IRE Families,

Wow, we are officially entering the last full month of school. Over the next few weeks, our IRE community will wrap up statewide and internal assessments as we measure the growth our students have made.

We are also looking forward to many end-of-year celebrations, including 5th grade field trips and our Field Day, organized and hosted by our amazing PTA.

We are also beginning the important work of crafting class placements for next year. This process takes into account a variety of factors to ensure the best possible learning environment for every student. Thank you to the families who took the time to share input through our survey. As a reminder, class rosters are typically shared about a week before the start of the school year.

As we finish strong, let’s keep our attendance strong as well. Every day counts, and being at school each day makes a big difference for student learning and connection.

Best,

Tyler Dockins, Principal

Nate Beede, Assistant Principal

Rebecca Kratzig, Dean of Instruction

Roots of Empathy at Irene Reither Elementary is looking for family volunteers to participate in our programs next year! If you or anyone you know is expecting a baby between late May and early September, we would love to welcome you into the 2nd grade classroom (possibly 1st grade classroom) to participate in an evidence-based curriculum that uses babies as “tiny teachers” of empathy.

Volunteering with your baby would involve one or both parents coming into the classroom with your baby once a month for a 30-minute lesson. The Roots of Empathy instructor would engage your baby with toys and lead a discussion with the students on various themes including, crying, sleep, communication, and safety.

We are also looking for volunteer Instructors to help deliver the program curriculum in the classroom. We provide a summer training for Instructors and mentorship through the first year of instruction. Volunteers come from many backgrounds—former teachers, school counselors, therapists, social workers, parents, grandparents, or anyone familiar and enthusiastic about working with children.

If you would like to participate, please contact Roots of Empathy Program Manager, Gina Shannon, via email at gshannon@rootsofempathy.org, or let a school staff member know so that we can reach out to you. Thank you for your consideration!

Our annual spring assessments are just around the corner! Students in grades 3–5 will take the Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA), 5th graders will also take the Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS), and all students in grades K–5 will complete i-Ready testing.

You can help your child feel confident and prepared by:

We are proud of the hard work our students have shown all year and look forward to seeing them shine during testing!