PLE Principal Update
November 1, 2021
Dear PHamily,
It appears our stretch of warm weather is over! I hope you were all able to enjoy it. With this in mind, please remember to send your child to school with appropriate clothing for outdoor fall play. I would like to thank all of our families who sent in photos for our Veteran’s Day Tribute Video and our amazing PTA for organizing the Trunk and Treat event. We have several celebrations at PLE:
- Right at School finished their Food Drive. The combination of our student's hard work and the communities generosity lead to a total success! Thank you to everyone who donated.
- We celebrated National Teacher Jean Jacket Day! A very important holiday coined by Apron Education. Our amazing PLE staff wore jean jackets to celebrate each other!
- Unity Day, the signature event of National Bullying Prevention Month has been recognized in the United States since 2011. PLE participated in Unity Day by wearing orange to unite for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion to prevent students being bullied. This year Phantom Lake Elementary celebrated Unity with a rainbow theme. Each grade level had a different color in the rainbow and students created our “Unity Rainbow” by decorating their shapes (people, hearts, and hands) and adding a message about how they could make someone feel included. We held our assemblies and each classroom presented a message about what “Unity” means to their class. Here are some photos from the assembly and of the Unity Rainbow!
- Thanks to a generous donation from a PLE parent, students are enjoying flag football out at recess! Thank you families for the support and fun!
- We also had a PLE parent read a story to Mrs. Bramzel’s class. It was lovely to hear the positive impact the parent visit had on our students and staff. She read the story, You’re All Kinds of Wonderful. It’s a beautiful story about how everyone is different and it’s important to be yourself. “You have to learn what it means to be you.” You may wish to read/listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ki1LQDwkRJw
In partnership,
Dr. Macias, PLE Principal
This month we are highlighting our fifth graders
In October, our fifth graders celebrated a trip to Remlinger Farms, took their first SBA tests, showed their astronomy knowledge, and of course had some fun!
A student in Ms. Fisher's class created a galaxy modeled after activity with students in class!
PLE Community Feedback Survey
PLE is working to create an inclusive environment where all our students and families have a strong feeling of connection and belonging. The goal for Action Team for Partnership is to develop equitable plans and activities for all and any family to access, engage, and contribute to, that will promote student academic and social-emotional success. We strive to expand our team by inviting and providing space to hear more voices and perspectives from our PLE family and community members.
As partners in your child’s education, your input is valued. Please take a few minutes to respond to this brief survey. This information will be used to strengthen family involvement within our school.
Thank you for taking the time to complete this very important survey. Your feedback is greatly valued and sincerely appreciated.
PLE Action Team for Partnership
COVID-19 screening and diagnostic testing at PLE!
COVID-19 screening and diagnostic testing is coming to Bellevue School District schools. Schools will be implementing both types of testing, with all testing being available in all schools by November 5, 2021. This process has been developed in collaboration with the District’s multi-disciplinary health and safety team. You are receiving a communication because PLE will begin the testing process during the week of November 5th. PLE will begin:
- Diagnostic testing will be available for students exhibiting symptoms during school hours beginning on November 5th in the COVID Wellness Room from Tuesday to Friday as needed.
- Pooled surveillance testing will be available on Thursdays beginning November 18th. Students will be tested during the following times:
9:00 AM- Kinder, First Grade, Fifth Grade
9:40 AM- Third Grade, Fourth Grade
10:20 AM- Second Grade
9:30 AM/12:30 PM- Preschool
The Phantom Lake Team will be pulling a report to identify what students will be participating in the pool surveillance testing every Wednesdays by 8:00 AM, so we can have the supplies ready for testing on Thursdays. Testing may only occur with permission and consent. You can provide us with information on your desire to opt-in or opt-out of the COVID-19 testing using this link to complete the consent form. Because the Washington Department of Health requires the District to obtain written parental consent for minor students and assent/consent for students themselves if they are 18 or over and their own legal guardian, any student that does not have consent will not be tested.
All COVID-19 tests administered in Bellevue School District are available through grants for the purpose of keeping schools open. As such, tests can only be provided to Bellevue School District staff and students. Further, diagnostic tests can only be provided to symptomatic individuals and those that have been close contacts of an infected person. They cannot be provided for pre or post travel requirements.
All COVID-19 testing in Bellevue School District will be completed via a shallow nasal swab through Atlas Genomics. These Atlas tests were selected because they are PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests, providing more accurate test results than rapid antigen testing. Further, the tests are approved for self-administration under a trained observer (does not need to be a health care professional), allowing for more efficient and expanded access.
Diagnostic testing results, regardless of if they are positive or negative, will be sent to the individual who was tested directly from the lab — usually within 12 hours. These results will also be provided to the District COVID-19 Coordinator and Public Health — Seattle & King County so any necessary contact tracing can occur.
In pooled surveillance testing, there will only be communication if there is a positive result in the pool. If there are no positive results in a pool, there will be no further communication with the individuals in the pool. If there is a positive result in the pool (which would typically be identified within 12 hours), those individuals and/or their parent/guardian will be contacted and referred to diagnostic testing to identify the positive individual(s). The people in the pool will need to quarantine until the positive person is identified, usually within 12 hours of the diagnostic test. Contact tracing will then begin with the positive individual.
For more information on COVID testing in Bellevue School District you can visit the FAQ page found here. For questions related to testing at our school, please contact Nurse Erynn at udrise@bsd405.org
In partnership,
Dr. Macias
PLE Principal
Picture Day is coming up this week!
K-5th graders will have their portraits taken on Thursday, November 4th; Preschool/PALS will have theirs taken on Friday, November 5th.
Families can preorder picture packets by visiting https://yuenluischools.com/phantom-lake-elementary/ now through Friday November 12th. After this date, photos will be processed for printing then shipped to the school for distribution. Families can order photos after the 12th by entering your student’s school ID number using the same link. There will be an additional cost to cover printing, packaging and shipping (photos for late orders will be shipped directly to students’ homes).
Please note that a separate order is required for each student in the household.
Picture Retakes and Picture Day for Virtual Families is scheduled for Friday, December 3rd.
Please contact schoolsupport@yuenluischools.com with any questions. Thank you!
Virtue of the Month in November is Commitment
In October, we celebrated compassion as a PLE community. We were excited to recognize compassion at our unity assembly, and on Unity Day! Our third-grade team also created a bulletin board to help students recognize instances of compassion. Additionally, they shared student-made posters throughout the building for all to find to reinforce the idea of compassion.
Coming up, our virtue of the month in November is commitment. Commitment is caring deeply about something or someone. It is deciding carefully what you want to do, then giving 100 percent, holding nothing back. You give your all to friendship, a task, or something you believe in. You finish what you start. You keep your promises.
You are practicing commitment when you: Think before you make a promise, keep every agreement you make, go the extra mile, and give 100 percent to everything you do.
One way to recognize commitment is to read the following story, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. The story focuses on a Malawian boy named William, who saves his town from famine by constructing a windmill to provide water and electricity. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is actually based on a remarkable true story.
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
Phantom Lake Veterans Day Assembly
PLE families are invited to our special “Veterans Day” Celebration using the TEAM link
Friday, November 5th
9:00-9:30 am
Covid Guidelines
In this link: https://bsd405.org/phantomlake/resources/nurses-corner/, you can find:
- Covid Travel Guidelines
- Symptom Decision Tree Checklist School
- COVID symptoms
Fall into reading with the Read-A-Thon going on now through November 5th!
Students earn fun prizes just by raising donations and reading! Our Read-a-Thon is revamped this year to make it easier and more fun for students and families. Students will log reading minutes, check prize points and shop for prizes on our Read-A-Thon site Secret Surprise Sack Prizes. $10 donated = 100 prize points; 30 minutes read = 5 prize points! Let’s get reading!
Money raised during the Read-A-Thon helps support our school community with:
- School supplies for the whole school
- Classroom resources for teachers and staff
- Community and social events to get kids excited about learning like the Harvest Dance, Trunk or Treat, Science Fair, Family Nights and more
- Field trips to places like the Burke Museum, Tillicum Harbor and the Pacific Northwest Ballet
- Grants for teachers to purchase handwriting curriculum, math and literacy manipulative, art and classroom supplies and more
- Opportunities for staff to work together as a team to collaborate around grading, lesson planning and special needs students
- Monthly staff appreciation efforts along with a week-long event in the spring celebrating our amazing teachers and staff
- and more!
HUGE thank you to PLE parent Mary LaPlante for her vision, planning, and execution of the Read-A-Thon site, https://www.secretsurprisesackprizes.com/!
To donate to the Read-A-Thon, go to https://www.memberplanet.com/campaign/phantomlakepta/readathon2021
Have fun and let’s get reading!
November PTA Meeting
Join other PLE parents and community members at our November PTA Meeting! We will be meeting on Thursday, November 18th starting at 6:30pm via Teams to help accommodate parents that are unable to attend in person. We will be doing a recap of the Read-A-Thon fundraiser and start brainstorming our winter & spring events! We hope you’ll join us!
Microsoft Teams meeting
Join on your computer or mobile app
Click here to join the meeting
Or call in (audio only)
+1 206-800-4133,,719259408# United States, Seattle
Phone Conference ID: 719 259 408#
Family Connection: Judy Hunserberg
Hello! Phantom Phamilies
My name is Judy Hunsberger, and I am your Family Engagement Support Specialist. I can assist getting you resources for basic needs (housing, food, health, and clothing) and other essentials such as legal/immigration resources. Just a couple updates, due to the pandemic many agencies have guidelines that we have to meet for families to qualify. Also, resources are limited due to funding and limited donations. I will do my best to see how best to support our awesome PLE Eagles Phamilies!
Helpful Hints:
- Holiday programs will be starting and it is very important to do the Welcome Form if you are NEW to BSD or did not complete a form last year.
- We realize meals are free to every student, but we are asking you to please complete a 2021-2022 Free and Reduced Form to access additional assistance: Family Connections Centers, Fee Waivers, and Nurse/Health Services. Please make sure to do Part 5 of this Free and Reduced form.
www.bsd405.org/services/nutrition-services
- If you are new to BSD or have not completed the Welcome Form, please complete the form. Signing up does not guarantee families will get all services. It will depend on agencies availability and guidelines.
https://familyconnections.bsd405.org/
- New Hours: The Family Resource Center at Highland Middle School will be modifying the hours of operation. Starting September 27, 2021 we will be open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and closed Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Please feel free to call or email me for any clarifications or questions.
Judy Hunsberger 425-456-5679
Synergy Parent and StudentVue
Synergy Parent and StudentVue
Reminder that STAR scores are now available in Synergy Parent and StudentVue. Many elementary families may not have set up their ParentVue accounts. The following are available on the BSD website for ParentVue to help families get started.
- How to Activate ParentVUE
- How to Setup Notifications
- Accessing ParentVUE via browser
- Accessing ParentVUE via mobile app
STAR Scores are visible in the Test History Tab.
Mental Health and Signs of Suicide: The Data Behind the Stigma
November 3, 5 PM via Zoom
Please join Bellevue Schools Foundation and the Bellevue School District Educators for a presentation on current mental health trends in Bellevue’s Public Schools.
You will have a chance to hear directly from the District’s experts about the ways in which students are currently supported, the impact of this support and which tools and resources are the most effective. There will also be a chance for the attendees to engage with educators directly through a Q&A session and learn about future programming planned.
Previous Newsletters
Upcoming Events and Information
November 1- 5th Grade Smarter Balanced Assessment (Math CAT)
November 1- Prizes for Read A thon
November 4- K-5 Picture Day
November 5- PreK Picture Day
November 5- Diagnostic testing begins
November 5- 9:00-9:30 am- PLE families are invited to our special “Veterans Day” Celebration using the TEAM link
November 11 - No School Veterans Day
November 18- Pool Surveillance testing begins: Click here to join the meeting
November 18- PTA Meeting at 6:30 PM
November 25-26 - No School Thanksgiving
November 29- Action Team for Partnership Meeting at 7:30 AM
December 3- Picture Retake Day
December 20-January 3 - No School Winter Break
Questions? Contact Info.
Rachel Pearson, Assistant Principal
Mrs. Alysia Carey, School Counselor
Mrs. Debbie Gordon, Office Manager
Rhiannon Kreal, PTA President
Mrs. Judy Hunsberger, Family Engagement Specialist
Website: https://bsd405.org/phantomlake/
Location: 1050 160th Ave SE, Bellevue, WA 98008, USA
Phone: (425) 456-5600