September 5, 2025: Greetings Families,

The first days of school have been filled with smiles and joy. It’s so nice to see The Family School in action! In this Dayette: Welcoming Kindergarten and PreK, Supplies Drive, We’re hiring, Volunteer info, Library, and counselor updates, 5th grade robotics, PTSA news, Upcoming Events

Kindergarten and PreK Students Start School Sept. 8

K and PreK students start school 9/8/25! We’re so excited! Supervision begins at 7:35 on the playground. Students line up at 7:50. Pick-up is on the playground at 2:25. Please let your teacher know your pick-up plan and/or bus number. If your student will be attending an off campus Boys and Girls Club and getting there by bus, but you haven’t been assigned a bus number yet, please contact the office by calling or emailing Ms. Brenna, bckamppi@seattleschools.org, and let us know so we can write a bus pass for your child.

Supplies Drive Continues 

The Supplies Drive continues: Please support our supplies drive with a donation of $40-$60 per child to help the school buy supplies that are used daily in classrooms. Learn more on the Supplies Drive page.

Volunteer Information 

Volunteer Information: Thank you, parents, guardians, and other adults interested in becoming a volunteer at our school! We are amid a large overhaul of the program (via the district) and appreciate your patience as we work out the details. Stay tuned for more information on specific volunteering opportunities, how to apply, and more, next week. – Ms. Brenna

Front Office: New Sign In

Front Office: We have a new sign-in process in the office this year. All district schools are transitioning to an electronic sign-in this year. You’ll now sign in on an iPad, take a photo, and a visitor badge will be printed for you. To sign out at the end of your visit, simply click the link that was texted to your phone. If you have any questions, the office team is happy to help.

Join the B.F. Day Lunch and Recess Team

Join the B.F. Day lunch and recess team! We have an opening for a paid lunchroom and playground team member. This position is 10 hours a week, between 10:30 and 12:30 Monday through Friday. Join a great team and help students have a safe and fun experience during lunch and recess. If you, or someone you know, is interested, please reach out to me at kmeckert@seattleschools.org.

Library News

Library News: Students who have not turned in their summer reading challenge forms can do so next week after morning announcements. Students who completed the 24/48 hour Reading Challenge are invited to Ms. P.’s Celebratory Pancake Breakfast on Friday, September 12 starting at 7:15 in the library. If you are interested in helping serve these fabulous readers, email Ms. P. at jlpapineau@seattleschools.org.

Counselor Corner

Counselor’s Corner: Ms. Tobi is here to connect and support you. Don’t hesitate to reach out to her at tlnussbaum@seattleschools.org if you need assistance with: Food, clothing, or housing, Finding community and mental health resources, Tutoring and after-school programs, and Translation. Find more information on our B.F. Day Counselor Resources For Families page.

Lego Robotics Club

Lego Robotics Club is back this school year! The LEGO Robotics Club offers a free opportunity for 5th-grade students to dive into robotics. More information is coming via School Messenger and our 5th Grade Teachers.

PTSA News

Pack your picnic basket and grab a blanket—it’s time for our Back-to-School Family Picnic! Join us on the upper uppers of BF Day, September 14 from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m., for an evening of food, friends, and fun. Bring your dinner, bring your crew, and let’s kick off the school year together! The PTSA Merch Store is open through September 29 on the PTSA Website. Items are available in person at the Family Picnic. After School Enrichment enrollment will open on September 14th – more information to come. Also, please join the BF Day Families WhatsAppGroup! 

B.F. Day Upcoming Events and Activities

• September 6: Kindergarten Playdate 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
• September 8: First day of school for Kindergarten and Pre-K
  • Kindergarten Families: Short optional presentation for K families. in the library from 8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
• September 14: PTSA’s B.F. Day Family Picnic 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. at the upper uppers. School merchandise will available to purchase!
• September 17: Chat with the Principal 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. in the library
• September 25: Curriculum Night 5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Stay up to date with news and events by visiting our school website.

Warmly,
Principal Eckert

August 29, 2025,

Dear B.F. Day Students and Families,

I am so excited to officially welcome you to the 2025-2026 school year! I hope you have enjoyed the warm weather and long days of summer and that you are eager for the beginning of the new school year. It was so exciting to get to greet and meet so many of you at this week’s socials. Inside the building, we’ve been busy engaging in professional development and excitedly preparing for the arrival of your students. It’s so fun to watch classrooms transform for the start of school. Hooray Staff!

We also want to thank our PTSA partners for beautifying our playground with fresh paint, spreading fresh wood chips, and more. Thank you also for providing treats and coffee for staff throughout the week. Staff felt the appreciation and care and it made the transition even sweeter. Our parent volunteers were also a huge help for our social events. Thanks for all you do to support this amazing community! If you haven’t connected with our PTSA yet, you can check out the PTSA Website.

Class Lists & First Day of School

Class Lists: Class lists and teacher welcome letters were shared on 8/28/25. If you did not receive a letter and need to know who your student’s teacher is, please email Ms. Sonja at smhaas@seattleschools.org. She will be able to help you.

First Day of School

• The first day of school for 1st-5th grades is September 3. Supervision begins on the playground at 7:35 a.m. Students should be lined up with their teachers by 7:50 a.m. and are in classrooms doing morning routines by 7:55 a.m.
• The first day of school follows a full day schedule, not an early release.Pick-up will be at 2:25 p.m. Please communicate with your student’s teacher what your pick-up plan is so they get your child to the place you expect them to be: with the buses, parent pick-up, or another plan. We can relieve a lot of stress for your family with your help.
• Drop off and Pick-up: Thank you for using Fremont Ave to park for pick-up. Our buses uses Linden and the street is very narrow. Reducing traffic to just buses keeps us safe and traffic moving, allowing our buses to get started on their routes on time. Picking up your student? Thank you for meeting your child on the playground at their classroom spot.

Boys & Girls Club Transportation: If your student is going to the Wallingford Boys & Girls Club after school program, families will need to request bussing through Transportation. The best way to contact them is through emailing transdept@seattleschools.org . You can also try calling, however, this time of year there is often long hold time. The # is 206-252-0900. You will need your students ID#, which you can find on their Source account. Once they confirm your student’s place, please inform the office as we will have to make a temporary pass for them to ride until Transportation is able to input them into the system. You can email the Attendance line at bfday.attendance@seattleschools.org

Every day is a device free day at B.F. Day: If your child has a smart watch or phone, please remind them to have it in their backpack and turned off once they arrive at school. If you need to get information to your student during the school day, please call the office at 206-252-6010 and we’ll make sure they get the message.

Join the B.F. Day lunch and recess student support team! We have an opening for a paid lunchroom and playground team member. This position is 10 hours a week, between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Join a great team and help students have a safe and fun experience during their lunch and lunch recess period. Positive behavior management experience is plus. If you, or someone you know, is interested, please reach out to me at kmeckert@seattleschools.org and add playground supervisor to your subject line.

Staffing updates: We are so lucky this year to have an additional staff member supporting our multi-lingual learners. Zewdi Gabreamanuel joins B.F. Day three days a week this year as a bilingual assistant. You can read short notes from our new staff in my summer newsletters.  Other new to B.F. Day staff include: 

• Ms. Banta, Resource Teacher
• Ms. Segura, Art teacher
• Ms. Tobi, Counselor
• Teacher Jeff, Extended Resource
• Ms. A, Extended Resource paraprofessional

Transportation: If your child is riding a bus to/from school, you will be notified directly from district Transportation with bus information.

School lunch and breakfast are available for purchase. Breakfast is $2.25 and lunch is $3.80.  There are also opportunities to qualify for free or reduced lunch. Please visit the district Culinary Services for more information about school meals. 

Free and Reduced Priced Lunch applications can be completed now on the district Culinary Services page. Paper copies are also available in our office.

Classroom School Supplies Drive: At B.F. Day, instead of asking families to bring in supplies, we ask for monetary donations to buy the supplies at the school level. and at a discount, ensuring students have exactly what they need. We request payments for your student’s supplies for the 2025-2026 school year on a sliding scale of $40-$60 per student. Please be sure to identify your student when making the payment by entering their name in the available fields. It is okay to pay for multiple students on the same purchase to avoid multiple service fees. Please not all students on the same “name” option. Visit the direct SchoolPay link to donate.

School supplies donations are different from the PTSA Direct Drive, which happens later in the year and supports B.F. Day in a variety of ways that support teaching, learning and student enrichment activities.

Special Welcome From Our Specialists

The Librarian, Art, Music and PE teachers, who teach all of our students

From Ms. Segura: I will be your new art teacher! I am so excited to meet you all and share with you my love for visual arts! This will be my 1st year in SPS schools, but my 2nd year teaching. I also work as a Teaching Artist with the Seattle Art Museum for their school field trips, so it is possible we have met before if you had attended a school field trip to the Seattle Asian Art Museum or the Olympic Sculpture Park last year! I can’t wait to get creating with you all so soon.

From Mr. D:  Hi there! Welcome to the B.F. Day Physical Education Program from Mr. D! I’m starting my 19th year in our mighty little gym, and I can’t wait to start moving again. So plan on soccer, scooters, parachutes, Shark Attack, Turtle Tag, and any other amazingly fun game you can think of. No experience needed! And don’t forget, there are big prizes for classes who remember to wear rubber sole shoes that cover your toes and keep you from slipping when you come to the gym!

From Ms. Bethany: Welcome back, B.F. Day musicians!  My name is Ms. Bethany and I am starting my 5th year here at B.F. Day, my 9th year in SPS, and my 21st year as a music educator!  I am so happy to be back this year and I can’t wait to make music with you all again very soon. There are so many exciting things in store for us this year.  We will be singing, moving, listening, playing, and creating in community throughout the year, and I am really looking forward to hearing what YOU are interested in learning about over the next ten months.  I am working on arranging some fabulous music residencies and other special opportunities for all of us … stay tuned for more information! Please look for information about Elementary Instrumental Music later this month for our upper grade students.  

From Ms. P: Welcome back to B.F. Day! I’m Jaimee Papineau, also known as “Mrs. P.,” and I’m excited to start my 14th year here as your Reading Support Teacher and Librarian. The library is a place for us to learn more about ourselves and others, and I can’t wait to share my love of learning and reading with everyone. To help your child have a successful year, please set up a consistent spot at home for their library books and remind them to return them each week. Reading at home is a great way to connect with your child and build strong literacy skills, so thank you for your support!

Stay up to date with news and events by visiting our school website.

We are looking forward to a fantastic school year! ~ Warmly, Kristen Eckert; Interim Principal

Greetings Families

It’s been a busy and productive time at B.F. Day this August. We’ve hired a new Extended Resource teacher, many staff attended a training on meeting the needs of our Highly Capable and Advanced Learners (HC/AL) with the Universal Design for Learning Framework and GATE standards. Our Building Leadership Team met on Thursday for our retreat and we’re excited about things to come this year. Outside of getting ready for school to start, I enjoyed celebrating my niece’s seventh birthday with Mine Craft everything – so fun! I’ve also beat the heat at the move theatre a few evenings, enjoying some of the summer blockbusters including F1 and Jurassic World. Going to the movies is one of my favorite pastimes – and I like all kinds. I’ve also started reading the Murderbot series and zipped through a few detective novels while enjoying my patio.

In this update you’ll find: Kindergarten Kick-Off, School Supplies Information, Fifth grade update, Welcomes to new staff, Linden paving information, Kiln and PTSA announcements, SPS 25-26 School Year Calendar, Upcoming activities and events

Kindergarten Kick-Off (formerly Jump Start): We’re delighted to welcome our new kindergarten students and families to our kick-off days this summer. Have you enrolled your incoming Kindergarten student in our Kick-off to Kindergarten (previously known as Jump Start)? If not, please email Ms. Haas at smhaas@seattleschools.org and let her know the name(s) of your student(s) and that you plan to attend. Please bring your student to sign-in outside at the center entrance by the flag-pole at 8:30 on Wednesday, August 20, and arrive by 12:00 to pick-up your student at the flag pole. We will provide light snacks. You may want to send your child to school with a water bottle. We recommend putting your child’s first and last name on everything from sweatshirts to water bottles. We’re so excited to partner with you on this exciting kindergarten journey!

Classroom School Supplies Drive: At B.F. Day, instead of asking families to bring in supplies, we ask for monetary donations. Then we purchase the supplies at the school level. This way we ensure all classrooms receive exactly what they need. Additionally, we are able to purchase at a discount. We request payments for your student’s supplies for the 2025-2026 school year on a sliding scale of $40-$60 per student. Please be sure to identify your student when making the payment by entering their name in the available fields. It is okay to pay for multiple students on the same purchase to avoid multiple service fees. Please note all students on the same “name” option. Make your supplies donation through School Pay. School supplies donations are different from the PTSA Direct Drive, which happens later in the year and supports B.F. Day in a variety of ways that support teaching, learning and student enrichment activities.

Fifth Grade Update & Staff Updates: As I mentioned in my last communication, Brooke Dawson and Jenn Hogue are teaming for 5th Grade this year. Ms. Brooke will teach Math and Science and Ms. Hogue will be teaching ELA and Social Studies.

Welcome to Our Newest Colleagues:
Extended Resource Teacher: We are excited to welcome Mr. Jeff Scott as our Extended Resource teacher. Mr. Jeff is known for building strong relationships with students and families and he’s excited to get to know our community. A short note from Mr. Jeff: “I am a first year special ed teacher transitioning from a 20+ year career as a social worker. My approach has always been relationship based, focusing on trust, compassion, advocacy, and recognizing individual strengths. I am a parent of two young adults, and am generally tolerated by my cat. I love to paddleboard, scuba dive, and listen to music. I have recently begun trying to learn guitar, which is going great, as long as you don’t ask my guitar teacher or my cat.”

Extended Resource Paraprofessional, One-to-One: Alyx Alcala, Ms. A comes to B.F. Day with a lot of experience in education. A short note from Ms. A: “I’m Alyx! I’ve been in education for the last decade working as an IA and a Teacher, as well as studying pedagogy in graduate school. Most recently I supported WA-BLOC’s Freedom Schools as an Education Coach. I’m especially passionate aboutliberatory education practices and the socially transformative nature of learning environments. In my spare time I love spending time in the mountains and by the water, reading, and going to concerts. I’m so excited to meet the B.F. Day community!”

Linden Avenue Paving: Seattle Department of Transportation is planning to re-pave Linden, the street on the east side of B.F. Day. This paving will begin anytime and continue through September 2, at which time, they’ll shift to weekend work so as not to disrupt school.

Kiln! Some of you may know that we used to have kiln fired ceramics as part of our curriculum. Once our kiln broke the ceramics curriculum stopped. Thanks to some parents and the PTSA we found out that BF Day is on the list to receive a new kiln from the district. It has been ordered and should be installed in the beginning of September. We are excited the kiln will be available to Ms. Segura and our after school enrichment programs.

PTSA Playground Beautification Aug. 24: Please join our beautification team to make the playground ready for our students this school year. The date is August 24 for our Summer BF Day Beautification Work Party! Time will be 9 a.m.-11 a.m. All are welcome, kids included. Please know that we will not have access to bathrooms inside the building. We will be repainting the blacktop and mulching the back of the school near the blacktop. All you need to bring is water to drink, garden gloves and some energy!

PTSA B.F. Day Merchandise Sales: Order your B.F. Day gear online or at upcoming in person events! Get your Sundragon Shirts and more. Buy ONLINE: 8/18-9/29 – any merch sold online will be available for pickup at the next in person event and then in the office after the start of school. IN PERSON: 8/28 – K-5 Popsicle Social 4-5 p.m. 9/3 – 1st day of school drop off 7:15-8:15 a.m. ish(?), 9/14 – Family Picnic 4:30-6:30 p.m. and 9/17 – Principal Chat 7-8 p.m.

PTSA Invites you to join the B.F. Day Families WhatsApp Group! There are sub-groups per grade, great for getting connected with other parents and caregivers and sharing useful information in and outside of school. Join the WhatsApp Group Today!

School District School Year Calendar: School District School Year Calendar PDF

B.F. Day Upcoming Events and Activities

• August 16: Kindergarten Playdate 10:00-11:30 on the school playground
• August 20, 21, and 22: Kick off to Kindergarten from 9:00-12:00
• August 24: Beautify BF Day Summer Work Party 9:00-11:00
• August 27: Pre-school Popsicle Social from 4:00-5:00
• August 28: K-5 Popsicle Social from 4:00-5:00and Class Lists Posted
• September 3: First day of school for 1st-5th grade; family meetings for Kindergarten and Pre-school
• September 6: Kindergarten Playdate 10:00 11:30 on the school playground
• September 8: First day of school for Kindergarten and Pre-K
• Sept 14: PTSA’s B.F. Day Family Picnic Sept 14 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the upper uppers. School merchandise will available to purchase!
• September 17: Chat with the Principal 7-8 in the library

Warmly,
Kristen Eckert
Interim Principal