Seattle, WA
Seattle Public Schools
Melissa Mak, ELL Department Lead
Hawthorne’s Quarantine Academy: The Sequel
Hawthorne Elementary School is on a mission to increase equity and social justice in all aspects of its program for student learning and school, family, and community partnerships. Extending last year’s program, the ATP and school leaders created Quarantine Academy: The Sequel—with in-person classes for students and a mix of activities with parents. The series continued Virtual Coffee Chats and meetings with the ATP to discuss family needs for health services and ideas for partnership activities. The Sequel included six special sessions:
- Bringing Mindfulness Home (January) included classroom sessions for students to create balance and reduce stress. Virtual sessions guided parents to ask their children to demonstrate and practice the mindfulness strategies they learned in class.
- Family Chess Night (February) invited sand parents to learn to play chess, taught by a Hawthorne teacher. A community partner donated chess boards, as needed, to families. Students asked the school to restart a Chess Club. This was approved by the principal.
- Family Literacy Art Night (March) started with a teacher reading aloud the book Do You Have a Hat? by Eileen Spinelli. Then, the school sent art materials home via backpack mail with instructions for students and families to create a crazy hat reflective of the story.
- Family Math Cooking Night (April) focused this year on the cuisine of Puerto Rico. The lesson and discussions were conducted in Spanish and English. Ingredients were provided for parents and students to cook and enjoy eating Sorullitos de Maiz (cornmeal fritters), Pollo Guisado (chicken stew), and Arroz Blanco (white rice).
- All School Virtual Literacy Movie Night (June) was based on the book, Ferdinand, which students read. Each student received a Hawthorne movie ticket and goodie bag of snacks to enjoy with others in the family.
- Celebration of Learning Outdoor Dance Party (June) concluded the year with a safe and friendly in-person outdoor party on the playground with dancing and time for meetings. The PTA identified a parent DJ for good music. Popsicles and snacks were enjoyed to celebrate the end of the school year.
Over 370 students and their parents participated in at least one activity, along with over 50 teachers and community members. This was another challenging year, but Hawthorne continued to step confidently on the path to partnerships.
Read more about Quarantine Academy: The Sequel in Promising Partnership Practices 2022.
