In 2013, the Seattle School Board approved new neighborhood boundaries for Seattle schools. The new boundaries have been slowly implemented throughout Seattle annually since their approval. Beginning in 2017, the new boundaries for Northeast Seattle schools will come into effect. Bryant Elementary will be affected by these new boundaries. Changes include moving the southern boundary from Hwy SR 513 (NE 45 th Street, which becomes Sand Point Way) north to NE 50 th street. Read more →

Do you remember your first days at Bryant? You probably had questions over the summer, and more once the school year started. Perhaps you had a Bryant Buddy who answered your questions and provided peace of mind. Now you can be that person for a new family.

Our incoming families will undoubtedly benefit from your wisdom and experience. We especially need a large number of volunteers from families with current kindergarteners, but new Bryant families come in all grades, so we need families of older students too.

If you are interested in being a Bryant Buddy, please email Bryant Buddy Chair, Michelle Ireton. Buddies will start being assigned in July.

The Garden Committee invited Kindergarten classes out to the garden to make chamomile tea. Thank you to Mr. Gallagher, Ms. Kereluck, and Mr. Jones for bringing out your students and letting them get a taste of the Hands On Garden.

Plants are sprouting and flowering and fruiting all over the Hands On Garden. We’d like to remind everyone that this is an outdoor classroom. Please visit often, but do not pick unless invited to do so. The students who have planted plants are excited to see them grow, and to harvest.

Some things you may notice in the garden when you come through:

• Ms. Bernard and Ms. Bodine’s classes’ radishes, carrots, and lettuce are growing! These students are excited for when it will be time for them to be invited to pick their radishes. It won’t be too much longer!
• Ms. Spata’s class’s pea plants are growing well!
• Thursday morning before the bell student garden buddies planted scarlet runner beans! They’ll be climbing up that trellis in no time!
• Ms. Fahselt and Ms. Eeds’ classes have planted nasturtiums, potatoes, and beans. They also have started seeds under grow lights and are eagerly awaiting the right time to put their zucchini, bell peppers, and tomatoes into the garden.

Join us! Garden volunteers are needed on Thursday mornings! We offer gardening activities for any students who want to participate from 9-the bell. After the kids go in,adults continue working to maintain the learning landscape until 10:30. NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED. We have tools and gloves. Young children are welcome!

WANTED: watering cans. All of our watering cans have been broken. Many students enjoy watering using the rainwater we collect. Contact Samantha Fogg or just leave a watering can in the Hands On Garden by the rain barrel.

The yearbook team relies on the families of Bryant students to collect all those amazing photos for the yearbook each year. We can’t do this without you! We have already shipped the 2016 yearbook to the printer, but our tradition is to include photos of each year’s Bryant Blast and Field Day in the following year’s book. That’s right, we’re already working on the 2017 yearbook! Email your photos to bryant.elem.yearbook@gmail.com.

First grader Olympia is our featured reader for May!
Did you know the Bryant Library participates in the nationally recognized Read poster program? Our posters are featured just off the main school entrance in the Library every month and on the library blog. Now’s the time to get your favorite reader featured for a month next school year. Purchase your poster slot on the Bryant Blast online auction and you’ll get a fabulous photo shoot with Bryant parent and photographer Audrey Lee and a personalized Read poster treatment.

The 2016-17 school year calendar was approved by the Seattle Public Schools School Board on May 4, 2016.

Important dates include:

Wed., Sept. 7 Start of school
Wed., Sept. 28 2-hr early dismissal
Wed., Oct. 26 2-hr early dismissal
Fri., Nov. 11 Veterans Day (no school)
Mon. – Wed., Nov. 21-23 Elementary and K-8 parent-teacher conferences (varies by school)
Thurs. – Fri., Nov. 24-25 Thanksgiving (no school)
Mon. – Fri., Dec. 19-Dec. 30 Winter break (no school)
Mon., Jan. 2 New Year’s Day (no school)
Mon., Jan. 16 Martin Luther King Jr. Day (no school)
Wed., Feb. 1 Day between semesters (no school)
Mon., Feb. 20 Presidents’ Day (no school)
Tues. – Fri., Feb. 21-24 Mid-winter break (no school)
Wed., Mar. 22 2-hr early dismissal
Mon. – Fri., April 10-14 Spring break (no school)
Wed., May 10 2-hr early dismissal
Mon., May 29 Memorial Day (no school)
Fri. June 23 Last day of school

The Bryant Elementary PTSA board consists of a President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Membership Chair, Volunteer Coordinator, Fundraising Chair, Legislative Chair, Member-at-Large, and Teacher Representatives.

These positions are extremely important to our school and community. We are thankful for the wonderful and dedicated parents that fill these roles every year! If you are a member of the PTSA and have an interest in a board position or know of others with interest, please contact the Nominating Committee at volunteer@bryantschool.org. We welcome anyone with the desire and commitment to get involved.

For 2016-2017, we have several open positions, including Co-Treasurer and Legislative Chair. Read more →

Thank you for completing the parent survey posted a couple of weeks ago. Your feedback is very valuable as the PTSA helps to align after school activities with the new bell times.

Several important themes emerged from the survey.

• More parents will require after school child care. 50% of parents said they will now need to secure child care because of the new bell times.
• No morning programs. Only Bike/Walk to Bryant and Safety Patrol/ Crossing Guard Duty would remain in the morning, all other programs would need to move to the afternoon.
• Participation in Clubs, ASE, & other programs seem unaffected by bell times.
• Participation in Clubs, ASE, & other programs improve when time is increased to 2 hours.

Read more →