Seattle Public Schools Shout Outs
Summary : We’re starting the year off strong by recognizing National Merit Scholar semifinalists and school staff who received local and national recognitions.
Starting the Year off Strong
We’re starting the year off strong by recognizing National Merit Scholar semifinalists and school staff who received local and national recognitions. And that’s just the beginning—there’s so much more to celebrate!
Submit a Shout Out
If you know a someone who deserves to be in the spotlight, let us know at goodnews@seattleschools.org.
Merit Scholars in the Making
Seattle Public Schools proudly celebrates our National Merit Scholarship semifinalists—exceptional seniors from Ballard, Cleveland STEM, Garfield, Ingraham, Lincoln, and West Seattle high schools. These academically talented students now have the opportunity to compete for 6,930 scholarships totaling nearly $26 million. Finalists will be announced in the spring!
The semifinalists are:
- Ballard: Cassidy Armstrong, Evan Mitchell Barnhardt, Elouan Thomas
- Cleveland STEM: Griffin Johnson
- Garfield: Maya Brewster, Cecilia Fontana, Kelly Haberkorn, Tate Irvine. Lola Cohen
- Ingraham: Kaisa Dawson
- Lincoln: Emily Bo, Aureole Chang, Alice Cottrell-Steen, Sonya Karyo, Briana Lin, James Mandelbaum, Guilherme Mori de Castro, Nico Santa Lucia, Henry Simon, Ruopu Sun, Alexander Toutanov, Alita Van Eaton, Wilbert Zhu
- West Seattle: Aidan Busby
Congratulations to these students on their academic achievements.
SPS Educators Recognized at Storm Game
Premera Blue Cross, one of the Pacific Northwest’s largest not-for-profit health plans, teamed up with the WNBA’s Seattle Storm to recognize five All-Star Washington educators at the Storm’s Back-to-School game on Monday, Sept. 1.
Two Special Education Assistants were recently recognized for their impact in making a meaningful difference in the lives of students.
Louisa Boren STEM K-8’s Sonya Glaspy and Jill Jeakins from Olympic View Elementary were selected for the Premera All-Stars award.
This year’s honorees received on-court recognition at the Storm’s game against the Los Angeles Sparks. Each educator also received a personalized Storm jersey and a $1,000 check for their school district.
Celebrating Excellence in Mathematics Education
Seattle Public Schools proudly congratulates Claire Engelhard, a dedicated mathematics teacher at Madrona Elementary, for receiving the 2025 NCTM Linking Research and Practice Outstanding Publication Award. Her co-authored article, “Culturally Sustaining Universal Design for Mathematics Learning,” was selected from Volume 117 of Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK–12—an honor given to only one article each year!
This recognition highlights the power of collaboration between classroom teachers and teacher educators, and the importance of timely, relevant topics that support equity in mathematics education. The award also reflects the impact of the Learning for Equity Network (LEN), a multi-year initiative led by Bryan Street that helped bring this work to life.
Claire’s article will be celebrated at the opening session of the NCTM Annual Meeting in Atlanta, where she will also receive a commemorative plaque. We are incredibly proud of her achievement and the inspiration it brings to our learning community.
Summer Book Bingo at Alki
Over the summer, Alki Elementary students took on a fun reading challenge with Book Bingo—and several returned with blackout bingo cards! That means they completed every square on the sheet and earned a Book Blizzard reward: the chance to check out as many books as they think they can read in one week.
We’re proud of these ambitious readers and their love for books. Check out the photos of some of our amazing students who dove into summer reading with enthusiasm and heart!
SPS Summer Learning Program Earns National Spotlight
Seattle Public Schools’ summer learning program has been recognized by the prestigious Wallace Foundation for its exemplary planning and commitment to equity. Featured in the final installment of the District Summer Learning Network (DSLN) Summer Snapshot series, SPS was highlighted for its strong leadership, cross-departmental collaboration, and evidence-based practices that support student success.
Key innovations included:
- A shift from remediation to full-day enrichment, blending SEL and academics in the morning with STEAM activities in the afternoon
- A revamped curriculum focused on identity-based and project-based learning
- A consistent funding model and robust feedback systems using student, family, and staff surveys
- A pilot program supporting multilingual learners (MLL) with on-site coaching and weekly professional development
- School leaders directly managing summer sites to implement high-leverage teaching strategies
This recognition underscores SPS’s commitment to making summer learning a core part of year-round education and advancing equity for all students.
Whitman Middle School Named One of America’s Healthiest Schools
The Alliance for a Healthier Generation has recognized Whitman Middle School as one of America’s Healthiest Schools for 2025, an honor shared by only four schools in Washington state this year.
This national award celebrates schools that implement policies and practices supporting students’ physical, social-emotional, and academic well-being. Whitman earned recognition for its innovative focus on adult wellness, including the creation of a Staff Tab-Out Room—a calming reset space for educators—designed by School Climate Transformation Coach Jim Walters and maintained by the school’s wraparound team.
Principal John Houston and Assistant Principal Leanne Dunlap embraced a healing-centric leadership model, prioritizing staff regulation and connection over test scores. The school’s parent organization also secured a GESA grant to remodel the staff lounge, complementing the wellness-focused culture.
This achievement was made possible through the leadership and support of former SPS Wellness Director Shane Baguyo and Melissa Carpenter, Project Manager with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation.
