There is no school from April 7 - April 11 for spring break. The front office will be open. The next Thursday Thoughts will be published on April 17.

Need childcare during spring break? Day-On: Passport to HRS still has openings! Register your student through CampBrain.

We have a few more spots open for two awesome Lower School Teacher Adventures! Visit the Online Auction page to grab a spot. You will need to set up an account in Greater Giving to register and pay. Details and dates can be found at the link.

• Levels 4+5: Enjoy a special HRS Spa Day with Ms. Flaherty and Ms. Achziger
• Levels 1-5: Make your own pizzas and watch movie clips with Ms. Huard, Ms. Blackburn, and Ms. Krueger

The Middle School Science + Engineering Fair today was a smashing success! Students spent six weeks in science class preparing their projects and were proud to present the results of their hard work.

Thank you to everyone who came to support our students and to the Middle School team who guided this event!

Please join us for the next Family Association meeting on Wednesday, April 16 from 8:30- 9:30am. Only two more meetings this year!

You don't want to miss the special meeting presentation topic: Math Talk: Classroom and Beyond. Other discussions will cover events through the end of the year and updates from Stacy Turner. You can also hear more from the IST team about their April 24 parent workshop.

The Family Association meeting will be held on the 4th floor Conference Center in the HRS Middle School. All members of our HRS family community are invited to attend - coffee provided!

Save the date for Arts Fest 2025 on Thursday, May 15, from 5:30pm-7:00pm. Arts Fest is an annual, all-school celebration of creative talents from our Lower and Middle School students. More details to come - we can't wait to see you there!

Thursday Thoughts features weekly reflections from our Arts and Wellness faculty. Today, we'll hear from Middle School Counselor Nathan Howden.

Helping students understand and build emotional intelligence is a core part of the counseling program at HRS. The emotional lives of youth and students are complex, and it can be difficult to know how to support students building emotional intelligence and what to do with the wide variety of emotions we feel.

Permission to Feel by Dr. Marc Brackett (founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence) coaches parents and educators on how to understand their own emotions to support the youth in their lives. Using the RULER method (RULER meaning: R: Recognize Emotions, U: Understand Emotions, L: Label Emotions, E: Expressing Emotions, R: Regulate Emotions) Dr. Brackett has created a data driven system to help both adults and children understand and master their emotions. The RULER method helps reduce stress, helps to strengthen mental health, improves relationships, and enhances academic success with students. If you are looking for ways to improve your students and your own emotional intelligence, take a look at Permission to Feel.

We're deeply grateful to the attendees of the HRS auction and to other donors who helped kick-start our Fun and Free Play Campaign! 

Our students are incredibly excited that contributions to this campaign will support the build-out the blacktop area of the playfield, as well as other outdoor areas. Upgrades will include new play structures suitable for middle and lower school students and enhancements to the Middle School outdoor plaza.

We still need additional fundraising before we can proceed with this project. Detailed campaign progress will be posted in upcoming communications!

April is National Poetry Month and National Arab American Heritage Month. Check out the HRS Library webpage for hand-picked book recommendations for both!

Doing some spring cleaning? The Lower School art studio could use some supplies you may have around the house!

• Balls of yarn
• CDs 
• Clean fabric scraps (9" x 12" is ideal)

If you have any to donate, our student artists will put them to good use. Supplies can be dropped off at the front office or sent to school with students with a label. Thank you!

Save the date for an LGBTQ+ Parent Gathering, hosted by Jonathan Lee. The event is open to LGBTQ+ parents and parents of LGBTQ+ students and allies. We hope to see you there for conversation and connection!

Thursday, May 8
3:30 - 5:00pm
Middle School 4th Floor

RSVP here - childcare is available. Questions? Contact Jonathan Lee. 

Many parents would like to better understand how to support student reading skills at home (especially over the summer). HRS is excited to invite you to a special workshop designed to equip parents with practical strategies and tools to help their students tackle unknown words and become more confident readers.

Word Attack Strategies: Supporting Your Child’s Reading at Home
Thursday, April 24
3:45 – 5:30 PM
4th Floor Conference Room, HRS Middle School

Please register here, no later than Friday, April 18. Childcare is provided at no charge - but you must pre-register your student(s).

Questions? Contact Lindsey Key at lkey@hamlinrobinson.org.

On Tuesday, His Royal Highness (HRH) Prince Carl Philip of Sweden visited Hamlin Robinson School.

During his visit to HRS, the Prince observed Lower School and Middle School classes and spoke with faculty and staff to learn about the instructional approach used by HRS. It was obvious that he truly enjoyed interacting with students, fielding their questions, and hearing about their experiences with dyslexia and our school.

Dyslexia awareness and education are important to the royal family of Sweden: the Prince, his sister, Crown Princess Victoria, and father, King Carl XVI Gustaf, all have dyslexia. One key focus for Prince Carl Philip and his wife Princess Sofia's foundation is supporting dyslexia education. The Prince is also a patron of the Swedish National Dyslexia Association.

The Hamlin Robinson School community appreciated the opportunity to meet with Prince Carl Philip, the visiting staff of his foundation, and other members of his group during his visit to Seattle. We hope to find ways to work together in supporting dyslexia education!

Wow - we did it! Thank you to everyone who supported this year's Auction through donations, volunteering, and attendance. You are an integral part of this massive endeavor, and we could not do it without you. For those of you who were able to attend the live event on March 22, we hope that you enjoyed the evening and had fun bidding on awesome auction packages. All funds raised will benefit the critical mission of our school.

What's next?

• The Advancement Office is currently processing winning bids and donations. Receipts, pick-up, and event contact information will be shared soon.
• If your employer has a matching gifts program, please let them know about your contributions. HRS is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

Please contact auction@hamlinrobinson.org with any questions.

Each year, the HRS Auction Fund-A-Need raises funds for specific needs at Hamlin Robinson School. This year, our students are incredibly excited that contributions to Fund-A-Need 2025 will support the campaign to build-out the blacktop area of the playfield, as well as other outdoor areas. Upgrades will include new play structures suitable for middle and lower school students and enhancements to the Middle School outdoor plaza. You can view an illustration concept here! Additionally, 25% of Fund-A-Need event proceeds are automatically directed to the Tuition Assistance Endowment.

We're deeply grateful to the attendees at Saturday's auction who helped kick-start this campaign!  

We still need your support to reach our campaign goal. Please donate by selecting Fund-a-Need from the drop-down button on the HRS Donation page. We'll post our campaign progress in upcoming communications!

Track & Field kicks off the week after Spring Break!

This is one of the most popular after-school programs at HRS, and it's shaping up to be a super season. Track & Field is open to every grade level, with Levels 4 - 8 participating in league meets.

Race over to CampBrain to join the fun. 

We welcome families to come appreciate and celebrate the Middle School students’ hard work on their science projects at the annual Science and Engineering Fair on Thursday, April 3.

Students spend six weeks in science class learning about either the Engineering Design Process or the Scientific Method before applying it independently. Level 6 students identify a problem and build a prototype solution. Level 7 and 8 students conduct an experiment to answer a question related to their science curriculum.

Level 7 presentations: 8:35 – 8:55 AM (see parking note below)

Please do not park around the school building's perimeter before 8:25 am to keep the area clear for buses and morning drop-off. You may park on the perimeter starting at 8:25 am. Parking on 20th Avenue will be available after the buses leave, which should be between 8:10-8:15 am.

Level 8 presentations: 9:38 – 10:28 AM

Level 6 presentations: 12:10 – 12:45 PM

Please visit and enjoy the results of the hard work that students put into these projects.

Questions? Please reach out to Meg Narwold, Science Department Lead, or your student’s science teacher.

This year, the Learning Center has partnered with PEPS to offer the PAT Program, a peer support group for parents of adolescents and teens. Spots are still available for the final cohort of the year, which kicks off April 17— join us!

What you'll get:

• Expert guidance on handling the challenges of raising 10-18 year-olds
• Connections with other parents facing similar situations
• Practical strategies you can use immediately

Details:

• Four (4) Thursday evenings (5:30-7:30pm), April 17 - May 8
• In-person or virtual participation is available
• Open to all parents of teens/preteens (not limited to HRS families)

Click here to learn more and register.

Save the date for an LGBTQ+ Parent Gathering, hosted by Jonathan Lee. The event is open to LGBTQ+ parents and parents of LGBTQ+ students and allies. We hope to see you there for conversation and connection!

Thursday, May 8
3:30 - 5:00pm
Middle School 4th Floor

RSVP here - childcare is available.

Questions? Contact Jonathan Lee. 

Each year, the HRS Auction Fund-A-Need raises funds for specific needs at Hamlin Robinson School. This year, our students are incredibly excited that contributions to Fund-A-Need 2025 will support the build-out of the blacktop area of the playfield, as well as other outdoor areas. Upgrades will include new play structures suitable for middle and lower school students. You can view an illustration concept here!

Additionally, 25% of Fund-A-Need proceeds are automatically directed to the Tuition Assistance Endowment.

Our campaign goal is $400,000, and we depend on your help to reach it. If you are attending the live auction, we invite you to raise your paddle at the event. Not attending the live auction? You can donate directly through the Online Auction home page - click the big Fund-A-Need button. Thank you!

The HRS Online Auction is live and bidding will continue through 12:00 noon on Sunday, March 23. Feel free to share the online auction link with friends and family who might also like to bid! 

If you are attending the auction on March 22, please use the personalized bidding link you received on Tuesday. 

All online auction proceeds directly support the educational programs of Hamlin Robinson School. When you visit the online auction homepage, you'll find:

• Bundles for Self-Care, Game Night, Arts & Crafts, and more!
• Tickets to Kraken, Storm, and Rainiers games 
• Gadgets like a Nintendo Switch, Ninja Creami, and Cricut
• Teacher Adventures
• And much more! 
• Hot tip: Click the menu button at the top left of the online auction screen (3-bars) to view online auction items by category. 

Thank you to our community for donating these items in support of Hamlin Robinson School. You make a difference! Please contact auction@hamlinrobinson.org with any questions.

We welcome families to come appreciate and celebrate the Middle School students’ hard work on their science projects at the annual Science and Engineering Fair on Thursday, April 3.

Students spend six weeks in science class learning about either the Engineering Design Process or the Scientific Method before applying it independently. Level 6 students identify a problem and build a prototype solution. Level 7 and 8 students conduct an experiment to answer a question related to their science curriculum.

Level 7 presents from 8:35 – 9:25 AM.

Level 8 presents from 9:38 – 10:28 AM.

Level 6 presents from 12:10 – 12:45 PM.

Please visit and enjoy the results of the hard work that students put into these projects. If you have any questions, please reach out to Meg Narwold, Science Department Lead, at mnarwold@hamlinrobinson.org, or your student’s science teacher.

Thursday Thoughts showcases a different Arts & Wellness subject area each week. This week, Kendall Melonson spotlights what's happening in Lower School P.E.

This week in Lower School P.E., it's Games Week! Through play, students not only build physical strength but also develop important life skills.

• Physical Power-ups: Games get them moving, strengthening their bodies and improving coordination.
• Brain Boosters: They'll be sharpening their minds with strategic thinking, problem-solving, and quick decision-making.
• Social Superheroes: Games lend themselves to teamwork, communication, and leadership skills, teaching them lessons in cooperation and sportsmanship.

Some fun games played this week are Donuts-to-Donuts, Bombardment, Pin Knockdown and Foam Ball Frenzy!

Registration is open for the spring cohort of the PAT (Parents of Adolescents and Teens) Program through the Learning Center! 

PAT is a supportive small group experience for parents of 10-18 year olds. Parents learn from experts, connect with peers, and benefit from a toolbox of strategies and resources for parenting preteens and teens. 

• Thursday evenings (5:30 - 7:30pm) from April 17 - May 8
• In-person or virtual options available
• Open to any parents of adolescents and teens, not just HRS parents

To learn more about the program and register, click here.

The HRS Lower School art studio is requesting donations of materials to supplement our prolific sculpture artists! If you ever have any of the items below to donate, please drop them off at the Lower School front office. Thank you! 

• Paper towel and toilet paper tubes
• Corks
• Clean straws
• Clean bottle caps
• Small boxes (toothpaste, pasta, etc.)

From the Instructional Support Team:

At this year's Family Association meetings, as well as in conferences, we've heard from parents that you would like to better understand how to support your student at home (especially over the summer). We are excited to invite you to a special workshop designed to equip parents with practical strategies and tools to help their students tackle unknown words and become more confident readers.

Word Attack Strategies: Supporting Your Child’s Reading at Home
Thursday, April 24
3:45 – 5:30 PM
4th Floor Conference Room, HRS Middle School

To host this event, we need a minimum of 25 participants, and we can accommodate up to 100 attendees. Please register here, no later than Friday, April 18. Childcare is provided at no charge - but you must pre-register your student(s).

Questions? Contact Lindsey Key at lkey@hamlinrobinson.org.