SPIN GIRLS MONTHLY NEWSLETTER | NOVEMBER 2023
NOVEMBER - The Month of Being Grateful
But Gentle With Our Emotions...
It is that time of year when everyone everywhere is telling you to be grateful. Of course as a SPIN Girl you have so much to be grateful for. But what if you are also overwhelmed, anxious, upset or just feeling a range of emotions that aren’t all positive and filled with gratitude? Well, we are here to tell you that that is absolutely normal and acceptable. You can express gratitude without it feeling like you are being fake or forcing yourself to only be positive.
If you want to make sure your approach doesn’t veer into ~good vibes only~ territory, think of giving thanks like a two-step process. First, take some time to notice (or write or say out loud) what’s going on in your mind at the moment. Let yourself feel any unpleasant emotions without judgment. Then, only after you’ve reflected on those, take time to note what you’re grateful for, keeping in mind that this can be anything—people, places, things, or situations, no matter how big or small. By acknowledging the negative and the positive, you’ll be reminded that both things can occur at the same time. This also does not make one emotion more important than the other. It is simply an acknowledgement that we are a whole human being with many emotions that sometimes conflict. One thing that helps me is saying things like, “I had a panic attack today, and it was scary, but I’m glad I got through it and it’s over.” Bam! True expression of negative and positive emotions.
Us SPIN Girls know that we embrace the engineering design process as an everyday part of life so we should embrace all the emotions within ourselves. We are so thankful that we get to teach you how to be confident and real in your life and apply that to your future endeavors. We recognize that SPIN Girls is a time commitment and can be challenging to juggle with everything else in your life. But we are so grateful for the time we do get to spend with you.
In this month's newsletter, you'll find a summary of program happenings, a reminder about lab day and a list of emergency and school districts resources with direct links or phone numbers to those resources. You will also find our program calendar which you should keep for future needs. Let us know if you have any questions or concerns.
- SPIN Girls Program Team
MONTHLY RECAP
October brought us our first field days! We kicked off with our field day experiences with our partners from the Seattle Aquarium Connections program teaching the 8th and 9th grade cohorts all about the local salmon journey. Our friend and SPIN Girl resource expert on renewable energy and conservation joined us as well. Our 10th grade cohort had the amazing opportunity to experience astronomy and galaxy lessons and demonstrations at the Bellevue College planetarium. All three cohort field days were new partnerships that we are so honored to have. Each SPIN Girl expressed learning something they hadn't before and are excited to see what the rest of the year brings.
If you missed field days and would like to receive more information on the partners and experiences students had or you need assistance getting to our next field day. Reach out to the SPIN Girls program manager. Communication is our key to success this year and we are always here to assist you.
Not everyone has completed their SPIN Girls registration, program paperwork/permissions, or completed their surveys. Please do so immediately. Follow links below.
Registration links for Connect to our new students have been sent out. The email was sent from "STEM Paths Innovation Network" with the subject "Online Connect Access". Please use the link to make an account and fill out the assigned paperwork. If you are having trouble accessing these documents please let the SPIN Girls Program Manager know.
SPIN Girls Pre-survey and Best Starts For Kids assessment surveys were completed at lab day #1. Please go to THIS link and complete BOTH surveys. If you would like information about what surveys are used for please reach out to the SPIN Girls program manager.
Orientation/Welcome Back was on September 23rd. If you missed it please use THIS link to view the slide presentation. If you would like a pdf version sent to you or you have program questions, please reach out to the SPIN Girls program manager.
Here's the schedule for the 2023-24 program year.
Add these dates to your calendar so you don't miss any!
Lab Day Saturday Time Schedules
8th grade cohort: 9:30AM - 12:30PM
9th grade cohort: 9:30AM - 12:30PM
10th grade cohort: 9:30AM - 12:30PM
Field Day Saturday Time Schedules
8th grade cohort: 10:00AM - 1:00PM
9th grade cohort: 10:00AM - 1:00PM
10th grade cohort: 10:00AM - 1:00PM
*Unless otherwise instructed by SPIN Girls team
SPIN GIRLS ARE GOING TO FLORIDA
Check the details below to learn more details about how you can register to join us for our science in motion trip to Orlando, FL
SPIN GIRLS RESOURCES
Emergency Resources
We understand that 911 is not always a safe option for folks, here are options to consider before contacting the police.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
988
National Domestic Violence Hotline
+1 (800) 799-7233
Self-Harm Hotline
+1 (800) 366-8288
Planned Parenthood Hotline
+1 (800) 230-7526
Alcoholism & Drug Dependency Hope Line
+1 (800) 622-2255
GLBT Hotline
+1 (888) 843-4564
TREVOR Crisis Hotline
+1 (866) 488-7386
The Trans Lifeline
+1 (877) 565-8860
Housing, Food, & Financial Resources
2-1-1
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration
Emergency
911
SPIN Girls students attend multiple school districts throughout King County. We value our SPIN families and know that it takes a tremendous amount of resources to nurture a student and family to success. We want to remind everyone that there are always resources available to your families to ensure that they can reach their full potential, in whatever way they may need extra support. Below you will find direct links to each King County School Districts student, family and community resources page. We have also included links to WA public charter schools and WA homeschool organization. Our hope is that you use these links to inform yourselves of resources available to increase the success of your family at the beginning of the school year. We also want you to use these links throughout the year as more details or changes may become available on the district pages.
Washington Charter Schools Association for public charter schools in WA
SPIN GIRLS FELLOWS
Students who graduate from SPIN Girls are invited to apply for SPIN Fellows in the Spring of their 10th grade year. Fellows are accepted based on their commitment to SPIN Girls and their interest in pursuing a STEM career.
The goal of SPIN Fellows is to empower SPIN Girls students to feel confident in pursuing STEM college majors & careers. The vision is to grow a strong alumni community, supported by SPIN Girls mentors, staff, and other alumni. SPIN Fellows breaks down the barriers that girls of color face when exploring and pursuing STEM careers and shapes a more inclusive future.
For more information visit our website: https://www.stempaths.org/spin-girls-fellows
Copyright © 2020 STEM Paths Innovation Network, All rights reserved.
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