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E-News: April 23

Upcoming Events

April 24-25: Lena Lake Backpacking Trip

April 26: 8th Grade Parents and Guardians Virtual Coffee

April 27: School Day SAT for 11th Grade Students

April 27-April 30: Pizazz

April 28: Theater Classes on Campus

April 28: Environmental Sustainability Speaker Series: Dr. Heather Price

April 29: Spring Music Concert

May 8: Parent and Guardian Suicide Prevention Conversation with Forefront

May 8: Senior Prom

All Grades on Campus Starting Week of April 26

We are excited to welcome all grades on campus starting next week. Students will attend classes in person each Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Each Wednesday will follow the rotating performing arts class schedule.

To safely accommodate all grades during lunch, we have split the third period/lunch block in two. Please review the new daily schedule in preparation for next week.

Spread the Word About Summer Camp

Do you know anyone who is looking for enrichment opportunities for their children this summer? We are planning an in-person Summer Camp experience focused on social connections and academic enrichment based on The Northwest School's liberal arts curriculum and social justice mission. We will have six one-week sessions, beginning July 5. You can learn more about our camps here.

 


Updates from Health Coordinator Sierra Maxwell

This week, the Washington State Department of Health released the latest statewide situation report on COVID-19. You can read the full report here.

Report findings include:

  • Cases associated with variants of concern are increasing.
  • Population immunity is helping control transmission but is not enough to counteract risky behavior.
  • At the start of April, the best model-based estimate of overall population immunity was 26.8 percent.
  • Case rates are increasing across all age demographics except individuals 70 and older.

According to Acting State Health Officer Scott Lindquist says, "Vaccination is working, but immunity isn't high enough yet to combat increasing disease levels. All of us, including people who are fully vaccinated, need to keep taking steps to slow the spread while we vaccinate more people. Keep your social circles small and whenever you plan an activity with others, take it outside. Wear your mask every single time you're around others, indoors or outdoors."

Pizazz Begins Tuesday, April 27

Be sure to check your email on Tuesday as we launch Day 1 of Pizazz! This four-day online fundraiser starts April 27 and supports The Northwest Experience Fund and the Raymond Taussig Terry Financial Aid Endowment. Combined, these funds create the  educational experience that all of our kids deserve.

This year’s virtual program will include teacher Scott Davis as emcee throughout the week as well as a variety of guest speakers, both faculty and parents. On Friday, April 30, we’ll come together to recognize the 40th anniversary of Northwest with Dennis as emcee, honorary guests, performances, and a celebration (be sure to have dessert and a candle ready)! You may also order boxed dinners for delivery (deadline is April 23) and can join in the optional grade-level happy hours before the live Zoom event.

  • 5:30 pm: Optional grade-level happy hours
  • 6:00 pm: Programming

Community Conversation on Climate Science, Justice, Policy, and Activism, April 28

For our next installment of the Environmental Sustainability Speaker Series on April 28, at 6:00 pm, we are excited to team up with the local youth-led The Service Board this month to co-host a Community Conversation on climate science, justice, policy, and activism. Please join us in a conversation with Dr. Heather Price, climate scientist and climate justice activist, for what is sure to be a lively and inspiring conversation.

Meeting link can be found here. (Please note this is a different time and Zoom link from previous Speaker Series.)

Upcoming 8th Grade Parents and Guardians Virtual Coffee

Join your fellow 8th grade parents and guardians for a virtual coffee on Monday, April 26, at 7:00 am. This is a good chance to connect, ask questions, and share any thoughts about the 8th grade.

Spring Virtual Concert, April 29

Please join us on April 29, at 7:00 pm, for our virtual Spring Music Concert.

  • Meeting Link
  • Meeting ID: 914 1467 0011
  • Password: StrongArts

Notes from the Dining Room

Navigating the dining room looks and feels different this trimester. Here are some tips to help you navigate the line lunch successfully!

  1. Stay with your class during lunch at your assigned eating space for the entire period unless your faculty allows you to relocate.
  2. Maintain six feet between yourself and others while in the lunch line and when eating. Masks off only if you are eating or drinking.
  3. Wash or sanitize your hands before and after eating.
  4. Don’t forget to grab utensils and a napkin before exiting the dining room.
  5. Bring your water bottle every day.
  6. BE PREPARED! Know the daily menu so you are prepared in case you need to request a special meal (e.g. vegan, gluten-free, or allergy-specific meal). The menu can be found here.
  7. Still hungry? In addition to the daily entrée, hard-boiled eggs, fruit, and WB&J sandwiches are available at lunch. Make sure you request these items when you are in line. Need a couple of apples (one for now, one for later)? Just ask!
  8. Sharing is caring…but not during a pandemic. Please do not share food.
  9. Lunch isn’t over until waste is properly sorted and disposed of!

For questions about the dining program, please e-mail Bethany. Finally, while the dining program remains food-focused, we also want to bring to light that, for some of our faculty and families, this is a season of fasting in observance of Ramadan. Check out this week’s newsletter to read what Accounts Payable and Payroll Coordinator Amina Loftin shared about how to support friends during Ramadan.

Volunteer Opportunities in the Urban Farm and Garden

Every Wednesday, 11:00 am-1:30 pm
Open to students, parents, guardians, and faculty. Sign-up here.

Saturday, May 1, 10:00 am-1:00 pm
Do you enjoy using drills and building things? Are you interested in learning how? Join us as we strengthen the planter boxes. We will also be separating plant starts, transplanting, and compost turning. Open to everyone. This will happen rain or shine, so dress accordingly and bring your own snacks and water. Sign-up here.

Sunday, May 16, 9:30 am-12:30 pm
We will be transplanting tons of plant starts as well as tending to the compost and weeding. This is open to everyone and will be happening rain or shine. Please bring your own snacks and water. Sign-up here.

Anytime, On Your Own
Sign-up here to care for the chickens, water the plants, harvest, etc. Open to students, parents, guardians, and faculty.

Important College Office Announcements

Senior Exit Interviews

Each year, the College Counseling Office meets with all 12th grade students to gather information about their outcomes and experiences of the college process. All seniors are asked to sign up for a 15-minute meeting with Erin Miller or Rachel Fumia by May 7. Calendly links to their calendars can be found on the College Counseling Canvas course page.

Yearbook Order Information

It is time to order your yearbook! With environmental sustainability in mind, we have paired up with TreeRing for our yearbooks because they partner with Trees for the Future to plant a tree for every yearbook purchased. Last year, through this partnership, our orders planted 356 trees! Another perk of TreeRing? Students get to customize two pages in their yearbooks!

See this flyer for specific directions on how to order. The regular price for yearbooks is $44.38, plus tax and shipping. The deadline for ordering is April 30.

Note for Financial Aid families: To order your yearbook, you will register on TreeRing and, optionally, customize pages. There is no need to purchase as this will be covered by The Northwest Experience Fund, so the school will mark your book as paid in TreeRing. You will need to email Jonathan Hochberg to let him know you would like a yearbook and to confirm your shipping address by April 26, at 3:00 pm.

Please contact Nathalie Hall with any questions.

FCD Prevention Works Specialists Joining Classes

As part of our ongoing commitment to prevention and wellness, we have invited a prevention specialist from FCD Prevention Works to join our community during the week of May 3. FCD Prevention Works is a non-profit organization that provides substance misuse prevention and health promotion for schools.

This program will take place online, and will be offered to several of our grade levels with the support of teachers and our counseling team. This programming is voluntary and students may opt-out or request individual conversation with our prevention specialist as needed.

If your child is meeting with an FCD prevention specialist online from your home, we encourage you to provide your child with privacy during the sessions. This will help to ensure a safe space, for both your child and the other students participating, to engage in the discussion and ask potentially sensitive questions.

We partnered with FCD for a parent and guardian training earlier this year. For highlights from the meeting, including the recorded event, click here.

Please contact Erin North with any questions.

Carry 5 Walk for Water Fundraiser, May 2

Every year, the Northwest School 8th graders take part in Water1st International's Carry 5 Walk for Water event. This year, everyone can take part in the event from the comfort of their own neighborhood. 

The Walk for Water event is a 5k walk meant to simulate what one billion people around the world have to do every day in order to get clean water. Often, these people are women and young girls, who jeopardize their health and education to retrieve water for their families. Funds raised by Water1st go to creating sustainable clean water, toilet, and hygiene education projects for communities in Ethiopia, Honduras, Bangladesh, and Mozambique. Since its founding, Water1st has raised a total of $26 million, completing 3,513 projects that provide easy access to clean water for 243,244 people.

Every $85 raised provides a child with clean water and a toilet for life. The 8th grade appreciates any and all support you can offer.

Parent and Guardian Suicide Prevention Conversation with Forefront

Please join other Northwest School parents and guardians for a guided conversation about youth suicide prevention on Saturday, May 8, 9:30-11:00 am. This will be the last Forefront training of this school year. Topics will cover:

  • Learning how to start and sustain conversations with your teen about mental health and suicide awareness.
  • Learning the signs that someone you care about may be struggling with thoughts of suicide, practice and role-play how to ask about suicide, and learn about resources and ways to support someone who may be hurting.
  • Connecting with other parents and guardians to build and strengthen your network of support and prevention.

Click here to join the Zoom Meeting.

Announcing the Musical Theatre production: The Addams Family

The Northwest School Musical Theatre class is proud to present The Addams Family. The production will be available for streaming on May 27-June 6. Check out the promo here.

Community Fitness Sessions

Click here to join in live community fitness sessions every weeknight, at 5:00 pm PT.

Recordings of past workouts can be found here.

College Counseling Programs and Updates

Please click here to find other college counseling announcements.

About E-News: The weekly E-News covers a two-week period of upcoming events, parent reminders, and campus news.