Madrona Bear Facts: Week 17

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📅 Upcoming Dates

🙋 Get Involved With MIT - Volunteer to Help Our School

🆘 Madrona Family Resources - Food and Community Support

🤝 Free and Reduced Meals

🍿 Movie Night at Madrona - Friday, January 16

🧠 Madrona Tips & Tidbits

💻 MIT Scholarships

🥪 This Week's Menu

⭐ Notes From MIT

1/5 🎓 Back to School

1/6 👪 Mega Morning Meeting assembly, Theme: Empathy

1/9 ☕ Teacher Cocoa and Cookies

1/12 6:30 PM 🏫 MIT General Meeting

1/16 6:00 PM 🍿 Movie Night in the Madrona Gym

1/19 🫂 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day - No School

1/22 🎵 Middle School Concert

1/26 🏫 Teacher Grading Day - No School

2/16-17 🗽 President's Day Break - No School

Full calendar on Madrona BearFacts

Add the MIT Google Calendar to your own

More information about volunteering may be found on our website here: https://www.madronabearfacts.com/helpful-information/volunteer-information/

Volunteer Signup Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScSNMS9S_Y2ANOP7HccdhiB7Y6h8SuHqENJ5kCTUy23WvBa0Q/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=110083319410728073725

As we head into the winter months we are aware that an increase in need can occur. Additionally, with the government shut down, this limits many families' budgets for food and resources. We wanted to share some school, local and state resources that may be able to provide support.

Check out these two pages on the MIT website for information on community resources available! We'll continue to update this list as we work to find more ways to support Madrona families

💛 If you’re experiencing a change in income — whether from the shutdown or any other reason — please take a moment to apply for Free and Reduced Meals. This program allows for students of qualifying households to recieve one full beakfast and lunch each school day.

📝 The application is just a snapshot in time, so even if things turn around quickly, it’s still worth applying. If your income fluctuates, use the lowest amount you might expect to receive when filling it out.

✅ If approved, you’ll qualify for the rest of the school year. There’s no need to notify our department when things improve. Instead, let this time help you build a strong foundation for your family.

💬 If you have questions or need help with the application, we’re here for you. Contact our department at: fnsoffice@edmonds.wednet.edu or (425) 431 - 7077.

Link to application in multiple languages: (These are also available in our school office) https://share.google/a4rRNENZFJytGBdeO

Letter to Households: (Details application process and guidelines)

https://www.edmonds.wednet.edu/our-district/departments/food-nutrition-services/letter-to-households

Food & Nutrition Services - Edmonds School District webpage https://share.google/yktcqRwoI1gGddmy3

We will provide pizza, popcorn, and candy. Come down and enjoy a movie with us!

RSVP using the form below:

We hope you had an exciting but relaxing winter break! We wanted to put together a few tips to help kids with the transition back to "school mode":

• Return to the Bedtime Routine: Ideally, this process started a few days ago. But if the bedtime routine has still been inconsistent, it's important to get back to the usual timeline. Remember that school-age children should be getting 9-11 hours of sleep per night.
• Build Excitement for back-to-school: Talk with your kids about how exciting it will be to see their friends and teachers again. Ask what they look forward to, and discuss suggestions for making the return a fun experience
• Prep for Mornings: Ask your kids to pack their backpacks before they go to bed. Prepare breakfast and lunch the night before if possible. Anything to make the morning a little less hectic will help!
• Leave for School Early: Leave 10 minutes early for the first week to help reduce stress and anxiety (for you and the kids).
• Talk to Your Kids About Their School Day: For the first couple of weeks, it will help to make sure the kids know you have a genuine interest in how their adjustment is going. Encourage them to express their feelings and listen to them.
• Patience and Empathy: Understand that some kids (and even parents) might struggle with the transition. Try to give your kids and yourself a little grace as you return to the normal schedule.

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We do what we can to help get the word out, but we are a volunteer staff! Your contributions and feedback are invaluable in helping us make sure we are communicating effectively with the whole Madrona community.

• If you see something in this newsletter and aren't sure what it is
• If you have questions
• If you think something is missing
• If you have other suggestions

The fees covered by the Scholarship Program include:

• Supply fees (also available under Free and Reduced Lunch benefits)
• One ticket to Bear Scare
• One Enrichment class per year
• Two tickets to a Madrona Children's Theatre show
• Field trip fees (also available under Free and Reduced Lunch benefits)
• One yearbook & one pen

Anyone who thinks the cost of these items may be a hardship for their family should apply.

Note the information received is confidential and only goes to our Office Manager, Kim Zimmerman. MIT does not have access to the information.

Subject to change

See the menu any time at MySchoolMenus.com

If you or anyone you know would like to receive updates on what is happening at Madrona and how you might be able to get involved, you can sign up for the MIT Newsletter on our website.

Hi! I'm Dan Hart, your friendly neighborhood MIT Communications Coordinator. I will be responsible for sending the weekly MIT newsletter on Sundays. My goal is to continue to keep this newsletter fresh, fun to read, and informative for the whole Madrona community!

You may notice that this email is a little lighter on images than usual. After some feedback, we've decided to move away from the use of AI images as part of our newsletter theme (other than when they are used as the graphic for a specific event). Instead, we'll be coordinating with the centers and Spark! to include student artwork in the newsletter. Watch for this in the near future!

🎁 Feedback is always a gift, and I invite you to give us the gift of your feedback!

Please email me with feedback and suggestions including, but not limited to:

• What do you like
• What could improve
• Suggest a theme
• Any other feedback or suggestions!

Do you have an article you’d like included in our weekly email? Please email your blurb to Dan at MITCommCoordinator@gmail.com or submit online by Friday at noon to be included the edition going out that Sunday. Please include if you’d like the article to run for multiple weeks.

Interpretation for families is available through the school district for MIT events.

To request ASL interpretation, email aslrequests@edmonds.wednet.edu

To request other language interpretation, call or email Kelly Carlson at carlsonka@edmonds.wednet.edu | 425-431-2900

* Families that need interpretation must register in advance: We need 7 days to schedule interpreters for events.

* Familias que necesitan interpretación deben registrarse con anticipación: Necesitamos 7 días para programar intérpretes para los eventos.

*통역이 필요한 가족들은 미리 등록을 해야 합니다: 행사를 위한 통역관을 준비하는데3일이필요합니다.

* Các gia đình cần thông dịch phải đăng ký trước: Chúng tôi cần 7 ngày để sắp xếp thông dịch viên cho các sự kiện.

* Семьи, которые нуждаются в переводчике должны зарегистрироваться заранее: нам необходимо 7 дополнительных дня, чтобы заказать переводчика для мероприятия.

بالنسبة للعائلات التي بحاجة إلى مترجم يجب عليهم أن يسجلوا مسبقاً: نحن بحاجة إلى 7 أيام لتأمين جدول مواعيد للمترجمين لهذه الأحداث*