What are you doing on MLK day, the 18th?

It’s Focus Day!

If you’re home with your kids (who are out of school) on January 18th, why not have fun with them, teach them about how state government works, and do something to help improve your child’s education. Come to Focus Day!

This is going to be really exciting and a GREAT chance for your kids to learn about their state government. Kids who get left out will certainly be hearing from their friends what a great time they had. In addition to signing up yourself, please forward this email on to other Lakeview (and non-Lakeview) parents you know.

Focus Day is on January 18th, and it is very important that we have a good turnout.  The goal of that day is to show our legislators how many parents and others CARE about education. Seeing the faces of voters—and future voters, in the form of kids—who have given up a day to trek to Olympia has a big and lasting impact on our representatives.

 

This year the legislation will be considering a lot of important issues, determining the specifics of how the requirements of 2261 (passed last year) are implemented. There will be a lot of lobbyist and others fighting to get cuts in funding and reforms, in order to advance their own agendas. The PTSA and its members must be actively involved in watching, participating in, and shaping the discussions. The first step is a good turnout at Focus Day.


What you need to know:

·         January 18th is MLK day. Your kids will be out of school, and the PTSA is asking you to come with your children to Focus Day in Olympia.

·         There will be buses to transport us down. Or you can carpool. See the bottom of this message for details on buses.

·         You can order lunches for you and your children.

·         There will be lots of activities for kids, of all ages, including:

o        Create Leave-behind messages for their legislators. Draw a picture on the front and then write a message on the inside.  There will be a map and an office list so that the kids can go and drop-off the cards

o        Table-top Word Search - A word search including 100 civic-centered terms.

o        Suffrage for Kids!  Ballots, “I Voted!” stickers, and a vote counting machine.

o        Write your own law.  Kids can think of a problem, create a law to help fix it, get signatures of supporters, and “submit” it for approval (a gold seal).

o        Campaign buttons.  Kids design and make their own buttons with images of historical buttons around for reference.

o       Build the Legislative Bldg.  For the little guys: blocks on a blanket on the floor, and a picture of the leg bldg.

o        Hopefully, age-appropriate tours of the Capitol and other important buildings or monuments on the Capitol Campus.

 

You can bet that the kids who go will be talking about how much fun they had. Don’t let your kid miss out on the fun. Plan on attending and register using this link.  REGISTRATION IS FREE, and while it’s not required in order to attend and participate, by registering in advance you will help make sure we know how many people to plan for.  The PTSA has also arranged to have pre-ordered box lunches delivered right to the Columbia Room where our activities will be centered, and  you can sign up for them in advance as part of the registration process.  (Unfortunately, they will not be able to take orders for box lunches on the day of the event.)

Don’t get left out! Register now!

Buses:

Place: Former K Mart Parking lot off 148th and Main Street, Bellevue. Ample parking.

Time: Be there at 7:00 AM to leave by 7:30AM to get to Olympia by 9:00AM.

Leave Olympia, Capitol Building, at 1:00PM to arrive in Bellevue by 2:30PM.

Parking is extremely limited this year in Olympia because of building construction so taking the bus will be the carefree way to go, and more fun. We will have information on the top issues and kids activities on the way.

Sign up for the trip by emailing dgerlitz2@comcast.net. Please include the number and names of the kids you are bringing with you (and the more the merrier).