Dear Peace Crane Families, 

I am thrilled to extend a warm welcome to the 2023/2024 school year. I am Caine Lowery, the proud principal of Aki Kurose Middle School. It brings me immense joy to lead and serve this community, and I am deeply appreciative of the opportunity to collaborate with your families.  

The Aki Kurose community holds a special place in my heart. During my time here, I have witnessed the incredible potential of our students and firmly believe that we have a fundamental responsibility to foster a culture and system that supports their growth. Our students’ potential knows no bounds, and I’ve seen firsthand how the Aki community plays a significant role in shaping their journeys to college and careers. 

As we embark on the 2023/24 school year, we are entering a realm of possibilities, as we all continue to learn and grow together. It is crucial that we prioritize our students’ academic growth and social, and emotional well-being. 

At Aki Kurose Middle School, we envision a community that seizes every opportunity to engage students and provide them with the resources they need to thrive. We are committed to building on the progress we’ve made in strengthening positive connections among students, staff, and the community. Through these connections, we aim to create meaningful learning experiences that bridge student expertise with academic learning and future educational pathways. Our goal is to provide an equitable, rigorous experience that builds on students’ strengths. We aim to enhance the value our learners find in their education by offering intellectually demanding experiences where students can apply academic content while nurturing their interests and strengths concurrently. By empowering students to have a voice in their educational journey during middle school, we can help them solidify their identity as scholars and enhance their sense of belonging in education during a time when disengagement is common. 

Our theory of action is based on engaging students in a learning pathway that aligns with their strengths and aspirations, offering multiple pathways to success, fostering social capital through positive connections, and celebrating success in a way that empowers lifelong learning. 

I am excited to embark on this journey together and am committed to building relationships and working collaboratively for the success of our children. 

Included in this letter, you will find essential information to help you prepare for a positive and productive 2023/2024 school year. We also utilize our website, robocalls, Talking Points text messaging, and email to communicate regularly, so please stay connected and don’t hesitate to reach out for any reason. This letter is also available on our website, where you can find translated versions.

Upcoming Important Dates: 

• Tuesday, August 29th, 2023: 6th Grade Family Night from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. sponsored by Title I.
• Wednesday, August 30th, 2023: 7th and 8th Grade Family Night from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. sponsored by Title I
• Monday, September 4th, 2023: Labor Day (No School) 
• Tuesday, September 5th, 2023: Staff Workday (No School for Students) 
• Wednesday, September 6th, 2023: First Day of School for All Students (8:55 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. – early release starts September 13th) 

Required School Forms: 

All necessary school forms will be available on our website and distributed as paper copies to students during advisory in the first week of school. Please ensure prompt submission of the following forms: 

• Free Reduced Lunch Form 
• Emergency Contact Information 
• FERPA form 
• 504-2 form (for differently abled students) 
• Title VII Indian Education form (for new students only) 
• Housing Questionnaire (if applicable) 
• Aki Math Pathways & FAQ document – available on the Aki Website under Academics 

Student Schedules and Course Change Requests: 

Seattle Public Schools Central Office will be communicating out to families when student schedules are posted to the Source. Paper schedules will be provided on the first day of school. If adjustments are needed, counselors will work closely with students and families. Please note that schedule change requests for exploratory courses can be accommodated based on space availability, and requests must be made the week of September 11-15. We appreciate your understanding and patience. 

First Day Schedule: 

As we embark on this new year, building relationships with your advisory teacher is vital. All Aki Kurose Middle School students will gather in Advisory (period 8 on student schedules) at 8:55 a.m. on the first day, and will also end the school day in advisory at 3:45 p.m. 

Sept. 6	6th Grade	7th Grade	8th Grade
Adv.	8:55-9:25	8:55-9:25	8:55-9:25
1st	9:28-10:08	9:28-10:08	9:28-10:08
2nd	10:11-10:51	10:11-10:51	10:11-10:51
3rd	10:54-11:34	10:54-11:34	10:54-11:34
4th	11:37-12:04	11:37-12:34	Lunch = 11:34-12:04
4th	Lunch = 12:04-12:34	N/A	N/A
4th	12:37-1:04	Lunch = 12:34-1:04	12:07-1:04
5th	1:07-1:47	1:07-1:47	1:07-1:47
6th	1:51-2:31	1:51-2:31	1:51-2:31
7th	2:34-3:14	2:34-3:14	2:34-3:14
Adv.	3:17-3:45	3:17-3:45	3:17-3:45

We are eagerly looking forward to reuniting with our community. For any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 206-252-7700. 

Warm regards, 

Caine Lowery Proud Principal calowery@seattleschools.org 

Ron Howard Proud Assistant Principal rfhoward@seattleschools.org 

Emma Hong Proud Assistant Principal emhong@seattleschools.org 

Dan Reeve Proud Assistant Principal dereeve@seattleschools.org