Fairmount Park Community Newsletter

to connect every child to themselves, others, and possibilities

Hello Fairmount Park Families,

We have a lot going on at Fairmount Park the last few weeks! I've shared about our MAP testing, our Diverstiy Dinner, and happenings from classrooms including Art and Library.

I've also shared some safety information about the car drop off area on Findlay St. Please read carefully so that we can all contribute to a safe community for our students. You will be seeing me and other staff out there regularly to greet students.

Have a wonderful week!

Sara Davis

Fairmount Park has had an increase in drop off traffic on Findlay. This is creating an increase in safety concerns. I want to clarify our drop off expectations and procedures.

• The front of Fairmount Park, on Findlay, is a drop off zone only. This is NOT a park and walk up zone. This means that you may pull up, let students out, and say goodbye at the curb.
• When dropping off on Findlay please drive all the way up to the end of Findlay and turn around, then pull toward the drop off zone.
• The bus lane is NOT a drop off zone. This is a bus lane only.

• Families who walk should park on Fauntleroy or in the surrounding neighborhood. You may walk with your student to school using the alley or the short sidewalk from Fauntleroy.
• Cross Findlay at the designated crosswalk only. We have observed students and families crossing Findlay at multiple locations. This creates a safety hazard for pedestrians and disrupts the flow of traffic in the designated drop-off zone. Please use the crosswalk to ensure everyone's safety.

Love, Ms. Sisson and her scholars.

On the last Friday of each month, we’ll celebrate our school community with special spirit days! This Friday will be our first celebration of the year: Comfy Cozy Day! 🧸

The goal of these spirit days is to make community connection fun, inclusive, and accessible to everyone. We want all students and staff to feel welcome to participate, so there’s no need to buy anything new or bring in elaborate or expensive items. Instead, get creative and use things you already have at home!

Let’s keep it simple and fun as we build connections and celebrate what makes our community special. ❤️

• Friday, October 30 - Comfy Cozy Day
• Friday, November 20 - Fancy Schmancy Day -
• Friday, December 18 - Pattern Pandemonium
• Friday, January 29 - Totally Textural
• Friday, February 12 - Do You Like My Hat?
• Friday, March 26 - Color Pop
• Friday, April 30 - The Great Caper
• Friday, May 28 - Party Animals
• Friday, June 11 - Why Are You Bugging Us?

Every family belongs at Fairmount Park. We had an amazing turnout to our Diversity Dinner. BIPOC families and families that consider themselves allies joined us for an evening of food, connection, and celebration to honor the richness of our diverse school community.

Those of you there a little early also got to join in some unexpected excitement when the fog machine set off our fire alarm. Staff rallied to get prepared just in time to welcome families!

All grades completed their Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) testing last week, and we are excited about the results! Our data shows promising growth across all grade levels, with students not only recovering from the typical “summer slide” but also making academic progress.

Summer slide refers to the learning loss that can occur when students are away from regular classroom instruction over the summer. The beginning of the school year is typically a time for reviewing previously learned skills and rebuilding academic momentum.

Our MAP results suggest that students are moving beyond this review period and making meaningful progress in their learning. We are excited to see this positive momentum continue throughout the year!

How to Read Our MAP Results:

• Green oval on the left: Shows the national median rank, based on all students across the country who take the MAP assessment.
• Color-coded percentages: Show the percentage of students in each grade who are performing below, at, or above grade level. Red and orange represent students performing below grade level, while yellow, green, and blue represent students performing at or above grade level.
• Individual student results: Your child's teacher will review and share their MAP results with you during your upcoming conference.

The art room has been busy with students creating pieces they are excited about! We have officially launched the Drawing, Collage, and Painting Studio. Students have experienced a few “skill builders” using these materials and during Open Studio time, students choose the material they would like to work with for their art piece. In our art room, TAB, Teaching for Artistic Behavior, students are encouraged to come up with their own ideas and explore materials. Over the next few weeks, students will continue using a variety of materials while gaining skills with paint and clay.

Not all artwork comes each week as students are building their portfolios for the school year. We will go back into our portfolios throughout the year to revise and evaluate our growth as an artist. Eventually, students will choose 3-4 pieces to display during the Art Show in the spring! If you would like to volunteer in the art room, please email Ms. Kelly at kakelly@seattleschools.org.

We need volunteers to be general help in the art room or for specific tasks like helping run the chomp saws for a few weeks until K-2 get more practice. Or if you have skill using sewing machines, come in and help 3-5 learn the basics. Do you have an artistic focus that you would like to share with students, email me and let’s get you into the classroom!

The art room is looking for cereal/cracker boxes. Send them in or drop them off in the art room.

Dear Falcon Families,

October 19th-23rd was Digital Citizenship Week. Classes participated in digital citizenship lessons in the library. Most lessons focused on media balance and protecting private information online. In a well-rounded library media program, it’s important for students to learn skills for navigating a digital world. We will explore other digital citizenship topics throughout the year.

Over the summer I read The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, and I found it immensely helpful when thinking about digital choices for my own children. If you haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend it!

September Circulation Statistics

Circulations: 1,578 holds: 42

Our annual Scholastic Book Fair is just around the corner. This is a great way to raise money for our library. It’s also fun for students, and just in time for families starting their holiday shopping. I will send more information about the logistics of the book fair soon. For now, I am recruiting volunteers to help during the fair. Please see below if you’d like to sign up to help. Please note, you need to have up-to-date volunteer paperwork on file.

Dates:

• Thursday, November 19 - 8am-6pm
• Friday, November 20 - 8am-4pm
• Monday, November 23 - 8am-4pm
• Tuesday, November 24 - 8am-4pm

Book Fair Volunteer Sign Up: Click here to volunteer!

We're using SignUp (the leading online SignUp and reminder tool) to organize our upcoming SignUps.

Here's how it works in 3 easy steps:

1. Click this link to see our SignUp on SignUp: https://signup.com/go/nJjQczD
2. Review the options listed and choose the spot(s) you like.
3. Sign up! It's Easy - you will NOT need to register an account or keep a password on SignUp.

Note: SignUp does not share your email address with anyone. If you prefer not to use your email address, please contact me and I can sign you up manually.

On Thursday, October 15, at 10:15 a.m., Fairmount Park participated in a statewide earthquake drill. Schools across the state practiced the “Stop, Drop, and Hold” procedure for one minute to prepare for a potential earthquake. Teachers prepare students in advance by reviewing and practicing these safety procedures.

Throughout the school year, Fairmount Park conducts a safety drill each month to help students and staff practice how to respond in an emergency. These drills include fire, earthquake, and lockdown procedures.

Regular practice helps our students and staff feel prepared and know what to do to stay safe in an emergency.

• November 6 - Falcon Fest (6:30-8 p.m.)
• November 23-25 - Family Conferences/No school for students
• June 11 - Field Day
• June 17 - 5th Grade Promotion (3 p.m.)

More to come...

• 7:40 a.m. – Playground opens.
• 7:40-7:50 a.m. – Breakfast is served.
• 7:50 a.m. – Warning bell; students able to enter the building.
• 7:55 a.m. – School begins.
• 2:25 p.m. - Dismissal (1:10 [.m. on Wednesdays)
• 2:35 p.m. – Buses depart (1:20 [.m. on Wednesdays)

• Tardy - If your child arrives after 7:55 a.m. please go to the office to check in before they head to their classroom.
• Absence - Please contact our attendance office anytime your child will be absent from school.
• 206-252-9300
• FairmountPark.attendance@seattleschools.org

Friday's are for showing Falcon Pride! Find Falcon wear here!

Please note that SPS Culinary Services does their best to follow the planned menu, but occasionally last-minute changes may occur.

Office hours are 7:00am-3:00pm

Principal: Sara Davis sjdavis1@seattleschools.org

Admin Secretary: Ngoc Vo mnvo@seattleschools.org

Assist. Admin Secretary: Pauline Ashman pcashman@seattleschools.org

Website: Fairmount Park
Location: 3800 SW Findlay St., Seattle, WA, 98126
Phone: 206-252-9300