Kimball Cougar News

Many families have reached out regarding potential class changes. At this time, we will begin the school year with current class placements and take time to observe actual enrollment and attendance before considering any adjustments.

As we start the year, it is important that students have the opportunity to build relationships and establish a strong sense of community within their classrooms. While students will continue to interact with peers across their grade level, we want each classroom community to have time to develop and grow together.

Thank you for your understanding, patience, and support as we launch the new school year. We are excited to welcome everyone back and look forward to a successful year ahead.

Attendance is one of our areas of focus this year, both at the District and school levels. We would like to support students in getting to school and being here and ready to learn on time!

In order to achieve this we have implemented a new arrival policy:

Students may begin arriving on campus at 7:35 a.m. Upon arrival, students have three options:

• Wait in the designated outdoor supervision areas on the playground.
• Go to the cafeteria for breakfast.
• Walk directly to their classroom area and sit in their designated hallway waiting spot.

Please note that play structures and field areas are closed for play before and after school.

To help foster student independence and confidence, families are asked to say their goodbyes at the exterior entrances of the building. Staff members will be available to greet students, help them navigate to their destination, and support a positive start to the day.

Staff members will be stationed throughout the hallways, pods, and common areas to provide supervision, assist students as needed, and ensure a safe and orderly arrival process.

At the 7:50 am bell, any students who are still on the playground or in the cafeteria will be directed to make their way to their designated classroom waiting area. This transition helps ensure that all students are in place and ready for the start of the instructional day.

Students should remain in their designated waiting areas until they are welcomed into classrooms by their teachers.

Teachers will begin welcoming students into classrooms at the 7:55 a.m. bell.

Thank you for partnering with us to create a safe, organized, and welcoming start to each school day while helping students build the independence and responsibility that support their success.

Parents can pull up on 24th to the corner of Hinds. Please travel from north to south on 24th Avenue. There will be a staff member directing students to the playground. Do not park in the drop off lane. If you are planning to come in with your student, please park somewhere else in the neighborhood. We are asking for parents' cooperation in making school drop off a success. School buses are experiencing challenges navigating the streets and getting kids to school in a safe and timely manner.

• 24th Ave: No parking on the school side of the street. This is intended for valet drop off only. There is no parking or parents getting out of the car.
• Hinds St: No parking or drop off here as this is where the buses stop.
• If you would like to get out of your car with your child please park elsewhere and bring them in. We need your help for this to run smoothly. The pink highlighted areas are no parking zones on the school side.

Dismissal will be the same as arrival in reverse. Families, please make sure your child's teacher knows how they are getting home each day. If there is a change to the plan, call the office as early in the day as possible so the message can be relayed to the teacher. (Kimball Office 206-252-7280)

• Monday, August 31 - Back to School Meet-and-Greet, Kimball Playground, 5 - 6:30 p.m.
• Please come enjoy popcorn, popsicles, and pizza on the playground and connect with Kimball staff and community!
• Wednesday, September 2 - First day of school for 1st-5th grade
• No early release on the first Wednesday of the year - the school day will run from 7:55 a.m. - 2:25 p.m. Early release Wednesdays (1:10 p.m.) will begin on September 9.
• Friday, September 4 - Pastries with the Principal, Family Resource Room, 7:30 - 8:30 a.m.
• Let's kick off the school year with a discussion about 5 in 5, volunteering, visitors, and school goals!
• Monday, September 7 - Labor Day, No School
• Tuesday, September 8 - First day of school for preschool and kindergarten
• Date TBD - LGBTQ+ Family Dinner, 6 - 7:30 p.m.
• Date TBD - PTSA Meeting, 6 - 7:30 p.m.

Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays: 7:55 a.m. - 2:25 p.m.

Wednesdays: 7:55 a.m. - 1:10 p.m.

• Principal Bogan - September 3
• Ms. Nakagawa - September 3
• Ms. Ross - September 9
• Teacher James - September 10
• Ms. Mac - September 15
• Mr. Kevin - September 18
• Ms. Murphy - September 21
• Ms. Firmand - September 23
• Teacher Namaka - September 24
• Mrs. Maldonado - September 28
• Mr. PJ - September 28

Happy birthday to all those in our Kimball community who were born in September!

Please join Kimball staff, students, and families on the Kimball Playground from 5-6:30 p.m. for pizza, popsicles, and popcorn!

This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with the Kimball community and learn more about the upcoming school year.

At Kimball, families don't need to shop from a school-supply list. Instead, the Kimball PTSA funds and coordinates the purchase of school supplies in bulk so that every student starts the year with what they need. Your contribution makes this possible. The PTSA pays for these supplies using contributions from Kimball families.

We suggest a contribution of $50 per Kimball student, or whatever amount works for your family. Able to give more? An additional contribution helps the PTSA cover supplies for students whose families may not be to contribute this year.

Every child will receive school supplies, regardless of whether their family can contribute.

Please follow this link to contribute: School Supply Contribution

Hello Kimball Families,

I’d like to take a moment to reintroduce myself! My name is Shirley Rubio Smith, and I am the K–2 Academic Interventionist and Levy Coordinator at Kimball. I have had the opportunity to work with many of your students over the years, so you may already recognize my name or remember me from Talking Points communications.

This year, I am excited to begin a new journey as a Principal Intern at Kimball. While I will continue working directly with students and providing intervention support, you may also see me taking on additional responsibilities and learning alongside our school leadership team in my intern role.

I am grateful for this opportunity to grow as an educational leader, and I look forward to learning with and from our students, staff, and families. Most importantly, I look forward to continuing to work together to create a school community where every student feels supported, valued, and able to thrive.

Thank you for welcoming me into this new role. I’m excited for the year ahead!

Warmly,

Shirley Rubio Smith
K–2 Academic Interventionist | Levy Coordinator | Principal Intern

Be on the lookout for a packet of start of school forms to be sent home with your student! Please read and fill them out thoroughly, and check in with the school if you have any questions. Some key information from these forms is also available below for ease of reference.

Kimball is a community eligibility provision (CEP) school, meaning that we offer free meals (breakfast and lunch) for all students. Families at CEP schools should still complete the free student meals application to help our schools maintain federal and state funded programs.

Why is this survey important?

The School Meals Application (also known as the CNEEB Application) provides your student’s school with a way to collect household income information. This information is important because it helps your school receive federal and state funding. Completing the application may also qualify you for SUN Bucks benefits and reduced fees for other programs and activities.

In addition to healthy and nutritious meals, the School Meals Application also helps to fund school programs, such as:

• Before-school and after-school enrichment programs
• School counselors
• Health and wellness services
• Resources for classrooms and teachers

Please complete the Online School Meal Application form here.

Families with multiple students will only complete this form once. The form is simple to fill out and confidential. The information will only be used to help your school receive funding from state and federal programs.

Seattle Public Schools believes that attendance is one of the most powerful predictors of academic achievement and that having your student present, ready to learn each school day will benefit them, their classmates, and the whole school community. Please help us in ensuring that your student has great attendance this school year.

Our promise to you

We know there are several reasons why students are absent from school, from health concerns to transportation challenges. There are many people in our buildings prepared to help you if you or your student face challenges in attending school regularly or on time. We promise to track attendance daily, notice when your student is not present, communicate with you to understand why they were absent, and help identify barriers and supports available to overcome challenges you may face in helping your student attend school either in-person or remotely.

What we need from you

We miss your student when they are gone, and we value their contributions to their school. We would like you to help ensure that your student attends regularly and is successful in school, whether they are enrolled in either in-person learning or remote learning. If your student is going to be absent, please contact your student’s school in advance. If an absence was unplanned, please contact the school within two school days of your student’s return.

What you can do to help

If Your Child is Enrolled for In-Person Learning

• Have your child attend school unless they are truly sick, such as a fever, vomiting, diarrhea, a contagious rash, any health conditions related to COVID-19 or other communicable diseases as defined in WAC 392-401-020.
• Schedule appointments and arrange travel for times when school is not in session. • Keep track of your child’s attendance. Missing school, excused or unexcused, puts your child at risk of falling behind.
• Set a regular bedtime and morning routine. Ensure that your child finishes their homework the night before.

If Your Child is Enrolled for Remote Learning

• Have your child login to their scheduled synchronous meeting and classes and make sure your child can access the planned asynchronous activity. For more information on remote learning attendance, please see WAC 392-401-016.
• Please notify your child’s school if your student will not be participating in their synchronous meeting or class or asynchronous activity due to illness, such as a fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or any health condition related to COVID-19 or other communicable diseases.
• Maintain communication with your child’s school and teacher if additional support is needed or to discuss barriers that prevent your student from participation in their remote meetings, classes, or activities.
• Develop a regular remote learning routine. Ensure that your child finishes their asynchronous activities the night before.

Thank you and have a great school year!

The Source is Seattle Public Schools’ online communication tool that allows parents, guardians and students access to schedules, attendance, assessment scores and more! Secondary student grades are also on the Source. Students use their school assigned username and password to access the Source.

How to get started:

1. You must be on record as the parent or guardian of a student enrolled in SPS.
2. Your email address must be on record at each student's school.
3. Please make sure you have provided the same email address for each SPS student in your family.

To set up a parent or guardian Source account:

1. Visit http://ps.seattleschools.org and click the Set Up button.

2. Type your email address in the field provided. Click Enter.

3. Check your email for a message from sourcesupport@seattleschools.org.

If you don’t receive this email:

• Check your Spam or Trash folders.
• Contact the school(s) to provide your email address.

4. Open the email and click the link.

5. Enter your email address in the Username field and create a Password.

• Please do not use an apostrophe ' in your password.

6. Click Enter to begin exploring the Source!

For more information about the Source, please visit the About the Source webpage at: www.seattleschools.org/source

If you have questions or need help please email sourcesupport@seattleschools.org

Schoology is the Seattle Public Schools Learning Management System (LMS) where teachers may post assignments, messages, events and includes a calendar.

Students log onto Schoology using the SPS Student Portal as described.

Your student's teacher or school librarian will provide your student’s username, password and log in assistance.

Parents and guardians set up accounts using Schoology Access Code(s) found on the Source. If you have not set up a Source account, please visit www.seattleschools.org/Source

To set up your parent/guardian Schoology account:

1. Log onto your Source account
2. Click the Schoology Access Codes menu item on the left.
3. Copy and paste or write down your Schoology access code. (If you have more than one student, you will enter the remaining access codes later using the + Add Child feature.)
4. Click the Sign up for Schoology LMS button, enter the Access Code and click Continue.
5. Fill out the form with YOUR name, valid email address, and create a password.
6. Click Register. If you only have one student, you have completed your registration!
7. To add more students, click the down-facing arrow on the top right, then the + Add Child link.
8. Enter the next student’s Access Code and click the Use Code button.
9. Repeat these steps if you have more children enrolled in SPS.

Schoology Parent Guide

If you have questions or need help please email sourcesupport@seattleschools.org

Whenever possible, we encourage medication doses to be scheduled during non-school hours. For students that require medication during school hours, see below for Washington State Law requirement RCW 28A.210.260.

1. ALL medication (including over the counter) administered at school require the authorized signature of both parent/guardian and licensed Health Care Provider.

2. Medication must be labeled properly (see below) and in its original pharmacy container.

a. Student Name.

b. Name and Strength of medication (including dosage to be given).

c. Time and method of administration.

d. Length of time/day(s) to be given.

3. Medications other than oral, eye, ear or topical may need to be administered by a licensed nurse. Epinephrine auto injectors (Epi-Pen, Auvi-Q) are an exception. Please contact your school nurse for more information.

Authorized Medication form must be completed and on file at the student’s school, before medication can be given. You can access a printable online copy of the form here, or pick one up from your school nurse's office.

Thank you,

Nurse Alyssa

• Check Yourself: Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral To Services (SBIRT)
• Student Climate Surveys
• Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire
• Youth Risk Behavior

Read more about each survey and options for parents/guardians on the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) page.

• Family Support Worker - Mr. Abdi (Abdifatah Husein), aahusein@seattleschools.org
• School Counselor - Mr. B (Amari Blanton), adblanton@seattleschools.org
• School Nurse - Nurse Alyssa (Alyssa Ferguson), aaferguson@seattleschools.org

Thursday, September 10 and 24 at Frye Art Museum

5–7:30 p.m.

• Sketch in the galleries, or get creative in the Studio with Frye teaching artists during twice a month drop-in programs. Open to all experience levels, youth welcome with an accompanying adult. Come solo or with a friend; stay for fifteen minutes or settle in for the full session—the choice is yours. Free, materials provided.

• Drop-in Drawing: monthly, second Thursday - Every second Thursday, the Frye galleries become a welcoming space to drop-in, slow down, and draw inspiration from the works on view. Frye teaching artists are present to support your drawing, encourage close looking, and help create a relaxed, self-guided experience.

• Drop-in Studio: monthly, fourth Thursday - Every fourth Thursday, the Frye Studio becomes an open, drop-in art space where you can experiment freely, follow your curiosity, and create art at your own pace within a supportive community. Frye teaching artists offer gentle guidance as you investigate provided materials and draw inspiration from the exhibitions on view.

Every Saturday at Seattle Public Library - Columbia Branch Meeting Room

11 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

• Join us for art and movement activities every week. Get creative and move your body! Possible activities include animal yoga and mask making, obstacle courses and nature collages.

• For families of all ages. Registration is not required but room capacity can fill up quickly. We thank our partner Rec’n the Streets.