Excellence for All:Excellent teachers and staff

Session scheduled on how teachers can get Board Certification
     The greatest predictor of student academic success is excellent instruction in every classroom ... so encouraging and supporting Seattle teachers in their professional development is key to achieving the goals of Excellence for All, the District?s strategic plan. Teachers find many ways to hone their skills. The National Board Certification is one of the most prestigious recognition of high quality teaching in the nation and requires hundreds of hours of work and deep reflection. The leadership team at Seattle Public Schools applauds the more than 100 teachers across the District who have earned this qualification and looks forward to congratulating the 2008-09 candidates when results are released later this year. On this very rigorous series of exams, Seattle teachers have a first-time success rate that is nearly 20 percent higher than the national average.
     Seattle Public Schools teachers are invited to attend an information session on Monday, October 5 to learn more about the process of how to become a National Board Certified Teacher. For more information, contact Jane Dudley, Instructional Services School Coach at (206) 252-0067; or jedudley@seattleschools.org.

     Information session on National Board Certification
     Monday, October 5, 2009
     4:30 p.m.
     John Stanford Center
     Professional Library, Second floor
     2445 3rd Ave. S.

Symetra Heroes in the Classroom begins 2009-10 season
Program honors outstanding teaching and leadership skills
     Six teachers were honored on September 13 and 27 as Symetra Heroes in the Classroom for their exemplary instructional skills, outstanding teacher-leadership skills, innovative instruction, and proactive parent/guardian outreach. The teachers are representative of many outstanding educators at schools throughout the District. During the Seahawks season, a total of 24 teachers will be named Symetra Heroes in the Classroom. Teacher Heroes will be honored at one of the Seahawks eight regular season home games, as well as in their classrooms and in the community.
     The Seahawks and title sponsor Symetra Financial created the program to honor outstanding teachers in Seattle Public Schools. Last school year, Beacon Hill International School and Chief Sealth High School were named 2008 MVP Award Winners and each received $20,000 for their program proposals to enhance student achievement. Visit Symetra's Heroes in the Classroom Web pages to view teacher Heroes from 2006, 2007, and 2008.

New job application system to streamline hiring of staff
     In support of the District's Strategic Plan, Excellence for All, the Human Resources department is continuing its commitment of ensuring excellence in every classroom by making it easier to recruit quality staff to work with our students. The Human Resources department has recognized the need for an electronic applicant tracking system and identified NeoGov as a product that will provide an effective recruiting and hiring tool. NeoGov is a customer-friendly system that will maximize applicants' efforts and minimize frustration. Principals, administrative assistants and other staff will become familiar with the system at upcoming classes in October. Hiring managers will be able to view online applications, screen for skills and abilities, schedule interviews, and recommend applicants for hire.

District News

Community Coffee Hours with Superintendent continue this month
     Superintendent Maria L. Goodloe-Johnson invites the community to attend one of her upcoming coffee hours on September 28 or 29. Previous coffee hours were held on September 21 and 23. These meetings provide an opportunity for families and community members to speak to the Superintendent about issues that matter to them. Click here for the dates, times and locations.

Meetings expanded so more families can review boundary maps
Proposed maps to be released at October 6 School Board session
     Seattle Public Schools has expanded the schedule of community meetings so more of the community can review proposed attendance area boundary maps. If the District adopts the maps, it will play a significant role in where students will attend public school in Seattle. The meetings were expanded to consult with families from as many areas of the city as possible about the next step in its new student assignment plan.
     The updated schedule adds opportunities in the central, northeast, and southwest parts of Seattle. The proposed maps will be released on October 6 at a work session of the Seattle School Board. The meeting will be held 4-8 p.m. at the John Stanford Center auditorium. After reviewing all comments, the District will formally introduce recommended boundary maps ? including any revisions ? at the Board meeting on Wednesday, November 4. The Board will vote on the recommended boundary maps on November 18. Read more.

Community meetings continue to share information on levies
     The community is invited to attend the last of three meetings designed to share information about two upcoming levies which will be placed before the voters at a special election on February 9, 2010. Previous meetings were held September 22 and 24. The two proposed levies are:
• The Operations Levy, which renews every three years. It represents nearly 24 percent of Seattle Public Schools? annual general fund budget and supports basic educational programs not fully funded by the state.
• The Buildings, Technology and Academics III (BTA III) Capital Levy, which is placed before the voters every six years. The levy funds hundreds of small renovations and major maintenance projects, technology and academic initiatives. Information on BTA II projects completed is available at http://bta.seattleschools.org. For more information, go to the Levies 2010 Web site or read the news release.

     Community meeting on Levies 2010
     Monday, September 28, 2009
     6:30-8 p.m.
     Eckstein Middle School, Library
     3003 N.E. 75th St.

School Board to consider proposed changes to grading policy
     On September 16, a motion was introduced to the School Board on proposed changes to grading policy as part of the District's High School Reform. The recommended changes to grading policy will be voted on at the October 7 School Board meeting. The recommendations to the School Board were developed over two years. As the proposals were developed, staff worked closely with and engaged students, families, high school principals, teachers, and counselors, including nearly 4,000 survey responders. Many of the changes proposed are modeled on policies that are working successfully in other districts in our region and around the country. Read more.

Student Celebrations

Seattle Public Schools students named Semifinalists
in 2010 National Merit Scholarships program
      Officials of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation named 24 students from Seattle Public Schools as Semifinalists in the 55th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. The Seattle students are among 16,000 students nationwide who earned top scores on the 2008 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for about 8,200 National Merit Scholarships, worth more than $36 million, that will be offered next spring. Listed below are the student Semifinalists from Seattle Public Schools:

Roosevelt High Japanese-language teacher wins national honor      Taeko Tashibu, a World Language teacher at Roosevelt High School, has been selected as the national Japanese language teacher of the year in the K-12 level by the National Council of Japanese Language Teachers. Tashibu will be honored at a luncheon/teacher awards ceremony on November 21 in San Diego. The organization is dedicated to the promotion and development of Japanese language teaching and education at all school levels across the United States.

An artist rendering, above, shows the front of Nathan Hale High School. Construction will be completed in spring 2011. Two photos below are the inside and outside views of the new school library.

Nathan Hale Raider Rebuild      A Community Celebration      Saturday, October 3, 2009      11 a.m. to 2 p.m.      Nathan Hale High      10750 30th Ave. N.E.

Photo courtesy Seattle Industry eBulletin Don Reynoldson, an auto shop teacher at Ingraham High School, is getting a 1979 Oldsmobile Salon ready for the Green Industrial Business and Career Expo scheduled for October 9. Reynoldson and his students are trying to run the car on fish oil.

As part of a class project, Ingraham High teacher Don Reynoldson, an auto technologist, is working with his auto shop students on finding a way to power a 1979 Oldsmobile Salon with fish oil. If the project is successful, the fish-oil run car will be among the lead exhibits at the Second Annual Green Industrial Business and Career Expo. Read more. Second Annual Green Industrial Business and Career Expo Friday, October 9, 2009 8:30 a.m to 4 p.m Puget Sound Industrial Excellence Center, Georgetown Campus, South Seattle Community College 6737 Corson Ave. S.

Students from the fourth-grade class of Zac Stowell at Northgate Elementary, begin a science experiment at the mobile Science Adventure Lab. a project of Seattle Children'sl.