Pathfinder Compass
September 12, 2021
What to expect with The Compass!
Every Sunday you will receive The Compass to keep us all informed and connected of essential Pathfinder news. If you are interested in narrating The Compass please reach out to Dr. Holmes!
In this issue:
- Health and Safety Protocols
- Pathfinder Operations
- Picture Day!
- Welcome Packet
- Upcoming Listening Sessions
- Just so you know...
Old News
- Recordings of Virtual Events
- Blazing Trails News
- Partnership with Duwamish Longhouse
- Family Connectors University
- Dr. Holmes' Incoming Goals
If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
-African Proverb
Please click the link above for additional information, highlights include...
- If your scholar has any COVID symptoms, please keep them home!
- Register for a COVID test at Pathfinder. Currently, the turnaround time for these tests is turning out to be 3-4 days, often 4. We will not have access to the results at Pathfinder.
- If there is a positive COVID-19 case, all families with students in the same classroom will be notified.
- Healthy Schools Campaign
- What do we tell families who are travelling?
Pathfinder Operations
Bell Schedules
Monday | Tuesday | Thursday | Friday
- School begins at 8:55 a.m. and ends at 3:25 p.m.
- School begins at 8:55 a.m. and ends at 2:10 p.m.
Arrival Procedures
Things to keep in mind...
- Drivers will NOT be allowed to park on campus during drop-off.
- It is VERY helpful when you prepare your scholar and all of their materials to quickly and safely exit the car.
- Traffic on campus will be bad. Please aim for your arrival window as this helps us mitigate the spread of COVID and have a better flow of traffic.
Lunch
Schedule
Kindergarten and First 11:00 - 11:40
Second and Third 11:25 - 12:05
Middle School 12:10 - 12:45
Fourth and Fifth 12:45 - 1:25
Pathfinder has safely implemented lunch plans that allow:
- Eating outdoors
- Limiting time that students are sitting at lunch
- Minimal talking during lunch by providing lunchtime entertainment
- Maximizing physical distancing to the extent possible.
- Assigned seats to ensure we are able to contact trace.
We are happy to accommodate families who are interested in pulling students during lunch by opening our play field to vaccinated volunteers. Moving forward, please be sure to let us know you are coming.
It’s week two of outdoor lunch at Pathfinder K-8. We are starting to have a better sense of what is required for our volunteers moving forward. There are two different opportunities to help and NOW IS THE TIME TO SIGN UP! Spots are available for rest of September and the site can be found here.
Outdoor Lunch Volunteers (including Lead Outdoor Lunch Volunteer): 10:30 to 1:45
We have determined that three lunch volunteers per day is ideal in order to successfully assist with outdoor lunch. This means arriving at 10:30am and leaving once the final lunch has been dismissed to recess and the area is cleaned up (generally around 1:20). We are actively brainstorming ways to reduce the number of volunteers. (If you have ideas please speak up). The lunch volunteers need at least one person per day who has worked a previous lunch shift for a smooth process- this person is designated as the lead. After you have worked one shift, please sign up to be the lead (no other special requirements other than working one previous shift). Primary duties of lunch volunteers are:
- Preparing the area for lunch- setting up tables with sanitizer, sweeping, laying out yoga mats, and setting up entertainment (loud speaker for podcasts and music).
- Direction to students during lunch- establishing traffic flow, playing entertainment, directing students to lunch locations.
- Dismissal to recess- directing students when ready to be dismissed to recess, ensuring students sanitize after leaving lunch area.
- Cleanup in between each lunch and after last lunch- sweeping, wiping up spills, ensuring that supplies are present for the yoga mat cleaning later in the day.
Yoga mat cleaning: Flexible Hours
Don’t worry if you work during the day and are unable to help out during lunchtime- there is still a great volunteer opportunity for you! The students are sitting on yoga mats, which is warmer and softer than the bare ground. Those yoga mats need to be cleaned by an adult every day. This volunteer opportunity is flexible as the mats are stored outside so you are able to come any time after lunch is over into the evening to clean the mats. A great time to do this is at pickup! It takes roughly an hour to clean half the mats, so there are two volunteer slots a day. Please feel free to sign up for BOTH slots in a day if you are able. If not, each of the two volunteers is responsible for cleaning half (roughly 55) mats each. Duties include:
- Cleaning any major spills off mats.
- Sanitizing mats
- Checking mats to see if any need to be discarded.
- Checking the duct taped lunch spots on the ground. Replace any peeling or missing duct tape. Rewrite numbers if fading.
VOLUNTEER STATUS:
You need to be an SPS approved volunteer and fully COVID-19 vaccinated to complete these duties.
- If you have previously been a volunteer, the link to check your status is here.
- If you are a former volunteer and need to update your application, that link is here
- If you are a new volunteer, please feel free to sign up for a shift that is at least two weeks in the future. It can take several weeks for a new volunteer to be approved. The link to start the process as a new volunteer can be found here
- All volunteers (even those whose status is listed as "current" must also watch this health and safety video.
Please do not hesitate to contact Dani (danielle.y.wyss@gmail.com) if you have questions, comments, or concerns. Thank you in advance for stepping up to keep all the students at Pathfinder K-8 as safe as possible during lunch!
We have continued to make revisions throughout the week to ensure our scholars are safe and comfortable during lunch. We would love your feedback!
Dismissal Procedures
Similar to entry, students will exit the campus from different locations that will provide appropriate social distancing for students and families.
Please remain in your car during pick up! If you are interested in getting out of your car, we invite you to park (not on Genesee) and walk onto campus.
We realize traffic is terrible during pick up. Please know we are working our hardest to ensure folx are able to pick up and head out as soon as possible. Please DO NOT drive down the "middle" lane. As we learned this week three cars are unable to fit and it blocks traffic. We appreciate your patience.
Picture Retakes November 9th.
Just so you know...
Welcome Packet
PTSA Update
Hello,
PTSA Volunteers: We need you!! The PTSA needs your help to make all the magic happen. Volunteer opportunities range in scope, focus area, and time commitment, so you can find something that fits your schedule and interests. Our most urgent need is to fill our Membership Coordinator role, which is responsible for ensuring our membership dues are paid and we keep our PTSA membership status up to date with Washington State PTSA.
Email volunteer@pathfinderk8ptsa.org to learn more.
Topic: PTSA General Meeting
Time: Oct 5, 2021 06:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/92797076306?pwd=RktmNWplSWpnb1hYYkNZVmxYQUhCQT09
Meeting ID: 927 9707 6306
Passcode: k3MZX3
Earth Project
Hello Pathfinder families!
I’m this year’s Earth Project Coordinator. The Earth Project is dedicated to finding and supporting best practices at our school for protecting the earth. We are excited to partner with you!
Some of our projects include; supporting the Pathfinder Garden Program, recycling/compost/garbage education, field trip support, classroom support around environmental issues, green team certification, and an energy audit of our school. In addition, we have a calendar of regular annual school events (listed below).
Our first Earth Project meeting of the year is this week on Wednesday, September 15th in the garden after school. Please plan to join us! Kids are always welcome. We will be discussing our plans for the year as well as the upcoming online Harvest Festival next month.
If you have questions, you can reach me at earthproject@pathfinderk8ptsa.org.
Thank you,
Sarah
Mom to Cooper (Coyote) and Woodrow (Elk)
Mathematics Instructional Materials Adoption Needs Assessment
In July 2021, Seattle Public Schools initiated an adoption process to select new mathematics instructional materials for Kindergarten through fifth grade students. SPS families are invited to complete this Needs Assessment Survey to share what is important to them in math instructional materials. The results of this survey will be used by the adoption committee to help determine the selection criteria.
Upcoming Listening Sessions
Recordings of Virtual Events
Please check back on Tuesday for updated links.
- Dr. Holmes Meet and Greet
- MS Orientation
- School Opening and Pathfinder 101
Blazing Trails News
Schoolwide Partnership with Duwamish Tribe
The Herons Nest is an outdoor educational center that is walkable from Pathfinders doors. This is a great opportunity for our scholars to experience, explore, and even camp! Please consider supporting their efforts if you are able.
Family Connectors University
Seattle Public Schools (SPS) families are invited to join North Seattle College’s Family Connectors University (FCU) class, a family-focused online course designed to help parents support their child’s learning and growth.
In partnership with North Seattle College and SPS Family Partnerships Department, topics include:
- Helping your child with learning
- Social Emotional Learning ideas for home
- Becoming a supportive partner at your school
- Helping your child with ‘big emotions’
- Supporting your child with reading and math
- Talking to kids about race, racism, and antiracist actions
Take this course in real-time or attend offline at a time that works for you. Check out video here and course details here.
Participants report that this year's pandemic-informed curriculum has been immensely helpful to families during remote learning:
“The Family Connectors University class was a wealth of practical ideas, and definitely worth the time investment!”
“…the conversations about self-care, supporting our kids' social emotional growth, dealing with "big feelings" and recommendations on supporting reading and math were fantastic.”
“Implementing just a few of these ideas brought the pressure level in our 'locked-down' household from a 9 to a 2.”
“I loved the chance to have one hour to myself each week to get ideas for helping my child and talk with other parents.”
The class takes place online via Zoom for 10 weeks beginning Tuesday, September 28th at 6-7 pm. Parents can participate synchronously or asynchronously, as sessions will be recorded.
Course is facilitated by NSC Parent Education Instructor Lea Evans, Principal Janine Roy, SPS Family Partnerships Coordinator Asosa Sailiai, and special guest speakers.
The cost for the 2-unit class is $39.42 and some scholarships are available.
Email Asosa Sailiai to enroll or find out more information: amsailiai@seattleschools.org.
Dr. Holmes' Incoming Goals
- To know all folx personally and professionally connected to the school. Further, allow others to know me as fully as possible outside day to day connection, crisis, and problem solving.
- To use qualitative and quantitative data to determine concerns and issues regarding improving student performance that needs to be closely examined and addressed to repay the educational debt.
- To learn the artifacts, beliefs, and basic underlying assumptions through engaging in essential conversations with Pathfinder students, staff, and community.
- To identify, hold onto, and strengthen traditions that center students and bring the community together. Further, partner with students, staff, and the community to ensure social emotional learning and growth is embedded in the curriculum, adult strengths are highlighted, and we have fun!
