Seattle Public Schools | School Beat April 24, 2009

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April 24, 2009

school beat photo 4-24-09
Photography © Susie Fitzhugh

District News

Public invited to community meetings May 5, 7 and 9
Staff, families and community members are invited to attend quarterly community meetings on May 5, 7 and 9 for discussions and updates on the School District's Strategic Plan Excellence for All, development of the new Student Assignment Plan, changes being implemented to advanced learning programs next year, information about upcoming levies, K-12 assessment strategies, as well as other key topics. Interpreters will be available. Presentations, handouts, feedback and other information from previous community meetings are available in the Engagement section of the Strategic Plan Web page at http://www.seattleschools.org/area/strategicplan/engagement.html. Click here for a list of the dates, times and locations

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, at an April 15 news conference, introduces the four police officers assigned to Seattle Public Schools middle schools as part of the Seattle Youth Violence Initiative. At left is School Superintendent Maria L. Goodloe-Johnson, Ph.D.

Police officers join schools as part of violence prevention initiative
     Four Seattle police officers, assigned to middle schools as part of the Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative, were introduced at an April 15 news conference. The officers will focus on guidance, mentoring and prevention, and participate in intervention, as needed. Three officers will serve at Aki Kurose, Madrona K-8, and Denny. A fourth officer will split time between Meany and Washington middle schools. Read more.

New Student Assignment Plan Update
     A primary goal of the new Student Assignment Plan is to provide stability and predictability of assignments, with continued options for School C choice. At a Board work session on April 23, District staff presented draft proposals related to assignment rules, tiebreakers and related transportation, and also discussed ideas for plan implementation. Documents related to draft assignment rules are posted on the new Student Assignment Plan Web site and the April 23 presentation is available here. Another work session is scheduled for April 29 at 4 p.m., and the new Student Assignment Plan will be one of the topics of discussion at the quarterly strategic plan community engagement meetings, scheduled for May 5, 7 and 9.

School Board Update - April 22, 2009
     Jon Fine, Executive Director of United Way, presented Seattle Public Schools with the Spirit of Caring Award for having the largest percentage increase in giving this year. Dr. Maria L. Goodloe-Johnson thanked him for United Way’s focus on early learning and support for ensuring that children are ready for kindergarten. Dick Lee, from the District's Office of School Partnerships, also invited the public to the BoardWalk 5K Run and Walk, at Husky Stadium this Saturday, starting at 9 a.m. Proceeds from this event support physical education programs in Seattle schools.
     The Board committed to a complete policy audit, and thanked the Alliance for Education for support of this work. They postponed a decision on the high school math adoption proposal until the May 6 Board meeting. The presentation on math adoption is available here. A revised Policy D03.00 was approved, generally outlining how students are to be assigned to schools. A transfer of funds from BEX III program reserves was approved for the Garfield High School construction project. A technical amendment to the transportation service standards was approved to accommodate the length of teacher work days at second-tier schools.
     Contracts for several Buildings, Technology, Academics (BTA) summer projects were awarded, and several from last summer were accepted as complete. Manager Lucy Morello noted that the economic downturn has had one benefit: bids for BTA summer projects were coming in significantly lower than expected, allowing the scope of projects to be increased.
     Introduction items included acceptance of a Broad Foundation grant to support the performance management elements of the strategic plan; a placeholder resolution authorizing a reduction in force for the 2009/10 school year; and modifications to the education specifications for Hamilton International Middle School.
     The next School Board meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m., May 6 at the John Stanford Center auditorium. A Board workshop on BTA III levy planning for 2010 is scheduled for May 13, from 4 to 8 p.m. at the John Stanford Center.

A guest at the April 20 opening reception of the Naramore Exhibition studies a student painting at the lobby of the John Stanford Center. The exhibition continues through May 1.

Naramore Exhibition continues until May 1 at John Stanford Center
      More than 200 high quality visual artworks created by middle and high school students will continue to be on display until May 1 at this year's annual Naramore Exhibition. Artists and guests attended an opening ceremony on April 20 at the John Stanford Center where students and teachers were recognized. Various art media and techniques are being showcased at the exhibition, including ceramic, pencil, oil and acrylic painting, collage and photography. Some of the artworks will be for sale through a silent auction. The exhibition is named after Floyd Naramore, a Seattle Public Schools architect who, from 1919 to 1941, designed more than 22 schools.

     Naramore Exhibition
     Monday through Friday through May 1
     Open during regular lobby hours
     John Stanford Center
     First floor lobby
     2445 3rd Ave. S.

Bond dollars used for upgraded energy-efficient computers
     Last summer, Garfield High School was the first school in the District to benefit from the replacement of all teacher computers, administrative computers and a majority of student computers. This project will not only replace aging technology, but will include energy-saving flat panel monitors with each new computer. A typical 17-inch LCD monitor uses about a third of the power of a 17-inch CRT monitor. In total, about 13,000 computers will be replaced Districtwide. ?We are excited to be able to not only provide new equipment but to also be providing energy efficient systems,? said Fran Clifton, Senior Instructional Technology manager. Computer installations began in August 2008 and will be completed by August 2011. This large scale effort is made possible by voter approval of the 2007 BEX III Bond. The $490 million bond funds major renovation or reconstruction of schools; infrastructure improvements and technology renewal and enhancements.

Schools participate in environmental projects for Earth Month
     During the months of April and May in celebration of Earth Month, Seattle Public Schools
students, staff and volunteers will be participating in numerous environmental projects throughout the District. The projects include planting a rain garden at Montlake Elementary School, spring cleaning at Graham Hill Elementary and installing play structures at Adams Elementary. District grounds workers and gardeners will assist with each of these projects, including providing expertise, tools and helping remove yard waste/debris for recycling. Read more.

Student Celebrations

Three Ingraham High rocket teams qualify for finals in Virginia
     Three teams from Ingraham High School have qualified for the finals of the world's largest rocketry challenge. The Team America Rocketry Challenge finals will be held May 16 in Virginia. Ingraham's program, in its third year, qualified one team for the finals last year. This year, Ingraham's three teams are the only ones from the Pacific Northwest to qualify. The top 100 teams in the nation will compete in the finals, out of 653 who submitted entries. This year, the teams must design rockets that can carry an egg 750 feet into the air and back down without breaking it, in a round-trip time of 45 seconds. Ingraham teacher Peter Schurke is the teams' advisor.

T.T. Minor Elementary brothers
win separate chess championships
     Two T.T. Minor brothers and school chess club members won separate chess titles at tournaments this month.
     Third-grader Zuberi Wilson took first place for his grade level at the Tournament of Challengers, a special competition for students who have scored 4 out of 5 rounds in an open scholastic tournament.
     Fifth-grader Diallo Wilson won the Tournament of Champions, a competiton for students who scored 5 out of 5 rounds in an open scholastic tournament. Participants are considered the "who's who" in scholastic chess and only the very best players in Western Washington are invited. Diallo was named the Grade 4-6 Washington State Champion.
     Seven members of T.T. Minor's chess team will travel to Spokane on April 25 to participate in the Washington State Elementary Chess Championships. Members are Nate Abbott (5th grade), Isis Amen (5th grade), Kaela Jackson (5th grade), Diallo Wilson (5th grade), Zuberi Wilson (3rd grade), Caleb Jones (2nd grade), and Russell Young (2nd grade). Each qualified for state competition by winning 3 or more out of 5 rounds in an open scholastic tournament. Chess coaches are Otis Smith, DeWayne Dantzler, and Anthony Smith.

T.T. Minor third-grader Zuberi Wilson and fifth-grader Diallo Wilson won separate chess championships this month at two tournaments. The brothers, along with five other team members, will compete at the last tournament of the year on April 25 at Spokane.

West Seattle students recognized for outstanding achievements
Students Daniel Davis and Megan Korling from Chief Sealth High; and Lisa Broadstone and Caleb Fisher from West Seattle High were named the top male and female juniors at the 31st Annual School Awards Program sponsored by Alki Masonic Lodge #152. A ceremony was held April 20 at the lodge where other student candidates were also recognized. Davis, Korling, Broadstone, and Fisher were chosen from a field of students from each of the two schools based on several criteria, including grade point average, community involvement, future plans, sports involvement, and other areas of interest. Other students selected by the faculty are:
• Chief Sealth: Rachel Cormac, Paul Duncan, Duran Jones, Monick Keo, Dominic Napat, Jan Nichols, Leilani Sommers, and Michelle Tran.
• West Seattle: Stephan Adams, Mariah Doll, Diana Estrada-Alamo, Katelyn Elder, Jabir Patel, Gina Phan, and Biniam Woldehaimanot.

Bailey Gatzert Elementary students
champs in stair climb, frisbee events
Bailey Gatzert Elementary students, above, won the title of "Fastest Elementary School" for the 15th year in a row at the Big Climb for Leukemia on March 22. They raised funds by climbing 69 flights of stairs in the Columbia Tower. Bailey Gatzert's Ultimate Frisbee team, right, were crowned division champs at the Middle School Division C Tournament on April 18-19 in Burlington.

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Ballard High short films featured at national festival this weekend
Five short films by students in the Ballard High School Video Production Program have been named Official Selections of the National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY). The festival opens at the Seattle Cinerama Theater on Friday, April 24 and continues through Sunday, April 26 at the Seattle Center. It features 113 films by young filmmakers from 20 states and 8 countries. NFFTY is the brainchild of Ballard High School video alumnus Jesse Harris (2004). For a complete schedule of events, show times, and ticket information, visit www.nffty.org. The honored Ballard films and schedules are:

Film title	Ballard students	Time and date	Location
Brotherly Love	Colin Colebrook, Devon Rensberger, Mohamed Kassim	12:45 p.m., April 26	SIFF Cinema
Domestic Disturbance	Justin Amorratanasuchad, Lilah Horwitz, Colin Colebrook	2:30 p.m., April 26	SIFF Cinema
Ladies in Armor	Sami Kubo, Diana Federighi, Audra McCafferty	12:30 p.m., April 25	Learning Lab at EMP/SFM
Left Side	Esther Magasis, Andy Tran, Ryan Zemke	10 a.m., April 26	SIFF Cinema
Unplugged	Diana Federighi, Del Brummet, Kaelan Gilman	10 a.m., April 26	SIFF Cinema

Franklin's 'team xbot' is 2009 Microsoft/Seattle Region Champion
Team is a division finalist at World Robotics Championship in Atlanta
     Team xbot, a Franklin High School robotics competition team with the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) program, returned from the national championships in Atlanta April 15-19 as one of the top 24 robotics team in the world. Team xbot was Division Finalist #1 in the Archimedes Division, one of four divisions at the championships.
     At the regional championships in Seattle held earlier in March, team xbot – along with two other partner schools in an alliance competition – were declared the 2009 Microsoft/Seattle Regional Champions. Team xbot also received the General Motors Industrial Design Award, for building "an efficiently designed machine that effectively achieves the game challenge."
     The robotics competition, called Lunacy, is played on a 54-foot by 27-foot field in which robot alliances collect "moon rocks" and score points by placing the rocks in the trailers of opposing teams.

Former MLK Elementary students awarded college scholarships
     The Martin Luther King School Dream Foundation Board of Directors in Seattle awarded 12 scholarships – of $1,000 or more – to Seattle area high school graduating seniors. Scholarships are awarded to former MLK Elementary students who attended MLK for at least two years. The students and their families will be honored at the 11th annual scholarship banquet on Monday, May 18. The students are:

• Amanda Bagsby, Ballard High School	• Nharissa Harris, Franklin High School
• Rashauna Dawson, Ballard High School	• Jemella Kennebrew, Garfield High School
• Liana Diga, Franklin High School	• Brandon Leonard, Franklin High School
• Roemon Fields, Rainier Beach High School	• Epiffany Phillips, Nova High School
• Jonathan Gore, Garfield High School	• Imani Siu-Chang, Garfield High School
• Jasmine Harris, Garfield High School	• Chris Thavongsack, Franklin High School

Click on the links for the news release or for more information, contact Jan Lind-Sherman at (425) 778-1847 or e-mail lindsher@aol.com.

     MLK School Dream Foundation
     Scholarship Dinner and Awards
     Monday, May 18
     6 p.m.
     Mount Zion Baptist Church, Social Hall
     1634 19th Ave.

Staff Celebrations

Eckstein teacher honored for outstanding pre-engineering program
     David Wysen, an Eckstein Middle School teacher who teaches CAD (computer-aided design), was recognized last month for developing an outstanding pre-engineering program at the school. Wysen received the honor at the Washington Industrial Technology Education Association (WITEA) conference held March 19-21 in Wenatchee. Wysen’s efforts were recognized with the Program of the Year award for his development of a fully self-guided lab material and course that allows students to work at their own pace.

Ballard teacher receives award to strengthen laboratory instruction
     Eric Muhs, a science teacher at Ballard High School, received a $7,000 Partners in Science Program grant from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust of Vancouver, Washington. The grant will help strengthen laboratory instruction at Ballard with a greater degree of hands-on science for his students. The award also includes funds to attend two national Partners in Science conferences where teachers may share these implementation ideas with peers.

Howard selected Distinguished League Principal of the Year

Ted Howard

The Washington Association of Secondary School Principals honored Ted Howard, principal of Garfield High School, as the 2008-09 Distinguished League Principal of the Year for the Kingco 4A League. The association, composed of high school principals and assistant principals from around Washington state, said Howard’s contributions to the school, the students, and the community were noteworthy and deserving of the recognition. Howard was selected from principals who are members from the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association’s 4A football league.

Three teachers selected for Enhanced Peer Coaching Program
$9,000 grant to help teachers integrate technology into classrooms
Three teachers from Seattle Public Schools were among the 263 educators across the state who received grants for the 2009-11 Enhanced Peer Coaching Program. The teachers are:
• Shana Brown - Broadview-Thomson Elementary School;
• Amanda Burke - Northgate Elementary School; and
• Katie Hubert - Chief Sealth High School.
The teachers will each receive $9,000, which funds 10 days of peer coach training, hardware, software and attendance at the 2010 Northwest Council for Computers in Education Conference. The program is designed to help teachers integrate the use of technology into classrooms. Read more.

Around the Schools

Science projects fill one of the halls at Whitman Middle School in preparation for the evening science fair.

Whitman Middle does it all:
All-grade science and book fair, spaghetti dinner, bake sale
Parents, students and staff filled the halls of Whitman Middle School on the evening of March 26 as the school held a large-scale science fair that also included a book fair, spaghetti dinner and a bake sale. Students labored on hundreds of projects, presented them in class, and lined the sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade halls in time for the fair. A panel of judges critiqued the projects and awarded top honors to five projects at each grade level. Read more.

Nominations being taken for Family Support Worker award
Nominations are being taken until June 5 for the James W. Leigh Award for an outstanding Family Support Worker. All Family Support Workers representing the Family Support Worker Program are eligible for the award. The award is named after James W. Leigh, a family advocate and educator known for mentoring and nurturing his students. Click on the links for more information and the nomination form.

Part of library grant used to buy USB drives for Ingraham juniors
This spring, all Ingraham High School juniors in U.S. History classes received USB flash drives on Ingraham blue lanyards. These and many library resources were purchased as part of the Supporting Students Success in Social Studies CBA Projects grant from the Washington State Library. Classroom Based Assessments are being done in Social Studies, Fine Arts, and Fitness this year at Ingraham. USB flash drives are removable and portable devices for storing data. Students can store information in the USB drive and access the data using another computer.

Around Seattle

Streets open up bicyclists, pedestrians at city's summer festivals
West Seattle High, Cascade Bicycle Club to hold 5K Run/Walk on May 31
Celebrate Seattle Summer Streets, the city of Seattle's summer's street festival, continues its celebration for the next several months. Seattle neighborhoods will open up their streets to pedestrians and bicyclists as a way to have fun, celebrate the unique communities, and support local businesses. As part of the schedule, West Seattle High School PTSA and the Cascade Bicycle Club will hold its 5K Run/Alki and Seattle Summer Streets Party on Sunday, May 31 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The event will take place on Alki Avenue Southwest from California Way Southwest to 63rd Avenue Southwest. Other neighborhoods, including Ballard, Rainier Valley, and the U-District will also hold events. Read more.

Upcoming Events

Alliance for Education Community Breakfast scheduled for May 20

     The Alliance for Education will be hosting its 7th Annual Community Breakfast on May 20 where Superintendent Maria L. Goodloe-Johnson, Ph.D., will speak on the state of Seattle Public Schools and on the progress of the District's Strategic Plan, Excellence for All. At the breakfast, Ballard High School Principal Phil Brockman, the 2009 winner of the Thomas B. Foster Award for Excellence, will also be honored. The award recognizes an outstanding Seattle Public Schools K-8, middle, or high school principal exemplifying excellence. Click on the links for the invitation and to RSVP.

     Alliance for Education
     Community Breakfast
     Wednesday, May 20
     Doors open 7 a.m.,
    Program 7:30-8:45 a.m.
     Seattle Westin
     1900 5th Ave.

Laurelhurst hosts book, movie, craft, bake sale April 25
     Laurelhurst Elementary School is holding a book, movie, arts and craft, and bake sale on April 25 to raise the remaining funds needed for new asphalt to complete the newly renovated south playground. The book and movie sale will be held in the gym, the arts and craft sale in the cafeteria and the bake sale – hosted by Laurelhurst Brownie/Girl Scout Troops – in the covered play court from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. All remaining books and movies will be reduced to half price at 2 p.m. This is a great opportunity to find Mother’s Day or teacher appreciation gifts, or stock up on movies and books to fill your summer leisure hours. Questions can be directed to smlundh@seattleschools.org or call the school at 252-5400.

     Laurelhurst book, movie, arts craft, bake sale
     Saturday, April 25
     10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
     Laurelhurst Elementary School
     4530 46th Ave. N.E.

4th annual Boardwalk 5K Run/Walk Fitness Carnival set for April 26
     The 4th annual Boardwalk 5K Run/Walk Fitness Carnival has been scheduled for April 26 at Husky Stadium. The event will help raise funds for the support of physical education programs at Seattle Public Schools. The event has something for everyone and includes a 5K run/walk, Walk of Champions inside Husky Stadium, and a fitness carnival with games and activities. For more information, contact Dick Lee at rjlee@seattleschools.org or (206) 252-0476.

     Boardwalk 5K Run/Walk Fitness Carnival
     Sunday, April 26
     8:30 a.m.
     University of Washington
     Husky Stadium
     Cost: $30 adults, $10 ages 18 and under

Nathan Hale horticulture students holding spring plant sale in May
     Nathan Hale High School is holding a spring plant sale in May with a huge selection of vegetable starts, hanging baskets, bedding plants, native plants, and more – all organically grown by Nathan Hale students. The greenhouse is located one block east of the high school, just south of the intersection of 36th Avenue Northeast and 110th Street. Visit the school Web site for inventory list, prices, and directions at www.seattleschools.org/schools/hale/index.html. For more information, contact biology and horticulture teacher Jessica Torvik at jjtorvik@seattleschools.org.

     Nathan Hale spring plant sale
     Friday, May 1 and Friday, May 8 (3- 6 p.m.)
     Saturday, May 2, Sunday, May 3 and Saturday, May 9 (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
     Nathan Hale High School
     10750 30th Ave. N.E.

Franklin High to hold Community Arts Festival May 9
     Franklin High School will be holding its annual Community Arts Festival on May 9 which will feature a display of student drawings, paintings, sculptures, woodcrafts, and ceramics, as well as student musical, theater, spoken word, and dance performances. There will also be local craft and food vendors, student club fund-raisers and fun activities for children. For more information, contact John Dunkerley at 252-6150 or jwdunkerley@seattleschools.org.

     Franklin Community Arts Festival
     Saturday, May 9
     10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
     Franklin High School
     3013 S. Mt. Baker Blvd.

Healthy Schools Summit to be held May 28-29
     Registration is now open for the 3rd annual Healthy Schools Summit 2009. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Gene Carter who served as the executive director and CEO of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development since 1992. The summit will be especially useful for healthy school advocates, school staff, district administrators, PTA/PTSA members and students. The public is also invited. Read more.

     Healthy Schools Summit 2009
     Thursday and Friday, May 28-29
     7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
     SeaTac Airport Marriott
     3201 176th St.

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. Deadline for submissions is May 4 for the May 7 issue.

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 staff and community of Seattle Public Schools. Community members can subscribe or unsubscribe to this e-newsletter by clicking here.