*News

Welcome Back to Bryant

Lily Chan

Dear Bryant Community,

The start of a new school year certainly feels different this year. Our hearts are heavy
after the shocking loss of our beloved librarian, Anne Aliverti, who passed away on
August 14 after being struck by a car while crossing the street near her home.
Her loss will be felt deeply by students, staff, and families. We trust in the strength and
care of this community to support one another. We encourage you to check in with your
student(s) and offer them space to share their thoughts and feelings. Below are some
helpful resources you can use to help navigate these conversations.

Resources for Children:

Tip Sheets:
Tips for Supporting Children Who are Grieving
Developmental Responses to Grief
Ideas for Kids to Express Grief

Books:

Resources for Parents:
What’s Your Grief Website
Taking Care of Yourself Tip Sheet

Books:

Anne’s family has created a tribute site, where you are invited to share memories and
stories: lovinganne.blog

Turning to the year ahead, we have a wonderful Board of new and returning members
with lots of momentum and ideas to make this year a success. As we kick things off, we
want to go over a few housekeeping items:

  • A note about school supplies. As many of you know, the Bryant PTSA has a
    long-standing program of purchasing school supplies upfront for all students for
    the entire year. We buy items in bulk to help families save time and money, and
    supplies are ready and waiting for kids on the first day of school.
    We rely on reimbursement from Bryant families to keep the program running.
    Unfortunately, we were unable to fully recoup our costs last year. We appreciate
    your reimbursement so that we can continue to offer this program in the years
    ahead.
  • Sign up for the Bryant Weekly newsletter. It’s the best way to get information
    and updates from the PTSA and to stay connected to what is happening at
    Bryant. You can sign up here.
  • Join the Bryant PTSA! Membership in the PTSA lets you vote at our General
    meetings and helps our PTSA continue to thrive. There is no time commitment
    required to join. Click here to join!
  • Want to volunteer? There are lots of ways to get involved at Bryant, and we
    have a wide range of opportunities for those really want to lean in or just dip their
    toes. Email volunteer@bryantschool.org for more information.
  • Has your family fallen on tough financial times? Worried about school
    expenses? The PTSA has a discreet program that offers additional support for
    Bryant students and families experiencing financial need (regardless of whether
    or not they qualify for free or reduced lunch) If you are interested in learning
    more, please fill out the form here. Requests are strictly confidential. 
    If you have questions, please reach out to Bryant social worker Diego Nunez
    at dinunez@seattleschools.org.

Mark your calendars

  • Back to Bryant is on September 2 from 3-4pm. Stop by to meet your new
    teacher, tour your new classroom, and reconnect with friends.
  • Join us for Coffee & Doughnut Holes on Monday, September 8 th after drop-off.
    We’ll be in the school garden from 7:30–8:30 AM — swing by for a treat and to
    say hello. All are welcome!
  • Ice Cream Social (4th grade fundraiser) on October 12 from 6:00-7:30pm on the
    Playground
  • 2025-2026 PTSA Meeting Schedule:
    • Sept 9
    • Oct 14* General Meeting
    • Nov 18 (Adjusted for Veterans Day)
    • Dec 9
    • Jan 13
    • Feb 10
    • March 10* General Meeting 
    • April 7th (Adjusted for Spring Break) 
    • May 12
    • June 9* General Meeting

Thank you,
Marika VanderSmith & Matt Hunt
Bryant PTSA Co-Presidents

2025-26 Bryant Directory – Take the survey by September 26th to be included!

Lily Chan

Stay connected to Bryant friends with the Bryant Directory. The information submitted will be used to create a virtual directory that will be linked through a password-protected section of the PTSA website.

To be included in the Bryant Directory, scan the QR code or use the link below to complete the survey. Thanks for responding by September 26th!

If you have questions or need to edit information in the directory please reach out to us at: bryantdirectory@gmail.com.

Thank you!

Bryant Directory Team


bit.ly/BryantDirectory25-26

PTSA General Meeting and After Party

Lily Chan

 
Mark your calendars! Our final PTSA General Meeting of the year is Tuesday, June 10 from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. in the Bryant Library. Join us for:
  • Presentation and vote on the 2025-2026 PTSA Budget
  • Executive Committee nominations and vote
  • End-of-year updates from your PTSA Board
  • And more!
After the meeting, we’ll head down to the Duchess for an informal gathering to celebrate an amazing year. We hope to see you there!

Bryant Elementary WELCOMES ALL New Families – 2025!

Lily Chan

Bryant Elementary WELCOMES ALL New Families – 2025!

Bryant staff and PTSA heartily welcome you to our community and hope you can attend a special evening created with you and your arriving student in mind

Most new families are kindergarten families, and the night is overall geared towards their acclimation to Bryant, so kindergarten staff will be in full attendance.

  • When: Thursday, June 5, from  5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
  • Where: Bryant School 3311 NE 60th Street (use this entrance)
  • Who: YOU & your entering student (and family, if you wish), PTSA rep, principal(s),

K teachers, community childcare providers (LASER)

  • What: Hear: about our school, kindergarten, PTSA programs, and more…
  • Why: we want you to love Bryant as much as we do!!! 😊

Expected agenda:

5:00 – school front doors open (60th St entrance)

5:30 – 6:10 – Bryant ‘nuts & bolts’ – principal, PTSA, LASER. K team will each have information to share with you and answer related questions

  • K families information and Q & A session with the Kindergarten teaching team

Then till-7:00 – you can visit all the K rooms in the K hallway and the building, in general. We each will be in our rooms to answer questions you have. Additionally, we have Bryant-specific K topics to explain and Kinder-tools for viewing on student work tables.

A few more details will be emailed to you early that week…

Hope to see you then.

Bryant PTSA Volunteer Awards

Lily Chan

Each year, the Bryant PTSA gives several special awards to those that have provided exemplary volunteer service to our children and school community. Please submit nominees and a short note of appreciation for their efforts at the form here. The deadline to submit is Friday, May 30th. Awards will be presented at the final general membership meeting on June 10th. Categories include:

  • Golden Acorn Award – Bryant PTSA’s highest recognition of dedication and service to our school community.
  • Volunteer Extraordinaire – recognizes individuals who have made an extraordinary contribution to Bryant Elementary during the past school year.
  • Unsung Hero – recognizes people who quietly, consistently, and reliably do one job over a long period of time. Often they work behind the scenes, but they make incredibly valuable contributions to Bryant.
  • Room Parent Champion – recognizes an outstanding room parent who goes above and beyond in fostering connection, organizing events, and supporting both teachers and families.

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. 

Help Keep the Bryant Play Alive—Lead Volunteers Needed

Lily Chan

The Bryant Play is a cherished tradition that fosters creativity, teamwork, and lasting memories for our students. Next year’s 4th and 5th graders are eager to participate, but we need parent leads to make it happen!

We’re looking for 1-3 volunteers to step up and take on the organizing role. You don’t need prior experience—this is a team effort with plenty of support available, including materials and insights from past productions.

Without committed leads before summer break, the play will not be able to move forward. If you’re interested or want to learn more, reach out to Caroline Stanford (this year’s Play Lead Producer) at caroline.stanford@outlook.com. 

Let’s work together to keep this beloved tradition going for our kids!