November 3 Owl Post

What a special job I have getting to spend my days with this amazing community. In the lunch room, a student called me over just to tell me that they loved me. These kind of moments seem to happen daily and I do not take them for granted!

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of last week, a team of 5 staff members attended a professional development training on Professional Learning Committees and Teams. During the conference, we learned about the importance in collaboration and some strategies teacher teams can use to support one another to create learning opportunities for our students. Teams do this by coming together and answering the questions: What do we want students to learn, How do we know they are learning, What do we do if they aren't, and how to extend the learning if they already learn it. We will be coming together and sharing what we learned with teachers during upcoming early release professional development time.

November is Native American Heritage Month. At STEM, teachers will be providing students with lessons SPS celebrates and honors Native American Heritage year round.

Meet local tribal change-makers and learning about some of the district resources.

This week, elementary school students will have their monthly assembly. This month, we focus on and celebrate the moments where students demonstrate gratitude towards themselves and one another. It is one of my favorite things to recognize because in doing so it makes me become more grateful than I already am.

Thank you for all of your support in these last several weeks of school.

Adrienne/Ms. O

All students at STEM receive one free breakfast and lunch per day- vegetarian options daily!

The Cafeteria is open at 8:35 a.m. to serve breakfast daily
Students can check-in with any adult in the Cafeteria to navigate breakfast & lunch service

By filling out the The School Meals Application, it helps our school receive federal and state funding. It does more than just support our cafeteria. Please fill out!

🍎Free fruit at the West Seattle Farmers Market, 11/16! Collins Family Orchards is donating 200 lbs of fresh fruit for anyone who needs it at upcoming local Farmers Markets.

Please reach out to our school Social Worker, Dana Fink, for direct support and resources: dmfink@seattleschools.org

School Menus

Seattle Public Schools, in partnership with PEPS, is offering a free four-part virtual workshop series for parents and caregivers of students ages 10–19.

These engaging 90-minute sessions are designed to help families better understand and support their teens during adolescence. Topics include adolescent brain development, navigating social challenges, effective communication, and more.

Families can attend any or all the workshops based on their interests and availability. Live captioning is provided, and all sessions are held virtually via Zoom.

We encourage principals to share these flyers with families and promote this valuable opportunity within their school communities.

Contact: Lisa Davidson, Manager of Prevention & Intervention, lmdavidson@seattleschools.org

Yuen Lui Studio will photograph makeup and retake photos at Louisa Boren STEM K-8 on Friday, November 14

Missed picture day? Students who missed the October picture day should plan on getting a photo taken on November 14. Families can preorder photos here: 2025-26 Louisa Boren STEM K-8 Make-up/ Retake Pre-payments 11/14
Preordered photos and would like a retake? students can return their portrait package to the photographer on 11/14 in exchange for a complimentary retake and a replacement will be shipped to the school at no charge; please note that the retake photo replaces the picture day photo for both PowerSchool and the yearbook
View and order photos from picture day

Order School Photos — Yuen Lui School & Sports Photography
Keyword: Louisa Boren
Oline Code: Student's SPS School ID Number

November

11-8: STEM Day at Ounces 2-5 p.m. (details below!)

11-10: WSFB Drive & Giving Tree Kick-off (details below!)

11-11: Veterans Day No School
11-13: The Source: Family Workshop 5:30-6 p.m. in the STEM Library
11-13: Cultural Night 6-7:30 p.m. in the STEM Cafeteria (See flyer for more info & sign up to bring a dish to share and serve at Cultural Night)

11-14: Picture Retakes at STEM (See above informatioin)
11-20: November General PTA Meeting & Movie Night 6/6:30-8 pm (details below!)

Week of 11-25: No school- Parent Teacher Conferences

Link to SPS School Calendar

Middle School Families! A great way to have a window into your child's experience is by logging into The Source. Last week, I signed in and saw that my son had a C in Language Arts. I was able to look at his teacher's grade book and see that he hadn't turned in all of his assignments. Together, we are working to improve his grade. It is important that parents have access to this information. Currently, only 50 middle school families have signed onto this platform. At 5:30 p.m. on November 13 (before Culture Night), I will be hosting a Source workshop. We will have laptops and I will be able to access your login information. I have a goal of making sure that all families access this tool by the end of the school year. More information about The Source below.

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.

Sign up to bring a dish to share and serve at Cultural Night here!

Ms. Sawade’s CTE class is diving into 3D design, and we’re looking for volunteers with experience running 3D printers to help bring student projects to life! The printers take some finesse, lots of calibrating and readjusting, so we’re hoping to find someone who already knows their way around the process. While she’s starting with her CTE classes, her goal is to eventually have all of her classes (K-8) 3D printing and even learning to run the machines themselves. If you (or someone you know) has experience and would like to help, we’d love to hear from you!

Contact ms Sawade jlsawade@seattleschools.org

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. If you do not hear from the school about scheduling a time to meet by the 10th of November, reach out to the front office so we can make sure we have the correct contact information.

Attendance: One of the most important things your student can do 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. Please contribute for 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? Please contact our Office Assistant, Leo, mrshaughness@seattleschools.org to get the ball rolling.

I shared the staff shout-outs that families/caregivers sent my way about our staff. They were wonderful! If you would like to recognize a teacher or a staff member, I will share your comments in the staff bulletin for all of our staff to see. It is a wonderful way to help staff feel celebrated for the work that they do. Recognize a teacher or staff member!

West Seattle Food Bank Drive!

STEM is hosting a food drive for the West Seattle Food Bank starting Monday, November 10! List of needed donation items. Drop off bin will be located just inside the front doors of STEM.

Giving Tree!

Giving Tree is lead by school Social Worker, Dana Fink, with support from the STEM PTA. Donations will go directly towards providing STEM students and families items to meet their basic needs; needs that include comfort, dignity and a sense of belonging to an inclusive learning community that welcomes and cares for ALL of our students. With your help, we will be able to provide gift cards for needed food, warm clothing, cleaning supplies including dish soap and laundry detergent — items that don't cost a lot, but are necessary to our students' health and well-being. No donation is too small. Giving Tree will run from November 10 - December 10.

WE DID IT!!! 🥳

⭐Our generous community member has announced they'll donate the full $20K- which means we surpassed our goal to raise $30K! Congratulations STEM!!⭐

There is still time to check with employers to see about an Employee Match Program! Check with your management for details and reach out to treasurer@stemk8pta.org with any questions.

STEM Day @ Ounces is this Saturday, 11/8!

Tables of STEM activities hosted by STEM parents with Girls Rock Math joining us too! Kids can explore all the STEM fun while parents and caregivers get the opportunity to hang out, % of sales donated back to our PTA by local partners Ounces and Burbs Burgers! Brought to you by the STEM PTA and 3rd grade. Qs? communications@stemk8pta.org

📆 Save the Dates!

November General PTA Meeting- Thur 11/20, 6:30-8 p.m.: All are welcome to discuss the year and participate in important discussions that help shape our school support! Meetings are in the STEM Library or via Zoom. See here for Zoom link. Hope to see you there! executiveboard@stemk8pta.org
November Movie Night- Thur 11/20, 6 p.m.: To benefit STEM's Giving Tree. Join us to watch the animated How to Train Your Dragon, suggested donation of $5-$10 for entry + snacks. We're hoping for LARGE community participation to support STEM families through these incredibly tough times right now. Please see here for volunteer and snack donation opportunities- thank you!

* View our calendar here for up-to-date PTA & school events *

Lost & Found!

STEM's Lost & Found is filling up. Please check out the racks just inside the front door of school when you are in the building- or if your family is missing anything!

Join the PTA here- for Free!

Join the PTA Leadership 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

Please come out and support Soccer and Ultimate Frisbee!

Ultimate- please reach out to Mr. V! ntvanderveen@seattleschools.org

Soccer
11/8 - 9:30 a.m.,Madison vs Pathfinder

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.

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