Hawk Herald

Well, this is the second to last Hawk Herald article I will ever write. Exiting stage left gives me a certain courage, on top of which I wonder if anyone besides Ms. Vedaa ever reads these, so here it is – all the advice you never asked for, in no particular order, and written with nothing but love.

Get along with your child’s other parent. In my 30 years of teaching, I have seen so many children worn down by their parents’ custody battles and divorce combat. You chose to bring this child into the world or into your family. Quit the fighting, the bad mouthing, the battling and be civil. I’m divorced, so I understand the challenges, but be civil and speak well of them. Do it for your child.

Your child will lie to you. Children know the difference between right and wrong before they develop the ability to do mostly right. They make bad choices, and then they lie about them because they worry making a bad choice makes them a bad person. They worry it will upset you and disappoint you. It kills me when parents say, “My child never lies to me.” Wrong. The best thing you can do is look your child straight in the face and say, “I’m pretty sure you’re not telling me the whole story, but let’s talk about where we go from here.” The worst thing you can do is accept your child’s lie / half-truth as truth, and then fire off an angry email to the teacher, friend’s parent, principal or coach. When that happens, your child is stuck in this horrible place. Your child is capable of stealing, hurting, cheating or damaging and they are STILL a good person. Facing consequences with you by their side instead of off raging in their defense will help them be a safer and more secure teen and adult.

It’s not your baseball game, role in the play, grade, prom date or spot on the squad. It’s your kid’s. Let them work for it and let them earn it. When my daughter was applying to college, we made the smart decision to hire a coach. College applications have changed since 1987 and working with Ms. Anderson was the right choice. When I emailed her, fussing that my daughter was writing about X in her college essay instead of Y, Ms. Anderson replied, “This is Ruth’s battle to fight, and it will be her victory.”  She didn’t use italics, but it’s italicized in my head. I backed off. My daughter got her dream school. It was her victory, as it should have been. It’s natural to feel what your child feels and to want to engage in improving outcomes. That’s called empathy, and it’s natural. But you need to step back and reassure your child they are capable of doing anything they really want to if they work at it, and that we survive a million disappointments in a lifetime. Rejection, disappointment, being excluded, being third place or on the bench – none of that will kill your child. Let them forge their path, and let them reap the rewards.

Kids do what they see us do. My husband and I have been watching Orangutan Jungle School and we love it. Orangutan babies, like human children, learn by imitation. If you want to test my theory, I invite you to pick up a book and curl up on the couch to read, or put on your sneakers and go for a jog, or pick up golf. Suddenly, your child will give it a try. Unfortunately, they imitate our worst behavior, too. When you’ve got a young audience, rein in your language, phone time, frustration, or unhealthy choices. It’s a whole lot easier than trying to teach them by lecturing.

Finally, enjoy every moment. I have spent more daylight time with your children than I did my own – something that is hard on my mama heart but has been a gift of a career. Our children are children for a blink. As early as middle school, they’ll be less interested in going to the pool with you, hanging out with you, building Legos with you, learning something from you. Your children are hilarious, complicated, fascinating little humans. They hold whole galaxies within them. They are unpredictable and fierce and sometimes a little annoying, but they are fleeting. Attend, attend, attend. So much of the rest can just wait.

I loved helping you raise these kids. They are my heart, and I will miss them so much.

Kristin

Kristin Bailey, Principal

kbailey@nsd.org

Spring is the time of year when our schools administer state required assessments.  These assessments are used for state and federal accountability, to monitor student progress toward grade level standards, as well as an option for high school students to meet their Graduation Pathways requirement. The English/Language Arts (ELA) and Math Smarter Balanced Assessments are administered in grades 3 through 8 and 10, while the Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS) is administered in grades 5, 8, and 11. 

Please refrain from scheduling appointments on these testing days and make sure your student brings a fully charged Chromebook to school every day they are testing. Breakfast is free this year at Arrowhead.

If you have any questions about your student’s spring assessments or schedules, please feel free to contact their teacher or the testing coordinator, Jessica-Lynn Thompkins, jtompkins@nsd.org

Thank you for your partnership on these Spring Assessment days.

May 2026 Testing Schedule

2026 Track & Field

We have 45 student athletes participating in Track & Field this year! Our meets are:

• April 28 @ Leota MS
• May 5 @ Kenmore MS
• May 12 @ Kenmore MS
• May 19 @ Bothell HS 5:30

Come out and support our Arrowhead Hawks!

We’re excited to share that an after-school band program is coming to Arrowhead in Fall 2026!

To help build excitement and introduce students to the program, we’re hosting a Band Meet & Greet for current 3rd and 4th graders (rising 4th & 5th graders). Students will have the opportunity to meet the band teacher, see and hear the instruments, and even try them out.

Event Details:

📅 May 18

🕦 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM (during lunch recess)

📍 Room 134

Instruments featured: flute, clarinet, trumpet, and trombone

This introductory event is designed to spark interest and help families keep band in mind as they begin planning fall activities.

The full program will take place after school on Thursdays, with financial aid available for students who qualify for free/reduced lunch. Additional details, including schedule, cost, and registration, will be shared soon.

Questions? Please contact vpactivities@ptaarrowhead.org

Middle School Camp (grades 4-8 next year)

June 12–13

Inglemoor will be hosting a Middle School Volleyball Camp for athletes in grades 4–8 at Inglemoor. This camp will focus on bsic volleyball skills and fundemnetals. High school athletes wil be helping run this camp. Registration is live and located on Touchbase.

You will find the camp under Inglemoor. 

Times:

June 12 5-8pm at IHS gym

June 13 5-8pm at IHS gym

Price: $75

College Tryout Prep Camp (grades 4-12 next year)

August 17–20

Andrea McCartney and her coaching staff will be running a Tryout Prep Camp for athletes in grades 4–12. Sessions will be divided into high school and middle school groups. This camp is designed to help athletes prepare for fall volleyball and will be a great opportunity to build skills and continuity within our program. Registration is live and located on Touchbase. You will find the camp under Inglemoor. 

Times:

Middle school grades 5-8

Mon- Thursday 1:30-4pm

Price: $175

Alex Nottingham, B.S. Health & Human Performance

Head Volleyball Coach | Co-Head Track Coach

Inglemoor High School | Northshore School District

anottingham@nsd.org

Kindergarten Enrollment has begun!

We are thrilled to welcome our Hawk Class of 2039! Please find more information regarding Enrollment on the district website below. All kindergarteners must be 5 years old on or before August 31, 2026

https://www.nsd.org/schools/get-started/enrollment

Please call the office if you have any questions or need help enrolling.

Kindergarten Open House May 19, 4:30-5:15pm

Welcome incoming Kindergarten families! Meet our teachers in their classrooms and play on the playground!

From the Office

Arrowhead Calendar and Website

The Lost & Found Rack is Overflowing!

Please check the Lost & Found rack located in front of the Library next time you are on campus. All unclaimed items will be donated to Treads & Threads this spring.

Please clearly label all of your child(s) belongings so they can be returned to them when they are misplaced on campus.

Health Room News

Warm weather is starting, hurray!! This is a good time to remind about sun safety!

Sun Safety Tips:

Protective measures you take make a difference in how well you can protect yourself and your family from sunburn, skin cancer, early skin aging and other risks of overexposure to the sun. Some key sun safety tips include:

• Limit time in the sun, especially between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when the sun’s rays are most intense.
• Wear clothing to cover skin exposed to the sun, such as long-sleeved shirts, pants, sunglasses, and broad-brimmed hats.
• Use broad spectrum sunscreens with SPF values of 15 or higher regularly and as directed.
• Reapply sunscreen at least every two hours, and more often if you're sweating or swimming.

Sunscreen at School:

This is a reminder that students may bring sunscreen to school for their own personal use, providing they do not need assistance to apply it (they MUST be able to self-apply), and it is not an aerosol type – no sprays of any kind are allowed. The easiest and safest thing would be to apply sunscreen at home before coming to school if you are concerned about sun exposure during recess. Please call if you have questions.

Is it Colds? Strep? Allergies? - Symptom Comparison Chart

There are still some lingering viral illnesses and more in our greater community. Here is a handy comparison chart that may help you.

• The "Cough" Rule: If you have a cough and a runny nose, it is highly likely you have a viral cold rather than strep throat.
• The "Itch" Factor: Itchy, watery eyes and an itchy nose or throat are the primary indicators of seasonal allergies; these are almost never seen with strep or colds.
• Physical Signs of Strep: Only strep throat typically presents with tiny red spots (petechiae) on the roof of the mouth or white patches of pus on the tonsils.
• Local Resources: For more specific guidance in Washington, you can refer to the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) or local providers like Seattle Children's for pediatric concerns.

Are you a Registered Nurse who might be interested in exploring the rewards of school based nursing, supplementing work hours or simply maintaining nursing licensure credentials? We would love to discuss available opportunities as a substitute school nurse with the Northshore School District -- this is a great way to transition into community nursing with K-12 school age children.

Contact: Cindy Mato

Health and Nursing Supervisor

425-408-7728

cmato@nsd.org

Stay well,

Anne Janssen, RN

ajanssen@nsd.org

PE News

May PE Newsletter

We are so grateful to PTA and this amazing community for their support!

Camp Cedar Springs Group Leaders

A huge thank you to Julie Vander Laan who helps the breakfast line run smoother in the morning!

A ton of thanks to our classroom Art Docents who bring art to our students, teaching them the 5 principals of art with their inspiring lessons.

Field trips would not happen without our numerous chaperones who lend us their time and patience on these fun days.

PTA made our December Book Fair possible! We are so grateful for recent SEC grants that support numerous field trips in class visits /presentations, materials, and math supplements.

Our amazing weekly 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

Arrowhead Elementary Parent Teacher Associations mission is to positively impact the lives of all children and families within the Arrowhead community. We strive to support and advocate for our children by partnering with staff, families and the wider community to create a safe, inclusive and healthy learning environment allowing our students to excel personally, academically and socially.

Arrowhead PTA Needs a Treasurer!

You can find the Treasurer position description on this link.  

If you are interested or would like more information please email execteam@ptaarrowhead.org

 Beverages with the Board:

Join the current PTA Board on Tuesday, 5/5 at 6:30pm-8:00pm at Stoup in Kenmore

• Learn about the Arrowhead PTA
• Give feedback and suggestions
• Learn about open roles and opportunities

LAST PTA Meeting of the year!

Tuesday, May 26: At 6:45pm in the Arrowhead Library. Zoom will also be available.   

View past PTA meeting minutes on this link 

Password: H@wksAw3s0me20

Join us for one of our last events of the year! Student artwork will be displayed from the year, enjoy arts and crafts activities, and buy raffle tickets to bid on the class artwork in our art auction! 

Volunteers Needed to make this event happen! Sign up using this link.

This is a fun recess event for students and staff to help support our PTA!

Hawk Walk donations play a vital role in supporting student enrichment opportunities that go directly to our classrooms offsetting field trip admissions, additional teaching resources, PE equipment, math materials for students in small groups, and more!

More info to come!

Look for Volunteer Sign Up coming soon via ParentSquare.

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.