Seattle Public Schools

May 23, 2008

Photography © Susie Fitzhugh

District News

Strategic Plan introduced to School Board on May 21
Plan sets specific goals for student achievement
     On May 21, Superintendent Maria L. Goodloe-Johnson introduced the Strategic Plan, “ Excellence for All,” to the School Board for its consideration. This is a plan to deliver excellence for every student in every school. The plan has been developed based on input from thousands of stakeholders, including teachers, principals, District staff, families, students and community members. It has been informed by peer reviews of many of our academic programs and operations. The plan framework is built around five key areas that emerged through extensive stakeholder engagement:
     • Ensure Excellence in Every Classroom
     • Strengthen Leadership Throughout the System
     • Build an Infrastructure that Works Well
     • Monitor Progress at All Levels (Performance Management)
     • Improve Stakeholder Engagement
     The plan outlines a set of foundational strategies that must be undertaken immediately to build a solid foundation for our future. Summaries of the input we have heard from our stakeholders leading up to the plan adoption – including input from the more than 300 individuals who attended community meetings on May 14, 15 and 20 – will continue to shape our plan and will be posted on the District Web site.
     Other information available on our Strategic Plan Web site includes findings of our academic an d operations peer reviews and all of the presentations and materials shared at community meetings. The Board is scheduled to vote on the plan on June 4. Feedback on the plan is welcome via an input form or by e-mail.

Alliance for Education annual breakfast a great success

Seattle Public Schools is grateful for the support of our partners in the community. The Alliance for Education recently hosted its annual breakfast, and more than 800 community leaders gathered in support of our schools. Dr. Maria L. Goodloe-Johnson’s keynote speech, outlining the Strategic Plan content and goals, as well as remarks by Patrick D’Amelio, President and CEO of the Alliance and Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels are available for viewing on our Web site. Mayor Nickels and Alliance for Education Board Chair, Jon Bridge, co-authored an opinion editorial in the Seattle Times, titled “ Seattle Superintendent’s Lofty Goals Deserve Community Support,” and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer Editorial Board wrote about Curriculum Alignment.

Superintendent named a 2008 Fellow in prestigious Entrepreneurial Leaders for Public Education Program
The Aspen Institute and NewSchools Venture Fund announced on May 19 that Seattle Public Schools Superintendent, Dr. Maria L. Goodloe-Johnson, was selected as a 2008 Fellow in the prestigious Entrepreneurial Leaders for Public Education Program. The program, in its second year, is designed to recognize and support exceptional entrepreneurial leaders who are prepared to address the crucial challenge of transforming public education.

Seattle School Board Update - May 21 meeting highlights
     Superintendent Maria L. Goodloe-Johnson, Ph.D., introduced the Seattle Public Schools’ Strategic Plan, “Excellence for All,” to the School Board. Please refer to the first article above.
     The Board approved Resolution 2007/08-23, In Support of the DREAM Act. This item encourages the U.S. Congress to support the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act (S.2205 and HR 1275). The Board also approved the Appointments to Disciplinary Appeal Council, the contract for replacement of the sports field turf for Nathan Hale High School, Chief Sealth High School and two soccer fields at Summit K-12, and the purchase of five portables for Nathan Hale High School.
      Items introduced to the Board and scheduled for a vote at the June 4 meeting include the Families and Education Levy Partnership Agreement, the Retire-Rehire Policy F14.00, and Child Nutrition: Increasing the price for school breakfast and lunch meals.
     The next legislative meeting for the School Board is on Wednesday, June 4 at 6 p.m. Information about the meeting is available on the School Board Web site.

Seattle Public Schools to host first annual Data Fair: Passport to Progress
     Seattle Public Schools invites the community to its first annual Data Fair: Passport to Progress on May 27-29 in the lobby of the John Stanford Center. The Data Fair is an excellent opportunity for the public to review school and District data regarding the work and achievements of the past few years, including the 2007-2008 school year. The Data Fair is a culmination of two years of work during which principals and school leaders have worked with national trainers to learn how to lead instruction-based work using data. There will be data displays, student performances, and presentations throughout the three days.

Principal and leadership appointments announced
     Superintendent Maria L. Goodloe-Johnson, Ph.D., and Chief Academic Officer Carla Santorno have announced three leadership appointments.
     Kim Fox will be the new principal for Bryant Elementary School. Fox’s professional preparation includes an Arts in Education degree, master's in Gifted Education K-12, master's in Educational Administration with a principal certification from Whitworth College. She currently serves in the Advanced Learning Department at the District.
     Gregory King has been selected as the principal for T.T. Minor Elementary School. King’s professional preparation includes a Bachelor of Arts from Rice University. He also holds a Master of Education from Prairie View A&M University in Educational Administration. He successfully served as a school leader in Clayton and Fulton County schools in Georgia.
     Veronica Maria Gallardo has accepted an interim placement as Principal on Special Assignment to manage Seattle Public Schools’ Bilingual Department, beginning July 1, 2008. Gallardo was a University of Washington Presidential Scholar, received her Master’s in Teaching from the University of Washington in 1997, and began her professional career teaching that same year at Woodin Elementary in the Northshore School District. Gallardo has served as principal of Wedgwood Elementary School for the past four years. She is a fluent speaker of Spanish.

Seattle Public Schools selects new Transportation Manager
     Tom Bishop has been appointed Seattle Public Schools' new Transportation Manager as of May 19. Bishop comes from the Riverview School District, where he served as manager of transportation and was responsible for the installation of Edulog NT and WebQuery computerized routing systems. While at the Central Kitsap School District, he was responsible for the VersaTrans routing program.

Student Celebrations

Garfield High senior awarded college-sponsored Merit Scholarship
     James E. Rees, a senior at Garfield High School, has been awarded the National Merit University of Washington Scholarship. Rees lists his probable career field as Economics. He was one of among 2,800 winners of National Merit Scholarships financed by colleges and universities. These awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the institution financing the scholarship. The announcement is the third in a series of scholarship announcements from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Additional recipients of college-sponsored awards will be announced on July 14.

Roosevelt, Garfield jazz bands triumph at ‘Essentially Ellington’ competition
     For the second year in a row, the Roosevelt High School Jazz Band, under the direction of Scott Brown, won first place in the prestigious “Essentially Ellington” competition in New York City. Garfield High School’s Jazz Band, under the direction of Clarence Acox, placed second. During the nine years of the competition, Roosevelt has placed first or second on five occasions and Garfield on four occasions. For additional information, visit the Essentially Ellington Web site. Students receiving individual and section awards include:

Name	High School	Award	Category
Carl Majeau	Garfield	Winner of the Ella Fitzgerald Outstanding Soloist	Clarinet and Tenor
Alex Dugdale	Roosevelt	Honorable Mention	Clarinet
Wyatt Palmer	Roosevelt	Honorable Mention	Alto Saxophone
Corey Dansereau	Roosevelt	Honorable Mention	Trumpet
Riley Mulherka	Garfield	Honorable Mention	Trumpet
Zuben Hensler	Garfield	Outstanding	Trumpet
Jake Linde	Garfield	Outstanding	Trombone
Gus Carns	Roosevelt	Honorable Mention	Piano
Ben Hamaji	Garfield	Outstanding	Piano
Alex Dugdale, Ethan Kahn	Roosevelt	Outstanding	Tap Dancers
Reeds and Brass Sections	Garfield	Outstanding	Sections
Trumpets Sections	Roosevelt	Outstanding	Sections

Franklin High seniors, from left, Steven Truong, Nick Ragland-Johnsen, Amado Robancho, Annie Liang, Sydney Mcrae, and Boshia Richardson were honored for their excellence in academics and sports at the 101 Club's Scholar-Athlete Awards Luncheon on May 15.

Franklin High students receive athletic scholarships
Six student-athletes from Franklin High School were honored May 15 at the 101 Club's annual Scholar-Athlete Awards Luncheon at the Washington Athletic Club. Receiving plaques and awards were:

Name	Sport	Probable college or university
Annie Liang	volleyball, tennis	University of Washington
Sydney Mcrae	soccer	Pitzer College
Boshia Richardson	basketball, fastpitch	Alabama State University
Nick Ragland-Johnsen	football, track and field	Northern Arizona University
Amado Robancho	swimming	University of Washington
Steven Truong	track and field, basketball, tennis	University of Washington

     In addition, the 101 Club awarded Annie Liang, Amado Robancho and Steven Truong each a $1,500 scholarship. To be considered for the Scholar-Athlete Awards, students needed a 3.0 grade point average, must have lettered in one sport for more than two years and plan to continue their education in college.

Washington Middle School takes first in nationwide geography competition
     Washington Middle School took first place at the 2008 National Geography Challenge for eighth-grade students. This is the third year in the last six that a team from the school has placed first in the nation. Forty-seven other teams competed this year. Washington Middle School team members are: Tamzin Atkins, Eric Carlson, Emily Cuevas, Nicholas Efthimiadis, Tommy Foy, Nick Kubasti, Axel Rosencrantz, Joshua Rubenstein, Alex Thompson, Clare Tonelli, and Janelle Wortman.

Emmy organization nominates Ballard High video students for excellence in writing; two other films named prize-winners at Youth 2008 Video Festival
     Two productions by Ballard High School video students have been nominated regionally for the Writing category in the National Student Television Awards. The awards are a project of the National Association of Television Arts & Sciences (the professional organization that gives the Emmy Awards) and honor the best in student television production. The student nominees are:
• Will Livesley-O’Neill, Evangeline Spracklin and Ben Steiner for “The End is Near,” and
• Justin Amorratanasuchad, Mike Hipp and Devan Sizemore for “Spaced Out.”
     The regional awards celebrate the most outstanding productions from Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska. The winners will be honored at the 45th Annual Northwest Regional Emmy Awards on June 7 in Seattle.
     Two other Ballard videos were prize-winners at the national Images of Youth 2008 Video Festival. The winning students and their films are:
• Del Brummet, Diana Federighi and Kaelan Gilman for "Unplugged," and
• Colin Colebrook, Mohamed Kassim and Devon Rensberger for "Brotherly Love."
These four films will be shown May 30 at Ballard High.
     In addition, two shorts by Ballard students have been selected for FutureWave, a special program of the Seattle International Film Festival that includes the best of young people's filmmaking from across the country. Included will be:
• Bridget Berg, Lilah Horwitz, and Will Livesley-O'Neill for "Claudio the Magnificent," and
• Coburn Erskine, Sami Kubo, and Nolan O'Connor for "4th Floor.”
Tickets can be purchased at www.seattlefilm.org. These films will be screened at the Egyptian Theater on June 7.
     Click on the Ballard Video Production program link for more information on other awards.

     Ballard High Film Screening
     Friday, May 30
     7 p.m.
     Ballard High School, auditorium
     1418 N.W. 65th St.
     Suggested donation: $5

Screening of FutureWave shorts
including Q&A with the filmmakers
Saturday, June 7
4 p.m.
Egyptian Theater, Capitol Hill
805 E. Pine St.
Tickets: $11

Washington Middle School Jazz Band takes first at Reno Festival
Washington Middle School’s Senior Jazz Band, under the direction of Band Director Robert Knatt, took first place in the middle school division at the Reno Jazz Festival on April 25-26. Despite numerous earthquakes and aftershocks throughout the weekend, students played a near perfect performance, winning over the judges and the audience. As the winner from a division of 29 middle schools, they performed in the evening concert in front of an audience of thousands. Knatt will be retiring this year after 36 years in the Seattle School District. An event celebrating his musical legacy will be held June 7 at Seattle’s Town Hall, 1119 8th Ave. The formal program begins at 7 p.m.; doors open at 5 p.m. Advance ticket purchase is recommended.

Eight students receive architecture, construction, engineering scholarships
Eight Seattle Public Schools students received scholarships ranging from $2,000 to $5,000 at the ACE Mentor Scholarship Breakfast held May 9. The Scholarship Breakfast featured some of the best and brightest high school students heading into the world of architecture, construction and engineering. The recipients are:

Name	High School	Scholarship	Amount
Ian Absher	Ballard	Sparling ACE Scholarship	$2,000
Kimberly Busteed	Ballard	Turner ACE Scholarship Anning Johnson ACE Scholarship	$2,500 $2,000
Spencer Gray	Chief Sealth	Lease Crutcher Lewis ACE Scholarship	$2,000
Carmen Kwan	Roosevelt	Malsam Tsang Engineering ACE Scholarship	$2,000
Sophie Ramer	Roosevelt	Callison ACE Scholarship	$2,000
Shurui Sun	Roosevelt	Expert Drywall ACE Scholarship Magnusson Klemencic Associate ACE Scholarship	$2,500 $2,000
Marcus Timo	Ballard	American Council of Engineering Companies Washington Paul Masten Scholarship	$5,000
Will Van Zee	Ballard	Flack + Kurtz Scholarship	$2,000

Ballard High Marching Band wins second place in Apple Blossom Parade
The Ballard High School Marching Band, under the direction of Band Director Michael James, won second place in the 4A division at the 89th Annual Apple Blossom Festival held in Wenatchee on May 3. Drum majors Rachael Phelps and Ben Gunter had the second highest-point total out of all drum majors in the parade, regardless of division. This is the third year in a row that the Ballard High School Marching Band has earned second place at this parade.

Staff Celebrations

View Ridge Elementary teacher named 2008 Antioch Distinguished Alumna
Lynn Ronald, a special education teacher at View Ridge Elementary School, has been named the 2008 Antioch Distinguished Alumna and will be honored at a commencement exercise on June 8. Lynn will be honored for her extensive volunteer work in Washington and Mexico. Among her accomplishments at View Ridge Elementary:
• Started and ran a student council and yearbook.
• Received a "Golden Apple Award," for her efforts to interpret for deaf children.
• Built a butterfly garden that received registration from the National Wildlife Federation.
• Received an "Earth Hero" Award from King County Executive Ron Sims for setting an outstanding example of creative/effective environmental educational efforts in King County.
• Started a "Self-Managers" program for students to rise up and take responsibility and get rewarded for their actions.
• Received the Joan Platt Humanitarian Award for her involvement with children at View Ridge.

Seattle Public Schools' Public Affairs Department receives
six awards for excellence in promoting education
The Washington School Public Relations Association this month gave Seattle Public Schools six Certificate of Excellence awards in recognition of exceptional performance in promoting education.

Category	Recipients	Subject
Excellence in Writing	Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson, Bridgett Chandler	Guest editorial: December 2007 issue of Seattle Times
Communications Planning	Public Affairs Staff	Read A Million Words campaign launch
Special Purpose Publication	Robert Teodosio	Superintendent Search
External Newsletter	Robert Teodosio, Patti Spencer	School Beat
Calendar	Robert Teodosio, Patti Spencer, Bridgett Chandler	2007-08 School Calendar

In addition, Susie Fitzhugh, who provides photography services to Seattle Public Schools on a pro bono basis, received a Certificate of Excellence for the photography in our 2007-08 District calendar.

Hawthorne Elementary teacher selected for exchange program to Norway
The Seattle-Bergen Sister City Teacher Exchange Committee has selected Mary Bell, a literacy coach at Hawthorne Elementary, to represent Seattle Public Schools in Bergen, Norway next year. Bell will participate in hosting a Bergen teacher, who arrives in Seattle this September. Next spring, Bell will travel to Bergen for five weeks where she will be hosted by Bergen school administrators and former exchange teachers. Bell will teach lessons (in English) at several schools, share what we are doing in Seattle, and learn about trends in the Norwegian school system.This is the thirteenth year of the exchange program. For more information about the teacher exchange, contact Mary Reece at mjreece@seattleschools.org.

Orca teacher publishes first book on themes of self-esteem, self-worth
Tanisha Brandon-Felder, a second-grade teacher at Orca @ Whitworth K-8, has written her first book, “From a Caterpillar to a Butterfly,” and will be holding a Caribbean dinner mother/daughter book event on June 22 to discuss the book’s topic on self-esteem and self-worth. The 96-page book is about a girl named Minah who learns how to achieve a healthy balance between romance and school – thus beginning her metamorphosis from a caterpillar to a butterfly. The book retails for about $10.95 and is available on most online book Web sites. For more information or to contact the author, visit outskirtspress.com/tanishabrandon

Around the Schools

Comcast/City Year volunteers help spruce up Washington Middle School
On May 3, more than 250 people – which included volunteers from Seattle Public Schools, Washington Middle School, Comcast, City Year, and the community – renovated and refurbished the school. Volunteers painted the entire school building interior, landscaped the outside grounds, and touched up one of the school's main murals.

Garfield students in Read Right program receive vision screening
     Thanks to a partnership between the Garfield High School PTSA and the Emerald City Rotary Club, more than 45 students enrolled in Garfield's Read Right Program received comprehensive vision screenings. The Read Right program is an innovative method of teaching reading to elementary, middle and high school students.
     On April 28, a dozen volunteers from the Emerald City Rotary staffed six stations featuring various eye tests, including color vision, near vision, and distance vision. Students who require further testing will be referred to optometrists for in-depth eye exams.
     The cost of the exams and glasses, if they are prescribed, will be covered by the Rotary Club. The Rotarians will also help students get to their appointments and make sure they receive glasses they will actually wear.

32 schools raise funds for organizations in annual Penny Harvest program
      Thirty two schools from the Seattle School District have participated in the annual Penny Harvest, a child philanthropy program in which students collect coins to be donated to nonprofit and charitable organizations. The students are in the last stages of their program ? which is to award the checks after researching various community programs.
     At Brighton Elementary School, where students have been participating in Penny Harvest for the past 13 years, a group of nine fifth-graders worked for over a month determining which community based organizations would receive the money collected. The students raised $1,200 and gave $300 each to ReWA (Refugee Women's Alliance), Neighborhood House, PAWS and Treehouse for Kids at a school assembly on May 12.
      At Bryant Elementary School, a group of seven students decided to donate the $1,200 they collected to PAWS and the Homeless Youth Clinic. The roundtable members will present the check at a school assembly on June 12.

Dearborn Park Elementary Math coach Dan Rosson and the Dragons math team competed against 26 teams from around the region in the second annual Math Olympiad held at Dearborn Park.

Dearborn Park Elementary hosts second annual Math Olympiad
Private and public school students from around the region competed in the second annual Math Olympiad on May 3, at Dearborn Park Elementary School. Dearborn Park and John Muir elementary schools competed against six other schools outside of the District. The Math Olympiad, which included 104 students from 26 teams, participated in a three-hour contest – showing their expertise in the areas of problem-solving, number sense, algebra, probability and statistics, geometry, and measurement.

20 trees planted at Van Asselt Elementary as part of national 'Trees for Success' program; school was one of 16 nationwide selected
Fourth-grade students, teachers and volunteers from Van Asselt Elementary, The Home Depot and the community planted 20 15-gallon trees at Van Asselt Elementary on May 15. The event was part of the Arbor Day Foundation and The Home Depot Foundation?s national " Trees for Success" tree planting program. Van Asselt Elementary was selected among more than 215 schools and parks nationwide based on its need for trees, civic and local support, student involvement, plan for upkeep and location.

Persistence, volunteers help
West Seattle Elementary get
new preschool playground
     Thanks to the efforts and persistence of staff members and many volunteers, Developmental Preschool and Head Start students at West Seattle Elementary School now have a new playground – age-appropriate for playing and developing gross motor movement skills.
    For Developmental Preschool Teacher Amy Becklund, the completion of the project on May 17 was a culmination of months of planning, finding funds, ordering equipment and construction. The school’s preschool playground equipment, such as slides, monkey bars and ladders, are unique in that they are designed for children ages 2-5.
     The project was funded by Seattle Public Schools, The Department of Neighborhoods, and Seattle Works and coordinated with the help of Facilities Planner Gretchen DeDecker. Thriftway, Starbucks, Zatz Bagels, and Husky Deli contributed food and refreshments to the construction volunteers on May 17.

Upcoming Events

Gatewood celebrates 100th birthday with open house, carnival on May 31
Gatewood Elementary School is celebrating its 100th year with an open-house birthday bash on May 31. Gatewood staff and families are inviting the community to tour the school, have fun at the carnival, and enjoy food and entertainment. Gatewood staff also invites interested individuals to record their memories of Gatewood for future generations to enjoy. Click on the link for a complete schedule of events or call 252-9400 for more information.

     Gatewood’s 100th Year Birthday Bash
     Saturday, May 31
     11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
     Gatewood Elementary School
     4320 S.W. Myrtle

KCTS 9 Special ‘Jazz Alive’ celebrates award-winning Roosevelt Jazz Band
     KCTS 9, Seattle’s PBS affiliate, will premiere the high-definition special Jazz Alive, featuring Roosevelt Jazz Band, on May 27. The half-hour show was recorded on May 6, just before the band flew to New York for the prestigious Essentially Ellington annual high school jazz festival and competition. Roosevelt took top honors for the second year running. In the special, Roosevelt's student musicians perform some of the songs that helped them bring home the first-place award. Click on the link for the full news release.

     ‘Jazz Alive’ featuring Roosevelt Jazz Band
     KCTS 9 and KCTS 9 HD
     Tuesday, May 27 at 7:30 p.m.
     Sunday, June 1 at 10 a.m.

Rotary Music4Life to hold fund-raising auction event on June 9
     The first annual Rotary Music4Life fundraising auction event will take place on June 9 at the Seattle Repertory Theatre. This is the first major fund-raising event for the newly launched Rotary Music4Life Initiative. Dollars raised will help support the goal of expanding music education for all children in Seattle Public Schools. Those attending the event will be treated to an evening of champagne, appetizers, and live music from Seattle Public School performers. Up for bid at the silent and live auction are concert and event tickets, hotel lodging, certificates from area restaurants and much more. To reserve your spot for this special evening, e-mail Dick Lee at rjlee@seattleschools.org

     Rotary Music4Life Champagne Reception and Auction
     Monday, June 9
     5:30 p.m.
     Seattle Repertory Theatre
     155 Mercer 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 Public Affairs 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 June 2 for the June 5 issue of School Beat; and June 16 for the June 19 issue, which will be the last issue for the 2007-08 school year.

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. Non-District employees can unsubscribe to this e-newsletter by clicking here and typing in "unsubscribe" in the subject heading.