Hi Parents,

How on earth did it get to be the last week of school already?! Just a few (dozen) things to be aware of this week...

FAREWELL PARTY TOMORROW
Join us at the regularly-scheduled parent meeting time tomorrow for a celebration of the year, a farewell to departing board and staff, and a really special slideshow featuring this year's departing 5-6 class, many of whom have been here since kindergarten! Pizza at 5:30, presentation will begin at 6 pm. Childcare will be available, but kids will be welcome at the gathering as well.

ILLNESS ALERT
In addition to the late spring colds that are going around, we have had one confirmed case of group A streptococcus in the Discoverers class. This is a bacterial infection that either manifests itself as strep throat or scarlet fever; it has an incubation period of 1-3 days and clears up quickly with a 10-day course of antibiotics. If your child is complaining of a sore throat and has a fever, or develops a rash on his/her face and neck, it's worth a trip to your doctor. You can get more information here:
Strep throat: http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/strep_throat.html
Scarlet fever: http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/scarlet_fever.html

DRIVERS NEEDED
We could still use one or two drivers tomorrow for the trip up to Discovery View Apartments at 2 pm. This is for mostly Russ & Lowell's classes (enrichment groups B & C) - see next item. We also need more drivers for the all-school field trip to Old Fort Townsend on Thursday - see below.

DISCOVERY VIEW FIELD TRIP
Groups B & C are leaving here right after Art/Spanish/PE and will go up to Discovery View. The violin ensemble will play (please remember violins!), the kids will all sing, and then they will transplant the pumpkins and sunflowers they planted earlier this spring. We could use some extra trowels-- if you have one, please send it with your name on it!

OLD FORT TOWNSEND FIELD TRIP
We'll head out to Old Fort Townsend by 9:30 am. Please pack snack and lunch for your child, as well as warm clothes, wading boots/shoes, etc. We'll basically be playing until 2 pm, at which time we will hold a graduation ceremony for our departing 5th & 6th graders. We'll be back to school by 3:30 pm. Discoverers and their families are welcome to join us; there will be NO SCHOOL for Discoverers that day.

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
We'll hold our annual talent show in the morning, yearbooks will be distributed, we'll have our traditional goodbye circle, and school will be dismissed at 12:30. We'll meet shortly afterwards at the picnic shelter at Fort Worden for an all-school potluck.

LOOKING AHEAD...
Just a couple of dates to put on your calendar as we head into summer:

Saturday, August 23 - Registration Day, Work Party & BBQ
Wednesday, September 3 - First Day of School
Tuesday, September 9 - Welcome Back Parent Meeting