(Updated) Family Newsletter 8/19/2024

(Please note, if your plans have changed and you will not be joining us in September, please call our Registrar Ms. Lisa Blau 206-252-1902 or email at lmblau@seattleschools.org

August 19, 2024

Hello McClure Families,

I am reposting my recent newsletter with recent updates, translation capabilities, reformatted supply list, and School Pay links at the start. Thank you for your patience as I’m learning a new messaging system.

New McClure Librarian:  Please welcome Mahlon Landis!

Class Schedules Note:  Class schedules will be accessible to students in Power School on the afternoon of September 3rd.  We have received reports that students are able to view schedules in their accounts now however these are not accurate schedules. 

McClure Ultimate Frisbee:  Boys and Girls Ultimate Frisbee tryouts begin the week of September 9th! New and returning players are welcome! Physician-signed physicals are required to participate. See the McClure Athletics webpage for the physical form and more information.

McClure PTSA Treasurer Opening: 

From the McClure PTSA: As the PTSA Treasurer, you’ll manage the organization’s finances and be part of the board’s executive committee. We’re seeking someone with a basic understanding of budgets who’s willing to work with our bookkeeper to keep everything updated. We have a paid bookkeeper to assist you, so you won’t be doing this alone – we offer training. This position typically involves a 1-2 year commitment. Your involvement could make a significant difference in our school community. Please consider joining us!

Sign up to volunteer:  McClure PTSA Treasurer

Updated Supply Fee Links (more info about fees in message below):

• Supply Fee 2024-25  $35

School Pay Supply Fee

• ASB Discount Bundle 2024-2025 Yearbook & Card  $55

School Pay ASB Bundle Link

• Yearbook ONLY – 2024-2025  $35

School Pay Yearbook

• ASB Activity Card ONLY 2024-2025  $30

School Pay ASB Only

Supply List (same as previous list, just reformatted for easier read)

• Pencil pouch
• 1 college ruled spiral composition notebook for Spanish students
• Laptop case (distinctive color/feature is helpful)
• 8 composition books  4 per semester ELA, Social Studies, Science and Math (quad-ruled)
• 1 extra notebook for Algebra students
• 3” x 3” post-its (4)
• Ballpoint pens (blue/black)
• Package of #2 pencils
• Eraser
• Scientific calculator (algebra students)
• Kleenex
• Water bottle
• Highlighters
• Glue Sticks (2)
• Ruler (metric and standard)

August 12, 2024

Dear McClure Middle School Families,

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the 2024-25 school year. I have the privilege of serving as Interim Principal this year, along with Amy Acquino, as Interim Assistant Principal. I have worked at McClure since 2013 as a math and science teacher, math coach, math department lead and Assistant Principal. I worked closely with Principal Conner over the previous two years and am grateful for the strong leadership she provided and the foundational work she has established.Amy Acquino comes to McClure most recently from Salmon Bay K-8 in Seattle and has an extensive background in administration and teaching language arts. A personal message from AP Acquino follows this letter.

Our team is ready and excited to reconnect with our returning students and welcome our new students to the McClure family. We will continue to intentionally provide spaces to build community. I am very excited to build on last year and keep supporting our kids to be ready for high school and beyond.

Key Dates and Information

First Day of School:  Wednesday, September 4th

School Hours:  8:55 am – 3:45 pm on Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri; 8:55 am – 2:30 pm on Wednesday

School Phone:  Main office:  206-252-1900

Good news!

The district continues to fund our Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral To services (SBIRT).This process is used to identify, reduce, and prevent substance use and to support students’ physical, emotional, and social wellbeing. Mr. J. will return in this role! We are grateful for this position and Mr. J’s work to support students.

New Staff!

McClure has a long-standing reputation of staff retention; educators love to come here and they love to stay here! Our annual staff survey supports these findings! That said, every year some of our staff members either choose new paths OR we are granted additional staffing to be able to hire new faculty to the building. Please know that we take staffing extremely seriously so our kids have the very best educators in front of them each and every day!

Here are the updates on staffing at McClure:

• Mr. Eric Stevens – Choir and Band Teacher
• Mr. Joe Hall has returned to McClure
• Ms. Carrie Brennan – Attendance Specialist

The first day of school is Wednesday, September 4th.This is the week immediately following the Labor Day weekend. We will continue our new tradition of meeting students on the field (see below: Class Schedules and First Day).Now…here is some important information to help you gear up for the fall.

Stay informed!!

We will always do our best to give you updated information. Please stay vigilant in reading all communications from Seattle Public Schools AND McClure Middle School.

McClure Middle School: There’s an App for That!!

If you haven’t already done so, please download the Seattle Public Schools Info App. It is EASY!  Go to the app store and type in “Seattle Public Schools.” Then choose McClure app will keep you informed with Just-In-Time alerts/information and provide you with a handy tool for finding “all-things McClure” including staff Directory, portals for the Source/Schoology, School Nurse and Counseling Department memos/resources, school Library updates, etc. 

What’s Our Daily Bell Schedule?

McClure staff and students spent last year weighing the pros and cons of extended blocks of class time. The research and our own experience shows that having extended time with kids allows for a lot more community in classrooms and time for calm, focused, collaborative class work. That said, we also learned that often the length of the blocks were a bit too much. McClure will return to a daily 6 period class schedule, with an additional Advisory class at the start of the day on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Our schedule will be posted on the website soon.

Orienting our Kids: The First Weeks of School

We will spend some significant time orienting our students to the building, to the expectations and procedures that keep things positive and orderly, and to what it means to be a student scholar at McClure. Students will not get lockers on the first day, but we will issue them as soon as is humanly possible!

We look forward to providing supports, community-building activities and coaching to help our amazing 6th graders feel successful and known as they transition into our great school.

New Student Orientation Info:

Thur., August 29st – 10:00 – 12:00 Noon, Orientation for 6th Graders and all New to McClure 7th & 8th Students

Notes:

• We do not have the staffing or time to have an alternate New Student Orientation or private tours.  That said, we have TONS of help and support before, during and after school on the first few days of school.  We take care of our kids!
• New Student Orientation is an event for students. Please just drop your kid off at the front courtyard and we will take it from there.
• If you believe your student needs some extra (adult) support, please contact ASB advisor Ms. Johnson eljohnson@seattleschools.org  and we can work with you on arrangements.

Laptops:

We will be distributing district-issued laptops to all of our students within the first week of school.  We will not be providing laptop cases this year.  Please note, we expect all McClure students to use the district issued laptops for school use.  This helps with our ability to provide technical support and allows students streamlined access to the pre-populated platforms that students use daily (Schoology, One Note, etc.)  Also, our wifi network is optimized for our district devices. Please provide a laptop case for your student. Cases with colors or designs will be helpful to your student to easily identify their laptop. If you need financial assistance with a case please contact your student’s advisory teacher or counselor (Leslie Collings at lmcollings@seattleschools.org for students in 6th grade A-M and all 7th grade; and Katie Pillers at kjpillers@seattleschools.org for students in 6th grade N-Z and all 8th grade.)

The school district is asking for a non-refundable laptop device fee, $25.00, to cover the cost of all repairs needed across the school year. If your family is financially unable to provide this, please let us know and we will reduce or eliminate the fee. We will include information on how to pay this fee in the first week packet…stay tuned!

Note: If your child accidentally kept a laptop from last year or still has one from summer school, we will let you know when to return to school.

We will be cross-referencing our records at the beginning of the school year to insure we have received all laptops from last year and will be unable to distribute laptops to students who did not return their laptops. For lost computers, please note the following fees:

Student 1:1 Device Repair, Stolen and Lost Guidelines

• All Repairs: $25.00 up-front fee covers all repairs on the laptops
•  Lost:  Laptop: $350.00 per incident.  Charger: $48.00 per incident
•  Stolen (with Police Report):    Laptops: $0.   Charger: $0

School Supply Fee

We ask that your family contribute $35 per student to the Supply Fund to the extent that you can do so. 

Please adjust accordingly if your family has the means to provide additional support – or if you can provide a lesser amount – your support is invaluable in any amount!  Thank you. The supply fee covers classroom/teacher supply needs that our basic education funding does not support.

Payments can be made via SchoolPay. The SchoolPay link will be included in back to school info.

2024-25 McClure Supply List:

Please note:  some courses may request additional material costs. Sharpies and Laser Pens are Prohibited on Campus (McClure/SPS Policy)

Access to Building

Teachers do not return to the building until the week before school, when we will all be involved in our back-to-school professional development.  Our office staff will return then, as well. 

For obvious safety reasons, our doors are kept locked.  But…we have a doorbell!!  When you come up to school, ring our doorbell and someone in the main office will talk with you (we can see you, too!)  You can request your kid or, if you need to come in, we’ll buzz you in! (If you do come in, please do not let people in behind you…thank you!)

If for some reason the doorbell process does not work, call our custodial staff – number is on our front doors.  During the school year our custodial staff are on campus from 7:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m.

Class Schedules & First Day

Student schedules will be available to view on the Source on Monday, September 2nd at 4 pm. The schedules may not be completely finalized; some changes may be made in the first few weeks of school.

Please make a note of your McClure student’s Advisory teacher as your McClure student will be lining up with their Advisory teacher on the first day of school on the Big Howe field just south of the school.(Our 7th and 8th graders returning students should double check their advisory teacher on their schedule as we have done a little bit of shifting and balancing of our advisories.) If students are unable to access their Source page before the first day we will have staff available to direct students to their advisory teacher. Teachers will have big signs with their names so students can find them easily. Advisory teachers will hand each student a paper copy of their schedule. Then we will release each Advisory one by one to enter the school and start our first day!

Exploratories

As educators and parents, we want our middle school students to be exposed to as many new experiences as possible in their middle school years to stretch themselves, “explore” and experiment with new ways of thinking and doing. In this light, our exploratory classes authentically match up to their title; students will be randomly assigned to them if they are not already choosing one or more of our elective opportunities (band, choir, or Spanish). Some exploratory classes we have offered include opportunities like Art, ASB, and Tech Ed. To be clear, students’ schedules are developed based first on prioritizing their core class and academic support needs (i.e. Language Arts, Special Education, etc.) and electives come second (i.e. Advanced Band, Choir, Spanish).Exploratory classes are then assigned randomly.

Students and families may not change their schedule based on class or teacher preference. 

Please help your kids focus at school – Cellphone use

At the end of this letter you will find articles that supports the claim that cell phones and social media continue to have an incredibly negative impact on kids. A recent Gallup Poll (June-July, 2023) shows that over half (51%) of U.S. teens (13-19) spend a minimum of four hours daily on social media, at an average of 4.8 hours every day on social media. So – kids are spending on average 20% of their day on social media.  Just 25% of parents “strongly agree” that they limit kids’ screen time. (Note: kids spend 6.5 hours  – 28% of their day at school).

It goes without saying, we have a profound addiction problem here.  It is having a terrible effect on student mental health, self-esteem, focus and ability to achieve academically. You can find article after article to support this claim, as well. We see it and we are doing everything we can to help break the addiction, help kids focus in school and feel positive and confident.  This is the “why” behind our “away for the day” cell phone policy – students are expected to put their phones in lockers at 8:55 am and take out at 3:45 pm.

You send us your kids every day with an expectation that we educate, support and push them as far as they can go…and we LOVE doing this!  Wrestling with students’ addictions to cell phones, gaming and social media has become a major obstacle for teachers in the US and, in the end, kids are falling behind.  Add the effects of the pandemic – our teachers have a very heavy lift, indeed.

All of this is to say – we need your help!!  Here’s what you can do:

Please support the “away for the day” policy. For example, please do not text your McClure student during the day.

1. We often hear some parents say that they want to always have access to their child during the day in case of emergencies.  You do have this through our attendance office.
   1. Articles about school shootings and student cell phones point to the fact that students’ calling out from the school during an intruder event have actually resulted in impeding the swift and effective response from law officers and puts students in more danger.
2. Please put restrictions on students’ cell phones and Smart watches. Here are some guides.
   1. Parents – Screen Time Daily Time Limits for kids how to
   2. Parent Apple Watch Schooltime Limits Guide          
   3. We are a village with a united purpose: educating our kids, supporting them emotionally, and setting up conditions and limits that amplify their success.  Please partner with us on this!!
3. Join the PTSA!

Please join the PTSA. It’s a fun and easy way to connect with your McClure community and contribute to the school. Please click on the link and join as an individual or family. Thank you!

Wanted:  PTSA Board Treasurer

From the PTSA: As the PTA Treasurer, you’ll manage the organization’s finances and be part of the board’s executive committee. We’re seeking someone with a basic understanding of budgets who’s willing to work with our bookkeeper to keep everything updated.

We have a paid bookkeeper to assist you, so you won’t be doing this alone. 

This position typically involves a 1-2 year commitment. Your involvement could make a significant difference in our school community. Please consider joining us!

Sign up for the PTSA newsletter: If you have not signed up for the PTSA  newsletter yet, please click the link to get the weekly newsletters. Sign up for the PTSA Newsletter

District information links: 

District School Year Dates

Seattle Public Schools Family Resources – Including Transportation, Enrollment, School Meals, etc.

Schoology for Parents and Guardians 

The Source for Parents and Guardians 

Naviance: High School and Beyond Planning 

Volunteering in Schools 

Articles:

These articles will give you a little bit of insight into why McClure is a cell-phone-free school and might help your thinking about cell-phone/screen/social media use by your child.

• 2023 Fortune article “Here’s the right age to give your child a cell phone” – It shows updated information on the negative effects social media are having on our kids, their sleep, their mental health, etc. We STRONGLY encourage you to stay vigilant with your middle schoolers use of social media.
• What happens when a school bans smartphones

Until the opening of school, enjoy the rest of your summer. Thank you for your attention to this letter.  I am greatly looking forward to connecting with our students and families!

Go Mavs!
Ann Jennings, Interim Principal

McClure Middle School

apjennings@seattleschools.org

Hello McClure Families!   My name is Amy Acquino, and I am so honored and excited to join the  McClure Middle School community as your new Assistant Principal. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to be part of this school and to serve alongside the dedicated staff.

For over 25 plus years, I have enthusiastically devoted my career to public education. I spent most of my career as a reading teacher and Literacy Instructional Coach in Tampa, Florida, serving students furthest from educational justice.  In 2015, I packed up all my belongings (with my daughter and lil’ pup by my side) and moved to Portland, Oregon. I taught language arts at an alternative high school with Portland Public Schools and led a summer enrichment program.  Two years ago, I accepted a leadership position in the beautiful city of Seattle, where I proudly served as House Administrator at Washington Middle School and as Interim Assistant Principal at Salmon Bay K-8.

I am forever a people person and absolutely love working with scholars of all ages. I am passionate about literacy, joyful learning, culturally responsive and equitable practices, and strive for all students to feel seen, heard, valued, and supported. I have a B.A. in Sociology, B.A. in English Education, a Master’s in Education Administration and certified in Language Arts, Reading, and School Administration.  Some highlights of my training and practices include Project Based Learning (PBL), AVID, CrISS, Kagan, Read 180, Social Emotional Learning, and Restorative Practices.

As Interim Assistant Principal, I bring my many years of experience and a deep commitment to the students, staff, and families at McClure Middle School.  I truly believe that schools are the heart to building a community and where we can all continuously learn and grow together. I am so honored to be a part of this community and ready to learn and grow in partnership with you. With that said, here’s to an amazing rest of your summer and looking forward to meeting everyone here soon!

With gratitude and excitement for the year ahead,

Amy Acquino (she/her)
Interim Assistant Principal
McClure Middle School (Go MAVS!!)