Student Activities at Thornton Creek

Thornton Creek offers many special activities for students throughout the year. Here are just a few:

Art night

Art projects from all classes are displayed throughout the school and Thornton Creek families are invited to tour the school-turned-art-exhibit. This wonderful community-building event usually happens in the spring and is often combined with Athletic Skills Night.

Artifact Day

In 2023, we launched an important winter tradition at our school. Dr. Donald Felder, a long-time Seattle educator and supporter of the TC community, became our Elder-in-Residence. He shared a variety of artifacts that reflected what was important to him and his family, and asked our students to reflect on what was important to their own identities and family cultures. On our first Artifact Day, students brought their artifacts to share with Dr. Felder and each other. We now celebrate Artifact Day annually, inviting Dr. Felder and our own TC community elders to join us as we learn about identity.

Athletic skills night

Students showcase their athletic skills at this event in the Thornton Creek gym. Performances include gymnastics, unicycling, rollerskating, and many other physical activities. This event is often combined with Art Night.

Bike to school

Biking to school encourages physical activity and teaches children to safely navigate our busy streets. Biking groups meet at prearranged locations and travel to school on prearranged routes. Parent lead routes are chosen (one from the north and one from the south) to limit difficult up and down hills.

Camp

Our fourth and fifth grade classes participate in overnight camp, giving students (teachers & parent chaperones) the opportunity to get out and explore nature together in our beautiful state.

Dragonfly Bazaar

This event celebrates the creativity and individual interests of our 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students, enabling them to create small crafts, set up shop, and “sell” goods to each other, and students in the younger grades. Students help make and print Dragonfly Dollars to use for all purchases. The event takes place during the school day.

Dress like a book character day

An event sponsored in the spring by our wonderful librarian, ‘Dress Like A Book Character Day’ is an opportunity to don a costume in the likeness of a favorite book character.

Expedition night

Near the end of the school year, every class exhibits its expedition projects for the whole Thornton Creek community to see. Parents and friends are invited to visit the specially-prepared classrooms exhibitions and delight in the art projects, journals, reports, and projects displaying the culmination of a year’s work in expeditionary learning.

Field day

Field events and games are set up at outside stations for afternoon fun. Parents are asked to help out at the dizzying array of interesting games. This is a great time for kids to relax, socialize, and have fun! It usually occurs in the last week or two of the school year.

Poem in your pocket day

April is National Poetry Month, and we celebrate by choosing one day in April to celebrate ”Poem in Your Pocket Day.’ Having a favorite poem in your pocket means you are ready, willing, and able to pull it out and recite it to anyone, at anytime during that day. Sponsored by the TC Library.