Decatur Newsletter
March 6, 2026
Our students had an impressive 2nd Place showing at our PTA sponsored Gator Fest Chess Tournament! We are so proud of your hard work and dedication. Thank you, Decatur PTA, for making this possible!
Good Luck Red Panda Readers!
Let's all show our support for Ty, Coco, Nora, Jessica, Georgia, Alexis and Alex as they travel with Ms. Purcell to represent Decatur in the Global Reading Challenge Semi-Finals at the Central Library!
Dear Decatur Parent/Guardian:
The Cascade Bicycle Club (www.cascade.org) supports a bicycle and pedestrian safety curriculum called “Let’s Go”. It’s delivered district-wide in 3rd, 4th and 5th Grade Physical Education class. Our Decatur unit will be from Wednesday, March 4 to Monday, March 23.
Volunteers are needed and greatly appreciated during this important unit. Please be sure you are already preapproved and have volunteer this year at Decatur. If not, check with the main office on getting approved. I truly hope volunteers will sign up for days and times they are available, even if it’s helping a class that is not your own. Volunteers do not need to be “bike people” or even know how to ride a bike. For example, volunteers help kids put their helmets on correctly, manage a part of the lesson by checking for hand signals or kids obeying a certain traffic sign, or helping one student learn to ride while I teach the rest of the class.
What is the schedule?
The 4th and 5th Grade Schedule is not consistent and hard to paste and cut.
3rd Grade P.E. – Mondays and Tuesdays
Ms. Kleinhanz, 12:20-1 p.m. Ms. Adams, 1:05-1:45 p.m.
May I use my own bike?
No. Due to equity and liability policies in the agreement between Seattle Public Schools and Cascade Bicycle Club, students may not use their own bikes.
A set of 30 bikes and helmets will be at our school for this three-week unit, 5 or 6 P.E. lessons.
May I wear my own helmet?
With caregiver permission, students may choose to bring their own bike helmet to school. It must be approved for bicycles, so check for a sticker inside that says something like “Complies with CPSC Safety Standard for Bicycles”. Some skateboard helmets are not approved for biking. Students wearing school district helmets will also be provided a protective hair liner to wear with it.
What should I wear? Please wear safe biking clothes and shoes (NO flip flops, NO dresses). Be aware that wide pants can get caught in the chain. Also, please be prepared for the weather. Some of the bike lessons we be outdoors.
What if I don’t know how to ride a bike yet?
I have taught many kids how to ride a bike in my 25 years as a P.E. teacher. I am especially good with kids who are anxious, who are afraid of falling, or struggle to learn at home. We can meet on a weekend or after school to learn. Some kids may have told you they don’t want to learn how to ride a bike, but perhaps preparing for this bike unit will motivate them. Teaching kids to ride a bike is an absolute passion of mine and I love it! Please reach out if you’d like some help learning to ride!
Questions, comments, or concerns please contact Jeannie Bastasch, P.E. Teacher jdbastasch@seattleschools.org
Purim Party Request:
The PTA is hosting a Purim party on Tuesday, March 10, 6:30-8 p.m.. You may be asking, “what is Purim??”. Purim is a Jewish holiday celebrating the bravery of a Jewish queen and her cousin who spoke up about injustices provoked by the king’s advisor. It is a bit like Jewish Halloween with costumes, delicious food, games, and craft. We hope you’ll join us!
Now for the ask…We are in search of a few more costumes/dress-up items for a station at the Purim party. If you have anything that would be fun for kids to dress up in for a photo booth, a little acting, etc. please bring them to school and send them to the office with your name (or child’s name) and teacher so we can return them to you after March 10. Thank you!!
Under the Sea Adventure
We had a huge response to last month's drawing contest! Let's see if we can beat our record this month! Please bring your contest entries to the office by Tuesday, March 24th.
A Message From Eckstein Middle School
Hello potential Eckstein Eagles –
We know this is an exciting time for you and your families. If you missed our new student night and would like to have a chance to tour the building, we are able to provide three options.
Thursday, March 26 is our Student Lead Conference Day at Eckstein. This is a non-instruction day, so Eckstein counselors will be available to provide a tour.
Tours will last up to 40 minutes and will be available at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., and 1 p.m. If you are a family that has not had an opportunity to tour the building, please feel welcome to join us during one of those times. If you are not able to join us on that date, there will be a student led WEB Day in August for all incoming students to attend.
We look forward to seeing you!