Table of Contents
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Admission: View Ridge Elementary is a public school that is in the Seattle Public Schools District. View Ridge Elementary is designated as an Attendance Area school, which means that if you reside within the View Ridge boundary you are guaranteed a seat at VRE. If you reside outside the boundary for View Ridge you may apply to attend during the annual Open Enrollment period. Open Enrollment is normally held in March. All admissions are completed by district staff at the district headquarters. Our school staff have no input or approval of admission to VRE.
Advanced Learning: While at View Ridge we offer the Advanced Learning program where each student is supported to gain a grade level of achievement every school year. Our Advanced Learning program serves students determined academically gifted by the District, offering a rigorous curriculum at an accelerated pace. Families whose children qualify for Advanced Learning must apply for VRE spots during Open Enrollment. SPS does not guarantee space at VRE for each Advanced learning qualified student, but View Ridge teachers and staff take pride in offering instruction that as much as possible attempts to serve each student’s academic needs. At View Ridge we support learning for all students with programs such as Walk to Math and Just Right books, regardless of Advanced Learning designation.
After School Care: The View Ridge Boys and Girls Club is located in the Sand Point Community Church basement, adjacent to View Ridge Elementary. Staff from Boys and Girls Club escort Kindergarteners to the club each day; older students go together from their classrooms. University YMCA has a location at Magnuson Park with bus transportation from our school.
After School Programs: Language, art, sewing, knitting, chess, choir, basketball, and more are available after school throughout the year. See After-School Activities for more information.
Art: All students at View Ridge receive weekly art instruction. Our Art teacher inspires students to explore culture, design principles, history, and community through the visual arts.
Arts Night: An annual spring community celebration of the arts emphasizing Music, Dance, Visual, and Literary Arts. Normally held in the spring.
Assemblies: Throughout the year, arts, science, and cultural performances by talented artists and professionals are selected for presentation to the students to complement classroom learning.
Attendance: Please report any absences or tardy arrivals to the office at (206)252-5600, or viewridge.attendance@seattleschools.org. If you have a planned absence (vacation, etc.), please check in with both your child’s teacher and the office, sending a note or email.
Author Visits: Several times a year, prominent authors and illustrators inspire our students with their imaginations and life-stories.
Boo Ridge: Fall carnival and community builder full of games and fun. Normally held on the Friday closest to Halloween, October 31st.
Buddy Family Program: Pairs incoming families with a current View Ridge family with a child the same age to provide an introduction to View Ridge. Please email our Volunteer Coordinator if you are interested in this program.
Building Leadership Team: The VRE Building Leadership Team is composed of teachers and staff who make school-wide decisions regarding academic initiatives, budget, and other issues related to school governance. The BLT meets monthly and convenes periodically together with parents as the Governance Team (see Governance below).
Bus Zone: Note the no-parking zone in front of the school on 50th. Besides being used for before and after school bus drop-offs and pick-ups, this zone is used for field trip buses and preschool bus drop off/pick-ups during the day.
Calendar: Check the Otter Know newsletter and 2021-2022 school year calendar.
Child Find: A program that helps identify students in need of special services. Preschool children: If you are aware of a preschooler, from birth through 5 years old, who has or may have a developmental disability, please call 206-252-0805. School-aged children and youth: If you have an elementary-aged child who may be in need of special education services, please discuss your concern with your child’s teacher, our school counselor, or administration.
Communication: How do I keep informed about what is happening at View Ridge Elementary? You can find information about our school in many ways: this website, the Otter Know newsletter (weekly e-communication from the PTA), principal newsletters, teacher newsletters, and KidMail (papers coming home in your child’s take home folder).
Community Builders: Community Builders are periodic all-school events designed to provide a fun way for families to get to know each other. Each year we have a fall picnic within the first few weeks of school. In October, the PTA provides an evening of fabulous, costumed fun we call Boo Ridge. Children and families enjoy games, activities, and more! Our winter Family Dance in early January is always a hit. In the spring, we hold a Pancake Breakfast with Pre-Loved Book Sale, plus an Ice Cream Social.
Community Giving: Each year, the View Ridge PTA sponsors events designed to benefit the wider community. Events have included coat drives, food drives run by student council, packing backpack meals for students in need, and grocery gift cards for families.
Conferences: Once a year View Ridge teachers meet with parents in formal conferences. Year-round, however, teachers encourage communication about student progress and any appropriate concerns/thoughts you wish to communicate. Our yearly conferences take place during the three days before Thanksgiving Break. There is no school for students during the three conference days.
C-SIP: Each Seattle schools’ leadership designs and implements a Continuous School Improvement Plan, setting goals and methods for future academic and community growth. View Ridge’s plan is posted at seattleschools.org.
Counseling: View Ridge has a counselor with an open door policy to all students and families at VRE. See the Counseling Page for more information.
D-F
Drop Off: Playground supervision starts at 8:45am, only on the primary and intermediate playgrounds. Kids and parents stay outside until the 8:55 am bell. Leave strollers outside. You can also use the Sandpoint Community Church parking lot as a drop off area. By 9:00am, kids should be in the classroom. If your student arrives after 9:00am they should proceed to the office for a late slip.
Early Release Days: During the school year early release days are scheduled to allow staff to have time for professional development. Breakfast and Lunch are served on early release days. For the 2020-2021 School Year, View Ridge has an early release every Wednesday at 1:10 pm.
Facebook: The PTA has a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ViewRidgeElementaryPTA or select the Facebook icon on the front page of the PTA website.
Family Picnic: Each Fall the View Ridge PTA and the View Ridge Community Council sponsor a community picnic in View Ridge Park.
Family Support: Provides confidential help for View Ridge families in need (meals, school supplies, yearbooks and more) and sponsors the holiday Giving Tree.
Field Day: A highly anticipated school-wide event in early June rich with dozens of physical activities.
Fifth Grade Buddy: Each kindergartner is paired with a Fifth Grade Buddy for double the fun!
First Week Packets: A digital link that will be emailed to families during the first week of school. Contains many forms to fill out and return as soon as possible. Please contact
Fourth Grade Trip: The Fourth Grade spends two nights and three days enjoying Outdoor Education at Camp Orkila on Orcas Island.
Fundraisers: We have one fundraiser at View Ridge, the Otter FUNd.
How does PTA fundraising help View Ridge Elementary?
There are several ways fundraising supports our classrooms and community. The Otter FUNd is unique in that it raises money that goes directly to our classrooms by adding funds to our school’s budget, as well as supports the PTA’s operating budget. The operating budget covers expenses from our community builders, like Boo Ridge, Science Night, the Ice Cream Social, and Arts Night, enrichment assemblies, like Pacific Science center assemblies, Chinese New Year celebration and the Harmony run, as well as Family Support, which helps our families in need. Fundraisers also help to provide grants to all teachers and specialist to supplement their classroom supplies budgets. Additionally, administrative costs like copies and PTA insurance are funded.
G-I
General Meetings: The View Ridge PTA hosts two General Meetings per year, one in the fall and one in the spring. The meeting includes general PTA business.
Governance Team: The Governance Team is composed of parents and teachers, including PTA reps and Building Leadership Team, who provide feedback regarding budget issues and other concerns related to school governance.
Green Team: Leads ‘green’ efforts at View Ridge, including jump-starting lunchtime composting.
Hallway Etiquette: Please encourage children to stay outside before the first bell so teachers can best prepare before the school day (unless students are eating school breakfast or have other commitments, such as Patrol). If it’s absolutely pouring, the office will announce that it’s okay for students to enter. Please park strollers outside before bringing your family inside. The play-courts provide great stroller shelter if it’s raining. Strollers are prohibited because they block access in emergencies and clog movement during hectic bell times. Thank you!
HCC: SPS offers a formal Highly Capable Cohort program at several sites for students who are academically highly gifted. Although View Ridge does not offer HCC, we continue to serve academically highly gifted students who choose to remain at View Ridge.
Ice Cream Social: Takes place on Open House Night in April. A community builder activity with ice cream sundaes for all.
IA: An Instructional Assistant who may assist certificated teachers in classrooms.
ICS: The district recently changed its delivery model for special education services. I.C.S. stands for Integrated Comprehensive Services, a model designed to integrate students into classrooms in the least restrictive environment possible. See the district’s Special Education Services website for more information.
IEP: Preschoolers and elementary students are identified and provided appropriate special education services in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004. The student’s parent(s) and a team of professionals together develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Students are then placed in the program best suited to deliver the services specified in their IEP. Children and youth with IEPs may receive specially designed instruction and related services such as speech, occupational, and/or physical therapy if needed.
Instrumental Music: A majority of fourth and fifth grade students choose to play a musical instrument, and receive free lesson time weekly (students rent their own instruments, and financial assistance is available if needed). Please see the Music Page for more information.
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KidMail: Paper-only method of sending and receiving information between home and school in your child’s folder. Our school hopes to move toward lessening the amount of paper used and we encourage families to sign up to receive electronic communications via the roster link provided at the beginning of the year by your student’s teacher or the PTA website.
Kindergarten Escorts: Fourth graders who meet kindergartners at their classrooms and escort to buses.
Kindergarten Lunch Assistant: Parents provide assistance during the kindergarten lunch period with opening milk cartons and other kindergarten lunch needs.
Librarian: Our school librarian shares her love of literature in weekly Library classes for all students. Nationally acclaimed authors are brought to school to meet children and share literature. Please see the library webpage for more library information.
Lost and Found: If you are missing a clothing item, lunchbox, or anything else, please check the lost & found table located in the hallway by the office. Avoid having to dig through the pile by putting your student’s name on anything that comes to school.
Lunch/Breakfast: Breakfast and lunch may be purchased at school. To add money to your child’s account, add money to your account online. Current lunch schedules are available here.
Notify your teacher (or any adult in the cafeteria) if a kid forgets lunch (no one goes hungry).
What’s for lunch? See the menu on the SPS website.
M-O
Medication: Distribution of medication at school is governed by school district policy. Please check with the school nurse about your student’s medication needs (medication can only be administered at school with a doctor’s note).
Mentor Group: All View Ridge students, teachers, and staff are members of multi-grade Mentor Groups that meet periodically to perform public service, create cross-grade community support, and enjoy fun activities such as packing food for a soup kitchen or sharing special mementos.
Music: Our creative music teacher conducts weekly music classes and offers other musical enrichment. Fifth graders write the Kindergarten musical, and View Ridge enjoys an Orchestra, a Band, a Guitar Ensemble, and a Choir. See the Music Page for more information.
Music Night Out: View Ridge students grade 1-5 have the chance to perform a variety of instrumental, vocal and dance performances on stage. (Concerts usually happen in winter and spring)
Nurse: View Ridge has a nurse, who looks after playground scrapes, tummy aches, special needs, and a whole lot more!
Nutrition Services: Our Lunchroom Manager can be reached in the lunchroom before school (if you need to bring in a check to credit to your child’s account, or see the PayPams site link below).
Occupational/Physical Therapy: Occupational and physical therapy are available at View Ridge for eligible students.
Otter Fund:A large and crucial fundraiser that raises money that goes straight to our schools and classrooms by supplementing funding for instruction. Supporting View Ridge’s budget through the Otter FUNd allows us to offer such benefits as a full-time nurse and weekly art, and music. Every year 100% of your donation directly benefits our children and teachers at View Ridge. You will receive more information in the Spring as the Otter FUNd gets underway.
Otter Know: Is our weekly PTA newsletter that is sent to families via email. It is sent each Tuesday, and often on Fridays. Join the distribution list.
Timeline for Article Submission
- By Friday by 5 pm for Tuesday’s Otter Know; By Tuesday by 5 pm for Friday’s Otter Updates
- All articles are approved by co-presidents, edited for content, longer articles are uploaded to the website and link created, and a final run-through to ensure all links are working.
- Articles sent beyond the deadline will be included in the next Otter Know.
- If you have a suggestion for an article or the website, you can help by typing up the blurb to include!
Outdoor Classroom: Our 2008 Auction funded an Outdoor Classroom. The Outdoor Classroom supports environmental learning, science education, and many exciting projects.
P-R
Parking: View Ridge Elementary does not have a parking lot, so parking is tight. Sandpoint Community Church kindly allows us use a portion of their parking lot, white spaces only; no parking for evening events. We would suggest that you drive behind the church and use this lot to drop off/pick up your children. If parking in our neighborhood, please be a good neighbor and be careful not to block driveways. Please park close to the curb on 50th Avenue NE so that school and city buses can access the street. No parking at any time of the day in the bus loading zone.
Parking Lot Greeter: The helpful parents that assist in smooth flow of traffic during Sand Point Community Church drop-offs.
PayPAMS: The District now offers pre-payment of school breakfast and lunch online through Pay-PAMS.
PCP: Preparation, Conference, and Planning time, meaning the daily segment during which students attend classes with a Specialist such as our librarian, music teacher, or PE teacher.
Pick Up: There is no staff supervision on the playgrounds after school. Contact the office if your pick-up plans change during the day. No strollers in the building please.
Physical Education: Our Physical Education Specialist, engages students in a success-oriented physical education program with an emphasis on cooperation, lifetime fitness, and motor skill development through movement experiences. Throughout the year children learn through a variety of fun games and activities. Ms. Shaw also provides various opportunities for extracurricular involvement throughout the year.
Playground Supervision: Playground supervision begins at 7:40am only on primary playground. Please do not leave children unaccompanied before 7:40. There is no supervision on the playground after school. If you will be late to pick up your child after school, please call the office so he/she can wait safely in the office. Thank you!
Positive Behavioral Intervention & Support (PBIS): Positive Behavioral Intervention & Support is the philosophical framework we use in working with students at View Ridge. PBIS is an evidence based three-tiered framework to improve and integrate all of the data, systems, and practices affecting student outcomes every day. PBIS creates schools where all students succeed.
PTA: The View Ridge Parent Teacher Association (PTA) includes parents, teachers, and community members. Committees like Family Support offer meals and other support to families in crisis, while Green Team keeps our environment clean and other committees host events such as Boo Ridge, our Family Dance, and more. We raise funds to support our classrooms through a one-time Fundraiser called the Otter FUNd.
PTA is governed by a Board. All community members are welcome at Board meetings, where PTA business is discussed. Meetings are generally held once a month on the second Tuesday of the month at 7:00 pm. Learn more about the PTA and Membership.
Recess: Students enjoy three outdoor recesses each day throughout the year. Please make sure your child is appropriately dressed to be outside. In the cases of extreme weather, recess occurs in the classroom with adult supervision.
Resource Room: The Resource Room is an individualized support program that delivers intensive interventions and specially designed instruction during scheduled blocks of time throughout the day. When more intensive teaching strategies are needed, children are referred for a special education evaluation.
S-U
School Directory: Is posted on the secure section of the View Ridge website. See Student Directory.
School Hours: 8:55am – 3:25 p.m. Wednesdays: 8:55 a.m. – 2:10 p.m. See official bell schedules
School Tours: Take place in January & February and allow prospective parents to visit and tour our school. Please email the front office or visit our page for up to date in-person and virtual school tours.
Safety Patrol: 5th graders who monitor crosswalks before and after school; 4th grade Kindergarten Escorts assist kindergartners to buses.
SIT: Student Intervention Team (SIT), a first step toward potential special education services. Each Seattle Public Schools building, including View Ridge, has a SIT process, which is managed by general education personnel to support the success of students in general education classrooms. One of the main purposes of SIT is to identify and attempt interventions in general education classrooms to support students’ access to general education curriculum and activities and their achievement of district standards.
Snow/Inclement Weather: Families can find out about delayed starts or school closures due to weather by checking their TV or radio, or by checking the Seattle Schools website at www.seattleschools.org.
The Source: Seattle Public Schools offers The Source as an online tracking system designed to keep families up-to-date on their student’s progress and district issues. See https://ps.seattleschools.org/ to register or for more information.
Speech Therapy: Speech therapy is available at View Ridge for eligible students.
Special Education Services: The variety of programs and services designed to support student special needs. Eligibility is determined in accordance with state and federal guidelines, see SIT above.
Staff Appreciation Week: The first week in May we recognize our View Ridge staff. The PTA Staff Appreciation and Hospitality Committee, along with parents and students provide signs, cards, food and flowers as a thank you to all who work so hard at View Ridge.
Technology: Many recent technology upgrades include school-wide Wi-Fi, new computers and new software. 5th graders carry home flash drives for projects. We are also excited to use our recent ‘Raise the Paddle’ proceeds towards new laptops, iPads and printers.
Twitter: You can follow the View Ridge PTA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/viewridgepta or, by selecting the Twitter icon on the front page of the PTA Website. This is a restricted access account only for families and staff of VRE.
V-Z
Visitors: All visitors including parents are required to sign in at the office and wear a visitor badge.
Volunteers: Volunteers are a very important part of View Ridge! Please see the PTA Volunteer Form to find out about volunteer opportunities and sign up to help.
During the first couple of weeks of school, on curriculum night and throughout the year via the Otter Know Mails and Updates and this website, you will hear of opportunities to sign up to volunteer. There are usually a number of ways to help out in the classroom: being a reading volunteer, doing book orders, organizing parties and chaperoning field trips, are some examples.
Website: PTA Website: https://www.viewridgeschool.org/
SPS View Ridge Website: http://viewridgees.seattleschools.org/home/
You: Thank you for all you do for the kids!