Volumn 4, Issue 1

Kidz Ink
September 2011

DATES TO REMEMBER
September 7th, Wednesday First Day of Seattle Schools 8:45 - 3:00 September 15th, Thursday West Woodland Curriculum Night September 23rd, Friday Parents Night Out 6:00 PM - 10:00 Sign up sheet on the door September 28th, Wed. Early dismissal @ 1:00 from West Woodland October 14th, Friday Professional Development Day No Seattle Schools Kids Inc. Open October 26th, Wed. Early dismissal @ 1:00 from West Woodland

Things to Remember...
From Kids Inc: Welcome back to the school year 2011/12!!! Please see the attached closure dates for the school year at the end of this newsletter. Included are Kids Inc. closure dates, Seattle School District early release dates, inservice and vacation dates. September 23rd, Friday, Parents Night Out, 6:00 PM 10:00 PM, sign up sheet on the door September 29th, Wednesday, is an early release day The school age kids are out of school at 1:00. We will have a sign-up sheet posted on the parent table for school age parents to sign up by September 22nd. Pandas: Please welcome back our preschool teachers, Andrea Black, Polly Young & Elizabeth Reese. September 21st, Wednesday, Walking Field Trip around West Woodland Elementary School September 23rd, Friday, Parents Night Out, 6:00 PM 10:00 PM, sign up sheet on the door Otters: Please welcome back Steve Bellefuil as our Otter Teacher. September 22nd, Thursday-Field Trip to the Zoo September 23rd, Friday, Parents Night Out, 6:00 PM 10:00 PM, sign up sheet on the door Grizzlies: Our K-2 grade children meet in the big side of the main room after school. Sept 7th 13th, Kindergarten will be released at 11:30. Jay Castro, Selena Patterson, Kris and Melissa will be working with this age group. Please introduce yourself if you do not know these teachers. September 23rd, Friday, Parents Night Out, 6:00 PM 10:00 PM, sign up sheet on the door September 28th, Wednesday-Early dismissal from school at 1:00 PM. Sign up sheet will be on the parent table by the 14th. King Snakes: We are happy to welcome all the new King Snakes (3rd, 4th & 5th graders), who will be using the cafeteria as their home base this year and will be having green laundry baskets as their cubby spaces. Working with the King Snakes will be Lindsay Good, Amira Shaibi and Alyssa Westgate. September 23rd, Friday, Parents Night Out, 6:00 PM 10:00 PM, sign up sheet on the door September 28th, Wednesday-Early dismissal from school at 1:00 PM. Sign up sheet will be on the parent table by the 15th.
NOTICE Tuition is due by the 1st of the month. Please let Melissa know, in writing if this presents a hardship. A $25.00 late fee is assessed for payments received after the 1st of the month, unless other arrangements have been approved

NEW SCHOOL START/ END TIMES!!! FIRST BELL RINGS AT 8:45 AM CLASS START TIME: 8:50 AM DISMISSEL BELL RINGS AT 3:00 PM

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Directors Corner
Welcome to the new school year and to Kids Inc! It has been a fantastic summer but I am ready to get the school year going. There are a few changes this year. Selena joined our school age team this summer after subbing for us last year. She and Elizabeth will be here in the mornings and you may see Jay occasionally as well. The school age program will continue afternoon clubs again this year and will begin Wednesday, September 14th. For those who are new to Kids Inc., we have a variety of club activities for your child after school. Every day there will be 2-3 different clubs that the children can choose to participate in. We will have information out shortly explaining the new clubs which run for about 10 weeks. Your child has the option to sign up for one of these clubs when they check in or they can have free play. Since school will be releasing earlier this year, we will be having the club time from 3:45-4:45. Descriptions of the clubs will be coming shortly. Please review these options with your child as we encourage children to participate. Study Hall will provided this year again for 1st-5th graders in the cafeteria M-Th from 3:15-3:45. A sign up sheet will be on the parent table. To clarify expectations, we will again be asking the children to sign a contract of agreement. Please welcome back our preschool teachers! Once again we will have Andrea Black, Polly Young and Elizabeth Reese in the Panda room and Steve Bellefuil in the Otter room. Elizabeth will also be here in the mornings and will help out with the Otters for a bit in the morning and you will also see Jay helping out in the afternoon! We have the date of our first PNO! It will be Friday, September 23rd. For those of you who are new, PNO (Parents Night Out) is one Friday a month from 6:00-10:00. The cost is $25 per child or $40 for two (must be siblings). This includes dinner and a movie along with activities. The fee is paid to the staff members who are working that night. Be on the lookout for sign ups. Take care and I look forward to another great year! Melissa

Panda Posse
Welcome to September in the Panda room! We are so excited to have some familiar faces and lots of new ones. There are three teachers in our room, the lead teacher, Andrea (8-3), and two assistants, Polly (9-5) and Elizabeth (1-6). We will start the month off by getting to know each other, the Panda room, and our rules. The rest of the month we will discuss different kinds of families and our community and learn about pandas and bamboo. Our first field trip will be a walk around the West Woodland community on Wednesday September 21st. We are always looking for parent volunteers to come on our field trips. Please remember to have an entire change of clothes to keep in your child's cubby. As the weather gets colder, please also remember to have a jacket with a hood or a hat. Your child should also have a lunch (please no candy) as well as a blanket and a stuffy (small stuffed animal) if he or she needs them to nap. Picture day is November 1st. We would love to have every child in our class photo so even if your child doesn't come on Tuesdays, you are welcome to join. The photographers will take individual photos as well as one class photo. Welcome back! Andrea, Polly & Elizabeth

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Kidz Ink

OTTERS DEN
Welcome Otters and parents to the new school year. My name is Steve Bellefuil and Iam the Otter teacher. Ive met a lot of the Otters and their parents, but for the few parents I havent met, I look forward to talking with you and getting to know your children. This month well be learning about ourselves and our families. Well learn our whole names, where we live, and our phone numbers. Then well start creating a class photo album of our families including baby pictures of all the Otters. (Parents, this is where Ill need help from you) If you could bring in spare photos of them as babies or young children, and family pictures of you and relatives which I can put into one shared photo album, Id appreciate it. Well keep it for the whole year so the Otters can look at it whenever they like. Finally, Im hoping I can persuade some of our parents to come into the class and talk to all the children about their jobs. Its a nice way for us all to get to know each other. Also this month the Otters will focus on our new routine. Learning the rules, setting goals, and getting use to the day-to-day schedule will take a couple of weeks to get use to. Ill be sending out more information about show and share, teacher helper jobs, field trips, and lots of other things soon. Im looking forward to a fun and successful year with the Otters. I am confident that by next year your children will be more than ready for kindergarten. But I also know I cant do it by myself. Itll take you and me working together to make the year a success. Feel free to talk with me about your concerns and ideas about the class. Steve

School Agers-Grizzlies (K-2nd Grades) & King Snakes (3rd-5th Grades)

Welcome back to our 2011/2012 school year. This year will bring shifted school hours and lots of exciting adventures and clubs. In the main room with the Grizzlies (Kindergarteners, 1st & 2nd graders) will be Jay Castro, Selena Patterson, Kris Kikuchi and Melissa Winchester. Some of you may know Selena from the summer, and she will be coming onboard with us throughout the school year too. With the Kingsnakes (3rd, 4th & 5th graders), in the cafeteria will be Lindsay Good, Amira Shaibi, and Alyssa Westgate. This year the groups are more evenly balanced with the Kingsnake group a little larger than last year. We will continue with the different Clubs this year and those will be sent out later. With school dismissal being earlier, our club time will be earlier with a little more time at the end for transitions. Also, as some of you may have noticed, a change in staffing. Yes, Louie Smith, who opened in the mornings is no longer at Kids Inc. He has taken a position at Nordstroms in security and mail. We wish him the best of luck and we will keep him on our sub list, when his schedule permits. Karen Edlefsen has also left Kids Inc. She will be starting her education back east and we also wish her the best of luck. Her last day was August 26th. Some dates to remember, are September 23rd will be the first Parents Night out, so look out for the sign up sheet on the door. September 28th is the first two hour early dismissal day and the sign up sheet should be on the parent table by Sept. 14th. Again/also, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to ask Melissa or Kris. The School Age Staff

Page 4 MELISSA WINCHESTER DIRECTOR 9:00-5:00

Kidz Ink

STAFF BIOS
STEVE BELLEFUIL OTTER TEACHER 8:00A - 2:30P Hi, my name is Steve This is my fourth year at Kids Inc. but Ive been a teacher for eight years now. I earned my BS in elementary Education a while back, but got side tracked as a carpenter for a few years. When I adopted my children, I decided to get back into education. Both my children go to Kids Inc., so I have a real incentive to make this the best place possible. Ill be the Otter Teacher this year and I know I will have a great time. Andrea Black PANDA LEAD TEACHER 8:00A-3:00P
Hi! My name is Andrea and I'm the lead teacher on the Panda side. I live in North Seattle with my partner Chris and our 2-year-old son Braedon. I graduated from Eastern Oregon University with a BS in Multidisciplinary Studies (Elementary Education) in 2007. I put off teaching and became a flight attendant for NW Airlines based out of Detroit. I stopped flying when Braedon was born, then we moved back to Seattle in 2010. I love to read, cross-stitch, and spend time with my family.

My name is Melissa Winchester and I am the Director. I am starting my sixth year at Kids Inc. and my fourth year being the Director. I am originally from St. Louis, Missouri and lived there all of my life before moving to the Pacific Northwest six years ago. I have my BA in Elementary Education and had taught second grade at a Charter School in St. Louis. I miss all of my family but am excited to go home in October and see my first niece who was born in August! I love gardening, cooking,, camping, hiking, spicy food and spending time with my pup!

Polly Young PANDA TEACHER 9:00A-5:00P

My name is Polly Treistman Young and I am a full-time teacher in the "Panda" preschool room. I grew up near New York City, majored in French and Italian and moved to Seattle in 1976 for a job working with developmentally disabled children. My husband and I fell in love with the northwest and now live in the Greenwood Area with our daughter, a junior at Garfield High School and our Siberian Husky. My continuing education interests are Early Childhood Education, Outdoor and Wilderness Education and music and movement education. After work you may find me reading, playing the piano and guitar, hiking, kayaking, birding, singing small ensemble music or volunteering with the Secular Jewish Circle of Puget Sound.

AMIRA SHAIBI S/A TEACHER 3:00P - 6:00P Hi, my name is Amira Shaibi and this will be my second year at Kids Inc. Ill be working with the school agers in the afternoons. This year Ill continue to finish my AA at North Seattle Community College. I am fluent in Arabic and I love to dance, read and Im always up to date with current affairs in the Middle East. I am looking forward to a new exciting school year!

ELIZABETH REESE PANDA TEACHER 1:00P - 6:00P S/A TEACHER 7:00A - 10:00A
My name is Elizabeth Reese and this will be my second year as a Panda teacher and morning opener. I graduated from the University of Iowa with a BA in Health Science/Nutrition. I moved to Seattle last July have been enjoying every minute of it. I love to run and have been involved with Team in Training raising money for the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society while running marathons. I also love to go hiking with my golden lab, Molly

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Kidz Ink

LINDSAY GOOD S/A TEACHER 3:00P - 6:00P

Hi! My name is Lindsay Good and this will be my 6th school year with Kids Inc. It has been a blast working with the kids here and I cant wait to meet the newest additions to our Kids Inc. family! A bit about me, I am 26 years old, and I love to dance. I am a member of a dance company, SSSCO, and am learning how to hustle dance in my free time. Come say hi and ask me about it sometime. I am looking forward to a brand new, fun filled year!

KRIS KIKUCHI PROGRAM SUPERVISOR 8:00A - 6:00 P T,W,Th,F

Once upon a time in a small town of Quincy, WA there was a farmers daughter, who graduated from high school and moved to Seattle. She got her AA in Early Childhood Education, and has been working with children ever since (which is a loooong time)! She eventually found Kids Inc. some nineteen+ years ago and worked part time at Kids Inc. and part time for Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center as a data coordinator. But a couple of years ago, she decided to work full time for Kids Inc. During the time she is not working, she enjoys crab, reading, rubber stamping, beading, and collecting Snoopy paraphernalia.

Staff Bios
JAY CASTRO S/A TEACHER 2:00P-6:00P Hello! My name is Jay and this will be my 6th year at Kids Inc. I am so excited to be with the Grizzlies this year! I am currently in school at Bellevue College, with a goal of becoming an Elementary School Teacher. I love science fiction, video games and computers. Looking forward to a great year! (cont.) SELENA PATTERSON S/A TEACHER 7:00A-9:30A & 3:00P-6:00P
Hi there! Im Selena! Im in my first year as a teacher at Kids Inc. Before starting here, I was a graphic design student at Cornish College of the Arts. I am a passionate student of the arts and love to host art projects with the kids. When I am not at Kids Inc. I love to paint, cook, read and watch old black and white movies. I also have two cats and a guinea pig named Peaches! I am very excited for the coming year getting to know you and your kids.

ALYSSA WESTGATE S/A TEACHER 3:00P - 6:00P

My name is Alyssa Westgate and I am really excited to continue working in the after school program at Kids Inc. I feel grateful to have the opportunity to work with the kids for another school year. I grew up on the East coast, moved to L.A. for a few years where I got an AA in Interior Design, and then moved to Seattle four years ago with my husband and pixiebobs (cats). In the last year we have also added a couple of puppies to the mix, too! I am currently attending Bellevue College full time, majoring in Early Childhood Education. I enjoy swimming, playing video game and reading fiction and humor books.

September 2011

20
5601 4th Ave. NW Seattle, WA 98107 (206) 783-8185 admin@kidsincseattle.com

September
Tue Wed
1

11
Sat
3

Mon

Thu
2

Fri

Coen Bs Birthday

7 First Day of School! First bell @ 8:45! Dismissal Bell @ 3:00

10

Ethan Bs Birthday

11

12

13

14

15
WW Curriculum Night

16

17

Ellison Hs Birthday

Isabel Ns Birthday

Hayden Hs Birthday Jack Bs Birthday

18

19

20

21
Panda FT-walk around West Woodland Elementary School

22
Otters-FT to the Zoo

23 Parents Night Out 6:00-10:00

24

Jack S Birthday

Henry Ps (K) Birthday

William Ms Birthday

Mitra S Birthday

25

26

27

28
School Dismiss @ 1:00

29

30

Trevor S Birthday

Serafina S Birthday

Nate Bs Birthday

Closure Dates for ......Kids Inc.

Veterans Day Holiday Thanksgiving Holiday Christmas Holiday New Years Day Holiday Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
Presidents Day Holiday

November 11, 2011 November 24 & 25, 2011 December 23 & 26, 2011 Dec. 30, 2011 & Jan. 2, 2012 January 16, 2012 February 20, 2012 April 20, 2012 May 28, 2012 June 21 & 22, 2012 July 4, 2012 TBA, 2 days at the end of summer

In-service Days for Kids Inc. Memorial Day In-service Days for Kids Inc. * Independence Day Holiday In-Service Days for Kids Inc.

Dates to Note.....................for Seattle Public Schools

First Day of School Early Dismissal Day @ 1:00 pm Professional Development Day (no classes) Early Dismissal Day @ 1:00 pm Veterans Day Holiday Elementary Parent-Teacher Conferences (no classes) Thanksgiving Break One hour early dismissal Winter Break Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Day between semesters, (no classes) Early Dismissal Day @ 1:00 pm Presidents Day Holiday Mid-Winter Break Early Dismissal Day @ 1:00 pm Professional Development Day (no classes) Spring Break Early Dismissal Day @ 1:00 pm Memorial Day Holiday *Last Student Day, 1 hour early dismissal September 7, 2011 September 28, 2011 October 14, 2011 October 26, 2011 November 11, 2011 November 21 - 23, 2011 November 24 & 25, 2011 December 16, 2011 Dec. 19 - Jan. 2, 2012 January 16, 2012 January 27, 2012 February 1, 2012 February 20, 2012 February 20 - 24, 2012 March 7, 2012 March 16, 2012 April 16 - April 20, 2012 May 16, 2012 May 28, 2012 June 20, 2012

* Make up days for inclement weather will be added at the end of the year.
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