October 13 Owl Post

Last week at STEM, 8th graders hosted a Fall Fest. We even got recognized in the West Seattle Blog! Thank you to Gretchen Thompson and all of the behind-the-scenes support from the community. These unique experiences are one of the things that draw students to attend STEM.

Ms. Thompson is one of our school's CTE (Career and Technical Education) teachers. CTE focuses on preparing students for college and careers through hands-on, real-world skills. Ms. Sawade, our other school's CTE teacher opened up her computer lab to students where she teaches STEAM innovation. CTE classes are currently offered to 7th and 8th graders. We are trying to find ways to increase opportunities for all grade levels to participate in CTE. One way students can experience CTE in younger grades is through Robotics. This year, we will have two teams, one 4th/5th grade team and one middle school team. If you would like to learn more about STEM robotics, reach out to Mr. McGavick mjmcgavick@seattleschools.org. There will be a competition in December.

Throughout the week, students in grades 1-8 will be MAP testing. MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) testing is a computerized, adaptive assessment that measures students' academic growth in reading and math by adjusting the difficulty of questions based on a student's responses. This information is important at the beginning of the year as we work towards understanding students and adjusting instruction to meet their needs. Students will take a MAP test in math and one in reading. Results will appear in the Source and you can also ask for that information during conferences.

It was a long weekend for students. I hope you had a chance to relax and enjoy time with one another.

Thanks for all of the support.

Adrienne/Ms. O

Thank you PTA and Second Grade for hosting a wonderful event!

Yuen Lui Studio photographed stuents at Louisa Boren STEM K-8 on Monday, October 6. Families can order portraits here: 2025-26 Louisa Boren STEM K-8 Picture Day 10/6. Print orders will be delivered to the school in 3-4 weeks after picture day; digital orders will be sent via email from no-reply@imagequix.com. Contact Yuen Lui Studio with any questions.

From Latisha, our wonderful Admin Secretary:

Dear Families,

We hope this message finds you well! As we continue to work together to support your students learning, we wanted to remind you that the Source is a great tool to stary informed about your students progress. By logging into the Source, you can easily view assignments and grades. We encourage you to check the Source regularly to stay updated and engaged with your students academic journey. If you need any help accessing the Source or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Thank you for being an active part of your students education.

The Source is Seattle Public Schools’ online communication tool that allows parents, guardians and students access to schedules, attendance, assessment scores, and more. RIght now, less than half of our Middle School families have signed on to The Source this year.

Below are some links to some tutorials about The Source.

• Learn more about features in The Source
• How to View Grades and Attendance for Secondary Students
• How to View Attendance for Elementary Students

I’m super excited to have landed at STEM! I love the focus on PBL and am looking forward to learning from you all. Before coming to STEM, I was at Leschi Elementary teaching second grade. Last year was my first year back to teaching after 20 years out of the classroom. I have been working in teacher education for most of that time. I started my career in the Bay Area teaching kinder and second grade. One thing I love about teaching is the opportunity to design, teach, assess and reflect with colleagues. I hope I get the chance to do that with some of you in the years to come.

A few fun facts: I grew up in the beautiful redwood forests of northern California, and the forest always feels like home. I live with my wife, two dogs, and two cats in West Seattle—just up the hill from STEM. Here is a picture of me on Baker Lake, where we often camp in the summer.

10/13: Indigenous Peoples' Day

10/20: Author Samuel Sattin visit, 1 p.m.

11/11: Veterans Day No School

11/13: Cultural Night at STEM

11/24-11/25: Family Teacher Conferences

11/24-11/28: No school

Link to SPS School Calendar

The week of November 24, there will be no school. Teachers will be meeting with families to discuss student progress on the 24 and 25 of November. Be on the lookout for an invite from your teacher. Our goal at STEM is to meet with every family. Parents are a child's first teacher and we couldn't do what we do without the support of you and our greater community.

Attendance: One of the most important things your student can to to achieve academic success-being at school each day! Regular attendance and arriving on time are key for your student's academic success. Studies have proven that these two factors play a crucial role. Missing class not only affects your student but also disrupts the entire class. It's important for the teacher and the class to make progress, which is challenging when students are frequently absent or late. We appreciate your partnership in our mission to support your student's education and success.

For students with 3 or more unexcused absences, the school will be connecting with you to understand barriers, and come up with plans to support.

School Supplies at STEM

Instead of having families purchase school supplies for children, we ask that families contribute to our school supply budget. Our request is for $55 contributions for families that are able. Purchase school supplies by signing onto the Source and going to SchoolPay.

Visitors Check in with the Office

If you have to come into the building for some reason, you will need to check in with the front office. All visitors in the building should have an visitor sticker or lanyard. There is a new kiosk to help us keep track of all of the wonderful people that are passing through.

STEM loves volunteers! Opportunities range from recess help, classroom organizers, 1:1 tutoring sessions, field trips, Enrichment parent chaperones and more! Before volunteering can begin, paperwork needs to be filled out and a background check completed through SPS. This process can take up to 3 weeks. Interested? Contact Leo, our new office assistant to get the ball rolling.

5th - 8th graders are invited to join South Shore's Drumline! Deadline to signup is October 17th. See here for additional information and to register. Please reach out to STEM's Music & Band teacher Mx. Sonja with questions: shborsman@seattleschools.org

The PTA's big Fall Fundraiser is going on NOW, and we've almost reached 20% of our goal to raise $30K for STEM! Direct Give is a opportunity for family and friends to support student(s) they know, locally or from afar. Donors are not being asked to purchase anything- just contribute to the many ways our PTA supports STEM!

❗❗ We have a community member who has announced they will match up to $20K! We're only $15K away from making it happen, we can do it STEM!!

💌 DPTA STEM Donation Request Letter students can send to their friends and family

STEM PTA funds directly support our school in many ways: project based learning, Enrichment, field trips, building safety efforts, Library, Art & CTE, clubs, sports, committees, professional development opportunities for teachers and staff, community events, staff appreciation and More!

Our first Staff Appreciation event is this Tuesday and we're looking for help from our STEM community to celebrate our amazing staff with yummy food and treats! Additional info and to signup to help make this Staff Appreciation and Game Night awesome! Also looking for containers with lids to store food in the staff lounge, please indicate if a container is for donation. Thank you! Questions? staffappreciation@stemk8pta.org

Join us in the STEM Library or via Zoom October 18 to participate in important conversations that help shape our support for STEM and to learn about exciting things in the works for the year. Hope to see you there! Join the Zoom meeting.

Questions? executiveboard@stemk8pta.org

• SPED Support Group- Thur 10/23, 7-8 p.m.: Families and caregivers are invited to join a Zoom meeting to discuss, support, listen and share resources. Join the Zoom meeting. sped@stemk8pta.org
• Ist Movie Night- Fri 10/24 @ 6 p.m.: Join us in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month to watch Coco! $5-$10 suggested donation for entry + snacks. All proceeds will benefit the PTA’s October Direct Give campaign. Volunteer and snack donation opportunities!
• STEM Day @ Ounces- Sat 11/8, 2-5 pm: Girls Rock Math is joining us for STEM family friendly activities, community fun and good brew & food at local partner, Ounces! % back to our school. Brought to you by the STEM PTA and 3rd grade.

* View our up-to-date calendar*

If you're interested in ways to become more involved and support our STEM community, we're looking for folks to join our team!

Current Full Board open positions: Co-Race, Equity & Inclusion, Co-LGBTQ+, Membership, Field Trip Coordinator (grades 5-8) and Garden Club Coordinator. We're looking to grow our Fundraising Committee! If you'd like to join us for one or a few fundraising efforts this year, or have ideas you'd like to share, let us know! Please reach out to executiveboard@stemk8pta.org for additional info on these roles or with interest.

Check out our website for updated PTA & school activities, contacts for our Executive & Full Board, our PTA's Mission & Values, financial details, ways to support our PTA, updated Enrichment info and MORE!

🦉 stemk8pta.org | Facebook | Instagram | communications@stemk8pta.org

Ultimate Schedule: see picture

Soccer
10/18 - 9:30 a.m., Madison vs South Shore
10/25 - 9:30 a.m., Whitman vs Hazelwof Varsity
11/1 -12:30 p.m., Madison vs TOPS
11/8 - 9:30 a.m., Madison vs Pathfinder

Updates on the online menu calendar are taking place. The meals that are served at school may not be what is shared on the menu. All students at STEM receive free meals.

Fill out the The School Meals Application. It collects household income information that helps our school receive federal and state funding. It does more than just support our cafeteria.

Principal: Adrienne Ollerenshaw amollerensha@seattleschools.org

Assistant Principal: Andrea Stowell anstowell@seattleschools.org

Administrative Secretary: Latisha Ellis ljellis@seattleschools.org

Office Assistant: Leo Shaugnhessy mrshaughness@seattleschools.org

School Social Worker: Dana Fink dmfink@seattleschools.org

STEM partners with the YMCA to provide an on-site before and after school program. Additional YMCA before and after school information or contact our Site Director, Anna Hofmann, at ahofmann@seattleymca.org.