Welcome to new STEM K-8 third grade teacher Matthew McGavick! We were fortunate to attract a teacher in September with Mr. McGavick’s skills and experience. Mr. McGavick has taught a range of grade levels between Kindergarten and 5th grade. He also has collaborated in the past with current STEM K-8 peers Kent Daniels and Ryan Schaedig. He’s looking forward to meeting third grade students and families on Wednesday on the first day of school!
Welcome back!
9-3-16
Dear Louisa Boren STEM K-8 Families:
Hello and welcome back to a fabulous year at Louisa Boren STEM K-8! With all the changes involving facilities, programs, and staff, it’s going to be a scramble at the start. Contractors are busy pulling wiring, adjusting plumbing, and moving furniture around and out of the building as I type. Our staff have been meeting, planning, and working overtime to craft an amazing school year. The community of new and returning staff coming together this year are truly remarkable. I am proud to work with them. When are staff are joined by students and families, STEM K-8 becomes a special place.
Our journey towards K-8 will continue to produce some growing pains. The additional time involved in adding staff, developing plans, modifying facilities, and obtaining instructional resources make it hard to stay on top of communication. There are more interesting things happening than I have time to share!
A few ways to keep in the loop:
- Bookmark the Louisa Boren STEM K-8 and STEM K-8 PTA websites (they overlap and contain a wealth of useful information).
- Make sure your email address is accurate and updated in the school information system (check and fill out the data verification forms you receive at the beginning of the school year). You will receive the PTA/School newsletter (Owl Post) weekly and other updates via School Messenger that use that email address.
- Bookmark my school blog at principalostrom.wordpress.com and follow @PrincipalOstrom on Twitter. Both are linked to the school and PTA website and combined school/PTA Facebook page (at Louisa Boren STEM K-8), and share news, ideas, and developments as they happen.
Some key information regarding the new year:
- Start and End Time:
9:30 am and 4:05 pm! ***These are new*** (The posted SPS start time of 9:35 demarks the tardy bell)
- Pick up/Drop off/Parking:
Supervision is provided starting at 9:15 am. Please do not bring your child to school before 9:15 am as there is no supervision.
For Morning Drop off and Dismissal: Students may be dropped off or picked up in the designated zone on the west end of the playground. Parents may pull into the drop off/pick up zone and supervisors will direct children accordingly. When in the pick up line please remain in your car. We will bring your child to you. Parents wanting to walk and pick up their children may park in the visitor parking section of the parking lot, or the park and walk section designated “School Load and Unload only” along Delridge. Students may not be dropped off on Delridge to walk to the playground. To respect instructional time and traffic flow in a building serving more than 500 students, we ask that parents pick up and drop off outside (or in the office for late arrivals) rather than at classroom doors. On the first day of school students and parents may go directly to classrooms. If you need to talk with the teacher, you are welcome to come into the building.
There is now a crosswalk and flashing lights that make it permissible to park on the west side of Delridge and walk your child to the playground/school. For safety reasons students may not be dropped off on either side of Delridge to walk to the playground. Parents must walk from those parking spots to drop off/pick up their children on the playground. FYI—During school hours/flashing lights driving faster than the posted speed limit will incur a hefty camera-recorded ticket!
- Classroom Assignments:
Due to changes in FERPA regulations, classroom assignments are no longer posted publicly. Classroom assignments were shared on Thursday, Sept. 2nd via email. On the first day of school there will be staff and volunteers available to share assignments and families may walk students to new classrooms.
- Important Dates:
September 7th: First day of school for students in Seattle Preschool Program and grades 1-7.
September 7: First day of school decompression coffee hour! 9:35-10:30am meet with other parents and school principal Ben Ostrom to celebrate/decompress.
September 7, 8, and 9: Family Conferences with Kindergarten families.
September 9, 5:30-8:00 pm: 5th ANNUAL STEM BACK TO SCHOOL BASH! Lincoln Park NORTH END Shelter 1 & picnic tables 1-13 . Stay tuned to school/PTA Facebook page for updates.
September 12th: The first day of school for kindergarten students.
September 14, 6:30-8:00 pm PTA meeting. Come to the first PTA meeting of the year to discuss plans and what’s happening! There will also be a Uniform Swap – bring uniform items that don’t fit anymore and exchange them for ones that do.
September 19: First day of school for Developmental (Special Education) preschool.
September 29: Curriculum Night and Open House
- Uniform Expectations:
STEM K-8 is a uniform school (yes, for middle schoolers too)! Uniforms were adopted to build community, decrease inequalities and distractions, support safety, and many other reasons. Visit the STEM School Website for full details on uniform expectations and guidelines. A uniform closet exists to support families requesting financial assistance to meet uniform guidelines, and also address short term needs.
- School Supplies:
We will not be distributing a school supplies list. In lieu of an expensive list of supplies we ask K–5 students bring a backpack and a check made to STEM K-8 for $45 and middle school students a backpack and check for $85. This can be left with teachers the first week of school and payment can be spread out over multiple months if needed. The supply payment is not required and all students will receive the same supplies ordered by their teachers in each classroom. Middle school fees help cover additional technology and science additional supplies used at the middle school level.
- Welcome to New and Returning Staff:
STEM K-8 welcomes several new staff members, and some staff changed assignments. K-8 and program expansion means we added multiple staff members. We added 7th Grade, Access Special Education, a Special Education Preschool, and Seattle Preschool Program. We also said goodbye to some staff members who transitioned to new places and jobs. We were fortunate to add amazing educators to support our students and further our vision.
| Grade/Program | Teacher |
| Developmental
Pre-School |
Anya Dale |
| Seattle Preschool Program | Abby Reid |
| K | Wendy Morgan |
| K | Alisha Henderson |
| 1st | Jessica Brodland |
| 1st | Soheyla Nur |
| 2nd | Jodi Williamson |
| 2nd | Krissy Soltman |
| 3rd | To be announced! |
| 3rd | Sunny Graves |
| 3rd | Kirsten Colby |
| 4th | Joseph Roicki |
| 4th | Deborah Giza |
| 4th | Ryan Schaedig |
| 5th | Kent Daniels |
| 5th | Lauren Martin |
| 6th | Travis DesAutels |
| 6th-7th | Craig Parsley |
| 6th-7th | Adrienne Perkins |
| 7th | Heidi Paulson |
| Resource | Katie Griffith |
| Resource | Feige Engelsberg |
| Access | Melissa Graham |
| SM4 | Mary McGuire |
| SM4 | Shamsah Rahim |
| PFA | Marie Nelson |
| Computer | Julie Schmick |
| PE | Ed Adams |
| Library | Mary Bannister |
| Band | Casey Cheever |
| ELL | Lee-Chin Chua |
| Counselor | Meredith Osborne |
| Instructional
Assistants |
|
| Special Education | Craig Rankin |
| Special Education | Caroline Ong |
| Special Education | Greg Wolfe |
| Special Education | Michael Brown |
| Special Education | Ron Adams |
| Special Education | Hayward Coleman |
| Special Education | Lynn Ferguson |
| Special Education | Jennifer Ramierez |
| Special Education | Anisha Madden |
| Seattle Preschool Program | Clara Hanson |
| ELL | Maria Asuncion |
| LAP | Stephanie Hughes |
| Custodial | |
| Custodial Engineer | Tom Zech |
| Evening CE | Jeanette Profit |
| Office | |
| Administrative Secretary | Cindy Baca |
| Elementary Assistant | Christa Howsmon |
| Nurse | Rena Anderson |
| Assistant Principal | Kim Noble |
| Principal | Ben Ostrom |
Many good things are happening! STEM K-8 staff have been working hard to prepare for the year ahead. We will have much to share and celebrate in the weeks to come. Thank you for joining me and Louisa Boren STEM K-8 Staff to create a powerful learning community filled with scholars who are aspiring, creating, and expecting.
Sincerely,
Ben Ostrom
Louisa Boren STEM K-8 Principal
Third Grade Update
Dear STEM 3rd Grade Families,
I am writing to share what I know will be disappointing news for some 3rd grade families. A late staff resignation by one of STEM K-8’s 4th grade teachers led to the reassignment of Joseph Roicki to that grade level. Mr. Roicki had been planning on looping and seeing many of his students again. A close evaluation of student and staffing needs led me to prioritize Mr. Roicki’s skills and experience for a 4th grade assignment. A small consolation prize will be that many of his former students will have an opportunity to see him again in 4th grade.
We are hoping to announce the name of the new third grade teacher by tomorrow. We are waiting for the selected candidate to be processed by Seattle Public Schools HR department. I am excited by our choice and can’t wait to share it.
Sincerely,
Benjamin Ostrom
STEM K-8 Principal
Summer Reflections
STEM K-8 Families,
I hope this letter finds you making real summer time. I experienced two weeks of full, unplugged vacation surrounding one week of part-time trying-to-keep-the-ship-floating work. I canoed with extended family in the BWCA of northern Minnesota, and spent a week backpacking with my kids on the Washington Wilderness Coast. When the exact details became foggy, and I couldn’t remember the next step for tasks on my list, I was good to return. I’m jumping into preparations for an amazing fall!
As Rainier Marie Rilke wrote in ”The Winged Energy of Delight:”
Just as the winged energy of delight
carried you over many chasms early on,
now raise the daringly imagined arch
holding up the astounding bridges.
Miracle doesn’t lie only in the amazing
living through and defeat of danger;
Miracles become miracles in the clear
achievement that is earned.
To work with things is not hubris
when building the association beyond words;
denser and denser the pattern becomes —
being carried along is not enough.
Take your well-disciplined strengths
and stretch them between two
opposing poles. Because inside human beings
is where God learns.
We are stretching this year—new staff, programs, grades, and spaces. The arc of last year’s challenges will be swallowed by a dump truck load of new opportunities. Daringly imagined arches will not be sufficient to bridge the chasm; our relationships, collaboration, and sweat will fill the gaps. Building a strong K-8 school is not a three-year journey; it’s a six-year feat filled with gods learning inside human beings. I find direction in my core values and our tripart vision: 1) Grow 21st readiness in a community that values equity, sustainability, the whole child 2) Develop rigorous STREAM skills to ask and answer audacious questions, and 3) Use Project Based Learning to tackle real world challenges.
I’m jazzed about the journey. And it’s not because of building construction and reorganization, new grades and programs, nor the cool resources that have been coming in. Our students, staff and families fill me with excitement for the coming year! A remarkable group of new staff are joining an exceptional team at STEM. Our partnership with families makes it possible for us to do cool things. Our students are simply amazing. We have the collective talent and commitment to lift STEM K-8 to new heights.
Nothing’s going to be easy. We are living evolution. We are growing from an intimate community of informal connections and make-do into a large collective crafting new systems and common practice. Yet our fundamental building blocks remain passionate staff members bringing high expectations, committed families partnering to create engaging learning experiences, and your extraordinary children.
Happy August! Summer’s still in the air!
Ben
Midde School ELA/Social Studies Teachers!
I sent the note below to SPS’ teachers with contingency contracts, who are eligible for our next hiring phase 4/18-4/25.
Dear Seattle Public Schools’ ELA-Social Studies Applicants,
Louisa Boren STEM K-8 is an option school emphasizing Project Based Learning and STEM subjects. We are a growing school (currently in our 4th year), adding 7th grade next year and 8th grade in 2017-18. STEM K-8 staff are creating an innovative K-8 school. Visit the STEM K-8 PTA and school website to learn more about our vision and school developments. You can also get a taste of what happens at STEM K-8 by checking @PrincipalOstrom on Twitter.
STEM K-8 is developing ELA and Social Studies programs that support interdisciplinary and Project Based Learning. Experiences with technology integration, Next Generation Science and Engineering Standards, Positive Discipline, and diverse populations are valued. Our middle school grades utilize a 1:1 iPad program. We are looking for an energized teacher qualified to teach middle school ELA and Social Studies to collaborate in developing a ground-breaking middle school. If you’re interested in innovative teaching and program development, consider applying to Louisa Boren STEM K-8 during Phase 1B from 4/18-4/25. Feel free to contact me at bostrom@seattleschools.org if you have further questions.
Sincerely,
Benjamin Ostrom
Louisa Boren STEM K-8 Principal
Recruiting staff for the middle school
It’s a little quieter working over Spring Break. Almost lonely in here! As SPS moves on to Phase 1B of hiring outside applicants are still not eligible, but those with contingency contracts can now apply.
Here’s a brief note to contingency staff eligible to teach math to apply to STEM K-8:
Dear Seattle Public Schools’ Math Applicants,
Louisa Boren STEM K-8 is an option school emphasizing STEM subjects and Project Based Learning. We are a growing school (currently in our 4th year), adding 7th grade next year and 8th grade in 2017-18. STEM K-8 staff are creating an innovative K-8 school. Visit the STEM K-8 PTA and school website to learn more about our vision and school developments. You can also get a taste of what happens at STEM by checking @PrincipalOstrom on Twitter.
STEM K-8 uses Singapore math in grades K-8 to build an advanced math pathway for all students. Experiences with technology integration, Next Generation Science and Engineering Standards, Project Based Learning, Positive Discipline, and diverse populations are valued. Our middle school grades utilize a 1:1 iPad program. We are looking for energized teachers to collaborate in developing a ground-breaking middle school. If you’re interested in innovative teaching and program development, consider applying to Louisa Boren STEM K-8!
Sincerely,
Benjamin Ostrom
Louisa Boren STEM K-8 Principal
A budget mitigation request
I spent a while this afternoon working on a budget mitigation request for STEM K-8 next year, asking SPS to provide a 1.0 AP and some additional program planning funds. Excerpts from the application is included below to help see what we are preparing for.
Purpose:
The Mitigation Fund is an auxiliary source of operating funds. These funds will be allocated to address extreme school and program needs that are not adequately funded by WSS allocations, baseline carry-forwards, grants, self-help or other sources of funds.
Criteria:
The criteria used to evaluate requests include program, and equity considerations, unique school characteristics student achievement and other funding availability.
[Describe the reason for the mitigation request. The reasons should be tied directly to the mitigation criteria described above. Requests that are not specifically related to these criteria are unlikely to receive mitigation funding.]
Louisa Boren STEM K-8 is a new option school adding a middle school and special education programs. For the 2016-17 school year STEM will be adding two 7th grade classes, an Access program, morning and afternoon Special Education preschool classes, and a Seattle preschool. There will be construction and change throughout the Boren building as Arbor Heights leaves and STEM reorganizes to inhabit the entire school. Additionally, only in it’s 4th year of existence, STEM continues to pursue the work of solidifying its option school program. Implementing a clear school vision has required extensive professional development in Project-Based Learning, Next Generation Science and Engineering Standards, and Singapore Math. We are currently trying to develop alignment in Balanced Literacy practices. STEM’s number of ELL students doubled last year, and STEM experienced a substantial increase in Special Education students (before the assignment of two new programs). Not counting the Seattle Preschool teacher, STEM K-8 was assigned 26.6 certificated teachers (27 qualifies for a 1.0 AP).
The extraordinary level of ongoing change and development happening at Louisa Boren STEM K-8 requires investing in leadership and planning. It takes substantial leadership to develop new programs. A full-time AP and funds to support individual, team, and staff planning for new programming is essential for STEM K-8 to meet the expanding student needs Seattle Public Schools has assigned.
Result of not Mitigating
[Describe the negative results of not mitigating the resources as requested. How will this violate the guiding principles and mission of the Seattle Public Schools?]
[If multiple items are requested indicate the priority of needs.]
Seattle Public School is committed to equity. The level of change and growth at STEM demands at least minimal allocation of additional resources. With new 7th grade, Sped, and preschool programs (and 26.6 certificated teachers-many of them new to the school and profession), not investing in leadership and planning is tantamount to adopting a “sink or swim” development strategy. Seattle Public Schools’ mission states SPS is committed to ensuring equitable access, closing the opportunity gaps and excellence in education for every student. This is particularly vital for Special Education students, our most vulnerable learners. Not investing in leadership and planning will lead to lower achievement, a lack of compliance and poor implementation of IEP’s and new Special Education programs, insufficient development of middle school programming, and frustrated staff, students, and community members.
