It’s the View Ridge PTA

It's the View Ridge PTA . . .

A NOTE FROM OUR

CO -PRESIDENTS

September 3, 2014

Welcome to the 2014-2015 school year!

For those families who will walk the halls of View Ridge Elementary for the first time, we welcome you and look forward to getting to know you and your child(ren) and sharing our wonderful school with you. View Ridge is full of kids who are eager to learn, staff who are excited to share their knowledge, and families who are ready to have fun!

To our returning families, we can't wait to reconnect. It's been a great summer and we know our kids are looking forward to seeing everyone to catch up. This school year is going to be great and we thank you for being a part of our outstanding community.

This year we have simplified our fundraising efforts to what we call "The Big Three": Walk `n' Roll, Annual Appeal, and Auction. There is additional information included in this newsletter outlining each event and the amazing things we are able to accomplish with these funds. Thank you in advance for supporting these crucial fundraisers, as we couldn't do it without your generous donations and hours of volunteerism!

Alongside our fundraisers, we have monthly community builders, fun for the entire family to enjoy together: Boo Ridge in October, University of Washington Book Store Fair in November, Family Dance in January, Pancake Breakfast and Pre-Loved Book Sale in February, Grown Up to Lunch Week and Arts Night in March, Open House with an Ice Cream Social and our Auction in April, Science Night in May, and several more.

Throughout the year you will receive correspondence in several ways: KidMail (via your child's classroom), Room Parent emails, our PTA website (viewridgeschool .org), and in our OtterKnow "OtterMail" emails. We also encourage you to attend our monthly PTA Board meetings typically held the second Tuesday of the month in the library

and our three General PTA meetings held in October, February, and May in the cafeteria.

The two of us are both starting our seventh year at View Ridge Elementary and our children represent a wide range of grades throughout the school. Don't hesitate to grab us in the hall with any and all input, along with feedback on PTA issues. We are honored to serve as your PTA CoPresidents and know this year will be a great success!

Sincerely,

Kimberly Miller and Kasey Downing PTA Co-Presidents 2014-2015

NEW SCHOOL YEAR, NEW SCHOOL PLAYGROUND!

We're thrilled to report that after years of planning, fundraising and building, the renovation of the 4th & 5th Grade playfield is complete! During the course of the past few weeks we've installed new seating areas, landscaping, new asphalt, a wall ball, full court basketball, tetherball poles, and wonderful painting and striping to create a highly interactive experience for bikes, boards, scooters and feet! The centerpiece of this is the student & family created tile mosaic depicting everything we love about Seattle. We hope that you will take advantage of the new play field this year and many years to come!

Don't forget:

This Sunday 9/7 , 2-4 PM At View Ridge Park

PLEASE FILL OUT AND RETURN ENCLOSED YELLOW SHEET ASAP

THANK YOU!

9/3 First Day of School, 9:35 am Parent Coffee

9/3 Fall VR Gear Sale Begins 9/7 Fall Picnic, 2-4 pm

(View Ridge Park) 9/9 K Curriculum Night,

6 pm (adults only) New Family Orientation, 7 pm 9/11 PTA Exec. & Board Meeting , 7 pm 9/12 Yellow Sheet Due! 9/16 1st-5th Curriculum Night (adults only) 9/24 2-hr Early Dismissal 9/25 Picture Day 9/26 Spirit Day (wear VR gear, Walk `n' Roll tee, or blue) 10/7 1st PTA General Meeting, 6:45 pm 10/9 Walk `n' Roll 10/10 No School! 10/14 PTA Exec. & Board Meeting , 7 pm 10/23 Picture Retake Day 10/24 Boo Ridge 10/29 2-hr Early Dismissal 10/31 Crazy Hair & Hat Day! 11/11 No School!

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Parking Near School

Our neighbors ask that we please be considerate when we come and go to school. The Sand Point Community Church graciously allows us to use the Drop Zone behind the church. We have parent volunteer Drop Zone greeters to assist your child getting out of the car on those rushed mornings. If you use this Drop Zone, consider volunteering once a month.

Please avoid parking on the two dead-end streets nearest the primary playgrounds, 48th and 49th Ave NE, as it is difficult for neighbors. Consider walking or biking to school -- we have a great new Patrol Team of Fifth Grade Student Crossing Guards to help you cross busy streets.

OTTER BUCKS & E-SCRIP

"Otter Bucks" is what we call our scrip program. Not familiar with scrip? It is an easy, profitable fundraiser for our school and the best news is that it costs you nothing to participate! Otter Bucks cards (gift cards) are purchased by the PTA at a discount (between 2 -18%) and sold at face value. Last year we raised over $8,000.

How do you participate? It's easy! Included in this packet is a form that you can use to order Otter Bucks gift cards from Metropolitan Market, PCC, and QFC. Purchase these cards at face value, use them when you shop, and View Ridge will earn a percentage from each card that you buy. The order form also includes information about how Scrip will be changing this year. Help us sell off our excess inventory and look out for information on the new way to purchase Otter Bucks from all kinds of places including Safeway, Target, REI, , and Starbucks. Get a head start and register at .

Also look in this packet for a form all about E-Scrip. E-Scrip is another very easy way to help our school raise funds at no extra cost to you other than spending a few minutes to get registered.

Questions? Contact Jennifer Andrews at jenphil@. Thank you for reviewing the forms and supporting this program!

LEARN MORE AT NEW FAMILY ORIENTATION NIGHT

Is your family new to View Ridge and would like help sorting out what's what? Come to our New Family Orientation Night on Tuesday, September 9th from 7-8pm, for parents of kids of all grades, just after the Kindergarten Curriculum Night concludes, and pick up a few tips (as well as meet new and old friends, and sip coffee and munch cookies). Adults only, please.

VOLUNTEERING AT VIEW RIDGE

When To Keep Your Child Home From School

Please remember that the best way to keep our community healthy is to keep your child home when ill! Please check your child every morning before school. If s/he has a fever (above 100? F) and a sore throat or cough, you should keep your child home. Contact our school nurse, Karen Johnston, at 206252-5600 or kejohnston@ if you have any questions about illness policy, lice, or any medical issues you need to discuss.

2ND ANNUAL TRIPLE DRIVE

View Ridge will host our 2nd Annual "Triple Drive" (Blood, Bone Marrow Registry, & Gift Card Drive) all day on February 23rd, 2015, to honor and benefit young cancer patients at Seattle Children's hospital. Please mark your calendar and purchase some extra Otter Bucks/scrip gift cards to donate to pediatric cancer families in need ? it's a win/win!

Who: All View Ridge Families!

What: We have over 70 committees from which to choose! There are some big jobs but many small ones as well.

Why: View Ridge thrives on all its parent volunteers! The View Ridge PTA puts on 8 Community Builder Events, 3 Fundraisers, organizes afterschool activities, and much more-- all with the goal of supporting an awesome educational experience and creating a wonderful community. The success of our great school depends on all of us.

How: If you have not already signed up, please look over the pink Volunteer Sign Up Sheet included in your First Week Packet and find something that is right for you.

When: Please return forms via KidMail as soon as possible.

New for this year! In an effort to build more community and increase volunteerism, we will be

asking for all of the extra day or night of event volunteers for big events through room parents.

Please fill out the pink sheet and continue to sign up for any and all events for which you'd like

to help. Room parents will be sending out requests for extra volunteer spots not filled from the

pink sheets. The Grade level Community/Fundraising event teams are:

Walk `n' Roll: 2nd & 5th grade

Pancake Breakfast: Dads Arts Night: 1st & 5th grade Spring Picnic: 1st & 2nd grade

Boo Ridge: 3rd & 4th grade Pre-loved Book Sale: Kindergarten & 4th grade Ice Cream Social: Kindergarten & 3rd grade

**At Curriculum Night, your child's teacher will discuss classroom volunteering.** Questions? Please contact our fabulous Volunteer Coordinators Molly Johnson (molcarey@) or Amy Olason (amyolason@).

HALLWAY ETIQUETTE

Here are a few guidelines to make the hallways easier and quieter: ? Please encourage children to stay outside before the first bell so teachers can prepare for

school (unless students are eating school breakfast or have commitments, such as Patrol). If it's absolutely pouring down rain, the office will announce that it's okay for students to enter. ? Playground supervision begins at 9:15 a.m. Please do not leave children unaccompanied before 9:15. (There is no supervision on the playground after school. If you will be late to pick up your child after school, please call the office so he/she can wait safely in the office.) ? Please park strollers outside before bringing your family inside. The play-courts provide great stroller shelter if it's raining. Strollers are prohibited inside because they block access in emergencies and clog movement during hectic bell times.

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K E E P I N F O R M E D Yellow Sheet to route the Otter Some information on our child's teacher, afterschool News to you. By giving us your website is kept in a secure, enrichment registration sheets,

At View Ridge, the majority of email, we will automatically pass- word protected area so hard copies of important

our communications are green. sign you up to receive the Otter publications such as the School messages from school, and

We use two main methods to Know electronically. Receiving Directory are kept for the eyes other paperwork (such as this

share information: the PTA Otter Mail is completely of VRE families and staff only. packet). Your child should

website () voluntary; you can opt out at You need to register for a bring her or his sturdy

and "OtterMail," a twice- any time.

username and password to homework folder to and from

weekly email newsletter with During the school year, the PTA access this secure area. Visit school every day, emptied of

key school information.

website is updated almost daily the website and look for the any non-essential papers.

Look for the Otter Know in with information about the login box on the left-hand side Teachers discuss important

your inbox on Tuesdays. The school and even the sur- to register for the website. The forms in class and encourage

Otter Update is sent Fridays rounding community. Book- registration process may take a students to be responsible for

with any late-breaking im- mark few days so please be patient bringing KidMail to your

portant news. We are in the for quick and easy access to the with our volunteers.

attention.

process of completely most up-to-date information In addition to our e- Check the website, look in

rebuilding our website to about VRE. In addition to communications, flyers will your inbox on Tuesdays and

improve it, so please be patient events

and

volunteer come home with your children Fridays, and check your

as this is very much a work in opportunities, the website in their take home folders. children's take home folders to

progress and will continue to contains contact information for These flyers and newsletters keep current on all the

be so for the next few months. school staff and PTA Board, are known as "KidMail." Kid- happenings at VRE!

The PTA will use the school lunch link, events Mail includes field trip per-

information you provide on the calendar, and more!

mission slips, notes from your

WITH GREAT SCHOOLS COME GREAT RESPONSIBILITIES:

BE A SUPER HERO AND SUPPORT THE 2015 VIEW RIDGE AUCTION

Save the Date for our Annual Auction, scheduled to blast off on Saturday, April 25, 2015, at the View Ridge Fortress of Solitude (a.k.a., The Mountaineers Club). Along with our Annual Appeal, the Auction directly funds the salaries of additional teaching staff, such as a full-time Librarian, our Music, Art, and Computer Teachers, as well as Counselors and Specialists--who together create a supportive and enhanced learning environment that inspires excellence and a love of learning. 100% of these Auction proceeds will fund these resources, allowing View Ridge to continue delivering an exemplary education for our kids.

WELCOME!

CLASS MEETINGS

We want to meet you. Whether you are new to

school or a View Ridge veteran, please know that Our teachers use a Positive Discipline approach, which seeks to provide

you are welcome at every PTA meeting and students with the social skills they need to be responsible and respectful

school gathering. We extend a warm welcome to community members. Positive Discipline works toward an environment where

new students and families at View Ridge this year. students feel a sense of belonging, where adults understand the motivation

behind behavior, and where "misbehavior" is viewed as an opportunity to learn.

What can you do to get to know the communi-

ty? Get involved! Whether you work full time or Class Meetings are a crucial element of Positive Discipline at View Ridge. In

stay at home, getting involved puts you in better classrooms where Class Meetings occur, your child, teacher, and classmates

touch with school. It's also a great way to make will work together to set class expectations by meeting as a group approximate-

new friends. There are more ways to be involved ly once a week to address anything from recent playground disputes to planning

than can fit in this packet, ranging from for upcoming fun activities. Positive Discipline teaches kids to focus on solu-

supporting your child's teacher during a field trip tions instead of blame. Research indicates that when class meetings are used to

to volunteering at our Boo Ridge carnival or generate solutions to problems, mutual respect grows between the teacher and

Walk `n' Roll.

students, with enhanced academic and social outcomes. Children learn a rou-

tine of giving compliments. In addition, students practice to speaking up and What if you have a question? Ask your child's requesting assistance in solving problems. teacher. If the question is PTA-related, ask PTA

Board members or co-presidents Kimberly Miller At Curriculum Night you will hear more about your child's classroom. Teach-

and Kasey Downing. Our front office team, Rae ers who use Class Meetings work with students to teach use of the agenda (and

and Melinda, has reams of wisdom at their class meeting procedures in general). If your child talks about a problem,

fingertips. Our Principal Terri Skjei, Assistant consider encouraging your child to "put the problem on the agenda." Your

Principal Andrew Bean, and the entire staff and support at home helps build a shared vision inside each classroom.

teaching team have a true focus on kids and families and value each and every child at View Ridge. Welcome to the 2014-2015 school year!

Your child's teacher always welcomes you to discuss joys and concerns directly with him or her. At Curriculum Night you will learn the best co n tac t method, general curriculum span, homework expectations, and special

activities scheduled for the year-- it's going to be a fun one!

Page 4 PLEASE FILL OUT AND RETURN ENCLOSED YELLOW SHEET ASAP

THE VIEW RIDGE ENRICHMENT PROGRAM

WALK `N' ROLL: HOW

The Enrichment Program, run by School Assemblies: Science, Children can audition for Arts

the PTA in collaboration with the arts, and cultural performances Night and dazzle us with their

View Ridge teaching staff, offers by talented professionals, new talent(s) and at the

our students new ideas, skills, selected to complement Science Fair they can take

and experiences, extending the classroom learning.

on new challenges.

boundaries of curriculum.

the

class

Special Author Visits: Several times a year, prominent

Participation, as a performer or spectator, is not to be

After-School Classes: Offered authors and illustrators inspire missed!

every Monday, Tuesday, our students with their imagi-

Thursday, and Friday, with the nations and life stories.

first 8-week session beginning Arts Night and Science Fair: soon. Examples of classes include Major events in the school

VIEW RIDGE BIG 3 FUNDRAISERS:

foreign languages, chess club, calendar that provide

October 9: Walk `n' Roll

basketball, drama, and Zumba! opportunities for students to

Nov. 6-20: Annual Appeal

Please check the PTA website tap into their creativity.

April 25: Auction

and Otter News for updates.

FAR CAN YOU GO?

On October 9th, View Ridge will host its 4th annual Walk `n' Roll FUNdraiser for PTA Enrichment Programs. A popular event with the kids, Walk `n' Roll gives the entire View Ridge community, friends, and family a chance to connect with each other, raise money, get some exercise, and support programs like Family Arts night, Science Fair, assemblies, and others.

Students will set their own personal lap goals for this 20 minute, 1/8 mile track walk, wheel (non-

FAMILY SUPPORT-- HELPING HANDS FOR ALL

ambulatory), run event. Students will reach out to family, friends,

Everyone occasionally needs a Committee provides the

helping hand. And many parents following:

(and children) like the opportuni- School Supplies: Provides ty to do a good turn for others, school supplies/backpack to whether that means cooking a any student in need. meal for someone who's ill or

helping create a gift for a some- Meals: Meals can be arranged one in need. Family Support for families during times of services are generally confiden- crisis (e.g., illness, divorce, job tial. Please contact our PTA loss, or other difficulty).

Family Support Volunteer Coor- Giving Tree: Provides gifts

dinator

Robin

Turner and books for school families

(robinlynnturner@) if during the winter holidays.

you have a need for assistance or Families are referred through

know of someone who does. If the staff or by parents or can

you'd like to volunteer to help, self-nominate or request help

click on the "Volunteering" by contacting the school coun-

section of the website. We need selor. Families within the

you! Our Family Support

school choose gift tags, pur-

chase and wrap gifts anonymously, and return these to the school office. Assistance is, however, available year-round.

Scholarships: Scholarships for school activities are available throughout the year.

Nurse's Office Clothing: Clothing is available in the nurse's office to temporarily replace clothing damaged at school (falls in puddles, spilled lunches, injuries/illness; please wash and return as soon as possible). There may also be occasions when supplies are low and Nurse Karen will post in the Otter Know if needed.

and neighbors to secure pledges for their participation in advance and collect upon completion.

Put on those walking shoes and be on the lookout for pledge packets an information in the coming weeks. With your support, Walk `n' Roll will raise over $25,000 in support of the many community events and programs sponsored by the VRPTA. Community Builders like the Ice Cream Social, Family Picnics, Arts Night, programs such as Writers in Schools, and support for teachers in the form of grants and funds for books are just a few examples of what we support with your generous donations to this fundraiser,

Contact Laura Burke (burkellp@

ANNUAL APPEAL

) with questions or to volunteer.

This year's Annual Appeal, our Art, and Computer Teachers,

direct giving campaign, will kick as well as Counselors and

off in November. We are Specialists ? who together See the E-Scrip and OtterBucks inserts for ways to give to View Ridge

streamlining the campaign this year in hope that a shorter donation window (two weeks versus six weeks) will stave off

create a supportive and

enhanced

learning

environment that inspires

excellence and a love of

with your everyday purchases, some by just registering and some by purchasing a gift card. Our PTA earns money every time you shop, at no extra cost to you! There are many participating stores, including:

fundraising fatigue for our learning. The Annual Appeal

families. With a shorter timeline, is a crucial part of the View

we are counting on everyone to Ridge PTA's fundraising

be prompt and generous with efforts, and we thank you in

their donations, which will be advance for your support.

used entirely to help our school Contact Jenny Pollack

retain teaching positions above (jenny@) with

and beyond what the district questions or to volunteer.

provides. The Annual Appeal

directly funds the salaries of

additional teaching staff, such as

a full-time Librarian, our Music,

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