Falcons PTO

10/19/2026

The axolotl, a smiling salamander from Mexico that spends its whole life in the water, has one of the most remarkable abilities in the animal kingdom.

If it loses a leg, it simply grows a new one. Not a stump, but a complete, working leg, with bones, muscles, nerves, skin and perfectly formed toes. And it does this without leaving a scar.

That's only the beginning. Axolotls can also regrow parts of their heart, sections of their spinal cord, parts of their eyes and even portions of their brain, with new nerve cells connecting to the old ones.

When an axolotl is injured, cells at the wound turn back into a more flexible, stem-cell-like state and form a mass called a blastema, which then rebuilds the missing body part. Human wounds instead close quickly with scar tissue.

Scientists around the world study axolotls in the hope that one day, they could help us heal spinal cord injuries, heart damage and more.

But in the wild, axolotls are critically endangered. They live naturally in just one place: the canals of Xochimilco, in Mexico City, where pollution and invasive fish have pushed them close to the edge. Fewer than 1,000 adults may remain there.

10/15/2026

UPDATE: Thanks to an amazing volunteer, we'll be able to keep our regular Book Fair hours today after all!

Open from 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM

YAY! 🎉

10/15/2026

Today is the last day of the Book Fair!

Please note our updated hours: we'll be open 1:00-3:00 PM today. Unfortunately, we weren't able to fill the final volunteer shift (3-5 PM), but the good news is that every other shift was covered. Thank you, Falcons families! ❤️

Be sure to stop by before we close and pick up some great books! 📖

10/15/2026

📣 Teacher Project Spotlight!

Have you heard of DonorsChoose? It's a nonprofit platform where teachers can request resources and supplies directly for their classrooms, and community members can help bring those projects to life.

One of our amazing Falcon teachers is currently seeking donations to provide snacks for students who may need a little extra support during the school day. ❤️

If you'd like to learn more or contribute, please check out the project link in the comments. Every donation, big or small, helps make a difference!

Bonus: You can also subscribe and follow Pine Tree Elementary to get notified when a new project for our school is created!!!

Send a message to learn more

10/11/2026

Perfection isn't what makes a PTO successful, people do. Every volunteer hour, every donation, and every helping hand moves us forward. Progress over perfection, always. 🙌

10/11/2026

📚 We Need Your Help to Keep the Book Fair Open! 📚

The Book Fair is set up, stocked, and ready for our Falcons families to shop, but we can't keep the doors open without volunteer support.

Just a few hours of your time can make a big difference and help our students and families enjoy this special event. If you're available, please consider signing up for one of the remaining shifts:

📅 Available Shifts
• Monday, 10/12: 5:00-7:00 PM
• Tuesday, 10/13: 1:00-3:00 PM & 5:00-7:00 PM
• Wednesday, 10/14: 1:55-3:00 PM
• Thursday, 10/15: 1:00-3:00 PM & 3:00-5:00 PM

Signup link in the comments.

Without volunteers, we may have to reduce operating hours or close during these times. Thank you for helping us make the Book Fair a success for our students! ❤️

10/09/2026

Plan ahead of time with all these closures going on!

FALL BALL IS BACK Y’ALL. And what better way to celebrate than with a steaming hot kupp of closures? We’ve got a full closure of southbound I-405 in Bothell, ongoing northbound I-5 lane reductions and an overnight closure of the I-5 express lanes in Seattle. Add Seahawks and Huskies football games to the mix, and you’ll definitely want a game plan before heading out.

-BOTHELL: SB I-405 will CLOSE from 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9 to 4 a.m. Monday, Oct. 12 between SR 527 and SR 522. The following ramps will also close at this time: SR 527 on-ramp to SB I-405, NE 195th on-/off-ramps to I-405 and SR 522 off-ramp to SB I-405. Crews will use this closure to work on drainage, pavement reconstruction and bridge repair.

-SEATTLE: NB I-5 express lanes will CLOSE overnight from 11 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9 to 8 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 10 to complete drainage work underneath the Ship Canal Bridge. The two right lanes of NB I-5 and the SB express lanes across the bridge also remain closed around-the-clock.

Before you grab your Paint Map pitchforks, we know there’s more happening this weekend than football. But if you couldn’t already tell, this isn’t a traditional Paint Map, so we didn’t pack this one with all the usual drawings. Consider this our little fall-football-freeway crossover episode.

You know the drill. Plan ahead and give yourself plenty of time to get where you're going. GO HAWKS and GO DAWGS!