Happy October, !
The air is crisp, the leaves are turning beautiful shades of red and gold, and our school is buzzing with excitement as we head into one of the most festive times of the year. From fall celebrations to Halloween fun, October is always filled with laughter, creativity, and community spirit. As we enjoy all the wonderful activities this season brings, it’s also a perfect time to pause and reflect on what we’re grateful for. The season of giving thanks is just around the corner, reminding us to appreciate the many blessings in our lives - including this incredible Alcott community. We are so lucky to be part of a school where families, teachers, and staff work together to make every child’s experience special. As we celebrate, let’s also keep in mind that not everyone has the same opportunities or comforts. I hope we can take this time to hug our kids a little tighter, remind them how wonderful our community is, and encourage kindness and generosity toward those who may need extra support this season. Wishing you all a joyful October filled with connection, gratitude, and community spirit.
Warmly, Chris Jung
Alcott PTSA President
president@alcottptsa.org |
In This Issue - Upcoming calendar of events
- What is Orca Waves newsletter
- Did you know?
- Prize Giveaway for Lucky PTSA Members
- Picture Day
- Math Challenge
- Photos for your yearbook
- Running Club on Tuesday mornings
- Classroom Connector Information
- Join the PTSA team
- LWSD & LWSF News
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Upcoming Calendar of Events | | Monday, October 6 | | | | Thursday, October 30 | |
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What is the Orca Waves Newsletter... And Why is it in My Inbox?
Orca Waves is a weekly newsletter created by the PTSA to keep the Alcott community informed, connected, and engaged. Each issue includes: Upcoming Events & Activities – Stay up to date on school and PTSA events, volunteer opportunities, and family activities. Important Announcements – Learn about programs, deadlines, and opportunities that directly impact your child’s school experience. Community Highlights – Celebrate student and teacher achievements, classroom spotlights, and the vibrant culture that makes Alcott special. Ways to Get Involved – Find simple, meaningful ways to support our school and strengthen our community.
Orca Waves ensures families never miss out on opportunities to engage with their child’s education, connect with other parents, and be part of the “village” that helps our children thrive. |
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Did you know about all the amazing things our PTSA does to enrich our children’s educational experience?
Did you know that the folders and agendas in your child’s backpack are purchased by the PTSA? Did you know that the upcoming Back to School Spooktacular is organized and sponsored by the PTSA? Did you know that the PTSA provides $300 to every full-time teacher and $150 to every part-time teacher so they can purchase extra supplies for their classrooms? (That’s 38 full-time and 6 part-time teachers!) Did you know that the PTSA also gives funds to the library, so our librarian can buy new books for our kids? Did you know that programs like Running Club, ACT Club, Spelling Bee, Reflections Art, Science Club, Math Club, Science Fair, Culture Fair, STEAM programs, and the End of Year Party wouldn’t exist without PTSA support?
And did you know that the fear of long words is called Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia? Sorry, got distracted. Believe it or not, these are just a few examples of all that the PTSA does to enrich our children’s educational experience. Now imagine what our school would be like without the PTSA - without these amazing programs, events, and opportunities that bring learning and joy to life for every student. The best way for parents to support all of this is by becoming a PTSA member. Your membership strengthens the PTSA by amplifying our collective voice as we advocate for the needs of students at the school, district, and state levels. It also helps fund the programs and activities that make our school a vibrant, enriching place for every child. Without your support, many of these experiences simply wouldn’t be possible - and all our kids would feel the difference.
That’s why your membership truly matters. Below is a diagram showing just a small fraction of the many programs, events, and activities that the PTSA sponsors and supports to make Alcott a wonderful place to learn and grow.
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| 🎃 PTSA Member Giveaway Winners! 🎃
This week, the PTSA is excited to give away two tickets to Fright Town Eastside to each of three lucky PTSA members who were the first to join!
Congratulations to our winners: Krishan Anand (4/5 Quest, Mrs. Nasir) Daniel Ulmer (4/5 Quest, Mrs. Gale) Karthikeya Kuppu (4/5 Quest, Mrs. Nasir)
Your tickets will be left in teacher boxes for distribution. Enjoy the fun!
About Fright Town Eastside:
Fright Town Eastside is a family-friendly community production run entirely by volunteers. Proceeds from ticket sales support local youth through donations to area non-profits - a perfect blend of spooky fun and community giving! |
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| A Message From Wonderful Mrs. Borrego Hello Alcott Families:
Flyers with information of school pictures went home with students last week. In case you did not get the information, ordering is taking place on-line only. O'Connor Photography Studio has made it easy to order. Just click the link below and you will be guided through the process of ordering and paying on-line.
Picture Day is Right Around the Corner...
Students will be photographed by O'Connor Photography Studio for their school record on 10/6/2025
If you would like to purchase your student's portraits, click below to pre-order their portraits today!
https://shop.imagequix.com/g1001276926
You can also purchase by visiting our website at: www.oconnorphotographystudio.com
If you have any questions or need assistance
please give our studio a call at 1-800-993-4929
Thank you! |
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| 📐 Math Challenge Winners This Week
Congratulations to our Math Challenge winners for this week! These students showed great problem-solving skills, creativity, and persistence - way to go, mathematicians!
Kindergarten: Lisa Yu (Ms. Schmitt) 1st Grade: Shreeyansh Yallamreddy (Ms. Mineo) 2nd Grade: Shamanth Reddy (Ms. Thomas) 3rd Grade: Lisa Korotkova (Ms. Ashe) 4th Grade: Jialin Tan (Ms. Parkhurst) 5th Grade: John Tang ( Ms. Epler)
Winners are chosen randomly from a list of participants who got all answers correct for their grade level.
Math Challenge #2 is now live. Submit your responses by Oct 9 to be eligible for the next lucky draw.
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| Don't Forget to Upload Your Kids Photos
Don’t forget to upload your first day back-to-school photos for the Alcott Yearbook! The yearbook is more than just a collection of pictures - it's a keepsake filled with the moments, friendships, and milestones that define your child’s school years. By sharing your photos, you’re helping capture memories that your kids will treasure for a lifetime. One day, when they’re all grown up, they’ll flip through these pages and thank you for preserving their childhood story. Help us make this year’s yearbook unforgettable - upload your photos today and give your child the gift of memories that last forever.
📘 What is the Yearbook? The Alcott Yearbook is a beautiful collection of memories from throughout the school year. The PTSA gathers photos of activities, events, students, teachers, and staff, and at the end of the year, all of these moments are compiled into one special keepsake book. This is more than just a book - it’s a gift of memories you can give your child. Years from now, they’ll look back at their yearbook and remember their friends, teachers, and the experiences that shaped their childhood. Yearbooks can be pre-purchased here. Once complete, they’ll be delivered to you at the end of the school year. Order now to enjoy a 10% discount on your purchase! |
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| 🏃♀️ Running Club on Tuesday Mornings! 🏃♂️
Lace up your sneakers and join us for a refreshing start to your Tuesdays! Running Club begins soon, meeting every Tuesday morning for a fun, energizing run with great company. Whether you're a seasoned runner or just starting out, all paces are welcome! Come build community, boost your mood, and enjoy the crisp fall air!
Sign up now and let’s hit the ground running!
When:
Tuesday mornings (8:30 - 9:05am)
Check-in begins at 8:20am
Dates: September 16th - November 25th
Where:
Check-in: Small Gym Running Loop: Around the Fields and Portables
Students are dismissed from Running Club directly to their morning line-up spot!
Who: 1st - 5th Graders
Cost: Free
How: Open the Registration Form and complete for EACH student being registered.
Volunteers: We need 4-5 volunteers for each session to assist with ensuring child safety, managing check-in/out, and scanning mileage counting QR codes for our runners. All volunteers must pass LWSD screening and be an approved volunteer. Your involvement is crucial to our success! You can sign up to volunteer on the Running Club Parent Square page.
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If you’d like to learn more about being a Classroom Connector - or if you’re ready to sign up - just click the button below! |
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Urgent: Volunteers Needed for PTSA Lead Positions |
| The Alcott PTSA is powered by amazing parent volunteers like you. We currently have open positions and would love for you to consider joining us! Volunteering with the PTSA is a meaningful way to support our school, connect with other families, and make a real difference in our children’s educational experience. Whether you have just a few hours to give or want to take on a bigger role, there’s a place for you. Training and support are always provided - no experience needed, just a willing heart. The PTSA is in urgent need of volunteers to fill the following lead positions. These roles are essential - without leads in place, the events and programs connected to them cannot take place this year.
UrgentOpen Lead Position
Spelling Bee: Bring the Scripps National Spelling Bee to Alcott! Need a volunteer to make the Bee happen.
Contact president@alcottptsa.org if you are interested or have questions about these lead positions. |
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| Get Involved For Our Kids!
Well-informed, engaged parents make a difference for student success in school and beyond. Research shows that family engagement in a child’s education increases student achievement, improves attendance and reduces dropout rates. Lead an event or program with the PTSA and become a district approved volunteer. |
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LWSD and LWSF Foundation News |
New & International Families Welcome Event October 8 from 4-7 p.m.Lake Washington PTSA Council, in coordination with Lake Washington School District, is hosting our 9th annual Welcome Event for New and International families on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, 4-7 p.m. at the LWSD Resource Center. Speakers will present information in the Board Room from 5-6:30 p.m. A community resource fair will take place from 4-7 p.m. in the lobby of the Resource Center. Our welcome events are a great opportunity for families to learn about the school district, ask questions and meet other LWSD families. Topics will include an introduction to Lake Washington School District, information about family support services and engagement opportunities, and insights into multilingual programs and resources. If you would like to request an interpreter for the event, please contact Shannon Parthemer (sparthemer@lwsd.org), for other questions contact Danish Majeed (FACE@lwptsa.net). |
| ENAEP Indigenous Peoples Day event October 13Come celebrate the beauty of Indigenous people with the Eastside Native American Education Program (ENAEP)! The event will have traditional drumming, dancing, singing and presentations from the students as well as families. Event details: - October 13, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
- Lake Washington High School Commons
This event is open to everyone! Click here to see this year’s ENAEP brochure. |
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Become a PTSA Member Today! |
Quick Links - Alcott Elementary Website: Staff contact lists, school hours and general school information.
- Alcott Student & Family Handbook: Attendance information, health and safety policies, school drop off and pick up times, busing rules, lost and found info, and more!
Skyward Family/Student Access: Find your student's teacher*, bus information, testing results and grades, and update/verify student information. New to Skyward? Learn how to get access here. Become a LWSD District Approved Volunteer: If you are planning to help in your student's classroom or at school at any point this year, you need to be an approved volunteer. The process can take a few days, so the earlier you get it done, the better. Get started here. If you are not sure if you are already approved, check here. Parent Square: Communication to families from school and teachers will be posted to Parent Square.
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Orca Waves Submission Orca Waves are published by volunteers of Alcott Elementary School. To submit content for the Orca Waves E-Newsletter, please email your submission, along with contact information, to communications@alcottptsa.org. Submissions must be received no later than 12pm on Wednesdays for inclusion in the following newsletter. Community flyers must first be approved by the district office and posted on the LWSD community bulletin board website. |
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