EAGLE SIGHTING
A Letter from Eastgate Administrators, Mr. Lesco and Ms. Naish
January 4, 2016
We hope everyone had a wonderful Winter Break! It is hard to believe that we have already
reached 2016. We are both extremely thankful and grateful to work in such a wonderful school
and to be part of the Eastgate community. We wish you all good fortune in the New Year!
Sincerely,
Steve Lesco and Brenda Naish
Please remember to regularly visit the Eastgate website and the PTA website for the most
current information.
Eastgate: http://www.bsd405.org/eastgate/
PTA: http://www.eastgatepta.org/
Morning Drop-off
This is a reminder that the front building doors and the doors leading to the cafeteria open at 8:35 to
provide students access into the building. Students are not permitted to be dropped off before 8:35.
The designated drop-off zone in the parent loop is marked with yellow paint and cones that extend to
the crosswalk. This allows approximately 4 vehicles to drop students at one time. Students are only
allowed to be dropped in the drop-off zone. This reduces the risk of a child being injured and allows
vehicles in the drop-off zone to exit the loop without being blocked by passing vehicles.
Now that the construction has ended, student drop-off is not permitted in the back loop. Additional
vehicle traffic intermixed with school buses that are unloading presents a significant safety risk. The
back doors also lock which prevent students from being able to enter the building.
Help keep all students safe by following the defined morning drop-off procedures and guidelines.
* Please note that any student who is not in his/her classroom by 9:05 is considered tardy. In the event
this occurs, parents need to sign their child in at the front office.
Award Winning Author, Kazu Kibuishi, to Visit Eastgate Students in Grades 3-5
Thanks to the generosity of Bellevue Schools Foundation and Eastgate’s PTA, we are
thrilled to announce a visit by Kazu Kibuishi on the morning of January 21 for grades 3-5.
Kazu Kibuishi is the author and illustrator of the popular, award-winning Amulet graphic
novel series for young readers. Kazu was also selected to reillustrate the covers of the
Harry Potter books to celebrate the 15th anniversary of their publication.
Kazu will show students in 3rd through 5th grade the process involved in creating the Amulet series, from
initial sketches and concepts to story development, pacing, plot and character development, and
revision. He’ll talk about his early influences in comic making, and how his background in filmmaking
translates to visual storytelling. He’ll show students samples of some of his earliest comics, and he’ll
demonstrate how the characters in Amulet are created using simple shapes. Students will also have an
opportunity to ask questions after the presentation.
Kazu’s visit is intended to be a student only experience. All Eastgate students and families will be invited
to meet another author and participate in our annual Young Author’s Day scheduled in May.
Please visit the school website for additional information and details surrounding Kazu’s visit.
January Assembly – Martin Luther King Jr. and Optimism
We will be having our monthly assembly on Friday, January 15th. The time is still to be
determined. We will be celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and honoring his
contributions to the Civil Rights Movement. We will also recognize students who
demonstrated Compassion during the month of December and introduce our newest
virtue.
January’s Virtue of the Month is Optimism. Optimism is
expecting the best. It is a feeling or belief that good things
will happen in the future or what you hope will happen. When you have
optimism, you believe something will turn out successfully. When you do not
have optimism, you are more negative or pessimistic and think everything will
go wrong. When you are optimistic, you have confidence, hopefulness and
cheerfulness.
Literacy Tip from our LAP Reading Specialist:
In conversations with your child’s teacher, you may have heard the term “fluency” come up. Fluency is
worth learning about and has a direct impact on comprehension and a child’s confidence as a
reader! Click HERE to find out more about fluency and how you can foster fluent reading at home.
After-School Robotics – Session 2
Session 2 of the Eastgate After School Robotics Club begins the week of January 11th.
Our 4th and 5th graders build Lego Mindstorms® robots that compete on obstacle courses to accomplish
missions. Our 2nd and 3rd graders explore WeDo robots to build expertise in coding and problem solving.
For our youngest scientists, Beebots introduce the world of coding and simple machines.
Mindstorms® (4th & 5th grade)
meets Thursdays from 3:30-4:30
WeDo (2nd & 3rd)
meets Tuesdays from 3:30-4:30
Beebots (K & 1st)
meets Thursday from 3:30-4:30
Dressing for Recess
Students will be outside for recess on most days. Please
make sure your child is dressing appropriately for the cold
and wet weather. Hats, gloves, sweatshirts, waterproof
coats, and waterproofs shoes will keep your child warm and
dry. Make sure to write your child’s name in his/her clothing.
Early Admission to Kindergarten
State law requires that a child must be five years old by August 31 in order to be admitted to
kindergarten during a given year. The Bellevue School District’s policy for early entrance to kindergarten
allows parents to apply for early entrance if their child’s 5th birthday falls after the August 31st cut-off,
but on or before November 30th.
As part of the application process, the district has a parent information night on Thursday, January 21st,
2016 at 7:00-8:00pm by Mrs. Alison Christensen, School Psychologist and Coordinator of Early Entrance
to Kindergarten. The presentation will be held at Interlake High School in the Performing Arts Center
(PAC) located at 16245 NE 24th St. in Bellevue. Attendance is strongly encouraged in order for parents
to learn about child development, pre-academic readiness and social/emotional skills, and the BSD
testing process. For more information, you can visit the district’s website on Kindergarten and click on
Early Entrance to Kindergarten: http://www.bsd405.org/schools/kindergarten/eek
Further questions can be addressed at the Early Learning Program office by emailing eek@bsd405.org or
by calling 425.456.4030.
4th Graders to Participate in Pacific Northwest Ballet’s DISCOVER DANCE Program
Eastgate Elementary is proud to partner with Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) and its DISCOVER DANCE
program. DISCOVER DANCE is an in-school program for public schools. For three months PNB teaching
artist Kayti Bouljon will work onsite with all of our 4th grade students. The residency starts January 4th
with each classroom taking dance class twice per week, visiting PNB for a behind-the-scenes tour, and
creating original choreography. Eastgate is PNB’s longest standing partner; this marks the 18th year of
dance at our school! Save the date for Saturday, March 26th, when the students perform at PNB’s
McCaw Hall!
Please visit the PNB website for addition information about the DISCOVER DANCE program.
Tillicum 5th Grade Parent Open House
* Please see the attached flyer for additional details.
IMPORTANT DATES
January 1
Happy New Year!
January 4
School Resumes
Week of January 11
Session 2 of After-School Robotics begins
January 15
MLK and Virtue Assembly – Time TBD
January 18
No School – Martin Luther King Jr. Day
January 21
Kazu Kibuishi Visit for 3rd-5th graders
January 25
No School – District Professional Day
January 27
South Zone Choir Concert – 7 pm @ Tyee Middle School
Eastgate Mission
Together, we will provide a safe environment where we will prepare each and
every student with the foundational social, emotional and academic skills to be
confident and successful lifelong learners.