West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Almost one full year after the Seattle School Board voted to create a new STEM (science, technology, engineering, math)-focused elementary in West Seattle, the district has not yet chosen the school’s permanent home – and district leaders indicated tonight that almost a second full year is likely to pass before a decision.
They spoke at a meeting of the PTA for the school that’s officially known as K-5 STEM at Boren – after the Delridge Way building where it’s currently housed – though the school calls itself West Seattle STEM Elementary.
Names and definitions were at the heart of the evening’s tension, too; the district still sees STEM education as a “program,” it was clear from district administrators, which is a big reason why they had nothing concrete to say regarding where the students, staffers, and family who see themselves as a school will be in the future. And the more than 50 people in attendance were warned not to expect any decisions before fall, meaning that another round of families choosing K-5 STEM will be making a leap of faith without knowing where their children might be educated a few years down the line.
That’s Molly Humphrie, who has just said goodbye to the West Seattle (Admiral) Library Branch after more than 22 years – she’s been there since 1990. A fellow librarian tipped us off at the last minute that it was her last day, or we would have tipped you in time to say goodbye. She’s moving to the Lake City branch.
Today, we welcome a new WSB sponsor; here’s what they would like you to know about their business: Sylvan Learning of South Puget Sound has just opened a new and convenient satellite in West Seattle. The new satellite is near the junction of California SW and Admiral Way, at Admiral Congregational UCC Church, 4320 SW Hill. Sylvan Learning is offering personalized math and reading programs for grades 2-9. Now West Seattle students have a convenient location to access Sylvan tutoring programs!
These programs feature the latest Sylvan advances using Apple iPad technology. The Sylvan iPad personalized tutoring program is fun and motivating for students and allows parents a web portal to see daily progress and receive updates on their child’s progress. Programs start with a comprehensive skills assessment in either math or reading. The Sylvan team then designs a personalized set of specific skills for the student to master over a period of time. Because the Sylvan system pin-points the exact skills to be taught and students are on task and focused during the tutoring session, a typical Sylvan student will gain one full year of skill development in just 36 hours of tutoring!
Parents love being able to see what exact skills their child has mastered after each session. Never before has an investment in tutoring been so transparent! Kids love using the iPads in conjunction with individualized instruction from a certified and Sylvan-trained instructor. The technology along with a personalized approach yields fairly quick results that parents can see and feel. Success certainly feels good at Sylvan, school, and in life! The Normandy Park Sylvan and new convenient West Seattle Satellite are locally owned by Sylvan franchisees Dave and Gail Smith. To find out more about the new West Seattle Sylvan Satellite, please call (888) wow-sylvan.
We thank the West Seattle Sylvan Satellite for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.
Still collecting opportunities for you to join in the MLK Day of Service next Monday on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. We’ve mentioned the Nature Consortium work party, and now we’ve heard from Stu Hennessey of West Seattle Spokespeople: Stu’s inviting local bike riders to join Spokespeople “for a clean-up-under-the-bridge work party. Meet at 2 pm under the West Seattle Bridge along the bike path. Tools provided by the WS Tool Library. It’s getting messy under there. Work party should be no more than two hours.”
There’s still a burn ban in effect, but as of a few minutes ago, it’s lowered to Stage 1, from the original Stage 2. This still means you’re not supposed to use your fireplace unless it’s your main source of heat, and beach fires are still off-limits (even in the Alki rings), but it means pellet stoves and EPA-certified woodstoves and inserts are OK now, says the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency.
(10/13/2012 WSB photo by Nick Adams – that’s Sealth AD Sam Reed at right, flanked by the orange canisters)
The 2012-2013 school year is only half over but it’s already been a year of milestones for Chief Sealth International High School‘s athletics department – like the Huling Bowl football victory in October, the first-ever Nels Enquist Alumni Game event in November, and just this past weekend, the first “friendship game” between the girls-basketball teams of sister schools Sealth and Chongqing Nankai. The man facing his players while helping them hoist the Huling Bowl trophy in our photo above is Sealth Athletic Director Sam Reed, who has just been honored as the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association‘s District 2 Athletic Director of the Year. The district includes six leagues from around the metro area, representing more than 55 high schools. Reed will be in contention for statewide AD of the Year at the WIAA state conference in Spokane this April. It’s been a big year for him overall even beyond the big events mentioned above and his daily/nightly work at Sealth as AD and activities director – Reed also serves in a variety of capacities beyond Sealth itself, including Metro League president.
(New platform off 3000 block of Alki; Jason shared the photo of its first known visitors)
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar (where you’ll find even more of what’s up today/tonight):
DROP-IN CHESS FOR KIDS/TEENS: Starts at 4 pm, High Point Library (35th/Raymond).
WEST SEATTLE COMMUNITY ORCHESTRAS: Young or not-so-young musician? You can show up and join! The WSCO‘s various groups rehearse at various start times, 5:30 pm and onward, on Tuesday nights at Chief Sealth International High School (2600 SW Thistle).
WEST SEATTLE LITTLE LEAGUE REGISTRATION: While the league is now offering online signups, tonight is the first of two in-person-registration events, 6-8 pm at the West Seattle High School Library (3000 California SW). Details in the calendar listing.
NIGHT HIKE IN SCHMITZ PARK FOREST: Take advantage of the dry weather by taking a nighttime hike with naturalist Stewart Wechsler. Tonight, the ancient forest of Schmitz Park, 6:30 pm, details here.
K-5 STEM’S FUTURE: The K-5 STEM at Boren PTA meets tonight, with the school’s future permanent campus – not yet decided by the district – a topic of discussion. Seattle Public Schools’ Southwest Region Executive Director of Schools Carmela Dellino and School Board rep Marty McLaren are expected to be there. 7 pm, cafeteria.
WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL: Crime concerns in your neighborhood? Question for police? Want to hear about what they’re seeing in crime trends? The citizen-volunteer-led WSCPC has its first meeting of 2013 at 7 pm tonight, Southwest Precinct meeting room (Delridge/Webster).
ALAUDA BELLY-DANCING SHOWCASE: The monthly event at Skylark Café and Club (3803 Delridge Way SW) is tonight, 7:30 pm.
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
A little warmer this morning than it’s been the past few days, so your commute might not have many (if any) slick spots – not saying it’ll be warm, though! Same 2 traffic alerts as Monday – Delridge repaving work continues, which means a southbound detour between Trenton and Henderson, and southbound 99 will be closed again tonight from downtown to the bridge. Thanks in advance for your help watching out for any unscheduled trouble as the day unfolds!
(Updated with official memorial date/time/place)
Memorial plans are not yet finalized for West Seattleite Jerry Ceis, who died last week at age 64, but family and friends are remembering him as a spirited soul. 
Among his many friends are two WSB’ers who wanted to make sure Mr. Ceis’s passing would be noted here. So we asked Tim Ceis, Jerry’s brother, for a remembrance:
He was born May 4, 1948 and died on January 9, 2013. He was born in West Seattle to Philip L. and Doris Ceis. His birth mother died when Jerry was 5 and his stepmother was Margaret Ceis, who passed away in May of last year.
He is survived by his brother Tim Ceis, his niece Natalie Ceis, his aunt Winifred Savery and her family, and his Uncle John Yorke and his family.
Jerry lived for the joy of life and adventure; from building his one true love – a 17-foot Ed Monk-designed wood sailboat – at the age of 18, to trying to sail it solo to Hawaii in 1975. He fished in Alaska, sailed wherever a boat, wind, and tide would take him, and lived the life of a pirate – sometimes for Seafair and, in more than a few minds, in real life. Many of us lived out our own adventures by joining him at one time or another, or just by hearing him tell the stories over the years.
Jerry has set his last course, and I believe it is toward the second star on the right and straight on till morning.
As a Seafair Pirate, Jerry Ceis was Captain Kidd in 1984, as shown on this page of the Pirates’ website. We will publish an update when memorial information is announced.
ADDED: Friends are planning at least two gatherings in his honor: 3 pm January 27th at Chelan Café; Christo’s on Alki at 6:30 pm February 5th.
UPDATE: The official memorial for Mr. Ceis is at 1:30 pm Saturday, February 2nd, at the Alki Bathhouse (60th and Alki). A gathering is planned afterward at Christo’s on Alki. (Thank you to Tim Ceis for providing the photo we have added above.)
In Monday night high-school basketball, both of West Seattle High School‘s varsity teams played host to Bainbridge HS. Head coach Sonya Elliott‘s girls won, 44-35;
game stats are here. But it was a one-point loss for head coach Keffrey Fazio‘s boys:
Final score Bainbridge 51, WSHS 50; game stats are here. The boys-varsity team plays again tonight (Tuesday), visiting Cleveland High School, 7:30 pm; the girls will be there the same time the next night (Wednesday); both host Ingraham on Friday, 6:15 boys, 8 pm girls.
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