Eckstein Weekly News

Eckstein Weekly News – April 26, 2024

Upcoming Dates

April

Apr 22-May 14: Door Decorating Contest

May

May 2: 6th Grade Fieldtrip to UW Engineering Discover Days
May 3: 2024/25 ASB Officers Applications Due on Schoology
May 3: Sr. & Jr. Jazz Fieldtrip to Bellevue Jazz
May 6-10: SBA Language Arts Testing (1 week Block Schedule)
May 10: Eckstein Musical Footloose (7 pm)
May 10: Eckstein Night with the Mariners-PTSA Sponsored (6:40 pm)
May 11: Eckstein Musical Footloose (7 pm)
May 13: PTSA Board Meeting (7 pm on Zoom)
May 14: End of Door Decorating Contest
May 17: AAPI AM Assembly
May 20-24: Math SBA Testing (During Math Classes)
May 27: Memorial Day – No School
May 28-31: SPIRIT WEEK
May 31: 8th Grade Semi-Formal
May 31-Jun 2: Silverwood Fieldtrip (Band & Orchestra)

Spring Sports Games this Weekend

Varsity Volleyball – 8:30 AM: Eckstein vs. Madison @ Eckstein
JV Volleyball – 1:00 PM: Eckstein vs. Washington @ Eckstein
Varsity Soccer – 11:30 AM: Washington vs. Eckstein @ Eagle Staff
JV Soccer – 10:00 AM: Washington vs. Eckstein @ JAMS #1
Track – 10:30 Meet @ NEAC (Eckstein Drumline will be playing at the meet)

Mythicon at Eckstein

Students are invited to join Mythicon, currently meeting during Tuesday and Thursday homerooms!

Are your students interested in helping put on Mythicon, Eckstein’s version of Comic Con? Contact the librarian Erin Sterling at emsterling@seattleschools.org. See below for more details!

How it works

Any student can join Mythicon
Groups form based on students’ pop culture fandom interests, whether it’s books, video games, film, TV, or music! Current Mythicon groups include Stardew Valley, Heartstopper, One Piece, Dungeons and Dragons, 12 Realms (student-created world), Owl House, Percy Jackson, Spy x Family, and Carry On. There is still room to create new groups!
Mythicon groups primarily meet during Tuesday and Thursday homerooms and optionally Mondays and Thursday lunches. Ms. Sterling may open up an after-school slot on Friday afternoons in May, but not yet.
Students create decorated booths and a game or activity to go along with the booth.
The event will be in June (date and time to be decided on in the next 2 weeks), and the community will be invited to attend.

Donations and volunteers gladly accepted! Current Mythicon request: paint for painting cardboard decorations, particularly, brown, black, and white.

Eckstein Musical Footloose Tickets On Sale Now!

Come rock out with this based-on-real-life story of rebelling, finding your heart again, and of course dancing!
When: Friday, May 10 and Saturday, May 11 @ 7 pm
Where: Eckstein Auditorium
Reserve your tickets now for Eckstein’s own production of FOOTLOOSE (90-Minute Version)!
Tickets are $10 per seat
Order tickets now:
https://schoolpay.com/pay/for/Eckstein-2324-Spring-Musical-Tickets-/SizCC S
Pre-purchased tickets will be at “Will Call” at the door on the day of the show.
Tickets will be available on SchoolPay until Thursday 5/9 after that tickets can also be purchased at the door (with cash or check only.)

State Testing at Eckstein

State testing is as follows:

Students will need to bring wired headphones or earbuds that will be plugged into their computers.

May 6 – 10: ELA SBA (Language Arts) to be taken by all students. We will have block schedule to give students more time during Language Arts classes. See the block schedule below.
May 20-24: Math SBA to be taken by all students during Math classes.
June 3-7: MAP (Math testing) to be taken by all students during Math classes.

BLOCK SCHEDULE FOR ELA SBA ONLY (May 6 – 10)
Monday & Thursday
Period 1: 8:55-10:50
Period 2: 10:55 – 1:15
1st Lunch: 10:55-11:25
2nd Lunch: 12:45-1:15
HR: 1:20 – 1:50
Period 3: 1:55 –3:45Period 4: 8:55-10:50

Tuesday and Friday
Period 4: 8:55-10:50

Period 5: 10:55 – 1:15
1st Lunch: 10:55-11:25
2nd Lunch: 12:45-1:15
HR: 1:20 – 1:50
Period 6: 1:55 – 3:45

Wednesday is a regular Wednesday schedule
Please visit our website to see all the schedules:
https://ecksteinms.seattleschools.org/news/spring-state-testing-schedule/

Summer Camp Assistance for SPS Students

The Assistance League of Seattle offers scholarships of up to $500 for students to attend summer camp. All SPS students grades 4-11 are eligible. Here is information on how to apply. Deadline is May 15! https://www.assistanceleague.org/seattle/enrichment-scholarships/

WEB Day for Incoming Sixth Graders – August 26 (2-4 pm)

We have set the date for our WEB Day for incoming sixth grade students. WEB Day includes an engaging assembly, fun get-to-know-you games in homeroom groups led by current 7th and 8th grade student leaders and a school tour. It is a chance to make connections with other students, have fun, and get to know the school.

Summer Skills Center student application is open: 8th graders can apply!

Skills Center Student Summer Schedule
Tuesday, July 9 to Tuesday, July 30
In-person: 10:30am to 3:00pm, Monday through Friday
Asynchronous: 1.75 hours of asynchronous work per day for each of the 16 days.
Daily in person hours: 4.5
Daily remote hours: 1.75

Summer Skills Center classes are a great way for incoming 9th graders to get an early start on high school credit, make new friends, and explore college and career pathways well before they finish high school.
Students earn a .5 HS CTE credit (and Family Health counts towards their HS Health class requirement, but is not open to incoming 9th graders).
A Summer Skills Center class is a “real class” with “real grades” (I always remind students of this), so their grade goes on their high school transcript.
Students can only miss a maximum of 3 classes.
Transportation is not provided.
A translated email has gone out to all 8th-11th grade families, and classes fill fast, so please share this info with your students, especially those students who you think would benefit from earning a .5 CTE credit this summer.
We have two Intro to Maritime Vessel Operations classes, and the class aboard the schooner Adventuress has a different schedule and other requirements (see application for details)

Summer Skills Center classes that are closest to your neighborhood are at Roosevelt HS and Nathan Hale, but of course, your 8th graders are welcome to apply for classes at any of our sites.

Here’s a link to more information about our summer program, including course descriptions: https://skillscenter.seattleschools.org/summer/

Find the link to the Skills Center summer application here.

EAC Event – AFTER SCHOOL SPECIAL on May 17th, 2024 at 7pm

Join us on the evening of May 17th for a lively event featuring live music, delicious food, and refreshing drinks, to help raise funds for the Eckstein Student and Family Support. Many of our students do not have their basic needs met when coming to school. By providing essential support—things like backpacks, water bottles, tutoring, social emotional training, grocery gift cards, and more—we can help each student thrive. This year, our needs have surpassed the budget allocated by the district and the 2024 Eckstein Annual Campaign. This event offers a great opportunity to help close the gap.
Ways to participate:
1) Attend the event: This is a live event at SeaFab at 7pm on May 17, 2024. It will feature live music by A FLOCK OF EAGLES, a supergroup composed of Eckstein staff and friends. This is a 21+ event, so arrange childcare and join other Eckstein parents for a fun evening. Tickets are $50. Note: this portion is not tax deductible, as it offsets costs of venue, food, and drinks. The venue is limited in its capacity, so don’t wait too long to Buy Tickets

2) Donate online: There will be a raise-the-paddle portion of the live event, but if you cannot attend, your contributions are still invaluable! Every dollar counts! Please consider donating to the Eckstein Student and Family Support Fund.
If you have question, we have more details at Eckstein Annual Campaign or email us at: eac.eagles@gmail.com
Thank you and see you on the 17th!

Ways to participate:

1) Attend the event:

This is a live event at SeaFab at 7pm on May 17, 2024. It will feature live music by A FLOCK OF EAGLES, a supergroup composed of Eckstein staff and friends. This is a 21+ event, so arrange childcare and join other Eckstein parents for a fun evening. Tickets are $50. Note: this portion is not tax deductible, as it offsets costs of venue, food, and drinks. The venue is limited in its capacity, so don’t wait too long to Buy Tickets

2) Donate online:

There will be a raise-the-paddle portion of the live event, but if you cannot attend, your contributions are still invaluable! Every dollar counts! Please consider donating to the Eckstein Student and Family Support Fund.

If you have question, we have more details at Eckstein Annual Campaign or email us at: eac.eagles@gmail.com

Thank you and see you on the 17th!

Celebrate Earth Day by Recycling Plastic Film

Do you know that 7 trillion plastic bags are used every year worldwide? Thanks to efforts by our sixth graders and our amazing science teachers, we can help ensure plastic bags and other film don’t end up in the environment by joining the Eckstein Plastic Film Drive. Eckstein is keeping Plastic Film from landfills with Ridwell this spring! As part of this limited-time drive, you can bring these types of Plastic Film to school from April 15 – May 23rd and Ridwell will make sure they stay out of landfills and are turned into new decking materials instead! Start collecting these items at home now. Collections will take place in the main office and in the bins marked in the science hallway.

You can also help Eckstein recycle our school’s Plastic Film for the entire ‘24/’25 school year! Be sure to use: http://get.ridwell.com/ECK to join Ridwell with an at-home membership by May 31st, 2024. If we sign up 10 or more new members by this date, we will be awarded monthly Plastic Film pickups for our school next year! If you’ve been thinking about subscribing to Ridwell, this is a great opportunity to double your environmental impact! Also, we could use a few extra volunteers to help with this drive in the coming weeks. If you are interested in helping out, please contact jclevine@seattleschools.org.

Tickets for the 8th Grade Semi-Formal Dance are now on Sale on SchoolPay

8th Grade Semi-Formal Dance Friday, May 31st, 2024 7-9pm. The theme is Red Carpet and the attire is semi-formal, so wear something fancy!

Tickets are $8 on SchoolPay from now until Thursday, May 30th at 3pm. If you need a scholarship, please talk to counseling before the day of the dance.

Tickets must be pre-purchased on SchoolPay or cash/check to the Main Office, there will be no tickets sold at the door as we need accurate numbers for supervision and food planning and ease of getting kids in.

Reminders:

Students will enter from the courtyard into the cafeteria.
NO backpacks allowed.
There are no in-and-out privileges (meaning once you exit the building, you may not return).
NO stiletto heels as they will ruin the gym floor.
No running in the halls
Do not tear down decorations
Absolutely NO pop-it’s or other fireworks
The same school rules apply in the evenings too!
If you are not following the rules, you will be asked to leave the dance immediately.
Pick up is at 9:00pm-please be prompt!

A Message for Sixth Grade Families

You recently received email and Talking Points communication regarding an upcoming survey of 6th graders called the SDQ. A decision has been made by the District to not proceed with conducting this survey. Please contact Nurse Amelia at 206-252-5017 if you have any questions.

Eckstein PTSA Needs You on the 24/25 Eckstein PTSA Board!

Elected Board Positions (* indicates existing incumbent is eligible and interested in serving)

President*: presiding officer/ spokesperson for the PTSA, leads PTSA meetings

Vice-President -Advocacy: assistant to president, chairs advocacy work

Vice-President-Engagement*: assistant to president, chairs community engagement work

Treasurer: serve as the financial officer for the PTSA, including financial recordkeeping and accounting

Secretary: maintains records for PTSA, including minutes for board and general membership meetings

Membership Chair: oversees membership recruitment and membership records.

Building-Leadership Team (BLT) Representative: represents parent/PTSA interests on the school’s BLT

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Chair: Chair the DEI committee. Advocate for DEI in school and PTSA actions.

Appointed Board Positions

Packs for Kids Chair*: Coordinates weekend food support with University Food Bank. Supports school counselor/social worker on fulfilling student support needs.

Reflections Chair: Coordinate Eckstein PTSA participation in the national PTA annual student art contest

Legislative Chair: Distribute legislative information to the school community/represent Eckstein in PTSA advocacy.

Garden Chair: coordinate maintenance of Eckstein garden

Staff Appreciation Chair: organize staff appreciation events

Thank you for your interest in learning more about volunteering with the Eckstein Middle School.

Jameal Samhouri

PTSA Volunteer Coordinator

Save the Date for Our 2024 8th Grade Celebration Parade

We will be celebrating our eighth graders in our annual 8th Grade Send-Off Celebration on June 20, 2024 from 5 pm – 6:30 pm.
This includes a parade down 30th Avenue and refreshments in the garden.
More information to come!

Thursday, June 20 8th Grade Events During the School Day

8th Grade Pancake Breakfast
Recognition Assembly (for students only)
Practice the Parade Route

Summer Camp Information

We will be posting summer camps as we receive information.

Nathan Hale Cheer Junior Raiders Camp grades 6-8 – May 4 – 5th
Come join us for our 2024 Spring Junior Raiders Camp! Learn basic motions, jumps, kicks, and even take a stunt class from our veteran cheerleaders and head coach. You’ll learn some sideline cheers, an original dance, and will have time with your “Big Sister” cheerleaders for an open Q&A, leadership exercise, and a lesson in trusting your teammates through stunts. This is a great opportunity for any student interested in cheering in high school, just wants to try it out, or is interested in a fun activity to do with friends over the weekend! Camp will be held on 5/4/2024-5/5/24 from 12-4pm. You have the option to do a one or two-day camp. Pre-Registration will be open from 4/1/2024-5/2/2024 (1-Day only- $50, 2-Day- $75). Registration includes a camp t-shirt, a bow, and the clinic fee. (Add $10 for day-of registration 5/4). Camp is open to all genders and abilities! Go Raiders!
Questions? Email: hareynolds@seattleschools.org – Head Coach: Halia Reynolds, Hale Cheerleading. Link to sign up: https://forms.gle/YZ7mcGfE8EvewpadA
Roosevelt Youth Soccer Camp – August 12 – 15
For more information: https://form.jotform.com/240654821044148
Roosevelt Youth Football Camp – July 8-11
For more information:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1SmCe_ab7ywRKhSG0jhk9PXMqDVdWymb1UK-XGX2OkHQ/viewform?edit_requested=true
Incoming Sixth Graders Band Camp – June 24 – July 12
For more information: https://ecksteinms.seattleschools.org/student-life/band/