Parent Orientation 2024-25
Genesee Hill Parent Orientation 2024-25
- Genesee Hill Leadership Team
- Genesee Hill Staff
- Schools Earning the Washington School Recognition
- Curriculum
- Assessments
- What Do I Do When My Child struggles?
- Advanced Learning Opportunities (ALO)
- Bell Schedule 2024-25
- SW Dakota Permanently Closed
- Drop-off & Pick-up Procedures
- Attendance
- Transportation
- School Meals
- Start of School Forms
- The Source
- Volunteers
- Family Engagement – Join the PTA!
- Cell Phones & Smart Watches
- Safety and Emergencies
- Upcoming Events
- Family Handbook
- Multi-Classroom FAQ
Genesee Hill Leadership Team
Principal Liz Dunn eadunn@seattleschools.org
Assistant Principal Tami Beach trbeach@seattleschools.org
Administrative Assistant Pamela Jones pkjones@seattleschools.org
Office Assistant/Attendance Stacy Pritchard slpritchard@seattleschools.org
Genesee Hill Staff
- Kindergarten: Katie Funke, Sarah Yaakoby, Tara Ritzman, Dorothy Wells, Megan Kahn
- 1st Grade: Beth Grasel, Margaret Lewis, Julie Pietsch
- 1st/2nd Grade Split: Erin Munavu
- 2nd Grade: Danielle Jones, Renee Marroquin
- 2nd/3rd Grade Split: Alison Aylesworth
- 3rd Grade: Vincent Della Pella, Jackie Frazier, Nicole Williams
- 3rd/4th Split: Stephen Katz
- 4th Grade: Amber Vandermeulen, Michael Washington
- 5th Grade: Per Junkerman, Emily Lappe, Kay Yano
Specialists:
- Kyle Vercammen, PE
- Sam Turner, Dance
- Mark Edgbert, Music
- Lindsey Bender, Art
- Lindsay Yost, Librarian
Reading Interventionist: Gina Frazzini
Special Education: Tia Demirkaya, Paula Franzen, Megan Kahn, Dorothy Wells
English Language: Lisa Barajas
Counselor: Allie McDonald
Support Staff:
- Geri Thompson, School Nurse
- Tania Karshner, Psychologist
- Tiffany Hutchings, Speech Language Pathologist
- Tami Brockschmidt, Occupational Therapist
Schools Earning the Washington School Recognition
The State Board of Education (SBE), Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and the Educational Opportunity Gap Oversight and Accountability Committee (EOGOAC) have named 27 schools in Seattle Public Schools for outstanding achievement.
The Washington School Recognition Program honors K–12 public schools across the state for closing opportunity gaps and for students’ growth and academic achievement.
Genesee Hill Elementary: Achievement for the whole school
Curriculum
- ELA – Center for Collaborative Classroom (CCC)
- Making Meaning
- Being A Reader
- Being A Writer
- Math – envision Mathematics
- Solve & Share
- Visual Learning
- Guided Practice
- Independent Practice
- SuccessMaker
- Science – Amplify Science
- Units based on Next Generation Science Standards
- Social Studies
- Since Time Immemorial
- Social Emotional Learning (SEL)
- Second Step
- RULER
- Child Protection (K-3)
- Bullying Prevention (4-5)
- Sexual Health Education
- Grades 4-5
Assessments
- Kindergarten: WAKids
- K-5: Measure of Academic Progress (MAP)
- K-2: DIBELS
- 3rd-5th grade: Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA)
2023-24 MAP Data
Baseline Fall 2023
| Grade Level | Math | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 5th | 71% | 76% |
| 4th | 74% | 83% |
| 3rd | 76% | 81% |
| 2nd | 65% | 76% |
| 1st | 68% | 71% |
| K | Not tested | Not Tested |
| All Grades | 72% | 78% |
Winter Achievement
| Grade Level | Math | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 5th | 68% | 75% |
| 4th | 68% | 80% |
| 3rd | 70% | 71% |
| 2nd | 68% | 70% |
| 1st | 69% | 67% |
| K | 79% | 59% |
| All Grades | 70% | 72% |
Spring Achievement
| Grade Level | Math | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 5th | 80% | 73% |
| 4th | 77% | 79% |
| 3rd | 82% | 80% |
| 2nd | 66% | 64% |
| 1st | 66% | 80% |
| K | 79% | 74% |
| All Grades | 77% | 75% |
Overall Growth Percentile
| Grade Level | Math | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 5th | 85th | 62nd |
| 4th | 74th | 54th |
| 3rd | 82nd | 82nd |
| 2nd | 64th | 68th |
| 1st | 61st | 79th |
| K | N/A | N/A |
| All Grades | 74th | 70th |
What Do I Do When My Child struggles?
Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)
Tier 1 – Strong Core Curriculum Instruction with Universal Accommodations for all students – Inclusionary Practices and UDL
- Classroom teachers differentiate, put interventions in place, and track data for all outliers (students needing extra support and those students needing extension)
- Tier 1 interventions include small group instruction, CHAMPSS support, selected independent practice, SuccessMaker, etc.
Tier 2 – Core Instruction plus targeted interventions
- Grade Level Teams will meet to discuss student concerns, possible solutions and ongoing intervention plans
- MTSS Leadership Team will meet to review Grade Level meeting notes, recommend tier 2 interventions and continue to monitor and modify supports
Tier 3 – Student Intervention Team (SIT)
- MTSS Leadership Team will determine when it is necessary to schedule a formal SIT meeting
- SIT Team will meet to review all data and determine next steps:
- Additional Tier 2 supports
- 504 Plan
- Special Education Evaluation for possible IEP
Advanced Learning Opportunities (ALO)
At Genesee Hill, we have high expectations for all students, and we know that each will be challenged by the rigor and depth of our curriculum. To that end, we follow the inclusion model in which teachers differentiate instruction for all students.
Learn more about Advanced Learning at Genesee Hill
Bell Schedule 2024-25
School Hours: 7:55 a.m. – 2:25 p.m.
Wednesdays: 7:55 a.m. – 1:10 p.m.
Genesee Hill daily bell schedule
SW Dakota Permanently Closed
The permanent school street will have 2 main components:
- Painted curb bulbs and concrete bollards with signage
- Thermoplastic art in the street
Drop-off & Pick-up Procedures
Genesee Hill drop-off and pick-up procedures
Attendance
Genesee Hill Attendance Information
Transportation
Genesee Hill Transportation Procedures
School Meals
Start of School Forms
We will no longer be sending home the traditional “First Day Packet”.
All Start of School forms are online
Student Data Verification is available online September 4-30. The online Student Data Verification form includes the Emergency Release Form and the Student Health Information Form. To access, log in to your Source account and select Student Data Verification form from the navigation menu.
Please view all forms and fill out as needed:
- Change of Address
- Child Find and 504
- FERPA
- Health and Immunization
- McKinney-Vento
- SPS Student Devices
- Native Education
- Creating a Source Account
The Source
- Parents and guardians of students actively enrolled in SPS need to set up an account on The Source.
- Parent and guardian Source accounts display attendance, assessment scores, Elementary Progress Reports, Secondary Performance Reports, secondary student assignment scores, SchoolPay, Schoology Access Codes and other information.
- To set up your account go to “The Source” on the SPS website
- From there you will enter the email address on school record to receive a confirmation email from sourcesupport@seattleschools.org.
- Open that email, click the link, then create a password and your good to go!
Volunteers
Our teacher teams love to use volunteers in the classroom. Watch for your teacher to reach out for their specific needs and Room Parent wishes.
In the meantime, please visit the district website to complete the volunteer application process.
Family Engagement – Join the PTA!
Please consider becoming a member of the Genesee Hill PTA! The Genesee Hill PTA serves the school and community by providing a powerful voice to all children, relevant resources to families, and cohesive advocacy to, and partnership with, the greater West Seattle Community and School District.
For more information or to become a member, please visit the Genesee Hill PTA website.
PTA Board Members will be available at the Open House on September 19 to help welcome you back to school and answer any of your questions.
2024-25 Board members:
- Sarah Lara Silva, President
- Michelle Doornink, Vice President
- Kristin Lauver, Secretary
- Mark Green, Treasurer
- Kevin Foreman, Vice Treasurer
- Katy Richey, Fundraising
- Dayra Haugo, Cohorts
- Katrina Higgason, Communications
- Linda Kennedy, Equity
- Molly Al-Jawad, Events
- Yuko Truchon, Membership
- Victoria Brown Bhegani, Special Education
- Christine Risinger, Volunteers
Cell Phones & Smart Watches
We recognize that many students carry cell phones to communicate with parents to and from school, however students are not allowed to use cell phones or smart watches on school property.
If a student has an emergency call to make, they must first obtain permission from an adult to use a phone or go to the office and ask the front desk to call a parent/guardian.
- The first time an adult takes away a cell phone, the phone goes to the office and the child picks it up from the principal at the end of the day.
- When this happens a second time, the principal keeps the cell phone until the parent can collect it.
The school is not responsible for any lost or stolen cell phones or other electronic items. Should a cell phone or electronic device go missing, the administrator will only investigate if a child was “strong armed”, and the device was taken that way. Lost, missing, or presumed stolen electronics will not be investigated.
Safety and Emergencies
Student safety is our priority.
To that end, and in accordance with SPS Safety & Security priorities, our building will always remain locked. All visitors/volunteers must check in through the buzzed entry at the main entrance.
- Staff and visitors will be required to wear an ID badge when in the building.
- Fire drills, earthquake drills, reverse evacuation, shelter-in-place, and lock down drills are all practiced during the school year. Escape routes are posted in each instructional space in the building.
- Genesee Hill Elementary’s building lock-down plan assists in maintaining order and safety within the school building.
- “Lock-down” means all inner and outer doors are locked, including classroom doors. No one may come in or out.
- Parents are sent email notification after each lock-down drill.
- “Shelter in Place” means that the outer doors are locked but staff and students may move within the building.
Upcoming Events
Family Handbook
More information can be found in the Genesee Hill Family Handbook.