Science Fair

Thank you Alcott Families & Volunteers!

Our school Science Fair on March 26th was a fantastic celebration of curiosity, creativity, and discovery, drawing an incredible turnout from our school community! This year’s theme, Women in STEM, highlighted the inspiring contributions of women in science, technology, engineering, and math, while encouraging our students to explore their own scientific passions.

The event featured an impressive array of poster projects, a thrilling rubber-band car race, an engaging live science show, and hands-on interactive booths that kept everyone learning and having fun. It was truly wonderful to see so many students proudly sharing their ideas and enthusiasm for science.

Congratulations to all of our student participants for their hard work, creativity, and dedication. A heartfelt thank you also goes out to the many parent, staff, and student volunteers who made this event possible - we couldn’t have done it without you! Our Student Leadership Team and volunteers also ran a snack & raffle stations that raised over $600 for The Sophia Way, a wonderful organization supporting women and children in need.

And a very special thank you to Mrs. Deming, Mrs. Blum, Mr. Brewer, and Ms. Alfuhaid for their care and attention throughout the event - keeping students safe and happy, troubleshooting microphones, coordinating raffle ticket sales, and managing countless behind-the-scenes details. Our hearts are truly full knowing our school is home to such dedicated and caring educators. 

Our PTSA leaders worked hard to visit every project; however, if any students did not receive their project medals, certificates, or essay/picture prizes, please contact website@alcottptsa.org with your student’s name and teacher, and we will make sure they receive them.

Thank you, Alcott families, for making this such a wonderful event! 

Destination Imagination Tournament

Alcott 4th Grade Team Win 1st Place!

Following on from their success at the regional level, a team of Alcott 4th Grade students recently competed at the Destination Imagination State (Affiliate) Tournament, with outstanding success, taking first place! The team are subsequently invited to compete in the Global Competition, which is scheduled to be held in May 2026.

We congratulate the following students who are proud members of the Alcott team:

Ayansh Jain – Mr. Brewer

Ved Laad – Mr. Brewer

Ishaan Chowdavaram – Mr. Brewer

Ayaansh Jain – Ms. Rothlisberger

Vihaan Ramesh Reddy – Mrs. Martin

Eshan Karanam – Mrs. Parkhurst

Math Is Cool Championships

Alcott Elementary 5th graders represented our school with enthusiasm at the Math is Cool Championships on March 7th. Congratulations to all of our participants!

These students dedicated many hours preparing, practicing, and solving challenging problems. We're incredibly proud of their efforts and sportsmanship.

The top 4 students were:

Manil Sheth  –  🥇 Best in School

Mahith Singitham

Nivaas Gopalan

Lucas Liu

This event was not only about scores, but about fostering a love for math, teamwork, and creative problem-solving. A huge thank you to our supportive families, dedicated parent coaches and Alcott Math Chair, Rekha Seshadrinathan, who made this event possible. 

Alcott Win Amazing Reading Challenge!

Congratulations to our Alcott team of 4th/5th Grade students who fought off the competition to take first place in the LWSF Amazing Reading Challenge. 

This program aims to engage students in a variety of new, diverse texts with a range of reading levels. With a building-based competition, semi-finals, and final competition, students engage with interesting titles while practicing and enhancing interpersonal skills and reading comprehension. Many thanks to the Lake Washington Schools Foundation for supporting this event.

We congratulate the following students who are proud members of the Alcott team:

Aadya Dey – Ms. Gale

Advay Karthik – Ms. Gale

Naira Singhal – Ms. Knowles

Nivaas Gopalan – Ms. Knowles

Satvik Puranapanda – Ms. Lynch

Vihaan Padmanabhuni – Ms. Lynch

Members Pass Revised Budget, Funding Areas Highly Important for School!

Last Friday lunchtime, we held our PTSA Winter General Membership Meeting (GMM) online. This timeslot was chosen based on feedback from families that it was more attainable for many parents who are busy with family activities after school hours. While no timeslot is ever perfect for all schedules, we decided to try it, and we had nearly 30 parents and staff in attendance - the largest stand-alone GMM participation we've ever had. We are so grateful for the strong support from our community!

One of the most important highlights of the meeting was the approval of the revised PTSA budget. The updated budget reflects careful planning and a strong commitment to supporting our students, teachers, and school programs. Its passage is a truly meaningful win for the entire school community, ensuring that key initiatives, events, and resources will continue to be funded throughout the year, including:

• Emergency preparedness supplies
• Sensory room and other special needs supplies
• Kindergarten support (including field trip bussing and art supplies)
• 5th Grade day camp
• Whole school assembly (e.g. anti-bullying)
• Low income and counselling support
• Social-emotional support
• Dance education
• STEAM enrichment
• Other (credit card processing fees, school and teacher support)

Thank you to everyone who took the time to attend and support our PTSA in passing the budget. Your involvement makes a meaningful difference in supporting our school community!

Winter 2026 General Membership Summary Draft Meeting Minutes, Slides, and Q&A.

Alcott Construction Design Open House

The 2024 Building Excellence Capital Construction Levy was approved by voters in November 2024 and includes the rebuilding and enlargement of Alcott Elementary School.

Last Thursday (3/12) evening Alcott hosted representatives from LWSD in the library for a Construction Design Open House to showcase the plans for the new building. 

This project creates space for 207 additional students while also addressing an aging facility. The project to rebuild and enlarge Alcott Elementary will provide modern, state-of-the-art learning environments for our students and educators. 

The rebuild project is currently in the design and permitting phase. Construction will begin in Spring, with the estimated completion date set for Fall 2027.

Sign up for project updates here: Rebuild and Enlarge Alcott Elementary - Lake Washington School District 

Alcott Spelling Bee Championship

On Friday, the PTSA-sponsored Scripps National Spelling Bee championship took place at the Alcott Library. Ten finalists - two from each grade, 1 through 5 - advanced to the finals from a field of more than 40 students. All competed valiantly, and in the end, Eyan Haque emerged victorious, earning the championship title. Congratulations to all of our bright students who competed in this exciting event!

Our kindergarteners also participated in non-competitive rounds and did an amazing job. It’s wonderful to see so many young spelling enthusiasts thriving in our school!

A very special thank you to Mrs. Van Bishler for serving as the pronouncer, and to Aloka Parson and Chris Jung for serving as judges. This event could not have been possible without our amazing Spelling Bee Lead, Devina Agarwal Saraogi! 

Spelling Bee Championship Finalists and Winner

Kindergarten

Sruthi Nidadavolu (Teacher: Mrs. Tracy Schmitt)  

Sai Srinita Koppunur (Teacher: Mrs. Molly Bair)  

Pranit Saraogi (Teacher: Mrs. Dyan Van Bisler)  

Grade 1

Ayush Jain (Teacher: Mrs. Mia Malcolm)  

Surbhi Mohanty (Teacher: Mrs. Amy Hart)  

Grade 2

Percy Bhesania (Teacher: Mrs. Becca Thomas)  

Krishna Anand (Teacher: Mrs. Artemis Ashe)  

Grade 3

Lisa Korotkova  (Teacher: Mrs. Artemis Ashe)  

Reethi Nagarahalli (Teacher: Mrs. Artemis Ashe)  

Grade 4

Sparsh Jambhekar (Teacher: Mrs. Fareeha Nasir)  

*Eyan Haque (Teacher: Mr. Jon Brewer)  

Grade 5

Aarush Sharma (Teacher: Mrs. Cindy Lynch)  

Esha Joshi (Teacher: Mrs. Cindy Lynch)  

*Champion: Eyan Haque

What's Next?

School Spelling Bee Champion may participate at Regional Bee Level

Competition Name: Regional Spelling Bee of King and Snohomish County

Competition Date: 03/29/2026 01:00 PM (PT)

Competition Location: Town Hall Seattle 1119 8th Ave Seattle, WA 98101

National Math Challenge Tournament at Alcott

Math Challenge

Math Challenge #10

Submit Answers Here

Any 3rd - 5th grade Alcott student is welcome to come join us for competitive Speed Stacking.  Students learned the basics of speed stacking in PE class but here is an opportunity to further develop those skills.  Participants will learn different competition stacks and practice timing themselves.  We will also make relay teams that compete against each other.  At the end of the season we will have a tournament in the afternoon that parents and siblings can come and watch.

Some students have their own set of cups, but anyone who needs a set will be allowed  to borrow a set to take home for practice.

When: Tuesday mornings (8:20 - 9:05am)
- Check-in begins at 8:20am

Dates: February 3rd - April 7th

Where: 
- Check-in: Small Gym

Who: 3rd - 5th Graders

Cost: Free 

Click Here to Register!