Grandparents and Special Friends Day, Annual Campaign,and much more!
Dear Soundview Families,
Let’s start with a special thank you to our Soundview Parent/Guardian Association for hosting an amazing community event last weekend at BOOLING! Our community is what makes Soundview what it is. BOOLING is the perfect start to our year of working together as we strengthen Soundview.
We hope you found the parent/teacher and student-led conferences to be successful and joyful as we partner on your child’s educational journey at Soundview. The skills of analysis, reflection, and goal-setting and planning are highlights of this process for students. Conferences are also another important touchpoint for building the school-family partnership. Should you have any follow up questions we encourage you to contact your teacher as we are all in this together.
Today, the middle school students went on a field trip to North Creek Park. This trip educates the students about cleaning and helping maintain our outdoor environment, the sensitive wildlife habitat and diverse plant community that serves multiple functions of flood control. You can learn more about this park HERE.
Also, it’s getting cold! Please provide your students with plenty of layers of clothing. We continue to work and play outdoors throughout the winter. Gloves, hats, and rain pants are all essential to keeping students happy and productive. As the weather changes, inclement weather can affect school operations. Soundview makes its own decisions about school closures or delays. We do not follow the local school district or other schools. You will be notified in the case of any changes to normal school operations. If you don’t hear from us, we’re open!
Here are upcoming events and opportunities now and through November:
Veterans’ Day is Friday, November 10th. There is no school for students, and the Soundview offices will be closed.
There is no school for students Monday, November 20th through Friday, November 24th for staff work days and Thanksgiving break. School resumes at the usual time on Monday, November 27th.
Picture retake day is Tuesday, November 7th. This day is also an opportunity for families to have siblings take a photo with each other. Sign up for retakes or sibling photos HERE.
On Friday, November 17th, it’s Grandparents and Special Friends Day (GPSF)! We welcome Soundview students’ grandparents and special friends to explore the school and visit classrooms. We’ll host three sessions and expect a pretty great turn-out, so please register your student’s guests as soon as possible HERE.
Early childhood and kindergarten: 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM
First- through fifth-grades: 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Sixth- through eighth-grades: 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Soundview’s Annual Giving Campaign is just around the corner. We start on December 1st and raise funds through the end of the calendar year. Your donation to the annual campaign is essential to sustaining Soundview School. This school year we have a goal of $360,000. To learn more about the culture of philanthropy in independent schools, reach out to Advancement Manager Ryan Wasserman HERE.
Admissions for the 2024-2025 school year is proving to be a tremendous success. We could not be more pleased with the response from our community and the hard work of our Director of Enrollment Management, Victoria Nunes and new Soundview Ambassadors. Still, it all comes down to you. Please take a moment to tell your friends and family about this wonderful school. It is your personal endorsement that will make the admissions campaign a success. For any and all questions, contact Victoria Nunes HERE.
Around the world and in different communities, November is a monght of recognition and awareness:
November 1st and 2nd celebrate the holiday Day of the Dead, widely recognized in Mexico, as well as other parts of the world. On this holiday, the spirits of the dead are believed to return home to spend time with their relatives. The event also coincides with the last two days of Roman Catholic Allhallowtide, which includes All Saints Day on Nov. 1st and All Souls Day on Nov. 2nd, both of which honor the dead. You can learn more about the Day of the Dead HERE.
November 9th is World Freedom Day. This is an annual event that honors the historic events of November 9, 1989, when the Berlin Wall, which separated East and West Berlin, was breached and ultimately led to its demolition. This symbolic moment marked the end of the Cold War and the beginning of a new era of freedom and unity. You can learn more about this HERE.
Next Friday, November 10th, is Veterans Day. This holiday is close to my own family’s heart. Students across the school spend time discussing the significance of veterans and why we honor them. Remember, Soundview is closed on Friday, November 10th to recognize Veterans Day should you need to make childcare arrangements. You can learn more about this day HERE.
Native American Heritage Month is observed in November to call attention to the culture, traditions, and achievements of the nation's original inhabitants and of their descendants. The official designation of November as National Native American Heritage Month was signed into law in 1990. You can learn more about this HERE.
All the best (and stay warm),
Chris
Chris Watson, Soundview Head of School
One more thing…
On November 3rd, 1998 Another section of the Great Wall of China was discovered. This discovery was in the Hui Autonomous Region of Ningxia of a previously unknown 15.5-mile (25-km) segment of the Great Wall of China, which runs a total of about 4,500 miles (7,300 km). You can learn more about this HERE.
