2024-25 Back to School Newsletter

Upcoming Dates

NEW 7th and 8th Grade Student Welcome and Tour
August 26th 11am-12 pm
Meet at the blue and white wooden Eckstein Middle School sign on 75th

WEB Day: 6th Grade Welcome
August 26th 2 pm-4 pm in the Eckstein Gym

• Drop off your 6th grade student on the west side of the school on NE 30th Ave by 2:00 PM. We will have WEB leaders and signs to direct students. More info to come by the end of the week.
• Pick up will be at the back of the school on the Eckstein field at 4:00pm.

First Day of School
September 4th – No Early Release – 8:55 am- 3:45 pm
Early release will occur every Wednesday Except for the first week of school.

School Picture Day
September 12th – During the school day

Curriculum Night
September 26th – 6 pm – 8:30 pm

Welcome Back from Principal Rose

Hello Eckstein Families,

Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year!

I hope this newsletter finds you and your family well and that you have had a wonderful summer. We are looking forward to welcoming our Eckstein Eagles back to school in a few short weeks.

I would like to extend a special welcome to our new families joining our Eckstein community. We are glad you are with us for your student’s middle school journey!

We ask that you thoroughly read this back-to-school newsletter. We send our weekly school information on Fridays through this “Smore” format, as it provides opportunity for translation for our families. We hope the many questions you have as we embark on the new school year are integrated into this publication. Please reach out with additional questions you have.

I am fortunate to lead the most amazing community of students, educators and families.

It is a great honor to be your Principal.

Sincerely,
Kristin Rose, Principal

WEB Day for Incoming 6th Grade Students

Monday – August 26, 2024
2:00 – 4 PM
We are very excited to welcome our newest Eagles, the incoming 6th grade class, to Eckstein Middle School!
The transition from elementary to middle school can be filled with many different emotions. We hope to ease this transition by inviting your student to Eckstein on Monday, August 26th from 2PM – 4 PM for our WEB program.

Where Everyone Belongs!

• Orientation and transition program to welcome our new 6th grade students.
• Community building activities.
• Meet fellow sixth graders.
• Tour the building.
• Much, much more!

Drop off all 6th grade students on the west side of the school on 30th Ave NE by 2:00 PM. We will have WEB leaders and signs to direct students.

Pick up will be in the Eckstein field at 4:00 pm.

PTSA board members will be at the drop-off for the August 26th WEB Day to share information about Eckstein to parents and caregivers. Be sure to join us for a family meet-up on the Eckstein field after WEB Day for students and families. We will gather after WEB Day concludes at 4 PM for a New Family Meet up! Join us for popsicles and connections with incoming students and families.

We know that many families have plans in the final days before school starts and cannot attend WEB due to prior commitments. If this is the case for your student, please do not worry. The first day of school we repeat welcoming activities, provide tours of the school, and get our students well situated before they start moving to their various classes. Please rest assured that they will be well taken care of!

Welcome new 7th and 8th grade students to Eckstein

We invite new to Eckstein 7th and 8th grade students to join us for a meet and greet and a tour of the school. We will meet on August 26th from 11:00 am – 12:00 pm in front of the school at the blue and white Eckstein Middle School sign off of NE 75th Street. This event will be hosted by 7th grade Counselor Mr. Manzo and 8th grade Counselor Mr. Hoff.

Notes from the Nurse

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Welcome back! I hope you have all had a great summer and are ready to begin the year. I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Amelia Kaune, and I will be your school nurse. I have been a nurse for over 14 years with a background in labor and delivery and as a substitute school nurse for SPS. I have also lived in Wedgwood for more than 8 years. I am so excited to be joining Eckstein and look forward to collaborating with families to ensure the health of your students.

There are several things I need to be ready for your child this year.

Immunizations:

Please make sure that your child is up to date with all the required immunizations for school. You will receive a letter from the district office if a student is deficient in any of the required immunizations.

Medications:

If your child will need daily medication that will be given at school or, if your child has an emergency medication (epinephrine, albuterol, glucagon, midazolam, etc) that may need to be given at school, I will need the medication authorization form signed by both you AND his/her physician.

If the student will carry the medication with them (i.e.: albuterol), you must make sure to check that box otherwise, I should have it in the nurse’s office. Please make sure the physician states the name of the medication, the dosage, how often given and for what. I must have this form for all medications by the first day of school; without it, I cannot give the medication. If any changes are made to the dosage, etc. I will need a new medication authorization. All medication must come in its original package, not individual pills. It must have your child’s name clearly written on the box/prescription, and the dosage and administration instructions on the printed pharmacy label MUST match those on the medication authorization form.

I will be at the school on the following days this month (see below) and would invite you to come and meet me, especially for those of you that have students with emergency medications or chronic conditions (i.e.: diabetes, seizure disorders, severe allergies), and to drop off any medications and paperwork that will be needed this year. Please call in advance of coming to ensure I will be present to meet you.

• Monday, August 26th 12 pm – 3 pm
• Tuesday, August 27th 11 am – 3 pm
• Friday, August 30th 9 am – 3 pm
• Tuesday, September 3rd 9 am – 3 pm

Please call Nurse Amelia before coming to the building to confirm availability at 206-305-3874.

Emergency Contact:

Please make sure to have your emergency contact information up to date (sent home first week of school and an online update request will also be sent from SPS) in case I need to call due to illness and the need to return home. I will start with parents/guardians and then will go down your list. Remember that during school hours at any time I could call— being available during these hours is very helpful.

I look forward to working with you and your child this school year. During the school year, I work Monday-Friday from 08:30-4:00. Enjoy the remaining days of summer break.

Amelia Kaune BSN, RN (She/Her)
School Nurse, Eckstein Middle School
aakaune@seattleschools.org
P: 206-252-5017
F: 206-252-5011
Amelia Kaune BSN, RN (She/Her)
School Nurse, Eckstein Middle School

Student Schedules

Please remember that Eckstein’s master schedule is very complex and elective choices are not guaranteed. We prioritize the scheduling of core academic classes to ensure that all students are in the appropriate courses. We cannot accommodate teacher choice. We do our best to honor elective choices when possible.

More information can be found on our Registrar’s webpage

Timeline:

• Preliminary schedules will go live on the Source on September 3rd at 4 PM. This date is set by the district and cannot be changed at the school level.
• Changes can be requested online, directly to the registrar’s office. We will send the form to request schedule changes in a later email.
• Final schedules will be distributed to ALL students on the first day of school in their Home Room class, where they will start their day.
• If you know that your student will not be attending Eckstein, please let Ms. Tai know as soon as possible by emailing her at jetai@seattleschools.org.

First day of school procedures

• Please encourage your student to bring their school supplies on the first day of school, including water bottles. Please refer to the school supply list below. If your family needs help with purchasing school supplies please contact our Social Worker, Erica Davenport, at esdavenport@seattleschools.org. We are happy to help!
• Parent drop off and pick up of students is on NE 75th Street, right in front of the school. Please pull forward as far as you can to accommodate more vehicles. Drivers are asked not to exit their vehicles during drop off or pick up in order to maximize safety for students and smooth operations. Also please be sure not to block the bike lane.
• Our accessible drop-off location is behind the school, just to the left of the loading dock, through the double doors. To access, please turn right into the alley on the far east end of school, off of NE 75th street. Once you enter the gate, turn right. The loading dock will be straight in front of you. Upon entering the school through the double doors, turn right to find the front hall.
• Students taking yellow school bus transportation will be dropped off at the parking lot on 30th. They will also catch the bus in the same place in the afternoon.
• A covered bike cage is available in the back parking lot off 75th for students biking to school. For more information about safe routes to school contact Jessica Levine jclevine@seattleschools.org and michelesolis100@comcast.net.

7th and 8th graders – First Day of School Report to homeroom at 8:50 AM. Final bell rings at 8:55 AM.

• Before the first day of school students can find their homeroom teachers by logging onto the Source. Schedules will be live on the Source at 4 PM on September 3rd. 
• If students do not know their homeroom before arriving at school on the first day, they will find postings of homeroom assignments in each of the front entrance hallways of Eckstein.
• Students should report to their homeroom teacher promptly after the first bell at 8:50am.

6th graders – First Day of School Report to Auditorium at 8:50 AM after picking up nametag with Home Room assignment in front of the school.

• At the front of the school on NE 75th Street to the left of the front doors on the large grassy area, 6th graders will identify their homeroom teachers by obtaining a nametag from a table which will have their homeroom teacher listed on it.
• They will then enter the building from the front doors on NE 75th Street, and walk straight into the Auditorium, located directly inside the doors, where they will look for their homeroom teacher holding a large sign. They will then sit with their homeroom class.
• We will take it from there as we provide a warm welcome and orient our Eckstein Eagles to middle school!
• Parents and guardians will be invited to join the PTSA in the garden behind school for coffee and connection.

News from the PTSA

Hello from the PTSA! We are excited to welcome back our existing families and especially excited to welcome new families to Eckstein! PTSA board members will be at the drop-off for the August 26th WEB Day to share information about Eckstein to parents and caregivers. Be sure to join us for a family meet-up on the Eckstein field after WEB Day for students and families. We will gather after WEB Day concludes at 4 PM for a New Family Meet up! Join us for popsicles and connections with incoming students and families. Finally, make sure to subscribe to our weekly PTSA electronic newsletter so you can stay up to date on all PTSA and community news. We will be launching our back to school membership drive and have some great events planned for the new school year. Enjoy these last days of summer break! Feel free to email president@ecksteingeaglesptsa.org with any thoughts or questions in the meantime.

Supply List

Supply List

While each student will be assigned their own laptop computer to use this year, they will also need a few supplies. All students need the supplies listed below with specific grade additions listed below.

If your family needs support purchasing school supplies please contact our Social Worker, Erica Davenport, at esdavenport@seattleschools.org. We are happy to help!

General Supply List For ALL students

• Use of an accordion folder, 6 durable pocket folders (ideally different colors for each class), or a project organizer type system to organize daily work in classes. *This is new this year for EMS students. Zip binders are left over from pre-laptop days and when students were not allowed to carry their backpacks.
• I pkg of notecards student’s choice for size of 3×5 or 5×7
• Pencil Pouch
• Pencil sharpener
• Writing supplies 2 dozen sharpened pencils (about 6 per quarter), dozen black or blue pens (about 6 per quarter), 4 highlighters (1 per quarter), 2 fine tip black non-permanent felt tip pens (ex. Flair or Pilot brand)
• 500 college ruled notebook paper
• Eraser
• Scientific calculator preferred for 7th and 8th grade level math. For higher level math classes, please await further instructions by the teacher
• Colored pencils
• Headphones/earbuds with microphone (preferred)
• Refillable water bottle
• Personal sized hand sanitizer (optional)
• Antibacterial Wipes (optional)
• School Planner (optional – Eckstein will provide them to 6th graders)

Please have your student deliver the following to their Homeroom teacher:

• Antibacterial Wipes
• Box of Kleenex
• 2 reams of 8.5×11 copy paper
• Grade Specific Additions

6th Grade

• 2 composition notebooks, college rule (Math and ELA)
• 2 composition notebooks (Science: 1 for first semester, 1 for second semester)

7th Grade

• 2 composition notebooks, college rule (Math and ELA)
• School Planner (optional)

If taking a World Language

• 1 composition notebook, college rule

8th Grade

• 1 composition notebook, wide ruled (ELA)
• 1 view finder binder 1-1.5 inch (ELA)
• School planner (optional)
• If taking a World Language: 1 composition notebook, college rule

Mr. Mayo – Algebra Class

• Graphed Paper comp notebook or any sized notebook

Individual teachers may request additional supplies once students are assigned to their classes. Teachers will provide this information the first week of school.

Donations of supplies are also greatly appreciated. Please contact Social Worker Erica Davenport if you are willing to donate. esdavenport@seattleschools.org

If your family needs support purchasing school supplies please contact our Social Worker, Erica Davenport, at esdavenport@seattleschools.org. We are happy to help!

School laptop distribution

More information to come. Each student will be given a laptop for use this school year.

Daily Bell Schedule

Homeroom is now 20 minutes long on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. There is no homeroom on Wednesdays.

Mon, Tues, Thurs & Fri

Period 1: 8:55 AM – 9:50 AM

Period 2: 9:55 AM – 10:50 AM

Period 3: 10:55 AM – 11:50 AM

Period 4: 12:25 PM – 1:20 PM

First Lunch: 11:50 AM – 12:20 PM (Class time: 12:25 PM – 1:20 PM

Second Lunch: 12:50 PM – 1:20 PM (Class time: 11:55 AM – 12:50 PM

Homeroom: 1:25 PM – 1:45 PM

Period 5: 1:50 PM – 2:45 PM

Period 6: 2:50 PM – 3:45 PM

Wednesday

Period 1: 8:55 AM – 9:45 AM

Period 2: 9:50 AM – 10:36 AM

Period 3: 10:41 AM – 11:27 AM

Period 4: 12:02 PM – 12:48 PM

First Lunch: 11:27 AM – 11:57 AM (Class time: 12:02 PM – 12:48 PM)
Second Lunch: 12:18 PM – 12:48 PM (Class time: 12:18 PM – 12:48 PM)

Period 5: 12:53 PM – 1:39 PM

Period 6: 1:44 PM – 2:30 PM

School Lunches

Breakfast and lunch will be for sale to all students for student lunches. Cost for breakfast will be $2.50 and lunch will cost $3.50. More information about school meals is available on the district website

You can apply for free and reduced price meals online with our safe, private, and secure application

Lunch seating options

This year there will be two locations for students to eat lunch: at the tables in the cafeteria and picnic tables spread throughout the garden. Students will be encouraged to eat for at least 10 minutes, then clean-up, and can move to the field for movement and fresh air when they are ready. A Huge Thank You to PTSA for our great picnic tables that provide expanded outdoor seating options for students!

Athletics

Interested in playing a sport at Eckstein in the fall of the 2024-2025 school year?

 We will offer Girls Soccer and Ultimate Frisbee as fall sports.

o Girls Soccer will have two teams.

o Ultimate Frisbee will have two teams per grade level.

Tryouts are tentatively scheduled for the second week of school, and the season runs through the middle of November. You will not be allowed to tryout without Athletic Clearance on FinalForms.

o Girls Soccer Tryouts will be on Tuesday and Thursday (tentatively the second week of school.)

o Ultimate Frisbee tryouts will be Monday, Wednesday and Friday (tentatively the second week of school.)

o More information to come.

Practices are on the Eckstein field after school (exact dates/times will depend on specific teams).

o Girls Soccer will practice on Tuesday and Thursdays from 4-5:30 PM.

o Ultimate Frisbee will practice on Monday and Friday from 4-5:30 PM and Wednesday from 2:45-4:15

· Games are on Saturdays, and we will share as soon as we have a game schedule and will be subject to change.

Please use FinalForms for all athletic paperwork. We will not collect paper documents. Most important is having an updated athletic physical. Physicals expire after two years. All paperwork needs to be submitted by 4pm on September 11th. Physical and registration forms are found here.

Athletic Coaches Needed

Are you interested supporting you athlete on the field, please consider volunteering to coach. We can always use more coaches to support student growth. Please contact Athletic Coordinator Derek Grandbois if you are interesting in coaching at djgrandbois@seattleschools.org

Camp Orkila Volunteers Needed for paperwork and organization

We are in need of parent volunteers to help organize our scheduled 8th trip to Camp Orkila in October.

We will make the formal announcement with specific travel dates once we have District approval for the overnight field trip. This is currently in process.

Are you skilled at managing spreadsheets and inputting data? Organizing clipboards with materials for our chaperones and school staff? We could use your help as we organize 375 of our 8th graders into electives at Camp. This trip is a big undertaking and we cannot lift it without your help!

If you are available to assist, please contact Assistant Principal Mike Weyers mjweyers@seattleschools.org.

Your Grade Level Teams

Sixth Grade Team

Berna Cristobal
6th Grade Asst. Principal
bjcristobal@seattleschools.org

Reema Ziadeh
6th Grade Counselor
raziadeh@seattleschools.org

Seventh Grade Team

Derek Grandbois
7th Grade House Admin.
djgrandbois@seattleschools.org

Bryan Manzo
7th Grade Counselor
bjmanzo@seattleschools.org

Eighth Grade Team

Michael Weyers
8th Grade Asst. Principal
mjweyers@seattleschools.org

Michael Hoff
8th Grade Counselor
mmhoff@seattleschools.org

Main Office Staff

Kattie Jones
Main Office Operations Manager
kcjones@seattleschools.org

Contact Ms. Jones for general questions and building use requests.

Julia Detering
Asst. Secretary
jrdetering@seattleschools.org

Contact Ms. Detering for general questions and volunteer opportunities and requirements.

Katy Ryan
Attendance Specialist
ecksteinms.attendance@seattleschools.org
(206)252-5014

Contact Ms. Ryan for support regarding student absences, future planned absences, and transportation concerns and questions.

Andrea Drachler
Fiscal Specialist
aldrachler@seattleschools.org

Contact Ms. Drachler for questions regarding SchoolPay or payments made to school.

Jessica Tai
Registrar
jetai@seattleschools.org

Contact Ms. Tai for information regarding schedules, transcripts, grade reports, letters of recommendation and registration.

Back to School Forms

Please visit the following link for SPS start of school forms:

Start of School Forms

• We will be sending home hard copies of the following forms:
  FERPA – return to school
• Emergency information & student release – return to school
• EMS ASB cards

Lunch Volunteers Needed

We have great options for parents to participate in our Eckstein Community!
Regular opportunities to supervise lunch are available.

If you would like to volunteer in any capacity, please contact Julia Detering at jrdetering@seattleschools.org.