Teacher strike

We know it must feel frustrating that your child can't attend the first day as expected because of the strike. Let's hope the two sides can come to an agreement soon! We can't wait to welcome your family to Bagley!

What are families doing for child care? It's a good idea to plan for next week if you haven't already. I have heard a few ideas and will post them here. Please let me know in the comments or by email if you have other ideas.

• Seattle Parks and Recreation FREE strike camps open to all families. 
• Seattle's Littlest Performers strike camps.  
• Pacific Science Center strike camps.
• Seattle Children's Theater strike camps.
• Check with YMCA and Boys & Girls Clubs. (I heard that Boys & Girls Club will be $15 per day next week)
• Fly in Grandma and Grandpa.
• Find local teenage babysitters who are also out of school.
• Swap days with another parent.
• Take your kids to work.

What can you do to express your support for our teachers?

• Walk with them at the picket line, bring food and drinks, carry signs, and wave at passing cars. This support is priceless. You can sign up for this.
• Attend a community meeting tonight, Thursday, September 10, 6:00 p.m. to support striking educators at Seattle City Hall, Council Chambers, Second Floor, 600 4th Ave., Seattle 98104.
• Sign a petition to Superintendent Larry Nyland to come to a  reasonable agreement with the teachers.
• Sign a petition to demand that Gov. Inslee call an emergency legislative session to fully fund education at the state level. 

Last playdate on Sunday

This Sunday, August 30, will be our last Kindergarten Playdate of the summer! We'll be at Greenwood Park from 2-4pm, and there will be cold summer treats regardless of the weather. 

This is a great chance to make some connections with other new families in our friendly Bagley community. 

See you on Sunday!

Wondering who your child's teacher will be? Don't worry! Classroom assignments are generally sent late in the week before school starts. 

Important dates in September:

Sept. 8: New student orientation, 6:30-7:15

Sep. 9: First day of school!

Sept. 22: Curriculum night, 6:30-8:00

Jogathon - October 2 - Volunteers needed

Mark your calendars for this year's jogathon on Friday, October 2!

The jogathon is a fun event and one of the biggest fundraisers of the year. Students ask friends and family to pledge a donation for each lap they run (or a flat amount). The kids love the jogathon and work hard to earn money for their school. Parents have a great time connecting with each other and cheering on the kids. Most importantly, the money helps support health and fitness, the arts and music program, library, classroom tutors, and scholarships and support for families.

This event needs a lot of volunteers to pull off! For now, the organizers are looking for these lead volunteer positions:

• Lap counting: Coordinate and manage the volunteers, setup, and supplies for lap counting during and after the event.
• Appreciation lunch: Lead the appreciation lunches for staff and volunteers.
• Water: Coordinate volunteers, supplies, and management of stations during the event.
• Fundraising and community engagement: This is a new position to engage the community in fundraising.
• Field coordination: Helping the setup lead make sure we have all necessary items on the field.

If you would like to volunteer or if you have any questions, please contact Diedra Ward.

2015 Jogathon Co-chairs:
Deanna Armstong
Shana Radtke
Diedra Ward

New family playdates - Greenwood Park

Only two playdates left! This is a good chance to meet other new families and ask any questions that you have. Meet at Greenwood Park, 602 N 87th St.

Mark your calendar for this Sunday and the last Sunday of the month:

• Sunday, August 9, 2pm
• Sunday, August 30, 2pm

Bell schedule 2015-2016

Bell times at Bagley will remain the same for the 2015-2016 school year:

First bell rings: 9:30 am
Second bell rings/school starts: 9:35 am

End time: 3:40 pm

You may arrive as early as 9:05.

The Bell Time Task Force recommends flipping school start times beginning next year (2016-2017) to allow high schools to start later and elementary schools to start earlier. The recommendations are based on research that shows that teens need 8.5 to 9.5 hours of sleep per night, and that later start times support this need. Most elementary schools would run from 8 am to 2:10 pm, while a few elementary schools (which have not been identified) would run from 8:50 am to 3 pm. The superintendent will announce his recommendations in October 2015.

To read more, visit the Bell Time Recommendations page. 

School meals 2015-2016

All students are eligible to eat breakfast and lunch provided by the school.

*Update: Prices have gone up this year (2015-2016). Breakfast is $2 and lunch is $3. Milk is 50 cents.

You can pay by check, cash, or credit card using the PayPAMS system. For students who qualify for free and reduced price meals, applications will be available on August 1st.

Each child is issued a 4-digit pin and taught how to enter it on the keypad. You can write it down somewhere for your child until they learn it, or the teachers and Ms. Raylynn in the cafeteria can also help.

Children may be dropped off on the playground or in the cafeteria as early as 9:05 when school opens. There is a playground attendant and Ms. Raylynn in the cafeteria is wonderful with the kids.

You can check out the Nutrislice website to see what the breakfast and lunch menus are.

For more information about school meals, please visit the Seattle Public School Nutrition Services website or check out the frequently asked questions.