Welcome to Green Lake Elementary School, home of the Green Lake Dragons!

New Families FAQ We hope the Frequently Asked Questions below will help you as you prepare and settle in. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to our New Families Liaison at newfamilies@greenlakedragons.org. Thanks!

My student will be attending Green Lake. What should I do first?

When do I find out who my students' teacher will be and how do I get ready for Back to School? 

How do I stay informed of events?

Where do I drop off and pick up my student?

What are the bell times?

What do I do if my student is late or will be absent?

Is there a school calendar?

How are meals provided at school?

What do families typically do for after school care or enrichment programs? 

What school supplies do I need to buy?

Tell me about the library and parent resources

Will I be expected to volunteer?

What about donating money?

 

 

My student will be attending Green Lake. What should I do first? 

1. Register for the GLES Directory. >
   • This is entirely optional, but it's the best way to connect with other families so you can help your kid schedule a play date with their new best friend. 
     
     
2. Become a Member of the PTA and renew your membership every year.>  
   • Also optional, but the PTA works hard to support our amazing faculty and staff and your membership goes toward valuable programs and services that enrich our students' lives. 
     
     

3. Label all personal items your student will be taking to school: clothes, lunchbox, water bottle, jacket, etc. 

    

   * Seriously, you can’t imagine how many things are left on the playground and around the school and never claimed.

   * We keep items for a month or so, then a message is sent out with pictures by the front office.  After another week, everything is donated.                                                                         

    

4. Send your students to school prepared for the indoor and outdoor climates.
   • Some classrooms are a little chilly, others are plenty warm. Check in with your student to make sure they're dressing comfortably for class.
   • On PE days, your student might appreciate wearing athletic shoes or having some handy.
   • Dragons go outside for recess in all weather conditions; indoor recess is rare. 

When do I find out who my students' teacher will be and how do I get ready for Back to School? 

•  Watch for an email from the School Admin/Secretary in late August; if you're enrolled in Green Lake, you'll be getting this mail. It contains helpful information for getting set up for the coming school year. 
  
  
• Your students' teacher will be assigned in late August, once teachers have returned to work and classes have been created. You'll receive an email from the teacher when they're ready to introduce themselves; please try to be patient. If you haven't heard anything by September 1 please contact the School Admin. 
  
  
• The school will host some important events to bring the families in at the start of the school year: in 2024-25 for example, the school is hosting a "Meet your Teacher" on Sept 3 from 3-4pm the day before school begins. There will also be a Curriculum Night later in the month that you don't want to miss. 

 

How do I stay informed of events going on at Green Lake? 

 

1. Join the GLES Parents Facebook Group.>  
   • Not everyone is a fan of Facebook-but believe it or not, we have several families who only join Facebook for access to this Group. It's the best place to ask and answer questions, share information, learn about community events, and keep on top of parent-led initiatives.                                               
2. Ask your student's teacher. 
   • They are, by far, the first source of information about your student.  Please don’t be shy to reach out and ask questions about anything. They are ready and happy to keep you informed.
     
     
3. Read Room Parent Emails. 
   • Room Parents send email updates about upcoming events at school, and those specific to their classroom. This could include requests for snack donations, volunteer opportunities, field trips, class play dates and more. 
     
     
4. Read the weekly newsletter from Principal Liz McFarland.
   • She sends them every Friday via Talking Points and email. 
     
     
5. Read the bi-monthly PTA newsletter.
   • We send these home in backpacks, and also provide the digital link in Room Parent emails. We include upcoming events, report on fundraiser success/progress, and any other happenings in the Green Lake community.

Where do I drop off and pick up my student?

If your student is not riding the bus, you will be dropping them off at one of two locations.

 

PLEASE CONSIDER PARKING ON A SIDE STREET RATHER THAN DRIVING DIRECTLY TO THE GATE; pick up and drop off congestion can be stressful and you'll help to reduce traffic. Thanks! 

 

K – 2nd Grade: Drop off at gate on 1st Avenue NE cul-du-sac The cul-de-sac becomes very congested at drop-off and pick-up. Please arrive early if you want to park on the cul-de-sac, and expect that you might be blocked in by other parking cars.  Please do not block traffic on Woodlawn waiting to turn up the cul-de-sac. This is a very busy arterial. If you can't enter the cul-de-sac due to traffic, consider parking briefly on a side street or in a nearby lot.    3rd – 5th Grade: Drop off at gate on Sunnyside Avenue N Sunnyside is the bus drop-off zone. Please DO NOT PARK YOUR CAR IN THE BUS ZONE. For optimal traffic flow, please enter on 65th and drive North / downhill to exit on Woodlawn Ave. Sunnyside is essentially a single-lane street, with cars parking on either side.

Driving around the school at drop off and pick up can be VERY frustrating. Plan ahead and give yourself extra time if you can, and remember to please "Drive Like A Dragon". Thanks!

 

Here's a map with some parking areas circled in purple: 

What are the bell times? 

Breakfast*	8:35 am
Morning Bell	8:55 am
Release	3:25 pm
Wednesday Early Release	2:10 pm

*For students participating in breakfast. Students need to be finished with their meal and able to line up before the bell. 

 

 

What do I do if my student is late or will be absent? 

If your student will be absent, late, or needs to be picked up from school during normal school hours, please notify the school as soon as possible by email at greenlake.attendance@seattleschools.org, or by phone at 206-252-5324. 

 

 

Is there a school calendar? 
The PTA maintains a complete calendar with both official SPS District dates and GLES only events.

You can also visit the official SPS list for school dates HERE. 

 

 

How are meals provided at school? 

Daily menus are provided by each school.
Follow this link ->>   Green Lake Elementary Menu for daily menu options.  Use the drop-down bar to select Breakfast/Lunch for Green Lake.  There is also an app [MealViewer] you can install available in the Apple store and Google Play store.  

 

 

If you would like to apply for Free or Reduced Price meals, please go to this page to apply online or with a paper form:  Free and Reduced Price Meals - Seattle Public Schools (seattleschools.org)

Please see our Seattle Public Schools Culinary Services page for more information!

 

 

What do families typically do for after school care or enrichment programs? 

What school supplies do I need to buy?  

Good news: our wonderful Office Admin Amy Carroll is bulk purchasing basic school supplies for the entire school.  We are asking families for a voluntary suggested $40/student payment to cover the cost of these supplies. Amy uses these funds to purchase pencils, pens, crayons, paper, notebooks, glue, etc, etc as well as tissues, hand sanitizer and wipes. We increased the payment from $25 to $40 this year to help pay for software as well.

Everyone will receive the supplies they need, regardless of payment. Consider giving a little extra beyond $40 to help cover the cost for all our Dragons. 

Donate here: 

 

AND - you still need to do a little shopping. Here is the full list of required school supplies for the 2024-25 school year:  PERSONAL SCHOOL ITEMS PER GRADE

 

 

Tell me about the library! 

What would a school be without its library?  Our wonderful Librarian, Andrea Bernasconi - known to all our students as "Ms. Pickle"- infuses the space with love of learning, helpful suggestions, and encouragement for all our young and developing readers.

Students visit the library weekly and are encouraged to check out several books. They can return the books on their assigned library day or drop them off in the large bin beside the library doors. Students are limited in the number of books they can check out at a time, so it’s important to return them to allow students to check out new items. 

Parents can see the books, fines and any fees (such as for lost books) associated with their student on The Source.

 

Curious about what our library has to offer?  Please go to our school library portal page HERE to see new additions, collections, books by topic and ebooks.

The GLES Library Info For Families page has the full catalog, newsletters, reading resources for English Language Learners, Tech Support links for caregivers (yes please!) and more!

Still have questions?  Feel free to contact Ms. Pickle at albernasconi@seattleschools.org or 206-252-5331

 

 

Will I be expected to volunteer?

Volunteers are what make our school a great place to work and learn, so we strongly encourage volunteering and the PTA will make asks for volunteers on the regular.

Most of our volunteers have full time jobs and young families, so it really takes a village to keep things fully operational. Every little bit helps! 

 

Learn about volunteer opportunities here > 

 

Note: if you want to chaperone, volunteer on school property, or otherwise interact with students, you'll need to complete mandatory online training and a background check in advance. For information and to apply, please visit the official volunteering page at Volunteer - Green Lake Elementary School (seattleschools.org)

 

What about donating money? 

We all give the PTA what we can comfortably afford, whether it's $5 or $5,000+ a year. Every contribution is meaningful. 
Learn more about donating to the PTA here, and visit the PTA home page to view our "Fun and Fundraisers". We will have four major fundraising events throughout the year and hope to have all our parents participate, in whatever way they can!