SPIN GIRLS MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
APRIL 2023
April is
Stress
Awareness Month
Every month, there are hundreds of national and international celebrations dedicated to raising awareness and support for meaningful causes. And while each one is important we try to pick one that seems to be most meaningful for our SPIN students. And oh my goodness the amount of stress that you all have as students and teens is tremendous and deserves to be recognized. We adults honestly don't have experience in what it is to be a teen and student in today's day and age. There is not only the extra layer of social media pressures but also the very scary and realness of the ever changing state of global health, school and public safety and so much more that have just increased year after year.
We at SPIN are fortunate to work with some of the most incredible teens and students not only because you are just great humans but also your dedication to your academics, extracurriculars, and interest in STEAM is beyond motivating for us. However, we also want our students to know how important it is for you to recognize how stress and emotions show up in your life. Are there things that you need to refocus? Have you taken on too much? Are you just feeling stressed out or is it something else? Is it time to ask an adult that you trust and you know cares about you to help you imagine, plan, create and make improvements in a healthy way, before it all feels too heavy? These are some of the things we want you to think about.
All of you have been taught how to use the engineering design process and this method of thinking can also work in your everyday life! Try it! Also, remember to make moments for joy and laughter each day. It is a way to remind yourself that amid all of the things you have going on in your life that you have no control over, you can let some light in each day with what you can control. Identify some ways to reduce your stress and let in some joy! A skill most adults wish they had learned at your age.
In this month's newsletter, you'll find a summary of events for March and upcoming events for April, the schedule for lab and field days, the schedule for Friday night hangouts, and some resources to help you out. Let us know if you have any questions or concerns.
- SPIN Girls Program Team
Always helpful to know what might be going on with us!
For our March field day the 8th grade cohort was able to visit our partners over at the UW arboretum and tour the beautiful grounds.
Our partners at 343 Industries opened up their campus to our 9th grade cohort for the March field day. Students were able to do a deep dive into the world of game development.
Once again our amazing partners at TomBoyX invited our SPIN Girls students to come learn about all of the opportunities available in the world of fashion design.
RECAP OF LAST MONTH
In addition to the Three awesome field day partner visits. All three SPIN Girls cohorts also had a lab day on March 25th. At this lab day students were able to work on their capstone projects that will be shared at our end of year celebration on June 3rd.
We only have one more field day and one more lab day before the end of school year program celebration! We can't wait to spend this time with you and also share ALL of the things happening this summer.
LOOKING FORWARD
CHECK OUR WEBSITES NEW PAGE CALLED OPPORTUNITIES IN STEM
FIELD DAY IS ON APRIL 22nd
When: Saturday, APRIL 22nd
Where:
PLEASE CHECK EMAILS THAT WILL BE SENT WITH LOCATION AND ADDRESS DETAILS
Time:
8th grade - 9:30am - 12:30pm - Seattle City Light
9th grade - 9:30am - 12:30pm - UW Immunology
**10th grade - 9:30am - 12:30pm - Seattle City Light - NOTICE SCHEDULE CHANGE**
LAB DAY IS ON MAY 13TH
When:
Saturday, MAY 13th
Where:
3407 NE 2nd ST., Renton, WA 98056
Time:
8th grade - 9:30am - 12:30pm - SPIN office
9th grade - 9:30am - 12:30pm - SPIN Office
10th grade - 1:30pm - 4:30pm - SPIN Office
Location for field days vary and lab day location is the SPIN office
SPIN Office address: 3407 NE 2nd ST., Renton, WA 98056
DURING THE MONTH OF MAY SPIN WILL HAVE SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE!
JOIN US FOR SPIN FAMILY DAY MAY 20th
ENRICHMENT CLASSES FOR STUDENTS GRADES 3RD TO 5TH
MAY 6th, 20th and 27th
&
WE ARE PARTNERING WITH
UW HEALTH CARE EQUITY GROUP TO PRESENT DOCTOR FOR A DAY on May 20th
Open to all Middle and High School Students!
When:
Saturday, MAY 20th
9am - 1:30pm
Where:
Renton Technical College Cafeteria
3000 NE 4th St, Renton, WA 98056
CHECK OUT OUR ENRICH CLASSES FOR 3rd to 5th grades on May 6th, 20th and 27th
END OF YEAR CAPSTONE PRESENTATION AND PROGRAM CELEBRATION EVENT
JUNE 3RD
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Here's the schedule for the 2022-23 program year. Add these dates to your calendar so you don't miss any!
Lab Day Saturday Time Schedules
8th grade: 9:30AM-12:30PM
9th grade: 9:30AM-12:30PM
10th grade: 1:30PM-4:30PM
Location is:
3407 NE 2nd St., Renton, 98056
RTC ANNEX Building
Field Day Saturday Time Schedules unless otherwise directed by program manager
8th grade: 9:30AM-12:30PM
9th grade: 9:30AM-12:30PM
10th grade: 1:30PM-4:30PM
Locations vary for field days. You will be given the location details at least one week prior to the field day experience.
SPIN Girls Hangout
Friday nights on the scheduled event nights
Time:
5:30pm - 8:30pm
Location:
3407 NE 2nd St., Renton, WA 98056
Here's the schedule for the 2022-23 program year. Add these dates to your calendar so you don't miss any
April 7th Friday night SPIN Girls Hangout has been CANCELED
RESOURCES
Check out our new page on the stempaths.org website https://www.stempaths.org/opportunities-in-stem
School district resource pages change monthly via the district staff
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 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