Around the Schools
School staff, volunteers participate in 14th annual grounds cleanup at Aki Kurose Middle School
More than 40 school staff and volunteers came out on Aug. 25 for the 14th annual Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) Aki Kurose Middle School grounds cleanup.
The volunteers included JACL members, school staff and City Year volunteers, members of Aki Kurose’s family and a School District gardener.
South Shore Middle School (now the rebuilt South Shore K-8) moved to the Sharples building on Graham during the summer of 1999 and was renamed Aki Kurose Middle School Academy.
The first cleanup was in August 2000. There was a lot of work to be done the first four summers. The cleanup sessions have become maintenance and beautification sessions.
There are raised beds on the west side of the schools. Students planted vegetables and herbs that are donated to a local food bank. Some of the crew cleaned up the beds.
Photo from left: Kristen Cunningham, Katie Cunningham, Ciara Asamoto, Colby Bentley and Dave Asamoto
Photo from left: Kathleen Vasquez (daughter-in-law of Aki Kurose; wife of Paul Kurose who organized the clean-up; Seattle schools literacy supervisor); Mori Rothman (grandson of Aki Kurose who came from the East Coast for the event and the weekend); Mia Williams (principal of Aki Kurose Middle School); Nick Hernandez (City Year supervisor at AKMS); Jazelynn Goudy (City Year corps member at AKMS)