Parent Orientation 2025-26
Genesee Hill Parent Orientation 2025-26
- Genesee Hill Leadership Team
- Genesee Hill Staff
- Curriculum
- Assessments
- Bell Schedule 2025-26
- Drop-off & Pick-up Procedures
- Attendance
- Transportation
- School Meals
- Start of School Forms
- Student Health
- The Source
- Volunteers
- Family Engagement – Join the PTA!
- Cell Phones & Smart Watches
- Safety and Emergencies
- Upcoming Events
- Family Handbook
- Advanced Learning Opportunities (ALO)
- What Do I Do When My Child struggles?
Genesee Hill Leadership Team
Principal Liz Dunn eadunn@seattleschools.org
Assistant Principal Bonnie Levin bslevin@seattleschools.org
Administrative Assistant Stacy Pritchard slpritchard@seattleschools.org
Office Assistant/Attendance Lani Huston lahuston@seattleschools.org
Genesee Hill Staff
- Kindergarten: Katie Funke, Tara Ritzman, Sarah Yaakoby
- 1st Grade: Beth Grasel, Margaret Lewis, Julie Pietsch
- 1st/2nd Grade Split: Erin Munavu
- 2nd Grade: Danielle Jones, Renee Marroquin, Alison Aylesworth
- 3rd Grade: Vincent Della Pella, Jackie Frazier, Nicole Williams
- 4th Grade: Stephen Katz, Amber Vandermeulen, Michael Washington
- 5th Grade: Per Junkerman, Emily Lappe, Kay Yano
- PE: Kyle Vercammen
- Art: Lindsey Bender
- Dance: Sam Turner
- Library: Lindsay Yost
- Reading Interventionist: Gina Frazzini
- Special Education: Tia Demirkaya, Paula Franzen, Karen Lin
- English Language: Lisa Barajas
- Counselor: Amber Smith
- School Nurse: Geri Thompson
- Psychologist: Sam Johnson
- Speech Language Pathologist (SLP): Tiffany Hutchings
- Occupational Therapist (OT): Tami Brockschmidt
Curriculum
- ELA – Center for Collaborative Classroom (CCC)
- Making Meaning
- Being A Reader
- Being A Writer
- SuccessMaker
- 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)
- Classroom Meetings
- Sexual Health Education
- Grades 4-5
Assessments
- WaKIDS: Kindergarten
- Measure of Academic Progress (MAP): K-5
- DIBELS: K-2 (3rd-5th as needed)
- Curriculum Based Assessments
- ELA: K-5
- Science: K-3
- Math: 4th-5th
- Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA): 3rd-5th
2024-25 MAP Overall Grade Level Achievement Data
Spring 2024 Baseline
| Grade Level | Math | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 5th | 76% | 82% |
| 4th | 79% | 83% |
| 3rd | 69% | 70% |
| 2nd | 69% | 85% |
| 1st | 76% | 76% |
| K | Not tested | Not Tested |
| All Grades | 75% | 80% |
Spring 2025 Achievement
| Grade Level | Math | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 5th | 80% | 83% |
| 4th | 86% | 80% |
| 3rd | 79% | 80% |
| 2nd | 76% | 77% |
| 1st | 81% | 84% |
| K | 72% | 72% |
| All Grades | 81% | 81% |
2024-25 Preliminary SBA Data
| Grade Level | ELA Level 3 | ELA Level 4 | Total Met Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5th | 29.4% | 54.1% | 83.5% |
| 4th | 18.7% | 56% | 74.7% |
| 3rd | 26.6% | 45.6% | 72.2% |
| Grade Level | Math Level 3 | Math Level 4 | Total Met Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5th | 51.8% | 15.3% | 76.1% |
| 4th | 32.4% | 47.3% | 79.7% |
| 3rd | 40% | 38.8% | 78.8% |
| Grade Level | ELA – Difference from District | Math – Difference from District |
|---|---|---|
| 5th | +17.3% | +10.2% |
| 4th | +11.5% | +16.9% |
| 3rd | +8.9% | +13.7% |
Bell Schedule 2025-26
School Hours: 7:55 a.m. – 2:25 p.m.
Wednesdays: 7:55 a.m. – 1:10 p.m.
Genesee Hill daily bell schedule
Drop-off & Pick-up Procedures
There is no drop-off, pick-up, or parking on SW Dakota Street.
Drop-offs should only happen in the front parking lot when arriving after the 7:55 a.m. bell.
Attendance
If your child will be absent from school, please remember to:
- email your student’s teacher and
- email the attendance office geneseehill.attendance@seattleschools.org or call 206-252-9700.
Learn more about Genesee Hill attendance procedures
Transportation
Genesee Hill Transportation Procedures
School Meals
Start of School Forms
Start of school forms are available online
The Student Data Verification form is available online Sept. 3-30, 2025. This includes the Emergency Release Form and the Student Health Information Form.
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
Student Health
- All student medications require a doctor’s signed medication authorization form from SPS.
- Students are never allowed to self-administer their own medications
- Over the counter medications follow this same authorization
- Student Illness
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.
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 and to become a member, please visit the PTA website.
PTA Board Members will be available at the Ice-Cream Social on the 2nd and at Open House on Sept. 18 to help welcome you back to school and answer any of your questions.
Our 2025-26 Board members:
- Brooke Dunnigan, President
- Christine Risinger & Molly Al-Jawad, Co-Vice Presidents
- Catherine Sherman, Secretary
- Alex Slivinski, Treasurer
- Mol Chungsiriwat, Vice Treasurer
- Heather Alverez, Fundraising
- Dayra Haugo, Cohorts
- Katrina Higgason, Communications
- Linda Kennedy, Equity
- Open Position, Events
- Sara Malcolm, Membership
- Roxanne Rockett, Special Education
- Open Position, Volunteers
- Open Position, Advocacy
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 go to the office and ask the front desk to call 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 will keep 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 remain locked at all times.
All visitors/volunteers must check in through the buzzed entry at the main entrance.
Staff and visitors will be required to sign-in and wear an ID badge when in the building.
Safety Drills
Fire, 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 lockdown plan assists in maintaining order and safety within the school building.
“Lockdown” means all inner and outer doors are locked, including classroom doors. No one may come in or out.
“Shelter in Place” means that the outer doors are locked but staff and students may move within the building.
Parents are sent email notification after each lockdown drill.
Upcoming Events
Family Handbook
Review the Genesee Hill Family Handbook.
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 ALO at Genesee Hill
What Do I Do When My Child struggles?
Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)
Tier 1 – Strong Core Curriculum Instruction with Universal Accommodations
Incorporating inclusive practices and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) for all students:
- Classroom teachers differentiate instruction, implement interventions, and track data for all students needing additional support or extension.
- Tier 1 interventions include small group instruction, targeted independent practice, SuccessMaker, and other universal supports.
Tier 2 – Core Instruction Plus Targeted Interventions
- Grade-level teams meet during PLCs or designated MTSS meetings to discuss student concerns, develop intervention strategies, and monitor progress.
- If a teacher has increased concerns about a student, they refer the case to Pre-SIT. With the classroom teacher, The MTSS Leadership Team reviews current data, recommends additional or alternative Tier 2 interventions, and continues to monitor and adjust supports as needed.
Tier 3 – Student Intervention Team (SIT)
- During Pre-SIT, the team may decide that a formal SIT meeting is warranted.
- The SIT Team, along with the parents, review comprehensive data to determine next steps, which may include:
- Additional Tier 2 supports
- Development of a 504 Plan
- Referral for Special Education evaluation and possible IEP eligibility