Dear Titan Families,

Dear Titan Scholars, Families, and Staff~

I am sending this newsletter out to you a day earlier due to MLK Day on January 18th.

Martin Luther King Jr was the master of eloquence and truth. One can merely go on the internet and seek out Dr. King's exceptional quotes. In our world of education, he said this, "The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character--that is the goal of true education." Intelligence plus character.

A big shout out to our Todd Beamer High School teachers, who, every day pursue this goal to help shape the hearts and minds of every single student! Even during this time of remote learning, we have teachers who are offering up extra hours and time to teach critical thinking skills in order to make sense of the events that are happening in our nation's Capitol. Regardless of your political affiliation, sometimes digging for the truth (on both sides of the aisle) requires perseverance, fortitude, and a critical analysis of sources!

January 18th is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. There is no school on this national holiday. I am so proud to announce that a few of our TBHS Scholars are part of the City of Federal Way's MLK Celebrations! Congratulations to Jada E, Sharell D, Kaiya JW, Nina-Symone WS and Mecca P!! This pre-recorded video will premier on the City's You-Tube channel and on Channel 21 on Monday, January 18th at 11:00 am. I hope you are able to watch it!

As you already know, our district continues to evaluate COVID-19 data in Federal Way and is currently working on a plan to return to some in-person learning. Federal Way Public Schools will take the lead from the Governor's Office and the Department of Health. There are more details to follow, so I urge you to continue to read Superintendent Dr. Tammy Campbell's newsletter which is typically sent out every Friday. Here is the link to her most current newsletter.

Our 10th Family Zoom is scheduled for Wednesday, January 20th at 5:30 pm. Here is the Zoom Link: https://fwps.zoom.us/j/94732455025

This link is limited to 300 participants! Please login 5 minutes early and place your full name inon camera so we can identify you as a parent/guardian/staff member. If you have any burning questions that you'd like answered, please email Ms. Havili at MHavili@fwps.org with those questions!

Right now, our agenda will cover:

1) End of 2nd quarter progress reports

2) How to find out whether your child is actually attending his/her/their zoom classes?

2) Open Question and Answer

SOCIAL EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING

How are you coping during this pandemic? No, seriously...how are you? I kid you not when I say that sometimes it takes that second question to drill down into how one really feels. While we wait and are hopeful that our scholars can come back to face-to-face learning, everyone is experiencing forms of stress in one way or another. Here's what you need to know: we have a counselor on-site to help you and your scholar navigate emergencies that come up. In a dire emergency, please call 9-1-1. However, when you are sensing something is wrong with your child, you can reach out and be assured that we have a counselor on hand to listen and give advice immediately. Here is the number: (253) 945-2573. While we are not allowing face-to-face counseling at the moment, you do have a lifeline here at the school.

IS YOUR 12TH GRADE SCHOLAR ON TRACK TO GRADUATE?

We think it is imperative that you are made aware of how we keep track of data for each and every senior. Almost five months into the school year, we currently have 74% of our seniors fully on track. 20% of our senior scholars must pass every single class this year in order to graduate. And 6% are missing a transcript needed to graduate. Have more questions? Do not hesitate to email your child's counselor for additional information. They should respond within 24-48 hours. Here are their caseloads, emails, and phone number information:

Candy Apple: CApple@fwps.org

Counselor for scholars with last names A-G

Phone: (619) 452-3321

James Tanksley: JTanksley@fwps.org

Counselor for scholars with last names H-N

Phone: (619) 453-0676

Tim Lynch: TLynch@fwps.org

Counselor for scholars with last names O-Z

Phone: (619) 491-7001

As you know, we are limiting access to all school sites. We ask that you call the school to make an appointment if you need assistance. In most cases, we will be able to assist that day--however, due to a limited school crew, we will no longer open our building to the public for drop-ins. I sincerely apologize for this inconvenience. Our District has asked all school buildings to curtail our interactions in order to protect our employees and do our part in stopping the spread of the virus. If you need to make an appointment, please call between 7:30am-3:00 pm: (253) 945-2573. The last appointment of the day is 2:30 pm.

Finally, an important note about the end of 2nd quarter. The last day of second quarter is January 28th. As we approach that date, it is important for you to connect with your child to ensure all assignments are turned in on time and that they are also attending both synchronous and asynchronous classes. Thank you for your partnership and support!

All the best,

Ms. Anali Weatherhead

Proud TBHS Principal