B.F. Day Sun Dragons’ Dayette School News & Calendar At A Glance
Summary: Read All About It in the Dayette!
B.F. Day Newsletter August 28
- Incoming Kindergarten Play Date
- Transportation to Wallingford Boys and Girls Club
- No Dogs
- Parent Nights at B.F. Day!
- School Supplies Drive
- Curriculum Night Coming Up
- Welcome back to school and to the B.F. Day Library!
- 1:1 Device Forms Have Been Sent Home Grades 1-5!
- Library Orientation
- Notes From the PTSA
- Join us at a Mariners game with other B.F. Day families.
- From Our School Counselor, Mr. Taylor
- Soccer Rules
- Hello From Your School Nurse, Annette, RN
- Previous Sun Dragons’ Dayette
- B.F. Day Year At A Glance Calendar
Incoming Kindergarten Play Date
We are looking forward to welcoming our preschoolers and kindergarteners on Monday! As a reminder, we have a kindergarten play date tomorrow, September 7, from 10:00 – 11:30. All kindergarten families are welcome to join us on the school playground!
Transportation to Wallingford Boys and Girls Club
Reminder for kindergarten parents next week…If your student is registered and attending Wallingford Boys and Girls Club, you must request transportation for them via email at transdept@seattleschools.org. We will need to issue a yellow card for them to ride the bus. If you haven’t already, please call the school so we can get the yellow card ready before dismissal. We will distribute the cards at 2:00.
No Dogs
Parents and Guardians: Reminder to please keep dogs off school grounds. This is especially important because we have students with life threatening allergies to dogs. Thank you for keeping our children safe!
Parent Nights at B.F. Day!
Please join Dr. Zisko and the school staff for three parent education nights this school year!
Mark your calendar for:
- October 17: 5:00 – 6:30 p.m.
- Supporting Your Reader at Home
- January 23: 5:00 – 6:30 p.m.
- Supporting Your Mathematician at Home
- April 24: 5:00 – 6:30 p.m.
- Spring Forward with Social-Emotional Learning
We will gather in the library. Join us to learn more about our curriculum and instruction, and how you can support your child in their academic and social-emotional growth at B.F. Day.
School Supplies Drive
In lieu of parents shopping for school supplies, we purchase supplies in bulk. This ensures that everyone gets what they need, and it’s very cost effective. We request a $40-60 donation for each student to cover the cost of their supplies. The money is deposited directly into our school account that purchases supplies (paper, markers, crayons, paint, glue pencils, etc.). We need to raise $20,000 to fund supplies for the school year. Thank you for your generosity and for supporting
The Family School! Currently we have 161 donations, totaling $12,240. We need $7,500 to reach our goal! A direct link is available on SchoolPay.
Curriculum Night Coming Up
Parents, please join us for Curriculum Night on September 26 from 5:30 – 7:00. This event is for adults only. Children do not attend Curriculum Night in the classroom. Teachers will run back-to-back presentations. There are three presentation times so that parents with multiple children can attend a session for each of their children. Our specialist rooms, counselor, nurse, and library will all be open and available. Here is the schedule:
- 5:30 – 5:55 Session 1 – Classroom teachers have rooms open for presentations
- 5:55 – 6:00 Passing period
- 6:00 – 6:25 Session 2 – Classroom teachers have rooms open for presentations AND Specialist and Special Education classrooms are open; counselor, nurse, and librarian
- available6:25 – 6:30 Passing period
- 6:30 – 6:55 Session 3 – Specialist and Special Education classrooms are open; counselor,
- nurse, and librarian available
Limited childcare is available. The childcare will be in the cafeteria and gym. For safety reasons, we can only accommodate up to 50 students. Additionally, childcare is only available for current B.F. Day students. Please RSVP on the Microsoft Form below if you are seeking childcare for Curriculum Night. If we receive over 50 respondents, we will run a random lottery. Parents that complete the form will receive a confirmation email that their child is signed up for childcare.
Request Curriculum Night childcare on our Microsoft Form
Welcome back to school and to the B.F. Day Library!
For those of you new to the B.F. Day Family, welcome! My name is Jaimee Papineau (most students call me “Mrs. P.”) and I am a Reading Support Teacher (K-1) and Librarian for our wonderful community. This will be my 13th year at B.F. Day, and 25th year in education! I am in my third year of librarianship, with the goal of creating a warm, welcoming, supportive space for all students and families. The library is a place to learn more about ourselves, grow in our empathy for others, and expand our ability to be critical and informed thinkers. I can’t wait to share my enthusiasm for learning and reading with our students. My goal is to help nurture truly joyful and lifelong readers!
Summer Reading
Congratulations to all the summer readers who completed a challenge! July/August bookmarks and 24 hours of reading forms can be turned in to classroom teachers. Please clearly write your name on the page or bookmark. Prizes will be collected during students’ first library period next week! Students who completed the 24-hour reading challenge have a special invitation to our Readers Pancake Breakfast which will be held in the library on Friday, September 13th at 7:15 a.m.! If you earned the reward, please plan on joining us! Many students have shared they completed a challenge, but lost their paperwork. If this is the case for yourchild, please send a note and turn in to your classroom teacher in lieu of the originals as verification of their hard work!
1:1 Device Forms Have Been Sent Home Grades 1-5!
Please look for this form from your classroom teacher, complete it with your student, and return to school. Students in PreK-2 will be using iPads, and students 3-5 will be using laptops.
Library Orientation
During their first week of classes, students will learn about and review how our library is organized, book care, and check out/return procedures. B.F. Day students may check out up to 2 books per visit in grades PreK-2 (in K we will begin with 1), and up to 5 books per visit in grades 3-5. Books are checked out for a duration of two weeks before they are considered “overdue,” although students may renew if they still need time with their book. A student may have up to 10 books checked out on their account. If accounts are at ten checkouts, students cannot check out additional books until some are returned to the library. Student checkouts can always be viewed on the Source.
It is highly encouraged to set up a space in your home to keep library books, so they are easy to locate and return. Each classroom will have a consistent library schedule this year, so it will be SO much easier to remember your “library day,” and get in the habit of checking out and returning books on time!
Notes From the PTSA
Want to get involved in your child’s class and support their teacher? Sign up to be a Room Parent or Co-Room Parent!
What is a Room Parent? A room parent builds community around the teacher and classroom. They are a communication partner and volunteer coordinator for each teacher and the PTSA. All you need is regular access to a computer and email, and most of the work can be done from home.
Each teacher may have different needs and requests, but the primary responsibilities for Room Parents could include:
- Manage the classroom email/contact list. This will be used for communication with parents and caregivers about classroom happenings, yet also can be useful for coordinating class play dates.
- Create a rotating classroom snack schedule via Sign Up Genius or other tool, in collaboration with the teacher.
- Assist with grade-specific PTSA communications like field trips and class projects.
- Forward emails about school events and volunteer opportunities from the Room Parent Coordinator.
How do I become a Room Parent or Co-Room Parent? Complete the Volunteer Google Form and indicate you’d like to be a Room Parent. Then the Room Parent and volunteer coordinator, Annie Barker, will reach out to you with the next steps about connecting with the teacher and class parents and caregivers. If you have questions or have any trouble with the form, please don’t hesitate to send her an email at volunteer@bfdayptsa.org.
Why is the role of Room Parent important? The Room Parent takes some of the burden off of the teacher in coordinating volunteers, class support, and sharing PTSA community updates. Maintaining a classroom contact list also helps improve communication between other parents and caregivers. It’s especially handy when extra help is needed for classroom projects and events. Additionally, while most teachers request snacks throughout the year, managing a rotating snack schedule can be a great way for parents to provide healthy snacks on an ongoing basis. Thank you for considering this critical role in supporting our teachers and classrooms this school year!
Join us at a Mariners game with other B.F. Day families.
Mariners vs the Texas Rangers on Sunday, September 15th. Game time is 1:10pm. Kids can run around the bases postgame. $20/per ticket. If you would like to sit next to someone, please order tickets as a group.
Remember! Become a PTSA member by Oct. 15. Buying a membership makes you an active member. Active members make motions and vote!
From Our School Counselor, Mr. Taylor
We are excited to welcome our students back and we look forward to seeing our youngest Sun Dragons on Monday. This week, Dr. Zisko and I have been partnering with classroom teachers to teach what the B.F. Day Way looks and sounds like for all the common spaces in the building.
The most pertinent areas of campus are the cafeteria and playground, as those can have the highest number of students and the highest level of energy. Dr. Zisko and I have brought each classroom into every space and have reinforced how we can best the version of ourselves in each space. This year we’ll be following up with each grade level again next week to see how things are going in each of those spaces and what types of things we can do better going forward. We know that pre-teaching, reinforcing positive behavior (dragon scales), and then reflecting together are the best practices for creating a safe and predictable school climate. I have attached the signage for the recess soccer expectations in the emailed Dayette.
Soccer Rules
#1 Rule – Everyone is Included!
Join Today!
Hello From Your School Nurse, Annette, RN
Previous Sun Dragons’ Dayette
Welcome back!
Hello Sun Dragon Families!
Welcome to the 24-25 school year! The staff and I are so excited to welcome you back. Tomorrow, August 29, is our annual ice cream social from 4 – 5 p.m. on the school playgrounds. Kindergarten – fifth grade class lists will be posted at that time. Please note that our preschoolers will meet the preschool teaching team today, August 28, at 4:00 p.m. for our annual preschool popsicle play date. If you are unable to make the socials, please email or call the office after the event to learn which teacher(s) your child(ren) are assigned to.
Our campus has been busy this summer. We welcomed our incoming kindergarteners for three days of Jump Start. It was magical with lots of excitement, new friendships, and Sun Dragon pride. Thank you to the B.F. Day PTSA for the ongoing support of Jump Start. Thank you to Mrs. Ferrel, Ms. Mathan, Ms. Riepe, Ms. Brooke, Mr. R., and Ms. Lucy for teaching Jump Start this summer! It was such a beautiful way to welcome students to The Family School.
Our teachers returned to campus this week for in-service days. We celebrated some amazing achievements last school year, like impressive gains in Smarter Balanced data, strong foundational data in kindergarten-second grade, and earning the RAMP (Recognized ASCA Model Program) designation from the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). This summer, Mr. Taylor and I attended the annual ASCA conference, where B.F. Day was one of three schools in Washington state and 60 elementary schools nationally to be celebrated as a RAMP school. I am so proud of B.F. Day for being the first school in Seattle Public Schools to be recognized as a RAMP school. This is reflective of our collective commitment that social-emotional wellness is foundational for academic achievement and civic engagement.
Looking ahead to this school year, I am filled with optimism and joy. Our team is excited and ready for a successful year! I am so proud that B.F. Day is a place of learning for adults, too. This year we will host a principal intern, school counseling intern, and student teachers. Our teachers will be participating in “learning walks” across the building this school year, co-teaching, and reflecting on math instruction. Adults on campus are uplifting the joy of learning.
Thank you to our families that continue to support B.F. Day. Our strong school-family partnerships define our Family School and make B.F. Day a special place for teaching and learning.
Finally, thank you to the B.F. Day PTSA for being amazing partners in this work. I hope that you enjoy the last days of summer vacation and spend quality time with the people that you love. I can’t wait to see our students back on campus soon! We certainly missed them.
Go Sun Dragons!
Cheers,
Dr. Zisko
School Supplies
It’s the “B.F. Day Way” that we buy our school supplies in bulk. Ms. Sonja leads this effort with our teachers. Buying supplies in bulk saves money and every teacher gets what they need. Supplies are consistent, and every student’s needs are met. In lieu of bringing in supplies for the start of school, we ask families for a monetary donation to cover the cost of their child’s school supplies. This year we are requesting a $40-60 donation per student. We need to fundraise $20,000 from supplies donations to cover the expected costs of supplies for the year (paper, pencils, markers, crayons, glue, paint, etc.). Thank you for donating what you can! All donated money is deposited directly into our school budget.
Please use our direct SchoolPay link to make your supplies donation for your child. Please be sure to enter your student’s name in the requested field.
Start of School Paperwork
Please refer to our Start of School Paperwork post on the B.F. Day website to submit all start of school paperwork. This link has essential information regarding Verification form, FERPA, Free & Reduced Lunch, and new program for making payments for lunch service.
Volunteering at B.F. Day
We love parents (and grandparents) that volunteer at B.F. Day! Our lunchroom helpers, library helpers, field trip chaperones, and small group volunteers are so valuable to our school community. The beginning of the school year is a great time to check your volunteer status. Once cleared, volunteer authorization is good for two calendar years. All volunteers must complete the SPS volunteer background check process before they are approved to volunteer. Background checks can take up to two weeks to clear. If an adult is not cleared by SPS, they will not be permitted to volunteer. There are no exceptions. Ms. Brenna will be checking the approved volunteer rosters and can help with questions.
You can find out more information about becoming a volunteering in SPS on the district website. Select Category A volunteer. We encourage all parents to go through the volunteer application process early in the school year.
Attendance
The first day of school for grades 1-5 is September 4. Please note that September 4 is not an early release Wednesday. The first day of school for preschoolers and kindergarteners is September 9. Classes begin moving inside at 7:50 a.m. School starts at 7:55 a.m. We expect students to be inside their classrooms at 7:55 a.m. when the second bell, the tardy bell, rings.
Students that arrive after 7:55 a.m. will be marked tardy. At 7:56 a.m., students will be marked tardy. If your student is tardy, please check in at the office for a late slip. We dismiss at 2:25 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. On Wednesday, dismissal is at 1:10 p.m. It is our shared expectation that families send their children to school on time, every day, for the duration of our school day. If your child is sick, please keep them at home until they are fever free for 24 hours. Please note that 10 absences and/or tardies for the school year is considered chronic absenteeism.
Wallingford Boys and Girls Club
If your student is registered at Wallingford Boys and Girls Club, you must request a bus by emailing your student’s information, including their student ID, to transdept@seattleschools.org. Before you request SPS bus services, you must be registered at Wallingford Boys and Girls Club.
No Dogs on Campus
As a reminder, all dogs need to stay outside the gates of the school building. Please do not bring family pets onto campus for pick up or drop off. We have students with dog phobias and allergies to dogs. It’s our responsibility to ensure that B.F. Day is safe for every child. We appreciate you respecting this boundary.
Welcome!
Mr. Jones, 4th Grade Teacher
Welcome, Jerime (“Jeremy”) Jones, new 4th grade teacher to B.F. Day. Below is a brief introduction: “As I enter my 8th year of teaching, I bring diverse experiences to the classroom. With a master’s degree in elementary education and 14 1/2 years of service in the United States Navy, I’ve developed a unique perspective that enhances my ability to educate and inspire young minds. My passion for learning and dedication to service continues to drive my work as an educator, allowing me to create engaging and meaningful experiences for my students.
Outside of the classroom, I’m a proud father to five beautiful daughters, ranging from pre-k to freshman year at the University of Washington. My partner, also an elementary educator, and I reside in Tacoma with our girls and three dogs. When I’m not teaching, you can find me coaching high school wrestling at Silas High School or cheering on Seattle sports teams as a diehard fan. We value our time together as a family and enjoy exploring the outdoors and discovering new places whenever our busy schedule permits.”
Welcome, Mr. Blaisdell, Principal Intern!
My name is A.J. Blaisdell and I currently serve as Director of Educational Programming at the Northwest School for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children in Shoreline.
I am completing my WA Principal Certificate program through Eastern Washington State University. I began my career as a special education teacher, before exploring opportunities in school leadership. In my free time, I enjoy reading and exploring the outdoors with my wife and two dogs. I’m looking forward to working at B.F. Day on Fridays and learning more about The Family School! Thank you for welcoming me to B.F. Day.
Welcome Ms. Jenna, Instructional Assistant!
Ms. Jenna will be joining our Extended Resource team this year. Hello! My name is Jenna and I’m excited to be joining the B.F. Day community. I’m a 2023 graduate from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY, where I studied philosophy and psychology before moving back home to the greater Seattle area. Prior to becoming a staff member here, I worked with children with developmental differences and was an instructional assistant in a Seattle high school. I am also the head coach of a local high school boy’s water polo team and assistant coach for the girl’s program. In my free time, when not coaching or playing water polo with local master’s teams, I enjoy hiking and backpacking, reading, and weightlifting.
Staff Assignments This School Year
Please refer to the emailed Dayette for Staff Assignments list or the Dayette PDF posted on the B.F. Day Facebook.
