January 2025
From Principal Bailey
Welcome to 2025!
Dear Arrowhead Families,
Students have returned from winter break with rich stories of family, traditions, and travel. At Arrowhead, everyone gets to be their whole, authentic self, and part of our authentic selves includes our people.
This break, I drove to Yakima. Coming down out of the mountains and through Ellensburg I looked out the window and thought, “My feet know the feel of this place.” I felt at home in a deep way that stretches back to my great-grandparents, who grew up in Union Gap, WA, Montana, New Mexico, and Colorado. The places they grew up all have similar landscapes. While they eventually ended up in San Diego, where I was born and raised, our family lore was set in these more rugged and open spaces. They were home to us, and our summer vacations were spent in our VW van, road-tripping through the western states to visit cousins and familiar landmarks.
Our family values, too, reflected lives lived in big open spaces. Privacy, hard work, helping one’s neighbor but rarely asking for help, and “doing the best you can with what you have” are words we were taught to live by. Also, confusingly, the saying, “Fools’ names and fools’ faces are often seen in public places,” which I heard all my life and still don’t really know what it’s supposed to mean, but it gives you a good idea of my family’s push to not make a scene, not stand out, not draw attention to oneself.
And of course, as a teacher and student of history, I know there’s a complexity to my family’s story that my great-grandparents weren’t aware of.
The land they farmed and ranched and built up with their stores and homesteads was land violently taken from the people who had lived there for millennia. Nowhere in my grandparents’ materials is a racist celebration or sense of conquest of that fact, but as they worked to make a better life for themselves, they did so with an advantage that came at the expense of others. They probably didn’t even know that, but I do, and it too is part of my identity.
My great-grandfather Hugh, above far right, with his brother and some playmates, including children from the Kewa Nation.
Part of what we do at Arrowhead when we teach children to be part of a community is to help them celebrate, fully, their identity and their ancestors. We also want them to learn about and celebrate the identities and ancestors of their classmates. I don’t need to wallow in guilt or be ashamed of my ancestors for the land they lived on, but I do need to see the whole picture and think about what kind of ancestor I will be, and what values and stories my children will carry on. When my daughter and I visited the University of New Mexico, we drove up to the spot where this building once stood and were able to talk about our nation’s history and where our ancestors fit into it. Awareness, not shame. That’s important. It’s not a story I can revise, but it is a story I can tell with courage and honesty. And humility, which my ancestors would approve of.
Every day I sign extended absence slips for those of you traveling to see family. I think the pandemic made us more aware of the value in spending time with loved ones and sharing space in familiar places. What a gift it is, for our children to hear the old stories and walk the land our grandparents walked, so their feet, too, know the feel of that place. In this way, the world becomes home and its people our neighbors. And that is a good thing.
I also want to welcome Benjamin Wade, who will be filling in for Kelly Webb while she is on leave. Mr. Wade is off to a strong start and his kindness and gift for music are a great fit for our program. Mr. Wade just finished his studies at Western Washington University, and we are so grateful to have him!
Kristin
From the Office
Arrowhead Calendar and Website
Kindergarten Enrollment Begins January 8
Enrollment is completed online. Directions on how to enroll, including what documentation is required, can be found on the District enrollment webpage. The webpage will be updated on January 8 to reflect 2025-26 enrollment.
By enrolling in early January for the 2025-26 school year, there are a number of benefits:
- Connection to your child’s school community including information about school tours and Kindergarten events;
- Early enrollment helps the district correctly staff classrooms, services, and prepare for great learning environments for our students
If you need help enrolling your child or children for school, please contact your child’s future school for enrollment information and support. Your neighborhood school is based on your home address. You can find your child’s neighborhood school by using the Address Look Up Tool.
Closures and Delays
Emergencies such as inclement weather, power outages and hazardous road conditions can alter school schedules and affect bus transportation. The decision to close or delay schools is made by the superintendent as early as possible, usually around 5:30 a.m. Early dismissals will occur only if a delay in dismissal significantly increases hazards.
Order Your Yearbook
Yearbook Sale through Feb. 26, 2025
24-25 Yearbooks are available to purchase until Feb. 26 for $20. Send your exact cash or check payable to Arrowhead or purchase online via Touchbase. Please reach out to the office staff if you need login assistance.
This is your only chance to to order a 24-25 yearbook this year. Please order yours today!
Yearbook Cover Contest Winners
Thank you for all of the amazing yearbook cover submissions by our 2024-2025 5th grade class. We appreciated all 15 spectacular submissions. After much deliberation, our winners are Mallory Skogsbergh (Mr. Wolfe) and Henry Harris (Mr. Schroeder/ Mrs. Sperka).
Congratulations to Mallory and Henry, your art will be featured as the cover photos for our Arrowhead yearbook. We are so proud of you!
Space Still Available in NSD Preschool Programs 24-25 School Year
Northshore preschool programs are still enrolling children, ages 3-5. The preschool years are among the most critical in a child's life that influence learning. The Northshore School District is committed to providing the support that our youngest learners need to prepare them to succeed in school, cultivate friendships, and create a sense of community and belonging. The district proudly offers a variety of inclusive general education learning environments.
Available preschool programs include both FREE and tuition-based options.
FREE Programs: Head Start and Ready Start
Eligibility is determined by the child’s age, family income, and opportunity gaps. These programs are located at Sorenson Early Childhood Center, Woodmoor Elementary, and Arrowhead Elementary Spaces will be filled on a first come first serve basis for eligible families. Families are encouraged to complete an application as soon as possible. The information on the application is confidential and used only to determine a child’s eligibility for the programs. The District does not require, check, or report on immigration or DSHS status. View the applications for income-eligible free preschool.
Tuition Programming
The Ready Start programs are located at Sorenson Early Childhood Center and Woodmoor Elementary. Spaces will be filled on a first come first serve basis. Families are encouraged to complete an application as soon as possible. View the application for tuition-based programs.
To learn more about any of our district preschool programs, visit the Northshore Early Childhood District website.
Families who have questions can call 425.408.5517.
New Process for Reporting an Absence: 4 Simple Steps
We have a new, easy way for families to let our school know when their student is absent! While we know regular attendance is one of the most powerful ways to prepare your student for success, we also know that sometimes students must miss school for a variety of reasons. Next time that happens for your family, let us know through ParentVUE:
- Login to ParentVUE
- Click the “Report Absence” button next to the name of your absent student
- Fill in the fields with the date(s) of the absence and provide an explanation
- Click to submit, automatically notifying the school of the absence
Learn more or view step-by-step images and instructions. You can use this method to report an absence of up to 4 days. As a reminder, an absence of 5 days or longer requires families to submit a Notice of Pre-Arranged Extended Absence Form.
| |
Volunteering and Visiting Arrowhead
The season for volunteering is here! Please remember that in order to be a volunteer in the classroom you need to have your level 1 volunteer status. If you would like to volunteer for a field trip this year, please make sure to have your level 2 volunteer status. If you have had level 2 in the past, complete the following form and double check that your level 1 is status is up to date as well.
We love having you in our classrooms and on field trips so please make sure to get your clearance in time for celebrations, classroom activities, and field trips.
Please plan a few extra minutes the next time you are campus to volunteer or visit for us to print your visitor badge. You will be asked for your license the first time. We can also access your information with your name and birthdate. For people who visit/volunteer frequently, we will save your badge to reuse. All visitors must check out of this system before leaving every time.
We appreciate your patience and partnership as we get this new system running smoothly and ensuring our campus is safe.
Health Room News
Health room Clothing:
If your student borrowed clothes from the health room, we appreciate if these could be returned so we have a supply for students who need them.
The health room could use a donation of any gently used pants – girls leggings sizes 8 - 14/16, and boys pants any size. Athletic type pants with stretchy waists work best and fit most. We do not need jeans.
Thank you for checking if your student has outgrown something!
We would also appreciate any new underwear: girls size 10-14, and boys sizes 6 & 12-14.
Please review and update your emergency contacts:
It is important that all students have a parent/guardian, or alternative emergency contact available to pick them up within the hour if they are ill or injured at school. We cannot accommodate students in the health room for extended periods and ill students cannot be sent home on a school bus.
We appreciate you reviewing your contact numbers and email addresses to ensure they are current.
Vision Referral letters:
If your student did not pass the vision screening done in October, you were sent a letter via USPS. Please let the nurse know if you have followed up with a more thorough provider exam – whether or not your student was given a prescription for glasses. If you need assistance with finding a provider or glasses, please let us know.
Reminder:
Please do not send any medication to school with your student in their backpack, lunch bag, or pockets. Students may not self-medicate, and unidentified mddication can never be given at school. This includes any over-the-counter product like cold medicine, cough drops, antacids, etc.
Resources:
Check out the links below to community resources available through the Community Assistance section on the district website:
https://www.nsd.org/resources/support/assistance
https://nourishingnetworks.net/
Mental Health & Crisis Support:
You are not alone. There are community supports for mental health, suicide prevention, substance abuse, self-harm, and more.
Clothing Resources:
If you need clothing assistance for your students, please visit the links below for more information and shopping hours.
-
Threads & Treads: For all NSD families - Canyon Park Middle School, Wednesdays 3-6:00pm. https://cpptsa.org/programs-activities/threads-treads/
- Clothes for Kids: For all NSD families and Snohomish County residents. https://clothesforkids.org/
Nurse Anne Janssen, RN
ajanssen@nsd.org
425.408.4006
Library News
Martin Luther King Day...
...is January 20. We will be celebrating his legacy in our annual assembly. January and February will be a time to reflect on civil rights and the legacy of the civil rights movement in the United States.
Lunar New Year...
...is on January 29! Look for highlighted titles and Asia- and Asian American-focused materials on display in our library!
Soda Float Challenge Continues!
Our 4th and 5th graders are making reading progress in their efforts to meet the challenge of reading 13 or more of the chapter books on this year’s Soda Float list! Encourage your child to participate and to celebrate reading achievement after Spring Break. For more details, see here.
Book Fair Report
The Scholastic Book Fair was a great fundraising success, raising $3800 in Scholastic Dollars for our Arrowhead School Library. Watch for updated series on cars/trucks, martial arts, jokes, rocks and minerals, and weather and disasters! It's a novel experience for many children to handle cash, shop, consider their choices and what they have to spend. That said, the eWallet was an easy way for many families to support their children's reading. Thank you all for your support and patience this week! A huge thanks to our many and dedicated volunteers who made this book fair happen, and a big shout out to Whitney Connors for walking me through all the financials! Thank you so much for supporting our library during this Book Fair.
Thank you! Our Give Back Night at Third Place Books and MOD PIzza (November 19) raised $926.69 for our library! What a fun and festive evening of books, craft, reading and Mac Barnett before the big storm! Thank you all for supporting our library and our students’ reading joy.
Returning books
Please encourage your children to store their library books in one location at home(s) to help with not losing them! Returning books as soon as you are finished with them is always a great idea. The library is open before school every day and books can be dropped off at any time.
Arrowhead Library is open each morning at 8:35! Stop by and start the day with reading and exploring the library!
Check out our Library Website here!
Ginny Allemann, Teacher-Librarian
vallemann@nsd.org
PE News
Welcome to PE!
Thank you, Volunteers!
We are so grateful to PTA and the amazing community for their support!
PTA Winter Food Drive
A huge thank you to our very generous community who donated over 2000 items! Mrs. Wolfe's 3rd grade class won the classroom competition.
Book Fair Volunteers
Our Book Fair could not happen without our many Library regulars who signed up for set up, shifts during the week, and take down. We are so grateful for your help.
PTA Thanksgiving Pie Drive
A huge thank you to every volunteer who brought a pie(s) so each staff member could take one home for Thanksgiving Break. We are still enjoying pies there were so many!
PTA
WE are blessed to have PTA and this community for our partners! PTA provided pizza and water for hungary Community Serve Day volunteers, hosted Kindergarten and all school playdates this summer and kicked off a great Welcome Back Event for families. They approved recent Staff and classroom funds, SEC grants for multiple field trip entry fees, Art Docent training and support for art in every classroom, OT/PT handwriting supplies, and more!
Field Trip and Classroom Volunteers
Our classes wouldn't be able to go on field trips without our numerous volunteers who chaperone students and assist school staff with small groups, projects and lead art docent lessons.
Library Volunteers
Our amazing Library volunteers keep our Library in top shape, checking books in and out, helping find that just right book, and assisting Ms. Ginny with special projects.
PTA Corner
Thank you to our Hawk Community!
A huge thank you to our generous community who donated over 2000 items to our winter food drive! Mrs. Wolfe's class won the classroom competition.
Hooray!
We reached our membership goal of over 200! Our students enjoyed a winter wonderland dance to kick off their winter break! Stay tuned on information regarding a drawing for members to win a Night Out gift card packager (dinner + movie). If you have not joined the PTA it's not too late! Please join or renew your membership. Cost is $15 per person (or $25 per family). Join HERE
Upcoming PTA General Meeting:
Tuesday, January 21st at 6:00pm in the Arrowhead Library. Please join our PTA community and be a part of planning for the second part of the school year!
Save the date
for our all-school dance at Arrowhead Friday, January 31st 6-8:00pm in the Gym!
Highlights: Arrowhead PTA Weekly Newsletter
Our weekly newsletter provides the latest on what’s going on through the Arrowhead PTA and helps you stay connected! Subscribe HERE
Arrowhead Hawks SOAR bu being Safe, Kind, and Responsible
At Arrowhead, we create resilient and empathetic learners who confidently navigate their world through being innovative, creative, critical thinkers.
Nondiscrimination
Northshore School District is enriched by the many experiences and perspectives each individual member brings to our District and community. Therefore, our District prohibits discrimination based on age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, honorably discharged veteran or military status, or the presence of any sensory, cognitive, or physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability.
| |