9:00 pm
Eckstein Middle School
3003 NE 75^th Street
Seattle, Washington 98115

7:00 – 8:00     City Council, City Attorney, Mayoral Candidates — Moderated, timed, questions and brief answers, 2.5 – 3.00 minute closing statements.

8:00 – 9:00      City of Seattle School Board Candidates — Moderated, timed, questions and brief answers.  Answers to written questions from the audience.

Members of the press and the community are invited to attend.  Please arrive early to ensure parking and a seat in the auditorium.

Details:  Street parking on NE 75^th and 30^th Ave NE west of the School. Entrance to the auditorium is via the front doors on NE 75^th.

No yard signs will be allowed on school property

For additional info, please email: siva@u.washington.edu

Co-sponsored by Eckstein Middle School PTSA, Sacajawea elementary PTSA  and Bryant Elementary School PTSA Partners Council

8th grade family night featuring Kevin Haggerty from the UW Social Development Research Group talking about how parents can collaborate with their children to prevent underage drinking and youth substance abuse.  Local data show that between the beginning of 8th grade and the beginning of 10th grade many students start to drink alcohol and use marijuana.  The time for prevention is now!  Learn what school and community resources are available to help you and your family through this time of transition.   This presentation is intended for the 8^th grade house only.

Picture Packets stay with the student.  The student will hand the packet over to the parent volunteers in front of the auditorium when their class is escorted to the auditorium. Picture Day was originally scheduled for 9/22 (this date is on the form), but due to scheduling problems it was changed to 9/21.

There are three events, occurring on two different nights, coming up.  Mark your calendars!

Thursday, September 24^th:  7:00 – 9:00 – Parent night to review SPS school assignment plan.  This is an opportunity for parents to learn more about the process and timeline that will be used to determine the new school assignment plan.  We will begin in the auditorium at 7:00 PM.

Thursday, October 1^st:  6:00 – 6:45 – 6^th Grade Parent Night – This is an opportunity for 6^th grade parents who are new to the building to learn more about the systems we have in place.  Curriculum Night will follow.

Thursday, October 1^st:  7:00 – 9:00 Eckstein Curriculum Night – This is an opportunity for all parents to learn more about what their students will be learning this year. We will begin promptly at 7:00 in the auditorium.