Kimball Cougar News

Walking, biking, and rolling to school help reduce traffic congestion around schools and support cleaner air. These active transportation options also help students build connections in their community and arrive at school alert and ready to learn.

About 30% of Seattle Public Schools students already walk or bike to school each day.

We encourage families to walk, bike, scooter, or park a few blocks away and walk the rest of the way to school.

For resources, including information about starting a walking school bus or bike bus, visit the Safe Routes to School webpage.

· Slow down and watch for students crossing. The speed limit in school zones is 20 mph whenever children are present. Follow crossing guard directions and put away phones and other distractions while driving.

· Do not block or park within 20 feet of a crosswalk. Parking too close to intersections or crosswalks blocks visibility and makes it harder for drivers and people walking to see each other.

· Consider parking a block or two away and walking the rest of the way. If using the school pick-up and drop-off area, stay with your vehicle at all times. Do not park in load zones or use designated bus loading areas.

Contact: Brooke Nelson, Safe Routes to School Program Coordinator, brnelson1@seattleschools.org

• Wednesday, September 30
• Kimball PTSA Meeting, Family Resource Room, 6 - 7:30 pm
• Orange Shirt Day - learn more about Orange Shirt Day here
• Tuesday, October 6 - KFTT Meeting #1, 6 -7 pm
• Thursday, October 8 - School Picture Day
• Friday, October 9 - Staff In-Service Day, No School
• Monday, October 19 - First day of after school activities

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

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

• Teacher Natsue - October 3
• Mr. Thomas and Ms. Xu - October 4
• Teacher Nasra - October 12
• Ms. Li - October 14
• Ms. Thorp - October 22
• Ms. Rosen - October 30
• Mr. B - October 31

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

Fall after-school club registration is open through October 9. Families can choose from Chess, Game Design & Coding, KidFit, Engineering & Robotics, Jump Club, and Sports.

Clubs run October 19–December 17 on Mondays, Tuesdays, or Thursdays, after school until 4 PM. See the full schedule, grade ranges, prices, and registration form at https://kimmy-lite.web.app/register.

Scholarships and payment plans are available. Questions? Email kimball.afterschool.clubs@gmail.com

Picture Day is Coming! Pre-order photos today at mylifetouch.com. Create an account or login with your guest Picture Day ID: EVTS84QVM.

The deadline to purchase photos is the end of the school day on October 8. Orders placed before the deadline will be delivered to the school and sent home with your child.

Join the Kimball PTSA on Wednesday, September 30, from 6:00 to 7:30 PM in the Family Resource Room. Enter through the front of the school.

Dinner and childcare are provided. All Kimball families are welcome. Your perspective, skills, and help can shape our school community.

Sign up for the Cougar Connection newsletter: https://kimball-clubs-exo55ekcsq-uw.a.run.app/newsletter/subscribe

Please RSVP by September 30th!

Even with Free Breakfast and Lunch for Every SPS Student, all SPS families are encouraged to complete the Child Nutrition Eligibility & Education Benefit (CNEEB) form.

Why?

• It may qualify students for meal benefits and reduced fees.

• It helps schools receive funding based on student need.

• Complete information helps SPS plan and allocate resources effectively.

Don't think you'll qualify? No problem. The form now includes an option to "Decline Benefits.” Submitting that response still helps us maintain complete and accurate information.

The best data is data that is complete.

Please take a few minutes to complete the form today. CNEEB

Our amazing Nurse Alyssa would love some volunteer support with cleaning and decorating our school nurse's office!

If you'd like to help her make the space extra welcoming and well organized, contact her about volunteer opportunities at aaferguson@seattleschools.org.

Hi! I'm Mr. Blanton, also known as Mr. B, and I am the School Counselor at Kimball Elementary. This is my 7th year working at this amazing school community!

I am proud to be a Seattle Public Schools (SPS) alumnus, having attended SPS schools from preschool through high school. I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from Saint Martin's University in Lacey, Washington, and my Master of Education in Professional School Counseling from City University of Seattle.

I am passionate about supporting students and strongly believe in using play-based counseling techniques to help children learn, grow, and navigate challenges. As a school counselor, I provide short-term and crisis-response counseling services and meet with students individually and in small groups. When I'm not working directly with students, you can often find me teaching Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons in classrooms.

I look forward to partnering with families, staff, and students to help every child succeed. If you would like to connect with me, please feel free to reach out:

📧 AdBlanton@seattleschools.org
📞 (206) 252-7421

We recently wrapped up our September Month of Kindness! Throughout the month, students participated in a Random Acts of Kindness Bingo Challenge to encourage kindness and positive actions throughout our school and neighborhood community. It was wonderful to see students demonstrating compassion, respect, and care for others each day.

As we move into October, Anti-Bullying Prevention Month, students will participate in classroom lessons focused on recognizing bullying and learning how to be an upstander, not a bystander. These lessons will help students understand how to safely support others, speak up when they witness unkind behavior, and help create a school environment where everyone feels safe, valued, and included.

Together, we can continue building a community rooted in kindness, respect, and belonging. 💙💛

Seattle VNA is partnering with Seattle Public Schools to provide a series of after-school and weekend vaccination clinics, providing flu shots and COVID-19 vaccines. All COVID-19 vaccines provided this season will be the newly updated 2026 Moderna products. We hope these clinics will provide a safe and easy solution for SPS families who are looking for an opportunity to vaccinate all family members at once.

We will offer three services at the clinics: a standalone flu shot, a standalone COVID-19 vaccine, or you may elect to receive both a flu shot and COVID-19 vaccine during the same appointment.

On the registration page, select "Flu Shot", "COVID-19 Vaccine", or "Flu Shot & COVID-19 Vaccine" to select your preferred service. If you're registering for a COVID-19 vaccine, please select the appropriate service based on the age of the patient. Do not make two separate appointments for a flu shot and COVID-19 vaccine unless they are on two separate dates.

These clinics are open to staff, students, their families, and the general public. Please feel free to forward this message to family and friends.

You must input your insurance information during registration, or pay out-of-pocket at the time of service. The out-of-pocket costs for flu and COVID-19 vaccines are $60 and $200, respectively. We are currently unable to accept Cigna, TRICARE, and First Choice insurance.

View a full list of dates, times, and locations for the 2026 vaccination clinics below. Please note, there are some changes and important information for this year's clinics that you should be aware of:

• Please register at your earliest convenience. Appointments are limited and will fill up quickly. All clinics are indoors.
• Flu shots are available for patients ages 4 years and older. Covid-19 vaccines are available to patients ages 5 years and older.
• All patients will need their own, separate appointment in the patient's name, with their information. For example, a family of four will need four appointments. If you are unable to register all patients within the same time block, please choose the closest available time block for the remaining patients. You may still come together at the same time.
• You must have an accepted and verified insurance plan on file during registration, or you will need to pay out-of-pocket at the time of service.
• If you have questions about insurance, or have trouble verifying your insurance during registration, please reach out to info@seattlevna.com prior to confirming your appointment.

To register for a clinic, please follow the link below. We're looking forward to seeing you again!

REGISTER HERE!

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

Saturday, October 3rd - Blaine Memorial UMC, 3001 24th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144

11 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

• Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church is hosting their annual Bazaar, offering a delicious range of meals and snacks including salmon bento, yakisoba, lumpia, Italian sodas and hot dogs. You can learn more about the Bazaar and preorder meals here.

• This year, a portion of the Bazaar proceeds will go to La Resistencia, a grassroots organization led by immigrants and people of color who have been oppressed by the immigration enforcement system. Based in Washington state, the organization works to end immigrant detention and deportations. You can learn more about La Resistencia here.

  
  

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.