Weekly Sun Dragons’ Dayette

A Note from Dr. Zisko

September 8, 2023

Hello Sun Dragon Families!

We had a great first week of school! It was so exciting welcoming our first – fifth graders back to campus. The B.F. Day merch pop-up store was an awesome addition to our first week. Thank you for all of your hard work getting your children to school on time. Our attendance rates were fantastic!

We’re looking forward to welcoming our preschoolers and kindergarteners on Monday! Enjoy your weekend.

Best,
Natalie

Enrichment is coming!

Stay tuned for Fall Enrichment Registration!

The B.F. Day PTSA Enrichment Committee is excited to announce its fall after-school enrichment schedule. We have many returning vendors and even a couple of new ones! We’re firming up the calendar and will post registration instructions in next week’s Dayette. Enrichment classes will start Friday, October 6.

What is “enrichment,” you ask? We bring high-quality after-school programming onsite to B.F. Day – everything ranging from art, to music, to sports, and Lego engineering. Kids get to explore new activities in a familiar space with their B.F. Day friends. Caregivers get some extra time in their day (and less driving!) … win-win!

PTSA and vendor-provided scholarships are available but limited. We recommend registering as early as possible, as some classes do fill up quickly.

This program is powered by volunteers! Would you like to help? The Enrichment Committee is always looking for help with vendor relationship management, data entry, and other tasks. We’d also love to reintroduce more low-cost, parent volunteer-led clubs to the mix! Last year, for example, science and gardening clubs were big hits (thanks to Bruce and Brooke!). In the past, kids have enjoyed activities like running club, board games, TTRPG, and debate.

Have ideas? Questions? Let’s talk! Email enrichment@bfdayptsa.org.

Picking up your student

All students are dropped off and picked up at the same location on the blacktop. At school dismissal, please meet your student at their classroom’s line location. It’s important to us that there is a 1:1 handoff with adults. If students are taken out of line in transit to their line location, it can become tricky for our teachers to ensure students are with their correct adults. Thanks for your cooperation!

Merch Mondays

As you may have seen this week, The B.F. Day merch pop-up is here! We sell B.F. Day totes, hats, shirts, zip-up hoodies, and more. All proceeds support the B.F. Day PTSA!

The B.F. Day PTSA substantially contributes to the overall school budget each year. It supports programs like reading intervention, enrichment scholarships, school counseling, supplies, and our school library.

Will be back again this Monday and every first Monday of every month as “Merch Monday!” Thank you for supporting Sun Dragon pride and the B.F. Day PTSA!

Cafeteria Menu

Our cafeteria supervisor, Ms. Quinese, is amazing! She has made a colorful, inviting lunch counter for our students. Ms. Quinese is full of smiles and enthusiasm. She happily serves our students what comes in her food shipments. Please know that sometimes these shipments can be different than what’s posted on the menu. It can be disappointing to think that your favorite meal is being served and it turns out to be something different. There are always choices at the lunch counter, and we encourage everyone to make a selection that best interests them. Thank you for teaching your child to have a flexible mindset when it comes to purchasing school lunch.

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 and Librarian for our wonderful community. This will be my 13th year at B.F. Day, and 24th year (gulp) in education!

I am in my second 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 can be turned in for a prize before school on Monday and Tuesday (9/11 and 9/12). 

All 24-hour reading challenges (your ticket to the pancake breakfast) can be turned in to Mrs. P’s mailbox in the library before school 9/11-9/14. Please clearly write your name on the page.

The pancake breakfast will be held in the library on Friday, September 15 at 7:15 a.m.! If you earned the reward, please plan on joining us!

1:1 Device Forms Have Been Sent Home!

Please look for this form, complete it with your student, and return to your classroom teacher. Students in PreK-2 will be using iPads, and students 3-5 will be using laptops.

There is additional important information related to this document which you can read on the links below:

• SPS iPads
• SPS Laptops

Library Orientation

During their first week of classes, students will learn and review how the library is organized, book care, and check out/return procedures.

At B.F. Day, students may check out up to 3 books per visit in grades PreK-2 (in PreK/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. They will not be able to check out additional books until some are returned to the library.

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!

Meet our new staff members!

James Wilson; Preschool Instructional Assistant in the Butterfly Room

Hi everyone! My name is James Wilson and I am excited to be joining the B.F. Day community this year! I will be an instructional assistant in the butterfly classroom. While this is my first year at B.F. Day, I taught 2nd and 3rd grade for 8 years in West Seattle.

Let me tell you a little bit about myself:

I was born and raised in the Bay Area of California but have also lived for a time in Greece, Italy, and Canada. I moved to Seattle in 2013 and went to the University of Washington to become a teacher. I have worked in retail (REI), catering, as an archaeologist, and a puzzle maker before I became an educator. An avid soccer player since my youth (although mostly a spectator now), I also enjoy: biking, swimming, backpacking, reading, fishing, photography, and rock climbing. This summer my favorite books were: “There There,” “Still Life,” “An Unkindness of Ghosts,” “The Thursday Murder Club,” and “The Dispossessed.”

Adam Coble; Multilingual Instructional Assistant

Hi, my name is Adam Coble, and I am pleased to be joining B.F. Day as a Bilingual Instructional Assistant!

Since beginning my career with AmeriCorps as literacy tutor in Oakland, California, I have educated, mentored, and engaged diverse youth and families in schools and community-based organizations. In 2021 I re-located to Seattle

from Portland, where I served for several years as a professional mentor to youth with Friends of the Children. I spent my first year in the area as a case manager to .elementary students in Lake Washington School District and began working for Seattle Public Schools in March of 2023 as a Bilingual Instructional Assistant at Viewlands Elementary.

Outside of my professional life, I love being outdoors, practicing mindfulness, and spending time with my partner, Barbara, and our two children, Esperanza and Antonio.

I’m delighted to be joining the B.F. Day community, and I look forward to getting to know you this year!

Katie Buschmann; Instructional Assistant for Extended Resource

Hello Sun Dragons! Please let me introduce myself, my name is Katie Buschmann, “Ms. Katie,” and I am thrilled to be working in Ms. Thurston’s 2nd-5th extended resource class this year. I graduated from Florida International University and have 23 years of experience working as an elementary art teacher in the sunshine state. 

Along with fostering learning through self-discovery and expression, I utilize SEL practices and have acted as my former school’s Positive Behavior Support Coach. 

Being new to Seattle, I am looking forward to exploring the evergreen state and I am so happy to be a part of the B.F. Day family!

Kerry Canning; Occupational Therapist

I’m Kerry, originally from Chicago. I’ve been an OT since 2010 and that is when I moved to Seattle. I’ve mostly worked in schools with some hospital and nursing home experience. I lived in Southern California last year but moved back here last summer.

I like to bring my corgi, Larry, anywhere I can. I also like to play pickleball and volleyball. This school year I will be at BF Day on Mondays. I will also be at Hamilton and Hale.

Amanda Benavides; Speech and Language Therapist

Amanda Benavides is a speech therapist who recently moved to Ballard from Santa Barbara, California. 

She has worked in schools for five years and is excited to be a part of Seattle Public Schools! 

Hobbies include cooking, making music, gardening, reading, and traveling.

Hello from the Art Studio!

Welcome back to school! My name is Mrs. Hall and I teach K-5 Art at B.F. Day. This is my 14th year teaching art in the district and my 9th year teaching at BF Day! I am happy to be back and to have another great year in art with our B.F. Day students!

Your child will be in the art room twice a week with me this year and we will be taking on a variety of projects. My lessons are all rooted in the foundations of art and the principals of design. In addition, I teach the history of artists, art movements and styles from across the globe. My intention is to always broaden the scope of artists that learners are exposed to as much diversity as possible with examples from across the globe. We will be exploring a multitude of artistic mediums and getting to a few clay projects throughout the year as well.

I am looking for families that would like to participate in hanging art a couple of times a year, any assistants or classroom docents that would like to pitch in and calls for art supplies and materials as the year goes on. Many families like to donate materials and items and that is greatly appreciated, but please think “bulk”. I teach the entire population each week and often items that are donated are limited to less than a class worth of odds and ends. While the intention is awesome, these things get put aside and usually never find their way into art making. Please keep donations to direct asks that I put out, OR if you can purchase things like markers, watercolors, or sharpies in bulk, they are always greatly appreciated. We go through items very quickly around here with 400+ students using these items two times per week. At this moment I am on the hunt for any extra magazines that could be used for collage making, sheet music, and cardboard. Also, if anyone ever sees a clay slab roller or a printing press that needs a home, the art room would love to house them!

These first weeks the entire school will be working on self-portraits that I intend to have on display for our first back to school night that is coming up in the next few weeks! Until then!

Yours in Art,
Janine Hall aka Mrs. Hall

Enrollment Now Open for Family Connectors University

Family Connectors University is now enrolling for the fall term! All SPS families are invited to join North Seattle College’s (NSC) Family Connectors University (FCU). This is a family-focused online course designed to help parents and caregivers support their child’s learning and growth.

FCU topics include:

• Helping your child with learning
• Social Emotional Learning ideas for home
• Becoming a supportive partner at your school
• Helping your child with ‘big emotions’
• Supporting your child with reading and math
• Talking to kids about race, racism, and antiracist actions 

Take this course in real-time or attend offline at a time that works for you. The class takes place online via Zoom for 10 weeks beginning Tuesday, Oct. 4, 6-7:30 p.m. You can participate synchronously or asynchronously, as sessions will be recorded. The course is facilitated by NSC Parent Education Instructor Lea Evans, SPS Family Partnerships Coordinator Asosa Sailiai, and special guest speakers. 

Check out our FCU video and course details for more information.

Please join us for a quick orientation on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 6:30 p.m. Link to Zoom session. 

We’ll answer your questions, give you details on how to sign up through North Seattle College, and tell you how to apply for a need-based scholarship. If you can’t make it live, a recorded version of the orientation will be available. The cost for the 2-unit class is $37.08 and some scholarships are available. 

Email Asosa Sailiai to enroll or find out more information. Looking forward to meeting you soon! Contact: Asosa Sailiai, family partnerships coordinator, amsailiai@seattleschools.org

Principal Letter

Hello Sun Dragon Families!

Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year! Our campus has been busy this summer. We welcomed our incoming kindergartners for three days of Jump Start. Our kindergartners are also our largest cohort on campus, with 83 enrolled students! Thank you to the B.F. Day PTSA for their support of Jump Start. Our early learners are excited and ready.

Our teachers will return to campus this week for in-service days. We’ll be setting academic goals for the year, learning about Universal Design for Learning (UDL), engaging in racial equity work, and building instructional schedules. 

We look forward to welcoming kindergarten – fifth grade families back to campus on Thursday the 31 at 4:00 p.m. for our annual ice cream social. Kindergarten – fifth grade class lists will be posted at that time.

Please note that our preschoolers will meet their teacher on Wednesday the 30 at 4:15 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.

Looking ahead to this school year, I am filled with optimism and joy. Our team is ready for a successful year! The staff at B.F. Day truly are committed and talented educators. It is my pleasure and honor to work alongside them to educate our students (425 enrolled Sun Dragons!).

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. We see you and appreciate you for all of the little and big ways you contribute to our Family School. 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. The staff and I are so excited to see our students back on campus soon! We certainly missed them.

Go Sun Dragons!

Cheers,
Dr. Zisko

Ice Cream Social August 31 at 4-5 p.m.

Join us on Thursday, August 31 from 4-5 p.m. for our annual ice cream social. Class lists will be posted in windows.

Students may play on the playgrounds, enjoy a popsicle donated by the B.F. Day PTSA, and meet their new teacher. As a friendly reminder, with the exception of extenuating circumstances (such as trauma or disability), B.F. Day does not accept class assignment requests. We take great care in building our lists and are confident that your child will have a successful school year ahead.

In a house buzzing with cheer and with glee,
The night before class list, oh what a spree!
Families gathered, with hopes running wild,
For a class list that would make every heart smile.

Teachers worked hard, their efforts were grand,
Crafting the classes, with love and a plan,
No changing this time, they firmly decreed,
A roster to meet every student’s need.

Kids dreamed of buddies, both old and brand new,
Hoping for teachers who’d inspire and guide through,
Parents exchanged whispers, “What if they’re split?”
Yet the teachers’ selections had a magical fit.

In pajamas and slippers, they waited so late,
Excitement was mounting, could hardly abate,
The night before class list, a family’s delight,
With laughter and joy, they’d sail through the night.

So here’s to the teachers, the heroes of time,
Designing the classes, so splendidly prime,
The night before class list, a memory to treasure,
Families united, their hopes taking measure!

School Supplies

Each year in February and March, in strong partnership with the B.F. Day PTSA, we build our school budget. As part of our overall budget, B.F. Day buys school supplies in bulk. This is the most inexpensive way to acquire supplies and ensures that our teachers receive exactly want they want and need. It also ensures that our school supplies are consistent for each student.

Our annual school supply expense is about $26,000. We kindly request that each family donate $40 per student to the B.F. Day PTSA to cover their child’s school supplies for the year. Please note your child’s name and grade level in your donation.

Donate to the B.F. Day PTSA

Attendance

The first day of school for grades 1-5 is September 6. Please note that September 6 is not an early release Wednesday. The first day of school for preschoolers and kindergartners is September 11.

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.

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.

Teaching Assignments

Preschool

• Dylan Bosseau, “Butterflies”
• Ashley King, “Bumblebees”
• Claire McCallum, Preschool – Special Education

Kindergarten

• Shellie Ferrel
• Reny Mathan
• Jennie Berlin

First Grade

• Lauren Smith (K/1 Combo)
• Britta Steel
• Tracy Anderson

Second Grade

• Eloise Davis
• Elizabeth Dawson

Third Grade

• Randi Noreng (2/3 Combo)
• Carly Riepe
• Stephanie Tetrick

Fourth Grade

• Janet Sawyer, Math
• Jordan Hanna, Science
• Annalise Strand, Language Arts

Fifth Grade

• Eric Richardson, Math/Science
• Jen Hogue, Language Arts/Social Studies

Special Education

• Lucy McMillan, Resource
• Deborah DeRaadt, Extended Resource Grades K-2
• Brianna Thurston, Extended Resource Grades 2-5

Support Staff

• John Taylor, School Counselor
• Jaimee Papineau, Librarian & Reading Intervention
• Brooke Dawson, Multilingual & Kindergarten Intervention
• Shelly Frappier, Counseling Intern
• Jill Schnaiberg, Upper Elementary Intervention
• Kristine Vucurovich, Occupational Therapist
• Melissa Hoang, School Psychologist
• Amanda Benavides, Speech Language Pathologist
• Olivia Nielsen, Physical Therapist

Meet our new staff!

Dylan Bosseau, Preschool

Hi! I’m Teacher Dylan. I am so excited to be one of the new preschool teachers here at B. F. Day! I have been working with young children since 2001 and hold graduate degrees in early childhood education and social work. I am from New York City, where I taught circus and preschool for many years before moving to Seattle in 2013. I started teaching with SPS in 2015 and taught preschool at Rising Star Elementary for eight years.

I am the parent to a super awesome second grader named Soli! My pronouns are he/him and they/them. I’m an acrobat and a swimmer – if I’m not playing in Lake Washington, you can probably find me on my bicycle somewhere nearby! I love to be outside in nature, and it is even better when I have preschool scientists with me to help me remember to notice and wonder all about this amazing Earth and the many cool plants and creatures we share it with!

Briana Thurston, Special Education (Extended Resource)

Hello! My name is Brianna Thurston and I am very excited to join the B.F. Day Family as the new Extended Resource teacher. This will be my 9th year in education and I have my Masters and National Board certification in special education. I recently moved from Denver, Colorado to be closer to family, but have been honored to live in multiple beautiful states including Maine where I grew up!

When I’m not teaching, I enjoy spending time with family, traveling, hiking, and exploring everything my local city has to offer. I look forward to getting to know you all and making Fremont home!

Volunteering

We love volunteers! Please don’t forget to complete the SPS volunteer background check prior to volunteering on campus this year. Volunteers need to renew background checks every two years. If you think you’re going to volunteer this year, chaperoning a field trip, please complete the SPS background check process.

It takes two weeks to clear volunteer applications. We encourage all potential volunteers to do this now so they are clear for the year and don’t have to worry about completing it before an event. Mx. Madi will confirm with you when they receive notification that you’ve been approved.

Transportation

Now is a great time to assess your student’s transportation needs. Are you expecting your student to take the bus to school? Have you received the confirmation from the district about your student’s bus assignment? If not, please contact the district transportation department at transdept@seattleschools.org.

Added, if your student is attending the Wallingford Boys & Girls Club, you MUST request transportation for them. Here is what you need to know to do that:

1. FIRST ensure your student is signed up and registered with the Wallingford Boys & Girls Club
2. Once you have that confirmation, contact SPS Transportation. The best option is emailing them at transdept@seattleschools.org.
3. You will need your students ID #. You can find that on the Source, or we can help you with that in the office.
4. Let them know that you would like afternoon transportation from the school to the Wallingford Boys & Girls Club at 46th and Stone Way.
5. They will email you that assignment.
6. Please inform the school that your student will be going to Wallingford Boys & Girls Club.

School Counselor: Taylor’s Tidbits

Hello B.F. Day Community,

I am John Taylor, the school counselor at B.F. Day. We are excited to make this year a great year. This school year we will have a school counseling intern, Ms. Shelly. She is currently getting her Master’s in Education, specializing in school counseling from Seattle University. Ms. Shelly did her practicum last school year at B.F. Day, and this year she is completing an internship with us. We are lucky to have her join our team! She will be here on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Each month in the Dayette, I will have a section called “Taylor’s Tidbits,” where I will share relevant and helpful tips or strategies to support our students both at school and at home. This may be in response to current events going on in the world, or it may be in response to trends or patterns we are seeing at school. For this month, I am sharing tips to support the first day drop off.

• Prepare Ahead: familiarize your child with the morning routines before the first day.
• Positive Attitude: keep a cheerful and positive demeanor to ease your child’s nerves.
• Goodbye Ritual: create a simple goodbye routine, like a hug, kiss or high-five to reassure your child. Practice!
• Brief Goodbye: keep your farewell short and sweet to avoid prolonged separation anxiety.
• Trust Teachers: let your child know that their teachers will take care of them during the day.
• Stay Calm: your own calmness will help your child feel more at ease. Try not to show any signs of worry or anxiety.
• Punctuality: be on time for drop-off to avoid any rush or added stress.
• Communicate: share any relevant information with the teacher or staff member