Student art made by Mr. Mitch's students Adnan, Ahmed, Kailani and Cali
Table of Contents:
Teacher + Staff Appreciation Week - May 6-10
Bike to School Month
Reading Volunteers
T-shirts
Jog-a-thon
Health Information from Nurse Ann
Music concert - 5/9, 5/16, 6/7
Friends of Roxhill PTO Community Meeting - 5/13
Community Arts and Family Meetup at Roxhill Park - 5/25
Hmong Farms Flowers
Flower Power Fundraiser
Sounds from Around the World Festival - 6/1
West Seattle Public School Equity Fund Fun Fair - 6/6
Carpool Connections
Volunteer Opportunities
Library Song
Important Dates
Welcome to May! Here’s what’s happening at school this month.
Teacher + Staff Appreciation Week
May 6-10 is National Teacher Appreciation Week! At Roxhill we appreciate all school staff. You can help say thank you a few different ways this week.
If you are able to provide baked goods or fresh fruit for the teacher’s lounge, you can drop them off in the morning on Monday, May 6. Leave items on the table in the teacher’s lounge, located on the right side of the entry hallway.
On Tuesday, May 7, bring your teacher flowers (hand picked are just as good as store bought).
Help your child make a thank you card for their teacher and have them deliver the card on Friday, May 10.
Bike to School Month
Oil up that chain and buckle up your helmet… May is Bike to School month!
Roxhill students and staff are encouraged to ride their bikes to school during the month of May. Ms. Christa, Mr. Martin, Ms. Silsby, Mr. Popelka, Mr. Mitch, and Mr. Miller are May bikers. Come join the team! There is a bike rack at the south end of the school, by the Head Start classrooms, where students can lock their bikes. If you have any questions, please reach out to Mr. Miller. (gbmiller@seattleschools.org)
Reading Volunteers
We are continuing to recruit volunteers who can spare just 15 minutes to read with our students during the school day.
The goal is to encourage a love for reading and literacy among our students. By having parents, or community members come in to read with them, we hope to foster a positive reading environment and enhance their reading skills.
Books and student lists will be provided, so all you need to bring is your enthusiasm for reading! Your presence and participation will make a difference.
If you are interested in volunteering for this program, please sign up for shifts here:
AND email Roxhill Intervention Teacher Katarina Ferguson at kmferguson@seattleschools.org
T-shirts
A new Roxhill shirt is on it’s way for all K-5 students and staff members. Thank you to Roxhill dad Ryan Collier for the awesome design!
Every student will receive a shirt, regardless of a family's ability to pay.
If you are able to make a donation, we are asking for $15 per student to cover the cost of production. Please fill out the following form to contribute to the t-shirt fund:
Optional: If you want to place an order for additional shirts for yourself or family members, the cost is $20 per shirt. Please order by May 15 at the link above.
Please email friendsofroxhill@gmail.com with any questions.
Call for volunteers: Can you help us sort and distribute t-shirts for students and staff on Monday, May 13, 12-1:30pm?
Sign up here:
Jog-a-thon
The Roxhill annual Jog‐A‐Thon will be held on Friday May 24, 2024 during the school day. Students who wish to participate will raise money to support the 5th grade outdoor learning field trip to Nature Bridge. Nature Bridge is an outdoor learning center located in the Olympic National Park near Port Angeles. Funds raised may also help support other school field trips as well. More details to come home via kid mail the week of May 6th.
Volunteers will be needed for the Jog-A-Thon.
Sign up for a shift here:
Jog-a-thon Schedule:
7:45 -8:28 Set up and prep
8:28 - 9:00 Prynne
9:05 - 9:37 Binkow + Martin
9:45 - 10:17 Mac + Turner
10:25 - 10:57 Beal + Green
12:38 - 1:10 Fosnes + Popelka
1:45 - 2:25 Anna, Kyoko + Gamache
2:25 - 2:55 Clean up
Health Information from Nurse Ann
Learning to see clearly is a developmental process that begins during the prenatal period and continues throughout childhood and adolescence. A particularly sensitive time of development is prenatal to age 6 years. Visual development includes learning to focus on objects that are far away, focus both eyes together, track words across a page, and depth perception. Visual skills are needed in 80% of school tasks.
The CoVID 19 Pandemic highlighted how some of our current cultural tendencies, including increased screen time, decreased time outdoors, and decreased hands-on play may be contributing to an increase in visual problems in children worldwide. One concerning trend being studied is an increase in myopia (difficulty seeing things far away).
While the research isn’t yet complete, two helpful interventions have emerged:
1. Encourage lots of time outdoors (at least 2 hours a day)
2. Practice the 20-20 rule as a family. After every 20 minutes, look away from the computer for at least 20 seconds and focus on something far away.
3. Have regular eye exams
Helpful links:
Spring Music concerts
Spring time is time for music! To accommodate as many family attendees as possible, music teacher, Lane Juntunen aka Mr. J, has scheduled separate choral concerts: One for Kindergarten - 2nd grades and their families. And one for 3rd - 5th grades and their families. Also, Instrumental Music teacher, Mr. Chance has scheduled a concert for 4th and 5th graders and their families to attend. Join us to hear the musical learning here at Roxhill.
May 9 - 1:30pm Spring Music Concert – Grades K - 2 families welcome
May 16 - 1:30pm Spring Music Concert – Grades 3 - 5 families welcome
June 7 - 1:30pm Instrumental Music Concert – Grades 4 - 5 families welcome
Friends of Roxhill PTO Community Meeting
Monday, May 13
6:00-7:30 pm
Enter through front entrance
Friends of Roxhill is our school’s non-profit parent/teacher organization (PTO). We are parents, community members, and teachers who work together to support the education and enrichment of our multicultural public school.
Everyone is welcome and all ideas are encouraged!
Our meetings are usually on the 2nd Monday of the month from 6–7:30 p.m. This is a great way to connect with Principal Lorow, parents, caregivers and teachers in the Roxhill community. Pizza and childcare will be provided. Spanish interpretation will be available. Interpretation for other languages is available upon request. Email friendsofroxhill@gmail.com with questions.
Community Arts and Family Meetup at Roxhill Park
Community Arts at Roxhill Park
Every Saturday
April 6-June 15
Except June 1
10:00am - 1:00pm
Join our community partners at Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association (DNDA) on Saturdays at Roxhill Park!
Community Arts days will feature guided nature walks, storytelling and drop-in EcoArts activities, led by local teaching artists!
All ages are welcome to this free weekly event, no RSVP required. DNDA will be there rain or shine with tea to share.
Roxhill Park Family Meetup
Saturday, May 25
10:00 am-1:00 pm
Our monthly family meetups will coincide with DNDA’s Community Arts Days (see info above). You are welcome to join in on activities or kids can play at the playground. Coffee will be provided by Friends of Roxhill. Bring a snack to share (optional).
Hmong Farms Flowers
This Mother's Day, support Seattle Public Schools and Hmong farmers by buying flower bouquets! Proceeds go to a SPS school of your choice and a Title 1 school in Seattle and are tax-deductible. Bouquets will be available to be picked up at 12 SPS school distribution sites and are $60 for one bouquet or $100 for two. Pre-order before May 4 to get your bouquet on May 11.
Click here to buy: https://www.sesecwa.org/mothers-day-flower-sale/
Flower Power Fundraiser
We have 2 more weeks of our spring fundraiser!
We are partnering again with Flower Power Fundraising to sell flower bulbs, kitchen garden herbs, sprouts, seeds and more to bring some joy to your home garden or window sill this spring and raise money for our school.
Check out our fundraising website:
Share the link with your friends, neighbors, co-workers and relatives across the country. They have a variety of plants for every climate.
Friends of Roxhill Elementary receives 50% of the profits from every order.
Orders are shipped directly to the person placing the order starting April 1 (there is a $6.99 shipping fee).
Order deadline is May 15.
Sounds from Around the World
Saturday, June 11:00-5:00 pm
Roxhill Park
The Sounds from Around the World 2024 festival is a family-friendly event presented by Urgent Africa at Roxhill Park featuring music by Lion of Judah Band and the Bob Antolin and Chet Corpt Duo. Families are encouraged to bring their picnic blankets for an afternoon of world-class performances and community spirit. More info here:
West Seattle Public School Equity Fund Fun Fair
Thursday, June 65-7pm
Join the West Seattle Public School Equity Fund for an end of year celebration. This event is open to all and happening just next door at West Seattle Elementary School. Join us on June 6 from 5-7 pm games, pizza, cotton candy, and prizes!
Carpool Connections
We receive frequent requests for transportation help and try to coordinate carpools and walking buses by introducing families to each other. Please email friendsofroxhill@gmail.com if you can help with any of the following.
Current requests:
1st grader in need of a driver to and from Delridge Way SW and Kenyon St.
Please fill out the following form if:
You need help getting your child to or from school.
You would like to volunteer to drive or walk another student to or from school.
Your contact information will not be shared without your permission. Please contact friendsofroxhill@gmail.com with questions.
Volunteer Opportunities
We are currently looking for volunteers to help with:
Lunchroom Helpers (Daily - sign up for a shift below)
Reading Volunteers (Daily - sign up for a shift below)
T-shirt sorting (May 13)
Friday Food Bag Prep and Delivery (Fridays at 12 noon)
Childcare during FORE Meetings (May 13, June 10)
Making coffee for Roxhill Park Family Meetups (May 25, June 22)
Sign up for current volunteer opportunities on our Signup page here:
All volunteer opportunities that take place on school grounds or field trips will require you to fill out a volunteer application through SPS. Apply here or check your status as a returning volunteer. Direct all questions about your SPS application to Office Assistant Christy Pudduck cspudduck@seattleschools.org.
Want to get more involved with Friends of Roxhill next year?
We are looking for board members and volunteers to help with communications (i.e. website updates, facebook posts and flyers). Email friendsofroxhill@gmail.com for more info.
Library Song
Here is the final library song of the year. In honor of me turning 60 this summer, I chose a song from 1964, my birth year. Those high notes were a STRETCH.
Enjoy!
-Mr. Robert
Important Dates
May 9 - 1:30pm Spring Music Concert – Grades K - 2 families welcome
May 13 - Friends of Roxhill PTO Community Meeting, 6-7:30 pm
May 15 - Flower Power Spring Fundraiser Deadline
May 16 - 1:30pm Spring Music Concert – Grades 3 - 5 families welcome
May 19 - Girls on The Run 5K
May 24 - Jog-a-thon
May 25 - Community Arts and Family Meetup at Roxhill Park, 10am-1pm
May 27 - Memorial Day (no school)
June 7 - 1:30pm Instrumental Music Concert (Grades 4 - 5 families welcome)
June 13 - Field Day
June 18- Multicultural Potluck/End of Year Celebration, 6-8pm
June 19 - Juneteenth (no school)
June 20 - 1:15pm 5th Grade Move Up Ceremony
June 21 - 9:45am Kindergarten Move Up Ceremony
June 21 - Last day of school (1-hour early dismissal @ 1:25pm)