Seattle Public Schools

January 11, 2008

Photography © Susie Fitzhugh

District News

All-City Kindergarten and Middle School fair to be held January 12
An All-City Kindergarten and Middle School Fair is scheduled for January 12 from 9 a.m. to noon at the John Stanford Center, 2445 Third Ave. S. A second school fair – The South and Southeast All Grades School Fair – is scheduled for February 2 from 9 a.m. to noon at Mercer Middle School, 1600 Columbian Way S. Open Enrollment for Seattle Public Schools for the 2008-09 school year is scheduled from January 22 to February 29. For more information on the school fairs and Open Enrollment, read the full news release or call Enrollment Services at (206) 252-0760.

Public invited to January Open Houses on District's Facility Master Plan
Seattle Public Schools will host a series of Community Open Houses this month on updates of the District’s Facility Master Plan (FMP). The FMP brings together major District policies, studies, and facilities information into one document that will be used to guide the future direction of capital construction projects and facility use, reuse, repurposing, and/or closure. For questions, contact Paul Wozniak, Senior Facility Planner at (206) 252-0699 or pawozniak@seattleschools.org; or Eleanor Trainor, Capital Project Community Liaison, at (206) 252-0655 or egtrainor@seattleschools.org. The Community Open Houses are scheduled as follows:

Greenwood Elementary, Library
Monday, January 14
7-8:30 p.m.
144 N.E. 80th St.

Meany Middle School, Room 46
Tuesday, January 15
7-8:30 p.m.
301 21st Ave. E.

Mercer Middle School, Library
Wednesday, January 16
7-8:30 p.m.
1600 S. Columbian Way

School Board Update: January 9 meeting
     The following actions were taken during the January 9 meeting at the John Stanford Center:
     ■ The Board unanimously approved moving the now-closed Martin Luther King building to surplus status. This will allow the District to explore other uses for the building.
     ■ The Board unanimously approved a motion to give the Superintendent permission to seek a waiver from the State Board of Education to excuse Nathan Hale High School students and staff from making up the four days missed due to recent inclement weather. The request will now be forwarded to the State Board of Education for their consideration.
     ■ The Board unanimously approved a Legislative agenda for the 2008 Legislative session. The Board’s legislative efforts will be focused on seeking adequate funding for basic education, including full funding of six class periods at the high school level, funding for efforts to assist students who are unable to pass all sections of the WASL, and funding for full-day Kindergarten.
     The next School Board meeting is scheduled for January 23.

Magazine recognizes Board Director as top business attorney in Seattle
Congratulations to School Board Director Peter Maier, who was recognized in the January 2008 edition of "Seattle Business Monthly" as one of Seattle's top 87 business lawyers for his successful defense of the constitutionality of the state's consumer protection law relating to the purchase of motor vehicles.

Seattle School Board committee chairs, members announced for 2008
     Seattle School Board President Cheryl Chow announced new Board committee chairs and members for 2008 at its December 19 Board meeting. Committees and its members are:
     ■ Executive Committee: Cheryl Chow, President; Michael DeBell, Vice President; and Peter Maier, Member-at-Large;
     ■ Finance Committee: Steve Sundquist, Chair; Michael DeBell and Harium Martin-Morris, members;
     ■ Operations Committee: Sherry Carr, Chair; Mary Bass and Peter Maier, members;
     ■ Student Learning Committee: Harium Martin-Morris, Chair; this will be a Committee of the Whole (all seven board members)
     When committee meeting schedules are finalized, meeting dates and times will be posted to the Board calendar. Board agendas are at: http://www.seattleschools.org/area/board/agenda.htm.

Student Celebrations

Dunlap Elementary fifth-grader wins first place in citywide art contest

     Andrea Kaufman, a fifth-grader at Dunlap Elementary School, won first place in the Seattle Parks and Recreation's "Learn To Swim” Poster Contest. Andrea's artwork will be featured on the 2008 "Learn to Swim" posters distributed throughout the city. She will also receive a special recognition award signed by Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, as well as a family swimming pass for one month. Andrea will be recognized at a special assembly at Dunlap.
     Another Dunlap student – Maliyah Bennett, a fourth-grader who recently won first place in Washington Poison Center's annual statewide art competition – will be honored at a January 14 special assembly at the school. Her artwork won over hundreds of entries and will appear on posters, pamphlets and publications circulated to schools, health organizations and health professionals throughout Washington state.
    Donna Amira is the art teacher of both students.

Ballard Video Production students to attend Sundance Film Festival
Twelve students from Ballard High School’s Video Production Program will be attending the Sundance Film Festival this January, thanks to a scholarship from the Sundance Institute. The students will each receive a festival credential, priority ticket reservations, and ticket fees will be waived. In addition to the many opportunities to screen new films and learn from the filmmakers, the Institute is setting up a special event just for the filmmakers to discuss their craft with the students. Each year, the Sundance Institute selects a limited number of college and high school programs from across the nation for this educational opportunity.

Staff Celebrations

Teachers to receive Golden Apple Awards for excellence in education
Two programs active in Seattle Public Schools also to be honored
     Scott Brown, a music teacher at Roosevelt High School, and Masako Davison, a reading teacher at Beacon Hill Elementary School, will be honored January 18 with the KCTS 2007 Golden Apple Awards for excellence in education. The two teachers were among seven individuals across the state selected for making a positive difference in Washington state education for students in Prekindergarten to Grade 12.
     Two organizations with programs active in Seattle Public Schools, both with a major presence at the John Marshall Alternative High School, will also be honored:
     Bright Future Program/Seattle Vocational Institute is being honored for the work it does training and supporting students in various vocations offered at Seattle's community colleges and providing assistance to students who might not otherwise graduate from high school.
     826 Seattle, a nonprofit writing center in Greenwood, is being honored for its work in offering free drop-in tutoring for students from Grades 1-12.
     For reservations to the ceremony, call 1-800-766-0900.

     KCTS Golden Apple Awards
     Friday, January 18 at 7 p.m.
     Intiman Theatre
     201 Mercer St., Seattle

Hamilton teacher to be recognized for international arts program
The NEA Foundation announced that Lary Barilleau, an International Arts teacher at Hamilton International Middle School, will be honored in Washington, D.C., as the recipient of the 2008 William G. Carr Award. The memorial award is given annually to a Foundation grantee whose Innovation Grant activities advance international understanding through subjects such as history, geography, social sciences, literature, and language or area studies. Barilleau, the lead teacher for the grant, will attend the 13th Annual Salute to Excellence in Education Gala in D.C. on February 9 and participate in a day of special activities.
Barilleau and team members Deena Docter and Herb Ellis implemented “Musical Markers of the African Diaspora,” a cross-curricular project that explored music traditions that reflect African heritage. Students learned about jazz traditions in African, Caribbean, and Latin American cultures and studied the mathematical and physical concepts needed to construct instruments. For their final project, students collaborated with musicians to develop an African and Latin American percussion performance. Activities stemming from the grant helped shape Barilleau's International Arts program.

Seahawks, Symetra honors teachers as 'Heroes in the Classroom'
Program raises more than $51,600 for Seattle Public Schools
Symetra Financial and the Seattle Seahawks announced that they have raised more than $51,600 for Seattle Public Schools on behalf of Symetra "Heroes in the Classroom" – a program honoring teachers for exemplary leadership and instructional skills. The money will directly support the District's academic vision of “every student a reader,” with funds directed to purchase books for the expansion of classroom libraries at a number of high-poverty elementary and K-8 schools. A portion of the donation will also be used to help offset some the personal out-of-pocket expenses teachers incur to provide classroom supplies. In addition to the fundraising efforts, 24 exceptional teachers from around the District were recognized this season, both in their classrooms and on the field during Seahawks home games. Click here to read the full news release. To see the full line-up of 2007-08 “Heroes in the Classroom,” visit www.symetra.com/heroes.

Around the schools

Students to celebrate life of Martin Luther King Jr. with ‘social justice march’      Hundreds of children from Seattle Public Schools will celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with a social justice march January 18. Students from Gatewood and Stevens elementary schools, and Meany Middle School will join several other private schools for the “Taking Steps Towards Social Justice March.” Students from Lowell Elementary have been invited and may also participate. The march begins at 9:30 a.m. at the main entrance of Capitol Hill’s Volunteer Park and will wind its way around the park’s perimeter road to the amphitheater. The celebration will feature a performance by the Total Experience Gospel Choir and Gatewood Elementary’s fourth- and fifth-grade students. Parents, family members, friends, and neighbors are encouraged to participate or observe the march as it moves through the park and ends at the amphitheater for reflection, remarks, and celebration. For more information, contact Kevin Peterson, a teacher at Stevens Elementary, at (206) 252-3400 or (206) 992-3799. Click here for the full news release from organizers.

     Taking Steps Towards Social Justice March
     Friday, January 18
     9:30 a.m.
     Volunteer Park main entrance
     1247 15th Ave. E.

Washington Middle School students get a taste of French Polynesia

Dress, dances offer insights into French culture
Students in David Simmons' French language class at Washington Middle School learn Polynesian and Tahitian dancing in culture lessons about French Polynesia. His daughter, Nasim Simmons, a professional Hawaiian and Tahitian dancer and student at the University of Washington, showed students how to wear a "pareo" (Tahitian word for wraparound skirt) and how women's and men's dance moves are differentiated and performed.

Maple Elementary to be featured in January 15 national television program
Staff, students and families of Maple Elementary School will be featured during a January 15 television segment of ED News, a Department of Education national program featuring education news for parents. Maple Elementary Principal Pat Hunter will appear as a live guest and talk about the good work at both Maple Elementary and Seattle Public Schools. Maple will be highlighted as one of No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools for its school leadership, teacher excellence and student learning. The school recently posted outstanding WASL scores of 80 percent to 90 percent in math, reading and writing in the fourth-grade test. The program will include video stories of Maple teachers and classrooms in action. The program will be broadcast live on Seattle Public Schools TV, Channels 26 and 75, from WETA, the Washington PBS member station in Virginia. For more information about the program, visit www.ed.gov/edtv.

     No Child Left Behind: Student Achievement on the Rise
     January 15, 2008
     5-6 p.m.
     Seattle Public Schools TV, Channels 26 and 75

Washington Middle School students collect 300 coats, 1,000 pounds of food
Washington Middle School students, left photo, load up a truck filled with donations of coats while other students, right photo, gather around boxes filled with canned food donations. The 'Coats and Cans' fund-raiser, held a week before the holiday break, collected more than 300 coats and 1,000 pounds of canned food.

Adams PTA buys books for every family in first 'Adams Reads' event
     Adam Elementary School will hold their first “Adams Reads” event on February 1, in which local author Linda Johns will talk about writing and her book, “Hannah West is the Center of the Universe.” Auctions and fund-raisers allowed Adams PTA to purchase the books from the Secret Garden Book Shop and distribute it to every family at the school. Johns, a Seattle Public Librarian, will autograph the book after the program. Families are invited to share a book response with the group in the form of art (paintings, drawings), dioramas, posters, music, maps, poetry, etc. For questions, contact Marlene Friend, Adams Librarian, at mfriend@seattleschools.org, or Jennifer Burke, Adams Volunteer Coordinator, at jenandjerry@blarg.net. Both can also be contacted at (206) 252-1300.

     Adams Reads
     Friday, February 1
     7-8:15 p.m.
     Adams Elementary School, Cafeteria
     6110 28th Ave. N.W.

Summit K-12 provides holiday
cheer for 42 needy families
Thanks to the help from students, families and several nonprofit organizations, the holidays were a lot cheerier for 42 families at Summit K-12. These families were given enough food to last through the two-week winter break, clothing, household necessities, and items from their gifts list. The Holiday Outreach program at Summit serves about 250 people, including students and their family members from the 42 families. Every person received a coat, hat, scarf, and gloves and each child received a coat.

Students help out at one of the Holiday Outreach Program work parties.

Around the Community

Communities in Schools of Seattle
support 'Read a Million Words, Seattle!'
Students at Northgate and West Seattle elementary schools were the lucky recipients of 1,000 new and gently used books in December. Communities In Schools of Seattle connected with Reading Tree, which collected the books in partnership with PCC in West Seattle and QFC in Northgate. An additional 4,000 books were donated to the District for distribution to other schools.

Filipino American Educators of Washington celebrate 35th anniversary
Several Seattle School District leaders joined members of the Filipino American Educators of Washington (FAEW) for their 35th anniversary celebration in October. Seated from left: Michelle Corker-Curry, Deputy Academic Officer; Carla Santorno, Chief Academic Officer; and Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson, Superintendent. There are more than 1,800 Filipino American students attending Seattle Public Schools. In addition, there are about 50 certificated and 63 classified educators and employees working at Seattle Public Schools who are Filipino Americans.

Partnership program helps students find options for service-learning hours

Environmental Portal workers, left photo, were ready to answer questions last month at Garfield High School during a service-learning fair as students, right photo, visited other booths for information.

Cleveland High, Center School to hold fairs this month; more to be scheduled this year
A partnership program among Seattle Public Schools, the Alliance for Education and the Northwest Environmental Education Council, is helping connect students to more than 100 different organizations throughout the greater Seattle area in order to fill their 60-hour service-learning requirement. The Environmental Portal allows students to work on a wide variety of projects, including trail and habitat restoration, invasive species removal, and database and Web site work. At the end of January, the Portal will be holding two service-learning fairs at Cleveland High School and The Center School (Dates to be announced later.) Additional fairs will be held at other high schools in the coming months. To find out more about the Environmental Portal or to search a database for service projects, visit www.portalseattle.org or call the Council at (206) 923-1980.

Upcoming Events

Summit K-12 invites public to Teen Poetry Night on January 31
Summit K-12 and Writers in the Schools invites the public for an evening of poetry on January 31 at the Lake City Library. Summit middle school students will be reading their poetry, and portraits created by students will be displayed in the library. Everyone is welcome to attend this free event. Refreshments will be provided.

     Teen Poetry Night
     Thursday, January 31
     6:30 p.m.
     Lake City Library
     12501 28th Ave. N.E.

Franklin High PTSA plans fund-raiser March 1 to benefit Grad Night
Franklin High School's PTSA is presenting the "Feast of Franklin" Banquet and Auction on March 1. The event will help reduce the costs of the school's Grad Night Party and create a scholarship fund to make Grad Night affordable and accessible for all seniors. Tickets are $45 and the PTSA is still looking for auction items and sponsors. For more information, contact Angela Toussaint at (206) 551-6696 or angelatou@msn.com

     Feast of Franklin Banquet and Auction
     Saturday, March 1
     6-9 p.m.
     Museum of Flight
     9404 E. Marginal Way S., Tukwila

School and District Events Calendar

If you would like to know about current special school events, fund-raisers or other District events, go online to the District Events Calendar where you can see what’s going on monthly at Seattle Public Schools or search for specific events by date, school and type.

We Need Your Ideas

The Communications Office is always looking for stories on interesting classroom projects, inspirational people, or events in our schools to share with the greater Seattle community. We often highlight stories submitted by school staff for potential media coverage as well as District and community publications. For examples of stories we have published in the past, please visit this link. We would like to hear from you. If you have a unique story to share, please send your ideas directly to goodnews@seattleschools.org. The deadline for submissions is January 22 for the January 24 issue of School Beat.

In the News

For a sampling of this week’s local newspaper stories on Seattle Public Schools, please click here.

SCHOOL BEAT is an electronic newsletter covering District and school-based news and is published twice a month for the employees of Seattle Public Schools.