Extracurricular

Student Hunger Service Project 2026

Lily Chan

The Bryant Student Hunger Service Project aims to provide a hands-on opportunity for our community to learn about and help students facing food insecurity every day in Seattle.
Nearly one-third of Seattle Public School students receive Free-and-Reduced Price Meals while they’re at school. But on the weekends and school breaks, students need extra assistance to assure that hunger isn’t an obstacle to learning during the week. Continuing Bryant’s partnership with the Hunger Intervention Program non-profit, we need your help to collect food for Healthy HIP Packs and then attend a grade level packing party where the whole family is invited to help assemble meal packs.
Contact Kate Sortun for information or to help.

Bryant After School Enrichment Program Fall Registration Open Now

Lily Chan

Registration for Fall After School Enrichment classes opened on Sunday September 6th at noon. Class descriptions can be viewed at our web site www.seattlease.org. 

Registration and payments are taken online through the site.
Registration will close September 20th.
Fall classes start September 29th.

Contact the ASE Coordinator clive@seattlease.org for further information.

Bryant Chess Club Continues

Lily Chan

We’re excited to announce that Bryant Chess Club will continue! After many dedicated years of Christine, Daniel and coach David keeping the love of chess alive at Bryant, they are now passing the torch to a new leader: Cary “Coach Ray” Easterday of Orangutan Chess Academy.

Coach Ray brings over 40 years of chess experience, along with a Master’s Degree in Geology and more than 30 years as a lead science educator in colleges, museums, public events, and classrooms. Since 2018, he has taught chess professionally to students across dozens of Seattle-area schools. His passion for chess education and engaging teaching style are sure to inspire a new generation of Bryant players!

The Chess Club will continue to be offered through ASE and will meet on Thursdays after school. If there is strong interest, we are hopeful to expand to two days per week.

Let’s give a huge thank you to Christine, Oliver and David for their years of leadership—and a warm welcome to Coach Ray and the Orangutan Chess Academy team!

Let’s keep the Bryant chess tradition strong!

Huge Thanks for a Fantastic Final HIP Packing Party!

Lily Chan

Thank you, Bryant community, for stepping up to support the Hunger Intervention Program! Thanks to your generosity, we packed over 300 weekend food packs—well beyond our goal of 250—and donated extra food as well. HIP was incredibly grateful for the support.

Special thanks to our amazing 3rd and 4th grade families for contributing to the food drive and showing up in force to pack! It was heartwarming to see so many Bryant Hawks and parents in action.

We look forward to continuing this important work next school year. If you’re interested in joining as a HIP Co-Chair for 2025–26, please reach out to: kate.sortun@gmail.com or ninamettler@yahoo.com. 

HIP needs our support more than ever!

Lily Chan

Following the termination/unpaid leave of all six AmeriCorps staff by DOGE and the Trump administration, the Hunger Intervention Program (HIP) reports severe disruptions to their meal delivery for homebound seniors and Healthy HIP Packs/afterschool meals for students. HIP is heartbroken and urgently needs community support. Read their full statement and find ways to help here: Urgent Update: Cuts to the AmeriCorps Program and the Harms to Our Community – Hunger Intervention Program.

An immediate need is food donations for Bryant’s final packing party on 5/20. Due to increased demand (400-450 packs/week) and the HIP news, all families are urged to contribute by volunteering and with food donation sign-ups , not just 3rd and 4th grade.

How to Help with the Food Drive:

About HIP: A local non-profit increasing food security in North King County through meals, education, and advocacy.

About Healthy HIP Packs: Weekend food program providing six meals and two snacks for food-insecure children.

About Packing Parties: Watch this fun video with your kids!

3rd and 4th Grade families, we are counting on YOU!

Lily Chan

Have you heard about the Healthy HIP Pack Food Drive and Packing Party? The Bryant Student Hunger Service Project packing party for the 3rd and 4th graders and their families is Tuesday, 5/20 from 6:30-7:30 pm. 

We need your help! HIP continues to see a significant increase in demand for Healthy HIP Packs. They are now delivering 400-450 packs per week. The Bryant Student Hunger Service Project aims to provide a hands-on opportunity for our community to learn about and help students facing food insecurity every day in Seattle.  

Our goal this year is to make 250 Healthy HIP Packs during the 3rd & 4th grade Packing Party. We can accomplish this goal if every 3rd and 4th grade family donates 20 food items (for example 2 boxes of tuna & cracker combo with 10 packets in each box). Of course, more would be great if you are able!

How can your family help?

Contribute to the food drive: Food Donation Sign-up Genius

(Drop off items in the bin in the main office or by your child’s classroom by 2pm on 5/16. All food donations need to be recorded on the sign-up so we can confirm we have the correct quantities of items.)

1. Review food items that are needed. (This List of Suggested Healthy HIP Pack Food Donations has suggestions)

2. Sign-up for the specific food items and the quantity you will donate in the Sign-up Genius link above.

3. Drop off the food at Bryant by 2pm on Friday 5/16

Come to the packing party at Bryant on Tuesday 5/20 from 6:30-7:30 pm

You can also sign up to help manage one of the stations during the event: Volunteer Station Sign-up Genius

If you aren’t able to purchase food in time but looking for another option to contribute, you can provide a monetary donation which will be used to purchase additional food items to complete the list on the Food Donation Sign-up Genius: Monetary Donation for Food Purchase 
_____________________________________________________

What is HIP?

A local non-profit, the mission of the Hunger Intervention Program (HIP) is to increase food security for underserved populations in North King County through nutritious meals, educational programs, and advocacy.

What is a Healthy HIP Pack?

The Healthy HIP Packs Program is a weekend food program that provides an important food resource for the children when school meals are not available. Healthy HIP Packs provide nutritious and kid-friendly foods, enough for six meals and two snacks.

What is a Packing Party?

Watch this fun video with your kids!

Kindergarten & 5th Grade Families Student Hunger Service Project

Lily Chan

Have you heard about the Healthy HIP Pack Food Drive and Packing Party? The Bryant Student Hunger Service Project packing party for the Kindergarten and 5th graders and their families is Thursday, 3/27 from 6:30-7:30 pm. Hoping to see some cute 5th/K buddies working together at the event 🙂

We need your help! HIP continues to see a significant increase in demand for Healthy HIP Packs. They are now delivering 400-450 packs per week. The Bryant Student Hunger Service Project aims to provide a hands-on opportunity for our community to learn about and help students facing food insecurity every day in Seattle.

Our goal this year is to make 250 Healthy HIP Packs during the Kindergarten & 5th grade Packing Party. We can accomplish this goal if every Kindergarten and 5th grade family donates 20 food items (for example 2 boxes of tuna & cracker combo with 10 packets in each box). Of course, more would be great if you are able!

How can your family help?
Contribute to the food drive: Food Donation Sign-up Genius
(Drop off items in the bin in the main office or by your child’s classroom by 2pm on 3/24. All food donations need to be recorded on the sign-up so we can confirm we have the correct quantities of items.)

  1. Review food items that are needed. (This List of Suggested Healthy HIP Pack Food Donations has suggestions)
  2. Sign-up for the specific food items and the quantity you will donate in the Sign-up Genius link above.
  3. Drop off the food at Bryant by 2pm on Monday 3/24

Come to the packing party at Bryant on Thursday 3/27 from 6:30-7:30 pm
You can also sign up to help manage one of the stations during the event: Volunteer Station Sign-up Genius

If you aren’t able to purchase food in time but looking for another option to contribute, you can provide a monetary donation which will be used to purchase additional food items to complete the list on the Food Donation Sign-up Genius: Monetary Donation for Food Purchase 

____________________________________________________

What is HIP?
A local non-profit, the mission of the Hunger Intervention Program (HIP) is to increase food security for underserved populations in North King County through nutritious meals, educational programs, and advocacy.

What is a Healthy HIP Pack?
The Healthy HIP Packs Program is a weekend food program that provides an important food resource for the children when school meals are not available. Healthy HIP Packs provide nutritious and kid-friendly foods, enough for six meals and two snacks.

What is a Packing Party?
Watch this fun video with your kids!

1st and 2nd grade families, we are counting on YOU!

Lily Chan

Have you heard about the Healthy HIP Pack Food Drive and Packing Party? The Bryant Student Hunger Service Project packing party for the 1st and 2nd graders and their families is Monday, 1/27 from 6:30-7:30 pm. 

Our goal this year is to make 250 Healthy HIP Packs during the 1st & 2nd grade Packing Party. The Hunger Intervention Program continues to see significant increases in demand for Healthy HIP Packs. They are now delivering 400-450 packs per week. The Bryant Student Hunger Service Project aims to provide a hands-on opportunity for our community to learn about and help students facing food insecurity every day in Seattle. 
 

How can your family help?
Contribute to the food drive: Food Donation Sign-up Genius
(Drop off items in the bin by the main office or by your child’s classroom by 2pm on 1/23. All food donations need to be recorded on the sign-up so we can confirm we have the correct quantities of items.)

1. Review food items that are needed. (This List of Suggested Healthy HIP Pack Food Donations has suggestions)
2. Sign-up for the specific food items and the quantity you will donate in the Sign-up Genius link above.
3. Drop off the food at Bryant by 2pm on Thursday 1/23

Come to the packing party at Bryant on Monday 1/27 from 6:30-7:30 pm
You can also sign up to help manage one of the stations during the event: Volunteer Station Sign-up Genius

If you aren’t able to purchase food in time but looking for another option to contribute, you can provide a monetary donation which will be used to purchase additional food items to complete the list on the Food Donation Sign-up Genius:  Monetary Donation for Food Purchase