October 3, 2008


Photography © Susie Fitzhugh

District News

Public invited to provide input to 2010 capital levy
Meetings scheduled for October 6, 8, 9, and 10
     Seattle Public Schools invites staff, families and community members to provide input as the District plans for the next capital levy, tentatively scheduled for a vote in February 2010. First steps in the planning process include gathering staff and community input and examining the current condition of buildings. For meeting dates, times, and locations, please click on this link. Information about projects included in previous levies is available on the levy Web site, and details of projects included in the Building Excellence III bond, including updates on progress, is available on the BEXIII Web site.

SPS teachers’ pay now among highest in 12-district region
     SPS and the Seattle Education Association (SEA) announced last week that plans for implementing the fifth year of the five-year SEA contract are now final. Certificated SEA members will receive, on average, a 9.6 percent increase in gross salary compared with 2007-08. The increase is composed of an average 5.2 percent contract increase and the state-mandated 4.4 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). When the contract was negotiated four years ago, a commitment was made to bring teacher salaries from 12th in the region to among the top five in the region for 2008-09. For additional details, please refer to the news release on this topic.

Seattle School Board update - October 1 meeting highlights
     Please click on the link for information on the October 1 Seattle School Board meeting. Key topics included property sales, engagement protocols, high school math, budget development for 2009-10, and presentation of a peer review of Transportation, Capital and Facilities. The next legislative meeting of the School Board is on Wednesday, October 15 at 6 pm. Information about the meeting is available on the School Board Web site.

Seattle Public Schools annual asbestos notification for 2008
     In accordance with the federal Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act, the Seattle Public Schools is required to notify parents, teachers, and other employees each year of the availability of Asbestos Management Plans and actions the District is taking to maintain asbestos containing materials in its buildings. Read more.

Capacity Management update – Oct. 1 School Board work session
     While overall K-12 enrollment continues to decline, Seattle Public Schools has recently seen an increase in the number of students entering elementary school in four clusters: North, Northwest, Northeast and Queen Anne/Magnolia. The District is working with families and community members to develop short- and long-term strategies to address the enrollment increase in these clusters.
     On October 1, the School Board held a work session to review community feedback received, and to discuss options. Based on Board feedback, staff will prepare a recommendation for consideration by the School Board at its October 15 meeting, with a vote scheduled for November 12. The presentation given at the work session, community feedback, meeting materials and other data is available on the Capacity Management Web site.

Additional meetings scheduled on School District's Bilingual Report
     Veronica Maria Gallardo, the School District's Bilingual Program Manager, will share the findings from the Seattle Public Schools Bilingual Review at two additional community meetings this month. Simultaneous interpretation will be available. A presentation will be followed by small group discussions. Click on the links for the Bilingual Program's External Evaluation Report and the Overview and Highlights Report. For more information, click on the link for the flier or call the Bilingual Family Center at (206) 252-7750.

Denny Middle School Site Redevelopment – Meeting October 8
     Discussions have begun on options for redeveloping the current site of Denny Middle School after work on the new building, located on the Sealth campus, is complete. The School Design Team (SDT) process brings together staff, parents/guardians, and community representatives to develop options for presentation to the School Board. Following a call for nominations, the SDT is fully staffed. However, families and community members are invited to attend meetings of the team. The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, October 8, at 7 p.m. in the Denny Middle School Library.

Feedback sought for revised science standards
     The Science Standards Revision Team has completed their second round of work on the science standards and are requesting feedback. Read more.

Staff Celebrations

Chief Sealth teacher honored with Service to Community Award
     Chief Sealth High School teacher Gary Thomsen is being honored with the prestigious Service to Community Award from the University of Puget Sound. Cited for his "tireless work in the local community," Thomsen is the first Seattle teacher to be recognized.
     In assessing the over 200 submissions, the award selection committee "looked for individuals whose commitment, skill, and dedication have had a significant impact in his or her community. Through voluntary service in artistic, recreational, educational, human service or other worthy organizations, the recipients of this award seek to better the quality of life around them." Thomsen has taught Sports and Events marketing at Chief Sealth for 12 years. Read more.
 
Around the Schools

Robert Teodosio/Seattle Public Schools Dearborn Park's SCATS team (left) performs a double dutch jump rope routine at the launch of the District's JumpUp program. Dearborn students (right) get a free jump rope from the Seattle Storm's mascot, Doppler.

David Tucker/Seattle Public Schools Dr. Maria L. Goodloe-Johnson, Seattle Public Schools Superintendent, reads Corduroy to pre-K students at Dunlap Elementary School on October 2.

Seattle Public Schools’ pre-K and kindergarten students participated in Jumpstart’s national Read for the Record Campaign during the week of September 29. The literacy event features the reading of author Don Freeman’s book, Corduroy, at schools and public libraries across the nation. The campaign is also attempting to set a new world reading record. On October 2, School Superintendent Maria L. Goodloe-Johnson read Corduroy to pre-K students at Dunlap Elementary. Dr. Goodloe-Johnson then led a discussion with the children about the book. Additional Seattle Public Schools leaders read to classes at Adams, Bailey Gatzert, Cooper and Hawthorne elementary schools. Read more.

Award-winning musical artist Quincy Jones was honored on September 26 at the dedication of Garfield High School’s Quincy Jones Performance Center. The newly renovated Garfield High opened its doors to students on September 3, 2008. Highlights of the historic renovation include expanded classrooms, an overall design that supports learning and teaching and a state-of-the-art performance center. The center encompasses a brand new auditorium that seats 592 and state-of-the-art sound, lighting and rigging systems. The performance center also includes a new gymnasium which features bleacher capacity for 1,800 people, three regulation basketball or volleyball courts, a built-in sound system and the ability to accommodate gymnastics competition. Click on the links for the news release and more photos

Robert Teodosio/Seattle Public Schools Award-winning musical artist Quincy Jones thanks the audience during the dedication of the Quincy Jones Performance Center on September 26. Jones graduated from Garfield High in 1950.

Upcoming Events

Students invited to enter contest for National Safe Schools Week
     Middle and high school students are invited to participate in a Creative Expression Contest sponsored by National Safe Schools Week October 19-25. The contest is designed to convey students' thoughts about the issue of school violence in America and to offer solutions. Submissions can be in the form of an essay, song, rap, poem, drawing, painting, or computer-based design. Deadline is October 27 to send in entries. All contestants will receive a prize. Chosen contestants will receive a new iPod touch, and their school will also receive a School Safety Package worth $2,500. For more information, click here or e-mail at speakup@paxusa.org

Oct. 30 forum set for Arts Education in Seattle Public Schools
     The community is invited to the fifth annual public forum on the State of Arts Education in Seattle Public Schools on October 30. Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels will welcome participants to an evening devoted to strengthening arts in our city schools. Speakers will include Dr. Maria L. Goodloe-Johnson, Seattle Schools Superintendent and Chief Academic Officer Carla Santorno. Learn about the first year of the city of Seattle’s Arts Education Initiative with the School District and about the next steps for putting the arts back in education. RotaryMusic4Life will collect instrument donations at the forum to enable Seattle elementary school students to study music this year. To sign up, call (206) 684-7372 by Monday, October 27.

     State of Arts Education in Seattle Public Schools
     Thursday, October 30
     7-8:30 p.m.
     Seattle Asian Art Museum
     1400 East Prospect St., Volunteer Park

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 October 13 for the October 17 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 unsubscribe to this e-newsletter by clicking here and typing in "unsubscribe" in the subject heading.