Jan. 15: Admissions Applications Due

Jan. 17: Middle School Parent/Guardian and School Counselor Coffee

Jan. 18: MLK Day Celebration: Early Dismissal at 12:00 pm

Jan. 18: Basketball Faculty Night

Jan. 21: No School

Jan. 22: Board of Trustees Meeting

Jan. 23: Admissions Families of Color Dinner

Jan. 24: Middle School Parents/Guardians/Faculty Night

Jan. 25: Basketball Fan Night

Jan. 26: Snoqualmie Pass Cross Country Skiing Trip

Jan. 27: SAT & ACT Workshops for 11th Grade

Students were notified of their Summits placements this week. There will be an add/drop period from Jan. 11 until Jan. 18. Students will be notified of their add/drop status by Jan. 25. Questions can be sent to summits@northwestschool.org.

The deadline to apply for financial aid for returning families with a student in next year's 9th grade is Friday, Jan. 11, 2019.

For all other grade levels, the deadline is Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Director of Financial Aid Jonathan Hochberg at 206-816-6210.

The Alaskan Way Viaduct is closing Friday evening, Jan. 11, in preparation for the opening of the tunnel. The Seattle Times has a thorough breakdown of transit options and alternatives, the city of Seattle's traffic website has a list of ways to help plan your commute, and Commute Seattle also has a useful trip planning tool.

On Friday, Jan. 18, The Northwest School will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day from 8:00 am-12:00 pm. There is a scheduled early dismissal for the day, so we have organized an optional community service event with Seattle Parks and Recreation from 12:00-3:30 pm for Middle School students.

Students participating in the event will eat lunch and then leave the school to plant native plants along the Burke-Gilman Trail until 3:00 pm. We will return to school by 3:30 pm, and students can be picked up at the main entrance.

Join us for Faculty Night basketball games on Friday, Jan. 18, as we host University Prep! Games start with JV girls' at 3:30 pm, JV boys' at 5:00 pm, Varsity girls' at 6:30 pm, and conclude with Varsity boys' at 8:00 pm!

There will be an Upper School girls' ultimate meeting on Thursday, Jan. 17, during break, in the Dining Room. Anyone interested in participating this spring is encouraged to attend!

Fall sports begin August 19. Please mark your calendars if your Upper School student will be participating in cross country, girls' soccer, boys' ultimate, or girls' volleyball.

The Northwest School will be hosting four exchange students from our partner school in Taiwan, Affiliated High School of National Chengchi University (AHSNCCU), and we are looking for a homestay family from our community to host one of the male students.

Taiwanese students will come to Seattle on Jan. 18 and stay until Feb. 9. While at Northwest, students will audit classes and participate in various social activities at school.

If you are interested in this exciting opportunity or have any questions, please contact Director of Global Programs and Outreach Dmitry Sherbakov.

The Middle School Parent/Guardian/Advisors Night is coming up on Thursday, Jan. 24, at 6:30 pm, in the Commons. The evening will begin with snacks and social time. At 7:00 pm, there will be welcoming remarks from Middle School Director Sue Maul, followed by grade-level-specific breakouts. Here is a snapshot of what will take place:

• 6th grade - Tweens and Screens: The 6th grade advisors will present some information and facilitate a discussion with parents about walking alongside students as they navigate the digital world and how we can address some of the ramifications of this continuous media exposure.

• 7th grade - What’s it like to be a 7th grader? The 7th grade advisors will touch on where 7th graders are developmentally and how instruction and experiences in the classroom acknowledge and utilize students' current stage of development. Conversation between advisors and parents/guardians will focus on partnering to support our 7th graders.

• 8th grade - Transitions: 8th graders are having deep and challenging conversations. Next year, 8th graders will be able to sign out for lunch and will have more access to their mobile devices during the day. The 8th grade advisors will be facilitating an evening of sharing, networking, and discussion around the transitions happening now and in the future.

The College Counseling process for 11th graders launched in January. We have two events to help your student prepare for the college search. Click here for more information.

SAT and ACT Workshops for 11th Graders
Sunday, Jan. 27, 12:30-3:30 pm

Researching Colleges Workshop for 11th Grade Parents/Guardians
Tuesday, Jan. 29, 8:00-9:30 am OR 7:00-8:30 pm

The Outdoor Program will be busy in the winter with some great trips lined up. Students have the opportunity for snow camping at Mt. Baker, cross country skiing at Snoqualmie Pass, snowshoeing in the Cascades, and cycling around the San Juans. More information for the trips can be found on the Outdoor Program webpage.

In addition to these trips, Northwest will also run a ski bus for night skiing at The Summit at Snoqualmie Pass on Fridays, Jan. 11, Jan. 25, Feb. 1, Feb. 8, and March 1.

What’s better than Meatless Monday? Meatless Days! Meatless Mondays have been a tradition at Northwest for many years. It started as a way to draw attention to the environmental impact of meat consumption. While Meatless Monday has helped to define the Dining Program and make a strong statement about our values, there also has been a negative stigma associated with the day itself, the meal, and vegetarianism.

In 2019, the Dining Program will change the way it plans menus and move away from Meatless Mondays. Vegetarian meals will instead be woven throughout the monthly menu. By making this small change, we hope that the menu will get closer to representing the diverse palates/diets/cultures at Northwest, and vegetarian meals will become as common as serving chicken, pork, curry, or pizza. Moreover, we hope that by moving away from Meatless Monday, we send a message that our community considers the environmental impact of our meat consumption daily, not just on Mondays—it’s merely what we do because of who we are. If you have questions or comments, please feel free to contact Bethany Fong.

Planning is now underway for our fun and engaging annual spring fundraiser. Care to join us and help out? We are looking for committee volunteers and table captains. Please contact Julie Lombardo (206-816-6208) to learn more.

The semi-formal Winter Ball will be held on Friday, Feb. 1, 8:00-11:00 pm, in the main school building. The dance will cost $5 to enter, with all proceeds benefiting the Tiny House Summit.

Will you be looking for something for your student to engage in over the two weeks during Spring Break? We have traditionally offered camps during Spring Break and would like input from families and students about what they are looking for in a Spring Break camp program. We appreciate if you would spend a few minutes of your time filling out this form with your ideas.

Invitations will soon be mailed for this year's Grandparents & Special Friends Day, Feb. 12, 9:00-11:30 am. Guests enjoy a special breakfast followed by a visit to a class with their student. Want to add someone to the invitation list, or update your family's information? Fill out the online form here. If you're interested in volunteering for the event, please contact Maria Mazcorro.

About E-News: The weekly E-News covers a two-week period of upcoming events, parent reminders, and campus news. For a complete listing of events and important dates, please visit the all school calendar.