Spring Benefit Registration, Chili Cook-Off Winners, and Community Updates!

Dear Soundview family,

The SPGA Chili Cook-Off & BINGO was a wonderful celebration of community! With a full house, friendly competition, and plenty of great food, the afternoon was filled with laughter, connection, and school spirit. Congratulations to our talented winners, parent Katie for BOTH her crowd-pleasing chili and her flavorful mac & cheese, and to Soph (Grade 8) for her standout cornbread. Every entry was delicious, and the competition was tough! A huge thank-you to the SPGA for organizing such a fun, well-attended event. We’re so grateful for the time and energy spent making this event such a success! Be sure to see the photos below.

Preparation for NWAIS Accreditation continues to be a focus for our administrative team and Board of Trustees. Erin Armstrong is leading us through the writing of a self-study that requires us to reflect on our practices in all areas of the school. The next milestone will be the preliminary visit on Wednesday, May 6. The chairs of our visiting team, Julie Lennox from Missoula International School and Yvan Tabellion from French Immersion School of Washington, will visit Soundview to ensure we are ready to move forward with the accreditation process. We feel ready and are excited for their visit! 

Many of you have asked recently about the next steps for naming a permanent head of school. Our Board of Trustees established a formal Head Search Committee to steward this process. Please read Board President Shawn Heidel’s update on the head search. Families are invited to campus on Tuesday, February 24, to meet with the search consultant from 2:15 to 3:00. A link to RSVP will be in Tuesday’s Toddle Announcements and next Friday’s letter. Please join us and get involved in the process.

Plans are officially underway for the Soundview Spring Benefit on Saturday, March 28! This special evening brings our community together to support Soundview’s mission. Your participation makes a meaningful difference for our students and programs.

• Review event details from Wednesday’s announcement

• Register for the event.

• Reserve childcare for the evening.

• Can’t attend but would still like to support Soundview? Make a gift or pledge today. 

Also, a huge thank you to Manager’s Pizza, our second Spring Benefit sponsor for this year’s event! We’re thrilled to partner with a valued local business to help make this year’s event truly meaningful and memorable. If you’d like to deepen your involvement by hosting a table or sponsoring part of the event to help offset the cost, please contact our Director of Advancement, Ryan Wasserman.

Community Projects
Grade 8 students are hard at work on their Community Projects, as are MYP students across the globe. The Community Project is a summative project that takes the skills, concepts, and habits developed throughout a Soundview education. Students develop awareness of needs in various communities and address those needs through service learning. The Community Project builds on the power of empathy and serves as the capstone service-learning project for students at Soundview. In the coming weeks, we’ll highlight students’ projects. Here’s a note from Sonya.

Fall semester progress reports were published today in Toddle. If you have trouble accessing your student's report or have questions, please reach out to their teacher directly. 

Summer Camp
Registration is now open for Soundview’s inquiry-based, adventure-filled Summer Camps for students entering Early Childhood–Kindergarten and Grades 6–8, led by our own faculty and staff. We’re excited to continue our partnership with Steve & Kate’s Camp, offering additional options for ages 4–12. Camps are open to Soundview families and the wider community. Feel free to spread the word! Space is limited, so be sure to register soon on our website.

Need a refresher on last week’s updates? You can find them on our website.

A few key dates, events, and opportunities for February:

ParentMap ParentEd Talk
We’re excited to invite families to our next ParentEd Talk featuring parent coach, psychologist, and GoZen founder Renee Jain. Her presentation, From Blowups to Breakthroughs: A New Way to Navigate Anger in Kids, offers practical strategies and fresh perspectives for supporting children through big emotions. Join us on Tuesday, February 10, at 12:00 pm, and plan to continue the conversation at our next Community Coffee.

Families can register for the full ParentEd series using the complimentary ticket password: SOUNDVSCH.

Community Coffee
Please join us for Community Coffee on Friday, February 13, from 8:40 am to 9:20 am in the Language Lab, just ahead of the Grade 3/4 all-school assembly. These gatherings are a great opportunity to connect with fellow caregivers and dive deeper into topics that matter. If you missed the ParentEd Talk Inside the ADHD Mind, a recording is available HERE (password: edTalks*2526) and is sure to spark thoughtful conversation. Parking will be available in the gravel lot beginning at 8:30 am. Additional dates can be found on the Community Calendar or in the printable schedule.

Midwinter Break
A reminder that Midwinter Break will take place February 16–20. There will be no school for students, and the school office will be closed. We look forward to welcoming students back on Monday, February 23.

SPGA Parent Education Night
Families are invited to join us on Thursday, February 26, from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm for a Family Education Night featuring Angela Wood, LMHC, ATR, for an expert-led conversation titled “Your Child, Food, and Body Image: What to Know, What to Look Out For, and How to Help.”

With more than 23 years of experience supporting children, adolescents, and families, Angela will share practical insights in a brief presentation, followed by an interactive Q&A focused on the questions and concerns most meaningful to caregivers. This thoughtful session is designed to offer guidance and tools to help families support their children with confidence and care. Please be sure to RSVP and sign up for childcare, if needed, so we can plan accordingly.

Tuition Deposit
You should have received an email from Hazel notifying you that your enrollment deposit for the 2026–2027 school year has been added to Blackbaud as a February payment. If you have any questions, please reach out to Hazel directly.

Around the world and in different communities, January is a month of recognition and awareness:

• Curious about this week’s recognition and awareness days? You can explore the full list on our website.

Have a great weekend, and go Seahawks! 

Warmly,
Chrissy Sinclair
Interim Head of School

One more thing… 
Bob Marley was born on February 6, 1945, in Nine Mile, Jamaica, and went on to become one of the most influential musicians in history. As a global ambassador of reggae, Marley used his music to amplify messages of peace, resistance, love, and unity, bringing Jamaican culture and the struggles of oppressed people to the world stage. His songs transcended music, shaping social movements, inspiring generations, and cementing his legacy as a voice for justice, hope, and human dignity worldwide. Read about Bob Marley.