This is an electronic weekly newsletter which highlights important activities in the coming weeks. It is a partnership between the PTSA and the school, and it published every Wednesday. The committee chair will gather the articles on a weekly basis and arrange the electronic bulletin in a reader friendly fashion. Creekside News is emailed to the Creekside ENews distribution list and posted on the web.

This chair maintains and updates the PTSA website to make sure information is current. The PTSA website includes information about what the PTSA is, how it fundraises, the programs it supports, contact information, forms, legislative updates, the PTSA calendar of events, and links to our newsletters.

The PTSA at Creekside is on Facebook and Instagram!

For all of you who use Facebook, please ‘Like’ our Creekside Elementary PTSA Facebook page and invite your friends to ‘Like’ us too! The Facebook page can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/creeksideptsa

For those of you who use Instagram, follow us at: https://instagram.com/creeksideptsa

The PTSA will use Facebook and Instagram to keep you informed of upcoming school and PTSA events, Spirit Days, late-breaking news and anything else relevant to our school community.

The district's Family Access system provides parents with information on their child's teacher assignments, attendance, and standardized test scores.

Each year the PTSA gathers student, teacher and staff contact information and compiles it into the student directory. PTSA Members receive access to a free digital directory.

Help your kids remember all the fun they had this year with a yearbook. It’s a special, 80-page, full color keepsake of photos and remembrances. Families will be able to order them online at the beginning of the school year during the student enrollment verification process. If you bring your camera or phone to school, take some photos and upload them directly to the Entourage Yearbook site using the Entourage app found on Google Play Store or the Apple Store. You can also email photos directly to submit+569348@edophotos.com. Thanks for your participation!

Creekside Chess Club provides the opportunity for the students to play chess with other students.
Chess club meets once a week after school.

This extra-curricular activity gives students an opportunity to creatively express themselves while using a hands on approach to solve problems involving math and science. Destination Imagination is open to all Creekside students. One or two parent volunteers are needed to run this program.

Geography is a fundamental discipline at all levels of education. Elementary students are naturally curious about the world around them. Our Geography Club seeks to build on this natural curiosity and excitement for learning new things.

Open to 4th and 5th graders, the Creekside Math Club will help prepare kids for the “Online Math Olympiad” and other math competitions like the WA state Math Olympiad. Chair position is OPEN for this event.

The Toastmasters Club provides students the opportunity to practice and improve their public speaking skills.

The Creekside PTSA hosts summer playdates at Ebright Park for incoming Kindergarten families

This committee is charged with soliciting from the school community the names of individuals who are extraordinary volunteers at school and in the community at large. They will score all nominees on a rubric and present the winners with a gift of appreciation and an invitation to the District PTA Council’s Golden Acorn reception. This committee will also be charged with soliciting from the school community the names of educators for consideration for the Outstanding Educator Awards held in May.

The Advocacy Representative will work to keep the Executive Committee and membership appraised of key state and local legislative issues and seek the committee’s input if necessary. If appropriate, this may also require enlisting other members to help advocate for issues or building relationships outside of the PTSA in the community to work collaboratively on issues.

At least one financial review and audit will be performed at the end of the school year to encompass the fiscal year of July 1 to June 30. The Executive Committee may also decide that an audit is necessary mid-year or in the case of a change of Treasurer. The same audit team can perform both audits.

Volunteering is NOT a requirement of PTSA, but if you're interested and would like to help out or get more information on a particular program or event please visit the Volunteers Opportunities page and indicate your interests. Our VPs of Volunteers will be in touch with you! Thank you for supporting your PTSA!!

If you are interested in what is going on in Olympia and how it affects our children become our legislative representative. Help Creekside families learn and understand political education issues by passing on information from our state legislation rep via the PTSA Newsletter or eNews.

3 picture days are scheduled during the school year; Individual picture day, Make-up/retake Individual picture day, and Class picture day. The chair and committee are responsible for assisting the photographer in taking pictures during the year. The chair is responsible for coordinating parent volunteers and working with the front office staff regarding picture day details.

Art Docents are parent volunteers who are given training and resources by the Art Docent Program. This year the Creekside PTSA funds this program with a budget of approximately $10 per student for the length of the school year. The program goal is to have Art Docents coordinate with teachers to provide lessons that expose students to a combination of art history, elements of art and a variety of art media. Our hope is that the art lessons, when possible, will also reinforce the grade level curriculum. "NO" experience is necessary and all materials are provided.

Cartooning with Jeff Johnson is a highly motivating activity that engages students in writing. Students learn basic cartooning skills, the concepts of theme and mood in storytelling and apply those techniques to their own stories. The theme "Everyday Heroes" teaches kids how they are all heroes in everyday life. This has also been particularly engaging for those students who are hesitant artists. All students produce a quality product they are proud to have in the class book. This program is fully funded by the PTSA

All grade levels are able to use the Creekside garden beds. Gardening is an authentic connection not only to life science units, but also mathematics. Planning the space requires students to figure out area and perimeter. Measuring growth is a favorite with younger students. Gardening can also offer hands-on, experiential learning opportunities in language arts, through garden journaling, and visual arts, through garden design and decoration, and health, through learning about the nutritional significance of fresh vegetables. This program is funded by the Creekside PTSA.

Family event focused on hands-on STEM projects.

Reflections is a long-standing National PTA program that has helped students explore their own thoughts, feelings and ideas, develop artistic literacy, increase confidence and find a love for learning that will help them become more successful in school and in life.

Creekside PTSA is proud to support our students' participation in Reflections each year.

In addition to the Elementary Science Curriculum, the Creekside PTSA together with the Issaquah School District provides funding for 2 additional Science Enrichment lessons each year for all grades. Science Enrichment lessons are contracted with "Science To Go".

Each school year the PTSA awards grant money directly to the teachers at our school. These grants have funded books for classroom libraries, behavior management systems, writing centers, math enrichment games, yoga balls, conflict resolution curriculum, physical education equipment, sensory closet materials, resources for ELL students, and literacy support.

Our Annual Halloween Bash event for students and their families will be held on Friday, October 27 from 5:30pm - 7:30pm.

Cultural Fair is a cultural community event where families get together to learn about our school diversity. Families will have the opportunity to visit different stations where families will teach and share a little bit of their heritage and cultural backgrounds and taste some of their typical food or candy.

End of the Year party to celebrate the end of the school year. Lots of fun for the entire family!

An annual event where students sign-up to perform their talent in front of our Creekside community. The event is typically held in the spring (2 rehearsals and 1 show). Chair would organize and execute the event with help from a co-chair or committee.

A family friendly event where kids can come in comfy clothes or pajamas and enjoy a movie in the Creekside MPR. Concessions will be sold.

Creekside has a terrific library program. Volunteers are needed to help check out, shelve, and return books. You can coordinate to be there during your child's class.

Room Parents act as a PTSA liaison and are chosen by each teacher. Depending on the needs of each teacher, they usually help the teacher schedule classroom volunteers and help coordinate party planning. The Room Parent Coordinator coordinates all the Room Parents. He/she provides information to the Room Parents who in turn distributes (via e-mail) information to their class.

Every month the PTSA recognizes the teachers and staff with fun activities and treats.

A luncheon for our amazing teachers and staff to begin the school year!

Community Supporter Membership is for Individuals that would like to Join PTSA and Support the Creekside Community but are NOT the parents/guardians of a Creekside Student and are not Creekside Staff Members.

We welcome anyone who wants to join, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nannies, friends, community members, business owners! Thank you for helping our PTSA grow!

AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support Creekside every time you shop, at no cost to you. AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service. Simply start your shopping at smile.amazon.com and search for Creekside PTSA. Now PTSA will automatically get a kick back when you shop at AmazonSmile.

Box tops for education is an easy fundraising opportunity that anyone can participate in, simply clip and save the box tops from items you already purchase and during our drives send the box tops into school with your student.

Many companies, such as Microsoft, IBM, Wells Fargo, Expedia, Costco, Boeing, Starbucks and MANY more will match employee donations (and some will match your volunteer time too) to the Creekside PTSA.

Creekside PTSA is very excited to present a new line of Otter Wear featuring our new Creekside logo! And with the added convenience of online ordering!

Great for school events, field trips, and everyday use! Remember to include brothers and sisters, moms and dads.

Help your kids remember all the fun they had this year with a yearbook. It’s a special, 80 page full color keepsake of photos and remembrances. Families will be able to order them online at the beginning of the school year during the student enrollment verification process. If you bring your camera or phone to school, take some photos and upload them directly to the Entourage Yearbook site using the Entourage app (found on the Google Play store or the Apple App store). You can also email photos directly to: submit+569348@edophotos.com. Yearbooks are $20 each. They are only available for pre-sale and will not be available to purchase in June. Thanks for your participation!

A penny saved is a penny earned!! Creekside has teamed up with WA Federal Bank to bring a “Save at School” program to help teach your children the value of saving money. Bank Day will occur on the 1st Friday of every month and I will be taking deposits from 9am-10am on the 2nd floor overlooking the library. For those of you with accounts already, please send your kiddos in with their deposits (maximum of $20 in Cash, no limit for checks) for a trip to the prize box! They can keep track of their deposits with register books and reusable envelopes that the bank will mail to you after the account is open.

If you child does not have an account yet, please visit the WaFd Branch located on 228th in Sammamish. A parent or legal guardian and your child will both need to be present, along with an opening deposit (min $5) to get your child saving!! Feel free to contact me with any questions.

A fun Friday treat! PTSA will be selling popcorn every Friday during recess hours starting late September through May. Kids can bring a quarter for a bag of popcorn. Volunteers are needed to set up, run the machine, clean it and hand out popcorn during recess.

The Scholastic Book Fair is a 3-5 day event held at school. New reasonably priced books and other educational items are available for purchase. The chairperson acts as a liaison between the PTSA and the book company, schedules volunteers for the event, arranges deposits with the PTSA Treasurer, orders supplies and arranges publicity for the fair. Approximately 5 – 10 volunteers are needed to help with publicity, setting up and taking down displays, and cashiers.

The Otter-thon Fundraiser (formerly called the Hawk-a-thon) is our only major fundraising event that raises money to fund all our PTSA programs. This important program will help us raise needed funds that will be used for student enrichment programs, sponsor family events, and provide teachers and staff with funds for classroom materials.

This chair position would oversee the Lost and Found. Items are collected and kept in a designated area (lower level by the main staircase). Newsletter announcements will be made reminding parents to check lost and found. Periodically, items will be donated to the Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank or another designated charity. Before this is done, parents will get another newsletter notification announcing the date of donation.

Throughout the school year PTSA funds terrific and valuable parent education events.

This program coordinates donations to local families in need over the holidays.

Creekside tests all students for both hearing and vision.