Thornton Creek Wednesday Bulletin
September 24, 2025
From the Principal
Happy Wednesday, TC Families!
We’re officially in our third week of school, and it’s been wonderful to see classroom communities taking shape. Students are busy building routines, learning how they’ll work together, and setting their Hopes and Dreams for the year. This is such an important part of our Responsive Classroom work, and I love watching students take time to reflect and share their goals with one another.
This morning we celebrated our 2nd Annual Peace Day Celebration! Students and staff gathered outside, placing their pinwheels into a heart shape on the playground. Each pinwheel carried a message of peace—pictures on one side, words on the other—and together they created something beautiful. Thank you to those who were able to join us. Be sure to check out the pictures below!
I also want to thank everyone who came to our first Community Meeting last week. We did some great thinking together about our Mission and Vision, and your ideas will go back to BLT next week as we continue to shape this work. If you weren’t able to attend, there will be another opportunity on Tuesday, November 18 to join the conversation.
I also want to note the discussion around our playground access before and after school. I know this shift has taken some adjusting, and I want to thank you all for the effort and cooperation you’ve shown. It’s already making a big difference in helping us start school on time at 7:55 and keeping our students safe. It has not gone unnoticed!
I hope you all enjoy the rest of the week as we step into fall.
Warmly,
Brandee
Calendar of Events
September
29 | Picture Day | Ordering begins after Picture Day | We just need your student on Monday the 29
October
7 | Curriculum Night | 6 p.m. | More information coming from your teacher
10 | No School for Students | In Service Day for Staff
28 | Picture Day Make Up
Great Information
For Walking Field Trips / School Directory and more Please Complete this Survey
Please complete this short survey for each of your TC children.
The survey asks permission for parent contact information to be included in our school directory, for your student to go on walking (less than 1 mile) field trips, and for us to share your email with our parent group. If you need help, email the office thorntoncreek@seattleschools.org. Thanks so much.
Volunteering at Thornton Creek (and across the District)
If you are interested in volunteering in classrooms this year, please send an email to your student’s teacher expressing interest. This will begin the volunteer on-boarding process.
If you are interested in helping with one of the specialists, we’ve listed their email and volunteer needs here:
Art | Piper | pccarling@seattleschools.org | after school Thursday & Friday for clean up and set up
Art | Kerri | klmckeighen@seattleschools.org | 10 a.m. - end of day
Library | Kristen | kmeason@seattleschools.org | fully staffed, not currently adding volunteers
Music | Michaela | makoerner@seattleschools.org | to be determined - email if interested
PE | Josh | jbcolwell@seattleschools.org | help with assembling "strider bikes"
From the Art Rooms
Your art teachers, Kerri and Piper, would like your cardboard tubes and cardboard egg cartons for the sculpture studios. At this point, we don't need any other upcycling materials. You can send materials in with your child or drop them off at the downstairs art room, right next to the office. Thank you!
Flu and COVID Vaccine Clinics
Make Your Vaccine Appointment
- Find a date and location that is convenient for you and your family: These are regional clinics open to all in the SPS community. You do not have to be a student of staff of a particular school to make an appointment.
- Make your appointment online. Register for Vaccine Clinic
- Come to your appointment.
Pinwheels for Peace
Thank you to Teacher Kai and a group of dedicated visitors who helped make Pinwheels for Peace a Thornton Creek tradition!
Important Information from our previous Bulletin
Community Meetings
We’re looking forward to our first Community Meeting of the year coming up next week! This is a chance to hear about the work ahead, share your voice in shaping that work, and connect with fellow families and staff. Please note that this is an adult-only event (no childcare will be provided). For those unable to attend in person, a livestream option will be available to listen in.
Tuesdays, 7–8:30 p.m.
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September 16: Live Stream Community Meeting
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November 18
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February 24
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April 21
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June 9
Lunch Numbers and Payments
As we begin the school year, we kindly ask for your help in making mealtimes run smoothly. Please take a few moments to help your student practice and memorize their Student ID number. This number is used daily when students receive school meals, including milk.
Knowing their Student ID will help speed up the lunch line and ensure every student gets their meal quickly and efficiently.
You can find their 7-digit Student ID number on the Source.
To learn about changes to the School Meal program, please visit the culinary Services page of our District Website. Pay online for meals. You may also pay cash or check to Shannon in the office.
Announcement from the Social Worker
Weekend Food Packs
We have partnered with University District Food Bank to provide weekend food packs for students. The packs include kid-friendly, ready-to-eat, and microwavable items. Food packs can accommodate the following dietary needs: gluten free, dairy free, pescatarian, vegetarian, vegan, Kosher, Halal, and nut free (University District food bank does not screen products for nut free manufacturing facilities and is not a nut free facility). Food packs are put into student’s backpacks, every Friday.
TC Community Pantry
We have a community pantry located in TC which is available for the TC community. Pantry items include household cleaning supplies, laundry soap, and personal hygiene items. The pantry is available during office hours. If you have specific needs but are unable to come to the school, email Channon and she can pack them in your student's backpack.
If you are interested in a weekend food pack for your student or have any questions, email Channon at chagor@seattleschools.org or call/text at 206-379-2968.
Curriculum Night: Save the Date
October 7
We’ll be sharing more details with you soon—stay tuned!
After School Care Openings
There are still spaces available for After Care programming at Kids Co at Decatur. Students are picked up from Thornton Creek and brought to our neighbor school, Decatur, for programming. If you are interested, please contact Adam Foote the Kids Co. at Decatur Program Director. He can be reached at 206-747-2584. For additional information visit Kids Co.
Hall of Fame After care is an enrichment program offered on days when SPS is in session, so there will be no HOFTC Tuesday 11/11. Please note that we have moved from a Quarter schedule to a Session schedule. HOFTC will run every Tuesday and Thursday, with no breaks, on days that school is in session, starting on Tuesday 9/30 and ending on Thursday, 11/20. Returning families can send enrollment requests through the Parent Dashboard by clicking Enrollment, and then Enroll for 2025-2026. New families will complete the New Family Enrollment Form. Registration closes on Friday, September 19th at 11:59 p.m. and schedule adjustments cannot be made after that time. Please note that class information will not be available in the Parent Dashboard until registration goes live.
Important School Reminders
School Start | End of Day
School begins at 7:55 a.m. At that time, our gates will be closed to help keep our campus safe and ensure our complex systems run smoothly. If you arrive after 7:55, please plan to pull around and drop off at the front entrance.
Attendance and Office Procedures
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If your child will be absent or late, please email thorntoncreek.attendance@seattleschools.org or call 206-252-5304 with the reason for the absence.
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Vacation days are recorded as “unexcused vacation” absences. These are not considered truancy, though you may still receive an automated call or email from the District. If so, you can simply disregard the message and enjoy your trip.
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To pick up your child early for an appointment, please come to the office to sign them out. We’ll call your child to meet you once you arrive. Advance notice by emailing thorntoncreek@seattleschools.org or calling 206-252-5300 is always helpful. While we understand that appointments during school hours are sometimes necessary, minimizing classroom interruptions is greatly appreciated.
Tissues and Snack Donations
If you are able to donate unscented tissues to the school office we will distribute them to classes as needed. Also, individually packaged, allergen free, snacks are greatly appreciated for students who forget or don't have snacks. Thank you!
Peer Model Opportunities in Pre-K
The Developmental Preschool at Thornton Creek Elementary is in the process of recruiting Preschool aged students without IEPs to serve as peer models for our classroom.
Here is a description of the peer model requirements:
- student is toilet trained
- student is 3-5 years old
- student is able to attend one of our classes (7:40-10:20 a.m. or 11:45-2:25 p.m.) M, T, Th, F
- student demonstrates developmentally appropriate skills for their age
District website the explains the Developmental Preschool Program
Attending as a peer model is free and your child will receive all the same curriculum instruction and assessments of students in our program! If you are interested in learning more, have any questions, or would like to have your child enroll as a peer model, please email Jadyn Tipton at jatipton@seattleschools.org. We have capacity for 2 peer models per class (AM or PM), so 4 total.