Ravens SOAR Newsletter 9/14/26

Hello Families!

As we head into our first full week of the year, I’m proud of how quickly we are settling in and laying the foundation for our school culture. In just six days together, we’ve held grade-level assemblies, hosted multiple family engagement events, and watched our students and staff dive into learning. None of this would be possible without the thoughtful preparation, commitment, and heart of our incredible staff, and the partnership of our families.

To kick off the year, we’ve been intentional about creating a welcoming environment with routines and practices that center belonging and engagement. From restorative circles in SOAR Squads to vibrant classroom lessons, we’re already seeing students lean into learning and relationships in powerful ways. This is exactly how middle school should feel, alive with connection, curiosity, and purpose.

As always, our vision for the year is grounded in our core values. At RESMS, we will continue to SOAR (SEE PICS BELOW!):

• S – We will be emotionally and physically SAFE
• O – We will take OWNERSHIP of our learning and community
• A – We will set goals, monitor our progress, and ACHIEVE
• R – Most importantly, when challenges arise, we will be RESILIENT

If we live these values together, we will continue to keep joy, belonging, and high-quality learning at the center of our school. I’m excited for all that is ahead and grateful to partner with you in this work.

Lastly, I want to acknowledge the significant impact our school bus issues have had on students and families. Zum is a new transportation provider for our region, and while I believe they can become the right partner for us, the start has simply not been acceptable. I know late and inconsistent buses disrupt instructional time, family schedules, and your trust in the system. Please know I am actively working with district leaders to address these issues and push for improvement. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through this.

As always, please reach out if you have questions or concerns along the way.

Have a great week, and Go Ravens!

Zac, Devin, and Bunmi

You can plan to receive our admin newsletters about every other week, with some updates in between as needed!

• Previous Newsletter https://app.smore.com/n/8j7he

Huge shout out to our Family Co-Design team and all the volunteers that made our Welcome Fair event a success! Thank you to all who visited. Here are some resources that we went over at the welcome fair! https://app.smore.com/n/2maj0

Yuen Lui Studio will photograph individual portraits at Robert Eagle Staff Middle School on Thursday, September 24. Families can preorder portraits here: 2026-27 Robert Eagle Staff Middle School Picture Day 9/24. Print orders will be shipped directly to families' homes 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. Thank you!

https://mailchi.mp/271416f7aaae/ravenscalljune122025-20685910?e=fe758344ee&scrlybrkr=fed52d46

Happy start to the school year, I hope the transition from summer break is smooth, and this email finds you well. My name is Alijah Benbrook (she/they) and I'm the STEM Program Lead at the Burke Museum!

We have applications now open for a fall run of our Middle School Voices in Science: STEM Careers program! This program is open to all students, they are free, and we welcome any/all youth to apply who would be interested.

I am attaching our flyer for the program, and if there's any space you'd like to put one up or set some out please do! We'd love any students you think of who might enjoy this program to get access, so please share if you think of anyone. I did this type of outreach for our spring programs, and you all sharing the word is a big reason why we had some of our students in the program!

I also wanted to share a flyer for our STEAM Spotlight: Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month coming up on October 1st. This is part of a monthly series on Free First Thursdays where the Burke is open from 10am-8pm and has free admission. STEAM Spotlight is part of the evening hours (typically ~4-7pm) and changes themes to feature different Burke staff or community partners each month. STEAM Spotlights' target audience is teens and youth interested in exploring different opportunities across STEAM and connecting with real researchers, knowledge holders, and local programs/organizations. Each event is updated on the website as they are confirmed, so you can stay tuned here: https://www.burkemuseum.org/calendar

Any questions or clarifications feel free to also send my way.

Thanks for all you do for youth on a day to day basis, and helping be a bridge for them to get more knowledge and resources always.

Cheers,

Alijah Benbrook (she/they)

STEM Program Lead | Youth & Family Engagement | Burke Museum

University of Washington | Box 353010 | Seattle, WA 98195

206.543.5591 (Education Office) | alijahmb@uw.edu

https://www.seattleschools.org/departments/discipline-and-behavior/rules-rights-and-responsibilities/

26/27 SOAR Reporting Form Your Experience Matters! – Fill out form