Pathfinder Compass

Every few years Seattle Public Schools (SPS) works with our educator union, Seattle Education Association (SEA) to develop a new contract. This year is a contract negotiations year.

Sometimes SPS and SEA need a bit more time to reach an agreement that best meets the needs of students, staff, families and school communities. It is possible this year is one of those years.

While the bargaining team will continue to seek an agreement, it is possible that there will be a delay for the first day of school for students while the contract is finalized. Should a delay in the start of school occur, SPS will send out regular updates and keep families informed. Meal sites and child care resources will be included in this information.

While SPS and SEA sometimes feel like opposing forces, it is one of the many reasons I love our Seattle team! We have a diverse pool of knowledge and viewpoints and we all work together so we can give the best to our kids.

Please know, Pathfinder is ready and excited to see our community at school and in the hallways! We look forward to starting of 2022-2023 with a bang!

All events will be at Pathfinder K-8!

Back to School Ice Cream Social

• Tuesday, September 6th at 4pm

First Day

• 1st - 8th Grade Wednesday, September 7th 8:55am-3:25pm
• Back to School Coffee Chat Wednesday, September 7th 8:55am at the Front Entrance
• Kinder Monday, September 12th 8:55am

This year we look forward to having all of our scholars on the playground when they arrive! We welcome families to stay on the playground until the bell rings. Please know parking will be a challenge - we encourage you to park and walk into Pathfinder.

On the playground Kindergarten and First grade teachers will pick students up. Second - Eighth grade teachers will teach students how to walk into the building and get to class independently.

This year we are changing how we serve lunches. Please see the below changes:

• If you need Free and Reduced price lunch, you will have to apply.
• To pre-pay for school meals, sign up. If your student wants milk they are required to have a pre-paid account.
• Lunch will be served in the cafeteria. Students will be eating with their grade bands (Kindergarten and First; Second and Third; Fourth and Fifth; Middle School). We will have one table directly outside of the cafeteria doors for students who need to eat in an outdoor setting.

During dismissal we ask that families stay outside of the school building.

• Kindergarten and First graders walk out the Sky Hall door, in front of the school, and to the horseshoe lot.
• Second thru Fifth Graders will be walked to the playground.
• Middle School will be dismissed from class.

To start the 22-23 academic year, we are looking forward to having our annual Back to School Ice Cream Social!! The purpose of the social is to bring the school community together before the start of the year. If you are planning to bring supplies, please bring them to the social.

Click here for the supply list.

Please join us at Pathfinder on Tuesday, September 6th at 4pm for fun with the whole community!

Schedule

4:00 - 4:30 Arrival and Mingle

4:30 - 5:00 K-3rd Class Hello and Tour

5:00 - 5:30 4th-8th Class Hello and Tour

5:30 - 6:00 Mingle and Departure

We have had a team of folx working hard to complete the handbook! We will continue to add completed sections to The Handbook, updates will be announced in the Compass as they are completed.

We look forward to being able to offer after school programing again this year! To help us in our planning, please complete the Pathfinder K-8 After School Enrichment survey as soon as possible!

In a previous Compass we put out an ask for a lifeguard-certified volunteer to go swimming with our scholars in the Distinct Program. Problem solved- we look forward to starting swimming again on Wednesday mornings!

Ultimate frisbee varsity and junior varsity coach needed! Experience playing the sport is preferred and coaching experience is helpful but not required. The season runs from September 12-November 20th with games played on Saturdays typically between the time of 8am-2pm. Locations of games vary, but a majority are played on north Seattle fields near Ingraham High School.

Teams will be expected to practice a minimum of 2 days a week. Practice times may not exceed 3 hours for the week.

These are paid positions, however persons interested must go through a short process which includes fingerprinting, a valid CPR/First Aid certification and approximately 4 online “classes”.

BLTs are school-based teams comprised of teachers, support staff, families, and school leaders that together work collaboratively to make decisions about school-based functions. Decision-making through an equity lens focuses on budget development, professional development, and Continuous School Improvement Plans (CSIPs). This is a critical space for families to use their knowledge and expertise to inform critical decisions about resources for for their schools.

For the next two years, our BLT Representatives are:

Parents:

• Amanda Steinhauser
• Karen Stone
• Ed Li

Staff:

• Jami Hanulik
• Lisa Stencel
• Syd Bridges
• Diana Bridges
• Leanna Heritage
• Clarissa Resendez
• Scott Rose
• Lisa DeBurle

Students:

• ASB President
• ASB Vice President

You may contact BLT at PathfinderBLT@seattleschools.org. Please give us a week to respond.

PTA’s mission is to make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children.

Seattle Council PTSA (SCPTSA) represents over 80 PTAs and PTSAs in SPS. Centering the voices of those furthest from educational justice, they support, inform, and advocate for and with school communities all over Seattle. Advocacy is at the heart of PTSA. SCPTSA organizes and empowers local leaders to come together for our students.

The Pathfinder Parent Teacher Student Association is a non-profit organization that works toward enhanced student achievement and increased community involvement. We accomplish these goals through community building efforts and raising funds for key programs.

Come join the PTSA volunteer corps! We need your help to make great things happen this year. To be added to our list of potential volunteers, please sign up here: https://bit.ly/3BdGZTq . Thank you in advance.

You may contact PTSA at president@pathfinderk8ptsa.org. Please give us a week to respond. You can also visit https://www.pathfinderk8ptsa.org/!

Pathfinder’s Racial Equity Committee (REC) was formed in 2020 as an all-volunteer, family-based committee dedicated to addressing racial equity in the Pathfinder community. REC’s mission is to create a self-sustaining, anti-racist culture at Pathfinder. REC is an independent committee of the Pathfinder PTSA that consists of committee members and project-based volunteers. REC operates autonomously on a horizontal, community-based decision-making model. REC created and administers annually the Pathfinder Racial Equity Questionnaire for Pathfinder families. REC’s annual scope of work is informed directly by the results of the Questionnaire, and also by repeated themes arising from REC-hosted events during the school year.

You may contact REC at equity@pathfinderk8ptsa.org. Please give us a week to respond.

• To learn who is at Pathfinder; who are our students? What are their stories and strengths? Who works here in service of those students? What are their stories and how do their strengths help them serve students?

• To learn what is part of Pathfinder; what artifacts, beliefs, assumptions, cultural norms, traditions, and practices exist here? Why have each of those continued to live or grow here?

• To learn how we serve students and their families at Pathfinder. How do we allocate money, time, and people in service of students? What data do we use, and how do we use it to understand our efficacy and measure equitable outcomes? How do we understand change? How do we navigate change together?

• To know all folx personally and professionally connected to the school. Further, allow others to know me as fully as possible outside day to day connection, crisis, and problem solving.

• To use qualitative and quantitative data to determine concerns and issues regarding improving student performance that needs to be closely examined and addressed to repay the educational debt.

• To learn the artifacts, beliefs, and basic underlying assumptions through engaging in essential conversations with Pathfinder students, staff, and community.

• To identify, hold onto, and strengthen traditions that center students and bring the community together. Further, partner with students, staff, and the community to ensure social emotional learning and growth is embedded in the curriculum, adult strengths are highlighted, and we have fun!

Email: bdholmes@seattleschools.org
Website: https://pathfinderk8.seattleschools.org/
Location: 1901 SW Genesee St, Seattle, WA 98106, USA
Phone: 206.252.9710