Important Dates
January 11 - Family Park Meet Up
January 13 - FORE Community Meeting
January 17 - Coffee Hour - Kindergarten
January 20 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day (no school)
January 22 - Little Woody’s & Zeek’s Dine Out
January 23 - School Tour for prospective families
January 27 - Neighborcare Dental Day
February 6 - School Tour for prospective families
February 8 - Family Park Meet Up
February 10 - FORE Community Meeting
Message from Principal Lorow
Hello Roxstar Families,
Attendance Matters
When children regularly attend school in person, they’re more likely to develop their whole selves—personally, socially, academically, and emotionally. They’re routinely able to connect with friends and adults, collaborate and problem-solve, make decisions, think critically, be creative, and engage in hands-on learning. Students who regularly miss 2 or more days of school a month for any reason are more likely to read below grade level and are more likely to not graduate later on.
Here are our attendance rates by grade level from September to December at Roxhill Elementary:
Grade | K | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | Totals |
% present | 88% | 87.7% | 89.2% | 89.1% | 86.6% | 91.3% | 88.1% |
Way to go 5th graders, you have the best attendance of all grade levels! Keep up the good attendance. One of our school goals this year is to improve student attendance across the school. I will share monthly attendance rates each month in this newsletter so we can all track how we are doing toward this goal.
Let’s all work together to improve attendance in support of student learning!
Counseling - From Mrs. Amber
Hello Friends of Roxhill,
This is Mrs. Amber the School Counselor at Roxhill. This year I am so excited to be joined by Mr. Mathes who is working as our Intern-Counselor this year. In the School Counseling program we are focused on Social Emotional Learning and providing support to students as they learn to navigate feelings, friendships, and their learning. We look at school climate data to see where we can work to make students feel safe at school, feel positive about their learning environment, and feel included in their community.
What does that work look like:
Conflict resolution in both small group and whole group lessons
Anti-bullying lessons using the Second Step curriculum
Lunch bunch groups that include learning groups like; friendship skills and just for fun groups like our rock club
Supporting our Starbux rewards system and our December Kindness campaign
Organizing our March Talent Show
One to one check-ins and support for students in need
This year Mr. Mathes and myself along with several teachers at Roxhill are working with our Neighborcare Counselor Mrs. Brettyn to complete a Child-Teacher-Relationship Training course to help build more meaningful relationships between teachers and students throughout Roxhill.
Feel free to reach out if you want to learn more or have questions.
Mrs. Amber - amsmith3@seattleschools.org
Neighborcare Health
Hello Roxhill families! My name is Nick, and I am excited to be the new Health Center Coordinator with the Roxhill Neighborcare Health Center.
We provide a range of services, including vaccines (need a flu shot?), well child checks, prescription refills, health screenings, and acute medical care. We also provide behavioral and mental health services and full dental care. All services we provide are completely free for Seattle Public School students.
If you would like to be able to access these services, please register with our clinic (registrarse en español).
Dental Screening Day: January 27, 2025
We are now scheduling students for our dental screening day on January 27th. A screening includes a visual evaluation of your student's teeth and application of a fluoride varnish to protect against cavities. This is a great way to determine what type of dental care your student may need and get help making any necessary appointments. Plus, it's a great way for your student to meet our dental team!
If you would like your student to be screened on January 27th, please complete the Dental Screening Consent form (En español: Información de firmante de PowerForm).
You can also pick up paper versions of any of our forms by visiting our clinic.
Feel free to stop by to register, schedule a visit, ask questions, or just say hi. You can also call the clinic at 206-452-2660, email sbhcroxhill@neighborcare.org, or text us at 206-490-0802. Thank you, and take care!
Health Information from Nurse Ann
Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, our current Surgeon General, authored a report on the United States Epidemic of Loneliness (2023), noting the profound impact of loneliness and disconnection on individual and societal health. You can read the full report (PDF).
Dr. Murthy’s work reminds me that the roots of many of the health concerns that distract students from learning or make it difficult to even attend school are bigger than any one individual or even one community school. They are even bigger than the CoVID-19 pandemic and technology. They reach back to our colonial history where strategies for disconnecting people from themselves, each other, and the natural world were woven into our cultural fabric in service of building wealth and power for a few. Healing is the sometimes-messy work of rebuilding those connections.
Fortunately, at Roxhill, building a welcoming community is embedded in our school’s history and roots. Our first principal, Mr. Harrison L. Caldwell (1956 – 1964) was also the first African American principal in Seattle Public Schools. As both our principal and an active community member and organizer he said,
Roxhill is a living example of how people can get along. It can be done-it is being done.
Over the next few months, I’m interested in using this space to share ideas about continuing to build on Mr. Caldwell’s legacy. Here’s one idea to start us off. Connect with other Roxhill families, travel together, or simply meet up at one of these FREE West Seattle Community events:
Libraries!
Check out what’s happening at the branch closest to you. Here are just a couple of ideas to get you started:
Rec’N’The Streets Kids Art Workshop @ Delridge Branch [FREE] Wednesdays 3 – 4:30 pm
English Conversation Circles for Adults @ Delridge Branch [FREE] Saturdays 10:30 – 12:00 pm [Meeting Room]
Homework Help @ Highpoint Branch [FREE] Mondays & Tuesdays 4 – 5:45 pm Wednesdays 4 – 7:30
Homework Help on-line English and Spanish 2 - 10 pm daily
Vietnamese 4 - 7 pm daily
Soccer!
Cultures United Camps/Clinics | Cultures United FC
Music!
West Seattle Community Orchestras – groups for all ages and abilities.
Science!
Join the Environmental Science Center for a Moonlight Beach Walk at Seahurst Park.
The next one is January 11, 2025 from 7:30 - 9:30 pm
Do you have a favorite FREE community learning/meeting space?
Do you want to chat, maybe brainstorm ways to build connections at Roxhill?
Please let us know!
You can reach me at 206-252-9577, on Talking Points, or by email at aeperry@seattleschools.org.
Friends of Roxhill PTO Community Meeting
Monday, January 13
6:00-7:30 pm
Roxhill
Friends of Roxhill is our school’s non-profit parent/teacher organization (PTO). We are parents, community members, and teachers who work together to support the education and enrichment of our multicultural public school.
Everyone is welcome and all ideas are encouraged!
This is a great way to connect with Principal Lorow, parents, caregivers and teachers in the Roxhill community. Pizza and childcare will be provided. Spanish interpretation will be available. Interpretation for other languages is available upon request. Email friendsofroxhill@gmail.com with questions.
School Tours for Prospective Families Only
Thursday January 23, 2025 @ 5:30pm - 6:30pm
Thursday February 6, 2025 @ 9:00am - 10:00am
Join us! Principal Lorow will answer questions and give a tour of Roxhill.
Enrollment registration is now open for the 2025-26 school year. If you have a child who will be age 5 by August 31, 2025, you may enroll them now for Kindergarten starting in the fall. Feb. 1 - 28, 2025 is the open enrollment period for choice schools.
All enrollments are done on the Seattle Public Schools website.
Parent Coffee Chat with Kindergarten Teachers
Jan 17, 2025, 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM at Roxhill
Parents are invited to meet with Principal Lorow and kindergarten teachers to meet during the first hour of the school day. Coffee is provided by Friends of Roxhill.
Dine Out Fundraiser at Zeeks and Lil Woody's, January 22
This month, we’re dining in to support Roxhill! Meet other Roxhill families and enjoy a burger or a slice of pizza at the White Center Zeek’s/Lil Woody’s location. Friendly reminder that Zeek’s and Lil Woody’s ask you to sit where you want to drink, so if you’d like to have a beer from Beer Star, please buy your food first and then order your drink!
Roxhill Park Meetup
Saturday, January 11
10:00 am-12:00 pm
Come play at the park with other Roxhill families! We will meet at Roxhill Park (across from Target) rain or shine so kids can play and families can get to know one another. Bring a snack to share (optional).
Carpool Connections
We receive frequent requests for transportation help and try to coordinate carpools and walking buses by introducing families to each other.
Please fill out the following form if:
You need help getting your child to or from school.
You would like to volunteer to drive or walk another student to or from school.
If you are willing to drive or walk students in the neighborhood without transport, please fill out the form as well.
Current ride request
1st and 5th grader in need of a driver to and from Trenton and 25th Ave SW
Volunteer Opportunities
All volunteer opportunities that take place on school grounds or field trips will require you to fill out a volunteer application through SPS. Apply here or check your status as a returning volunteer. Direct all questions about your SPS application to Office Assistant YURI .
We are currently looking for volunteers to help with:
Childcare during FORE Meetings (2nd Mondays of the month) - Please email friendsofroxhill@gmail.com
Sign up for shifts on our Signup page or email friendsofroxhill@gmail.com for more details.
Want to get more involved with Friends of Roxhill?
Fill out our volunteer interest survey to learn more about what we do and how you can help.
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