Feb. 22: Greenlake Loop

Feb. 24: Soccer at Woodland Park

Feb. 24: Urban Farm and Garden Volunteering

Feb. 24: Environmental Sustainability Speaker Series: Johnny Buck

Feb. 25: Alumni in Science Conversation

Feb. 26: 11th Grade Families Trivia Night

Feb. 27: IslandWood Adventure

Feb. 27: Seward Park Walk

March 1: Parenting in the Time of COVID

March 3: Middle School MOJO Begins (Mask On Join Others)

March 4: West Seattle Walk

Here are the details about the hybrid schedule we will be adopting beginning Monday, April 5, the first day of Trimester 3. We will be using this schedule throughout Trimester 3 even though the first week back after Spring Break will be remote to accommodate travel quarantine. This will also be the schedule if we have to pivot to remote learning at any point before the year ends. The schedule was created with the underlying principles of Community, Continuity, and Care. A couple of key points to keep in mind,

• This is the first step in a longer process. There are many other details that are being worked out and will be communicated in the coming weeks.
• Parents and guardians can expect a survey to help us determine the number of students who will be participating in person.
• Parents and guardians can expect grade-level conversations with NWS Administration in the coming weeks to answer questions and work in partnership to successfully implement this hybrid schedule. Look for meeting information soon.
• Upper School students who are participating in Athletics during Season 2 or 3 will have an option to remain at school through the day until the start of practices or games.
• Faculty will be working closely with students in the coming weeks to help them understand the details and logistics of individual schedules.

Here are the calendar highlights for the 2021-2022 school year, including when the school year begins, the days off, the seasonal breaks, and when the school year finishes.

Our next Environmental Sustainability Speaker Series is coming up on Wednesday, Feb. 24, at 7:00 pm. Join us as we hear from Johnny Buck, Wanapum Tribe and Northwest parent, as he shares his experiences and expertise in a session themed "Indigenous Responses to Global Change."

• Meeting Link
• Meeting ID: 997 3895 3292
• Passcode: 865899

For planning purposes, we need to know how many of our Middle School students will be attending in-person for the first round of orientations. If you did not see the form included in Sue's Friday email to families, please complete this sign-up form by 8:00 am, Tuesday, Feb. 23. As a reminder, the MOJO days for Middle School are:

• Wednesday, March 3, 9:00 am-12:00 pm: 8th Grade Students
• Thursday, March 4, 9:00 am-12:00 pm: 7th Grade Students
• Friday, March 5, 9:00 am-12:00 pm (subject to change to 9:00-11:30 am): 6th Grade Students

The goals of these orientations are:

• Introducing and practicing safety protocols  
• Creating or re-establishing community agreements that include holding each other accountable for following the safety protocols and minimizing harm/risk  
• Getting to know or getting reacquainted with the physical space  
• Getting acquainted or reacquainted with peers and teachers  
• Having some fun together in-person

Please join us on Feb. 25, 6:00-7:00 pm for a conversation with Northwest School alumni scientists about scientific research and careers in science, both academic and in the industry. This panel is part of our 40th Anniversary Celebration, highlighting 40 years of strong science education and mentorship at The Northwest School.

Our alumni panelists include Gabriel Braun '15, Emily Buckner '11, Eric Manley '07, Lewis Johnson '03, and Josh Miller '96.

• Meeting Link
• Meeting ID: 937 9136 3118
• Passcode: 912815

11th Grade Families Trivia Night, Feb. 26, 7:00 pm

You can join as parents and guardians only, or as families, or play alone! There will be 30 questions across six categories. No need to RSVP!

• Meeting Link
• Meeting ID: 841 3716 4869
• Passcode: 718922

Parenting in the Time of COVID, March 1

Back by popular demand, Sarina Natkin, LICSW, Parent Coach, and NWS parent, and Peter Berner-Hays, former NWS counselor and retired Head of School will co-facilitate a conversation about the ongoing challenges of parenting in the time of Covid. As families continue to navigate ongoing isolation and the risks of returning to more in-person gatherings, join others in talking through the challenges this presents.

We will be splitting this up by division for families. Each session uses the same zoom link below. The Middle School discussion begins at 6:00 pm, and the Upper School at 7:00 pm.

• Meeting link

Video Games, Online Communities, and Anti-Racism: Becoming Self-Aware of White Supremacy Groups and Hate Language within Online Spaces, March 3, 7:00 pm

We live in a time when young people are choosing to participate and interact with others on platforms such as YouTube, Reddit, Twitch, Tiktok, Twitter, and whatever is next! While these platforms have the potential to be inclusive and enriching sources for information and socialization, research from the Southern Poverty Law Center noted that “Online platforms allow individuals to interact with hate and anti-government groups without joining them, as well as to form connections and talk with likeminded people… and both white nationalist groups and neo-Nazi groups are becoming more diffuse and difficult to track and quantify as they proliferate online.” Without an awareness of manipulative racist ideology within online spaces, young people are susceptible to recruitment strategies and propaganda of white supremacist organizations.

This workshop seeks to raise awareness about the prevalence of online hate groups and equip parents with strategies and resources to support their child(ren). As the National Director of the Anti-Defamation League stated, “…being aware of how they [hate groups] manipulate information online and use propaganda to spread their worldview is critically important.”

Register for the event here.

We hope everyone had a great Mid-winter Break. The House Specialty Program is back on schedule next week, starting Monday, Feb. 22. A couple of reminders:

• Pickup at the neighborhood bus stops is 4:00-6:00 pm
• Pickup at The Northwest School is 12:00-6:00 pm

Check out next week's menu here.

At this mid-school year point, we have asked faculty to share some highlights of what is happening in their classes during Trimester 2. Here is a sampling of what some of our science students are enging in.

Please help spread the word! For the safety of our community, we have decided to cancel Grandparents & Special Friends Day, scheduled for the morning of April 16. We are hard at work planning something unique as an alternative and will email all invitees with our new plans. If you haven’t already done so, let Maria Mazcorro know of any new names and email addresses. We want to be sure that all grandparents and special friends are included!

Planning is now underway for our spring financial aid fundraiser, Pizazz! Please save-the-date for this virtual event which takes place on May 1. Contact Julie Lombardo to learn more.

We are offering virtual campus tours for the friends and colleagues of our international families who are interested in sending their children to our school. During these tours, we will show them around the campus, talk about programs and community, and help with admissions questions. If you would like us to hold such an event for your friends and can help us organize it, please contact us at: international@northwestschool.org.

Alternatively, we encourage you to share the contact information above with anyone in your community who might be interested in considering our school for their children, or simply send them the link to the virtual meetings with our Admissions Office: https://calendly.com/nws-international.

Thank you for your help and continued support of our international admissions efforts.

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我们现在提供在线参观与访谈给对西北中学有兴趣的国际家庭。我们会安排校园与宿舍介绍，并进一步说明我们的学程内容与申请程序。如果您有亲朋好友也对西北中学有兴趣，敬请与我们联系以特别安排: international@northwestschool.org.

您除了可以将上述讯息传递外，也可以让他们直接与我们在线活动安排的入学申请部门联系： https://calendly.com/nws-international. 非常感谢您对这活动的协助!

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Hiện nay, nhà trường đang tổ chức các sự kiện trực tuyến dành cho bạn bè và đồng nghiệp của gia đình học sinh quốc tế, đặc biệt những ai mong muốn gửi con theo học tại trường. Tại sự kiện, nhà trường sẽ tổ chức tham quan khuôn viên, trao đổi về chương trình học, về cộng đồng nơi đây, và trả lời các câu hỏi về công tác tuyển sinh. Nếu quý phụ huynh mong muốn nhà trường tổ chức sự kiện như trên cho bạn bè và có thể hỗ trợ tổ chức, vui lòng liên hệ với nhà trường tại địa chỉ: international@northwestschool.org.

Ngoài ra, hy vọng quý phụ huynh có thể chia sẻ thông tin liên hệ của nhà trường với mọi người xung quanh, đặc biệt những ai đang cân nhắc cho con theo học tại trường, hoặc đơn giản là gửi họ đường link truy cập buổi họp trực tuyến với văn phòng tuyển sinh: https://calendly.com/nws-international. Chân thành cảm ơn sự hỗ trợ của quý phụ huynh trong công tác tuyển sinh quốc tế của nhà trườn

Over 30 students have joined Neighborhood Adventures in the past few weeks. After Mid-winter break, these opportunities will continue. Come join us for some informal face time with fellow students and faculty! In general, sign-ups and permission slips are due two days before the trip.

New adventures will be happening every week. Check the Outdoor Program webpage for regular updates.

Upcoming Neighborhood Adventures:

• Feb. 22: Greenlake Loop with Flora, Malia, and Maddy
• Feb. 24: Soccer at Woodland Park with Britt and Mercy
• Feb. 24: Urban Farm and Garden Volunteering
• Sat. 27: Seward Park Walk with Amina, Leilani, and Amy
• March 3: Urban Farm and Garden Volunteering
• March 4: West Seattle Walk with Clarke and Peter

Ski Bus

The ski bus is back for a late-season run on Feb. 26. There will be a mandatory pre-trip meeting for students on Tuesday, Feb. 23, at 2:30 pm. Alex Chen will send an email with the Zoom link to those who have signed up.

IslandWood Day Trip

Join us on Feb. 27 for a day of exploration, curiosity, and togetherness amongst the local flora and fauna of IslandWood, an environmental education school on the land of the Suquamish people on Bainbridge Island. More information and sign-up forms are on the Outdoor Program webpage.

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

Recordings of past workouts can be found here.

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.