WSHS senior LJ Moody (#3) catches a deep pass near the end zone on Senior Night vs O’Dea
Story and videos by Jason Grotelueschen
Photos by Oliver Hamlin For West Seattle Blog
Seniors from the West Seattle High Schoolfootball and cheer squads were honored Thursday night as the Wildcats took on O’Dea at West Seattle Stadium, in a special matchup of the season’s top two Metro League football teams.
After a hard-fought scoreless first quarter, followed by a very-not-scoreless second quarter (with 6 combined touchdowns!) made it 28-14 O’Dea at halftime, the Fighting Irish steadily pulled away in the second half and topped the Wildcats by a final score of 56-14, handing WSHS their first loss of the season.
WSHS came in undefeated at 6-0 and on top of the Metro League Sound Division football standings, while O’Dea (the defending 3A state champions, current top-ranked 3A team in WA, and tops in the Metro League Mountain Division) were 6-1 with their only defeat coming in a non-conference season-opening narrow loss to 4A powerhouse Graham-Kapowsin.
As we previewed yesterday, the Thursday game represented a change of plans due to the fact that both the schools’ opponents had to forfeit their respective games this week, opening the door for a last-minute opportunity to shuffle schedules and have WSHS and O’Dea square off in a marquee late-season contest (for WSHS, it’s their final game of the season before the playoffs).
It was Senior Night for both schools, and the game was moved from Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complexto West Seattle Stadium (which is O’Dea’s home field). The rain held off and it was a nice night for football, with a good crowd on hand for both schools.
WSHS coach Anthony Stordahl (pictured below during Thursday’s game) told us that he couldn’t be prouder of how his team played against one of the best football programs in the state, under tough scheduling circumstances. “The kids on this team showed resilience and a lot of heart; we could have just taken a forfeit and moved on, but these kids love to compete.”
Now, Stordahl’s squad moves on to the playoffs, and after tonight’s area high school football action they’ll know who their next opponent will be.
Stordahl added that this game had extra-special significance for him personally, as he was able to share the field as a coach for the first time with Monte Kohler, who has coached O’Dea since the mid-1980s and last month reached 395 career wins to become the all-time winningest high school football coach in Washington state. Stordahl played for Kohler as part of O’Dea’s 1994 state championship team.
On Thursday night, the senior class was in the spotlight, and Stordahl told us that he’s “very thankful we got a chance to celebrate the seniors; they deserve a lot of credit in building the culture of this team.” He added that WSHS will be moving up next year to the Mountain Division of the Metro League, competing with programs like O’Dea and Seattle Prep, and that this is possible “because of the standard this senior class has set.”
An hour before the game, WSHS introduced and honored its senior football players and their families:
Elena Allen (student manager)
Esayas Brigham (#2)
LJ Moody (#3)
Breck Estep (#4)
Miles Guidry (#5)
Sorin Smith (#6)
Jonah Pelander (#7)
Logan Imel (#8)
Jackson Evans (#23)
Scott Bremen (#34)
Daniel Waters (#35)
Ford Fitterer (#40)
Jesse Hansen-Wilson (#43)
Isaiah Hoskins (#53)
Rafi Fein-Wallace (#54)
Nolan Polaski (#56)
Ari Fein-Wallace (#58)
Jaykel Warwick (#75)
Jack Freeborne (#71)
Gabe Crawford (#79)
Here are photos of some of the football seniors and their families, including Rafi and Ari Fein-Wallace:
Sorin Smith:
Gabe Crawford:
Esayas Brigham:
Jack Freeborne:
And Ford Fitterer:
Here’s our full video of the ceremony:
At halftime, the WSHS senior cheer squad members and their families were also recognized:
Amaya Stagi
Sophie McNamara
Ella McNamara
Hannah Niguidula
Reese Bailey
Luka Jaramillo
Sadie Stover
Lilli Athan
Nayeli Martinez
Izzy Baber
Annaleise Heinrichs
KC Martinez
AJ Nackviseth
Ariana Trevino
Izzy McKamey
Alex Call Terrazas
WSHS cheer coach Nadine Nguyen told us that this senior class “has been the heart of our team, showing dedication, leadership and spirit every step of the way,” and that they truly have inspired the team with their hard work and unity, leaving a lasting legacy for the program.
Here are photos of some of the senior cheer members alongside their families, including Nayeli Martinez:
EllaMcNamara (left) and sister Sophie:
Hannah Niguidula:
Ariana Trevino:
And Izzy McKamey:
Here’s our video of the cheer seniors (apologies for the audio quality; the organizers had to use a portable PA system and it was overpowered by the halftime crowd noise):
The cheer squad entertained the crowd throughout the game:
WSHS had also been planning to honor their senior band members on Thursday night, but the decision was made to recognize them at a future WSHS sporting event.
As for the big game itself, it began with a hard-fought scoreless first quarter, as both teams traded possessions but couldn’t convert points. WSHS missed a field goal with 8 minutes left in the 1st quarter, and the Wildcats played stout defense and recovered O’Dea fumbles on two consecutive possessions to stall drives by the Irish:
Early in the second quarter, O’Dea scored on a touchdown run, and with the extra point took a 7-0 lead with 11 minutes left in the quarter.
About 5 minutes later, the scoring flurry began as the two teams combined for 5 TDs in the last 7 minutes of the first half, starting with an O’Dea TD run to take a 14-0 lead with 6:24 left in the 2nd quarter.
On the ensuing kickoff, WSHS senior LJ Moody (#3) took a long return to midfield to give the Wildcats great field position. Not long after, Moody struck again, hauling in a long pass from junior QB Desmond Parkinson (#12):
The Wildcats couldn’t convert in the red zone, and attempted a field goal, but it was blocked and returned by O’Dea all the way to the WSHS 20-yard-line. A couple of plays later, O’Dea scored on short run to extend their lead to 21-0 with just over 3 minutes left in the 2nd quarter.
After the kickoff, WSHS put together a nice drive and then cashed in on long TD pass from Parkinson to junior Justice Nguyen (#1). The extra point was blocked, and the score was 21-6 with 1:36 left before half.
O’Dea took the kickoff and wasted no time, hitting a long TD pass to make it 28-6 with 1:25 left in the 2nd quarter.
WSHS then put together a quick drive (featuring several pass connections between Parkinson and Moody), capped off by going for it in the red zone on 4th down in the final seconds of the 1st half, as Parkinson and Nguyen connected on another TD pass:
Then the Wildcats pulled off a successful 2-point conversion on a pass to junior Aidan Croppi, to make the score 28-14 in favor of O’Dea at the halftime break.
O’Dea struck quickly in the opening minutes of the 2nd half, scoring on a TD run to take a 35-14 lead. This was followed by another TD with 8:20 left in the 3rd quarter to make it 42-14, which was the score after three quarters.
In the final quarter, the Irish defense continued to bottle up the Wildcat offense, and O’Dea added two more TDs to make the final score 56-14.
Up next for the Wildcat squad: Playoffs! Details and opponent are TBD; we will post game information as soon as it’s confirmed, dependent on tonight’s area high school football results.
Thanks for the report and photos shared with us for you, on behalf of the teams!
Congratulations to the Chief Sealth girls and boys cross country teams for sweeping the 2A Metro Championships this week at Lower Woodland!
On the girls’ side, the Seahawks took home the team title and Federica Dilley (Sr.) was the individual champion, with Casey Greger (Sr.), Elena Phillips (So.), Doe Doe (So.), Abby Peloza (So.), Satomi Giedeman (Sr.), and Mina West (Fr.) earning All-Metro honors.
The Seahawks also won the team title in the boys’ race, with Remy Wittman (Sr.) taking home the individual crown and teammates Forest Andrews-Wehling (Sr.), Cole Peloza (Sr.), Ziko Kraft (Fr.), and Theo Franzen (So.) earning All-Metro honors.
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Both teams will race next Friday at the Sea-King District Championships at Lake Sammamish State Park.
Looking for something new and tasty to try? The South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) Culinary & Pastry Arts program has just set the dates and cuisines for its Otter Pop-Up food truck, through the end of the year, and you’re invited to visit the campus to give it a try! Here’s the announcement, with dates starting next Tuesday:
As part of their training to become professional chefs and food-industry entrepreneurs, Culinary & Pastry Arts students at South Seattle College get to create a concept for a food truck, craft the menu, and run the show along with fellow students. The menus are often inspired by students’ background and family favorites.
The culinary program has a fully functional “Otter Pop-up” food truck (with recently renovated cooking equipment and a new external design) that students use to run their concepts. The truck was donated by Marination in 2023.
Everyone is welcome to visit South’s main campus in West Seattle to enjoy the food. All sales benefit the program. The truck is always parked in the centrally located Clock Tower Plaza, creating a fun gathering space for students, community members, and employees
Food trucks operate from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm on each date. Here’s the schedule for Fall Quarter 2025:
As the regular fall-sports season approaches the end, it’s time to celebrate those for whom this is the final season – the seniors. Last night, Chief Sealth International High School‘s girls-soccer team paid tribute to the Class of 2026 – including team support (above) as well as players (below with head coach Mike Rillo) –
Leslie Nunez Castro:
Lucinda Leviton:
Kimberly Ramirez:
Harlee Wahl:
Mariah Rillo:
Nasra:
The match was at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex against Nathan Hale.
The Seahawks led 1-0 after Nunez Castro, #4, scored early in the second half on a shot outside the box that sailed over the keeper’s head.
Then Hale scored two goals in the final five minutes to get the win.
The team’s last regular-season match is tonight at Cleveland, 5 pm.
When the West Seattle High School Wildcats take the field Thursday night for the game that includes the Senior Night celebration for football, cheer, and band, it won’t be at their home field, Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex. And it won’t be against the originally scheduled opponent, either. They’re now scheduled to play O’Dea at West Seattle Stadium (4470 35th SW) at 7 pm Thursday. Thanks to parent Allison for circulating word of the changes – which also include plans for the football seniors to be recognized with a pre-game ceremony, at 6 pm, and the cheer and band seniors to be recognized at halftime. It’s not only WSHS’s senior night, it’s a “huge game” because it’s also a matchup of the top two teams in the Metro League – West Seattle is undefeated; O’Dea has only one loss, against a non-conference opponent, and this is scheduled as their Senior Night too (WS Stadium is their home field). Allison says they’re hoping to fill the stands for the Wildcats – you can buy your ticket with cash at the stadium or online in advance.
The visiting team from Seattle Academy came out on top 3-0 in the match, which was the second-to-last regular-season home game of the year for WSHS. With the loss, the Wildcats now have a season record of 5-4-2.
WSHS usually plays home matches at Walt Hundley Playfield in High Point, but as we had previewed here, program manager Sarah Heitman told us that they held this game at Hiawatha (right after school, next door), hoping for a big community turnout to help celebrate “senior night” as a tribute to the WSHS players who are graduating after this school year.
And what a turnout it was, with fans packed into the sideline area east of the field…
…with proud family members and fellow students holding signs honoring the soon-to-be-graduates:
In all, there are nine seniors on the WSHS girls’ soccer squad:
From left to right, that’s Claire Murray, Adriana Havens, Grace Reasoner, Lillian O’Claire, Grace Carroll, Layla Ho, Anna Sievertson, Kate Russell and Ellie Miller.
To show love to the seniors, there were two ceremonies on Friday, one at halftime and one after the game.
During halftime, WSHS head coach Dan Carew read comments that each of the seniors had written about their favorite WSHS teacher or staff member who had a particularly profound impact on them:
Here are the seniors with their favorite WSHS educators:
The honored staffers, from left to right in the back row of the photo above, are Chris Harris (chosen by senior Kate Russell), Jessica Mathews (Sievertson), Julia Harper (Ho), Tom Burggraff (Miller), Alex Cordero (O’Claire), Rachel Myers (Carroll), Mary Logel (Reasoner), Kyle Glover (Havens), and Mallory Neuman (Murray).
The second ceremony was after the match, and there wasn’t a dry eye on the field as Wildcat teammates gave heartfelt speeches in honor of each of the nine outgoing seniors.
Here’s our video of all of the student speeches (a bit over 20 minutes):
Here are some photos of the Wildcats in action during Friday’s game.
Senior Layla Ho:
Senior Grace Reasoner:
Senior Ellie Miller:
Senior Adriana Havens:
Junior Ava Wheatley:
Sophomore Ella Curtis:
Sophomore Juliette Harding:
Sophomore Brooklyn Crowe:
Running off the field through a “tunnel of teammates” were seniors Claire Murray and Lillian O’Claire:
A corner kick by junior Izzy Waite:
Post-match “good game” exchanges:
And an enthusiastic tunnel of classmates:
The Wildcats’ next game is at home (Walt Hundley) on Tuesday (October 21) vs Lakeside at 4pm, followed by their regular-season finale on the road on Thursday (October 23) at Ingraham.
Tomorrow, their second-to-last regular-season home match of the year is set for Hiawatha Playfield, right next to the school. Program manager Sarah Heitman tells WSB they’re hoping for a big community turnout for this game, as they’re celebrating “senior night” – a tribute to the players who will graduate after this school year – right after the match.
Their opponent is Seattle Academy; match time is 4 pm Friday at 2700 California SW. The Wildcats hope to see you there!
The Seattle School Board has narrowed the list of superintendent candidates to two. We first reported three weeks ago that board president Gina Topp, who represents West Seattle and most of South Park, revealed they had 41 qualified candidates; eight were chosen for interviews through what a district news release describes as a “blind evaluation process” – reviewed without information on their names, locations, alma maters, and other affiliations. After those interviews, board members have settled on two finalists and plan to interview them one week from today. There’s been some criticism of the fact that the hiring process is proceeding without community members getting to meet the candidates; Topp is quoted in tonight’s news release as saying confidentiality was vital: “This approach allowed us to attract an outstanding pool of applicants, including sitting superintendents and other strong leaders who might not otherwise have applied.” The job is currently held by Fred Podesta, who was appointed after Dr. Brent Jones’s departure, but he did not express interest in holding the position long-term.
The Fairmount Park ElementaryPTA is signing up volunteers for the upcoming Falcon Fest and asked us to publish this invitation:
Fairmount Park’s annual fall festival, Falcon Fest, is Friday Nov 7 and we need your help to make it a magical event for our students and families! Whether you’re great at games, crafts, decorating, or just bringing the energy, there’s a spot for everyone. Volunteering is a fun way to support the school, meet other parents & students, and be part of the community spirit.
Sign up today to volunteer or bring a dessert dash item and help us create an unforgettable evening of fall fun! 🍁 Shifts are only 1hr so you have plenty of time to enjoy the festival with your family. Dessert for dessert dash are prizes to take home and enjoy. This is also a great volunteer opportunity for Fairmount Park Alums in middle or high school and their friends. Questions? Email volunteer@fairmountparkpta.org.
Thanks to Kevin for sending the photos! The cornhole tournament happening at West Seattle High School today isn’t just for fun – it’s also for fundraising so the new WSHS Cornhole Club can buy more boards. Kevin’s daughter Dora is one of the organizers:
You’re welcome to stop by during the tournament and cheer them on and/or donate – they’re selling refreshments too. It’s on the WSHS side field until 4 pm.
No home games for our area’s two high-school varsity teams this week, but one team already has played its road game and remains undefeated: West Seattle High School is now 5-0 after defeating Lakeside last night, 24-7. That puts head coach Anthony Stordahl‘s team atop the Metro League with the best overall record. The Wildcats are on the road again next week but after that, they have one last regular-season home game, 7 pm Thursday, October 23, vs. Nathan Hale.
A day of big fun at Louisa Boren STEM K-8 in Delridge is just wrapping up. We stopped by for photos after Paula from the Boren STEM PTA told us about it – the older students organize and run it for the younger students to visit:
She explained, “Fall Fest is a fun celebration of fall and community complete with games and food! It is also an opportunity for our oldest students to give back to their community and inspire our younger students.”
It’s also educational: They told us, for example, that the organizers ran the activities like businesses and were keeping data on participation to analyze, to see what might be worth bringing back at next year’s Fall Fest!
The fair was open for five hours during the school day.
P.S. As mentioned in our morning traffic roundup, no classes tomorrow at STEM and other Seattle Public Schools.
Starting today and continuing until the end of October, the West Seattle High School food drive welcomes community help – here’s the announcement:
Please support West Seattle High School’s annual food drive Thursday, October 9-Friday, October 31. All proceeds go directly to West Seattle High School students.
The community can make donations directly to the school’s food fund by following the QR code (on this flyer) or by dropping off food and clothing to West Seattle High’s historic entrance off Walnut Ave SW at 3000 California Ave SW on Monday October 13, 20, and 27 from 4-6 pm.
Story by Jason Grotelueschen
Photos by Oliver Hamlin For West Seattle Blog
In a strong showing on Friday night, the West Seattle High School football squad dominated Franklin by a score of 41-6 under the lights at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex, to remain unbeaten at 4-0.
This one was all Wildcats from the opening whistle, scoring 5 touchdowns in the first half to take a 34-0 lead, and the visitors from Franklin not scoring a point until getting a touchdown as time expired at the end of the game. The referees did a “run clock” for most of the 2nd half, with minimal stoppages, due to WSHS having a comfortable 34-point lead at the time, which meant that the game was finished before 9 pm (in just 1 hour and 55 minutes).
There was a sizable home crowd on hand for the game, and the fans had a lot to cheer about.
Here’s our video of the opening kickoff:
WSHS wasted no time making a big play, with senior Sorin Smith (#6) grabbing an interception just 1:30 into the game. A minute later, junior QB Desmond Parkinson (#12) found senior Miles Guidry (#5) for a TD pass:
The extra point by senior Jonah Pelander (#7) gave the Wildcats an early 7-0 lead.
With 5:24 left in the first quarter, WSHS got another interception, this one from senior Ford Fitterer (#40), and the Wildcats offense moved down the field, with Parkinson doing work through the air:
…and on the ground, capping off the drive with a QB run:
The extra point made it 14-0, which remained the score at the end of the first quarter.
Just one minute into the 2nd quarter, the Wildcats kept the momentum going:
…with a long TD pass from Parkinson to sophomore Grady Scheff (#10):
…and the kick put WSHS in front 21-0.
The visiting Quakers couldn’t get anything going on offense in the first half, with the stout Wildcat defense keeping Franklin in check and getting the ball back quickly and repeatedly.
WSHS continued moving the ball, including work by senior Jesse Hansen-Wilson (#43):
With five minutes left in the quarter, WSHS scored again on a short TD pass from Parkinson to senior LJ Moody (#3):
…which put the Wildcats on top 28-0 after the extra point.
With 1:53 remaining in the quarter, Parkinson again connected with Moody, this time for a long TD pass:
…but the extra point was blocked, making the score 34-0 at the half.
Here’s our video of the WSHS marching band entertaining the crowd with their halftime performance:
And here are some halftime photos:
The 3rd quarter was scoreless, with both teams trading possessions. A WSHS drive stalled with 8:02 left in the quarter after losing a fumble that was recovered by Franklin, but the Wildcat defense stepped up and forced a punt.
The 4th quarter had more of the same until WSHS freshman Lennox Parkinson (#22) broke free and scored on a TD run, and the extra point put the Wildcats up 41-0.
It wasn’t until the final minute of the contest that the Quakers made a serious threat to score, moving into the red zone and then ultimately getting a TD catch from senior Deurian McNeil (#0) as time expired, to make the final score 41-6 in favor of WSHS.
Head coach Anthony Stordahl‘s Wildcats remain undefeated at 4-0 for the season:
Throughout the game, the WSHS cheer squad and band were also hard at work:
The Chief Sealth International High School Seahawks were in celebration mode after a 28-0 victory over Lakeside on the road last night. Chief Sealth dominated on both sides of the ball.
Sealth got on the board early thanks to a touchdown by running back #9 Jessie Gilmore II.
In the second quarter, #21 Marshawn Tovia-Ford scored on a long run, while #12 MJ Filitaula threw a deep pass to #3 Marquis Tovia for another touchdown.
Marshawn Tovia-Ford made impacts on offense and defense as he also scored a touchdown off a pick-six and recorded a sack as well.
Chief Sealth bounced back from challenges including three touchdowns taken back due to penalties.
Lakeside came closest to scoring a couple times in the second quarter. Lakeside missed a field goal and dropped a pass in the end zone heavily defended by #11 Graham Hull.
#2 Kingston Cappiello intercepted a pass late in the fourth quarter to seal the game.
The CSIHS Cheer Team had a lot to cheer for.
Other game scenes: #10 Yair Issack, running downfield after catching a pass for a first down:
#54 Xavius Chu-Eneliko celebrating after making a tackle:
Head coach Daron Camacho‘s team is now 3-2:
Next game for Chief Sealth: Friday, October 17, 7 pm, hosting Nathan Hale at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle).
Madison Middle School has an acting principal as of today, according to a district memo sent to families (thanks for the forwards) and posted on the school website, signed by Superintendent Fred Podesta:
Dear Madison families and staff,
We are writing to inform you of a leadership update at Madison Middle School. Beginning Monday, Sept. 29, Dr. Gary will be on health leave.
During Dr. Gary’s absence, we are pleased to welcome Dr. Scott Pierce as the acting principal. Dr. Pierce has most recently been serving the past three years as an Assistant Principal at Rainier Beach High School. Dr. Pierce brings 15 years of leadership experience with a strong commitment to equity focused, inclusive, and rigorous learning environments.
Principal Pierce will begin his transition with staff and the school community during the week of Sept. 29 – Oct. 3 and is looking forward to supporting and working with the Madison community officially beginning Monday, Oct. 6.
To support a smooth transition, Regional Executive Directors Chris Carter and Katrina Hunt will provide oversight and guidance. Furthermore, assistant principals Dr. Elizabeth Allen and Ms. Trisha Pilapil will be instrumental in ensuring consistency and stability during this time.
As always, our top priority remains the academic success, safety, and well-being of every Madison student.
Thank you for your continued support.
Dr. Gary has been Madison’s principal for 12 years.
We don’t know who they are, but we do know eight candidates are moving to the “next stage of the process” in the search for a new Seattle Public Schools superintendent. We first reported last Tuesday night that School Board president Gina Topp, speaking to the Admiral Neighborhood Association, had revealed they had “41 qualified applicants” and would get a closer look at them on Friday. That afternoon/evening meeting to review applications was an executive (non-public) session, and resulted in the weekend announcement that they’d winnowed the field to eight. According to that announcement, “The applicant pool is diverse and includes leaders from across the country.” Here’s the timeline they’re working with:
Thursday, October 9, Finalist Interviews
Friday, October 10, Finalist Interviews
Wednesday, October 15, Board Discussion (tentative)
Wednesday, October 15 or 22, Selection of Candidate (tentative)
The district developed a “leadership profile” to guide the search; you can see it here.
If kids are hungry, it’s harder for them to learn. A local educator hopes you can help prevent that problem among the students with whom she works. Sent by Cheyanne Chadwick:
I run an after-school program at West Seattle Elementary that focuses on STEM skills through project-based learning. It’s been an incredible experience! As part of the program, I serve my students a snack to fuel the young scholars between lunch and dinner. However, I’ve encountered a challenge I need help with.
Last year, a 5th-grade student left the after-school program because she was hungry. A single bag of popcorn, crackers, or veggie sticks wasn’t enough to satisfy her growing body until dinner. And she wasn’t the only one. I hear from students daily about wanting more and have observed the distracted, lethargic behavior that comes from hunger. It makes sense because 80% of students at WSE are eligible for free lunch.
It’s unacceptable to me that a student misses out on free STEM education because of hunger. This year, I am working to provide more snacks for my students. This is a significant expense, made more challenging by expanding my program into TWO after-school classes (one for 2nd/3rd graders and one for 4th/5th graders), which means I’ll be serving twice as many students.
I hope West Seattle residents might have the means and ability to donate some individually packaged snacks (ideas and suggestions below). I’m happy to pick up in the West Seattle area if folks email me at cheyanne.chadwick@stempaths.org, or they can drop off items at the front office of West Seattle Elementary (just tell the office assistants it’s for Cheyanne).
Regarding dietary restrictions, most of my students can’t have pork, so items with gelatin should be avoided.
Donations at any time:
Veggie straws
Goldfish crackers
Pirate’s Booty
Fruit leathers (check for gelatin)
Animal crackers
Fruit snacks (check for gelatin)
Z-bars
Nutri-Grain bars
Pretzel crisps
Baked chips
Donations at specific times (to prevent spoilage due to surplus):
Apples or apple slices
Baby carrots
Bananas
String cheese
Yogurt cups
WSB readers have helped Cheyanne’s students before – most recently, with a request for a local baker to help with a science project: “I was blown away by the number of folks who reached out! West Seattle is such a fantastic place to live, and I’m very, very grateful.”
SSC FOOD TRUCK: Two years ago, Marination donated food trucks to SSC. College spokesperson Ty Swenson tells WSB, “We just finished the new external design and it is named the ‘Otter Pop-Up.’ The interior kitchen components were all upgraded over the summer as well. Graphic design students helped come up with the design for the truck last year, and culinary students create food truck menus and run the kitchen as part of their curriculum, while feeding the campus.”
CULINARY AND PASTRY ARTS INSTRUCTOR TRAINING: Swenson also tells us, “Our Culinary & Pastry Arts program chef instructors spent part of their summer training in Europe. They had a week in France learning artisan butchery and a week in Italy learning how to make handmade pasta. Their new skills will be shared with students in the program.
CULINARY CONVENIENCE STORE & FOOD PANTRY: Two ways that food is more accessible to students – the on-campus Culinary Convenience Store now accepts EBT cards, and SSC has student food pantries at both the main and Georgetown campuses. Swenson says, “It’s part of South’s efforts to support students’ food security so they can be well-nourished and focus on their studies.”
Next Saturday, the Seattle Visiting Nurse Association starts a series of eight flu and COVID vaccination clinics at three West Seattle schools, all on weekends, and they’re open to all community members. SVNA says:
These clinics are open to the public, but appointments are required.
Patients will be able to get a flu shot, COVID-19 vaccine, or both in the same appointment. We can vaccinate kids 4 and up for flu and 5 and up for COVID-19. All patients can receive COVID-19 vaccines this season due to a Washington State Department of Health order.
We will be using the updated Moderna products for 2025. Each patient needs their own registration, in their name, with their information. If anyone has questions, they can email us at info@seattlevna.com.
If you have trouble reading the grid above, the clinics also are listed by location, date, and time on this Seattle Public Schools webpage, which also notes, “SVNA clinics require insurance (most insurance accepted) or payment.”
As noted in our Friday event list, both high-school varsity football teams played games at Northwest Athletic Complex this week. Here’s what happened, according to the Metro League scoreboard: On Thursday night, Chief Sealth IHS was edged by Ingraham, 18-17; on Friday night, West Seattle HS beat Lincoln, 44-7. Next week, the Seahawks (2-2) have another Thursday night away game, 7 pm vs. Lakeside at Northeast Athletic Complex; the Wildcats (3-0) play at home, 7 pm Friday vs. Franklin at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle).
Back-to-school season isn’t entirely over in West Seattle. For South Seattle College (WSB sponsor), the fall quarter starts Monday (September 29). We asked SSC spokesperson Ty Swenson what’s new this year, and he gave us a list including these three items. First, more students can plug into EV-related training:
The Automotive Technology program is jump starting electric and hybrid vehicle training this year. Toyota donated a Prius to the program for students to practice hybrid maintenance and repair and the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges awarded the program a competitive workforce development grant to develop electric vehicle training. our Senior Director of Workforce Education Dalia Sherif at the Seattle Colleges District Office has engaged with the Washington State Auto Dealers Association and Western Washington Toyota Dealers over the past year to bring this donation to fruition, and future vehicle donations are in the works.
Second – classes you can take even if you’re not looking for a new degree or certificate:
South’s Continuing Education program is back with a full lineup of new and returning classes for personal enrichment and professional development — available both in-person and online. Whether you’re looking to pick up a new hobby or boost your career skills, there’s something for everyone.
Third, a special area of growth for SSC:
We are excited to see a 45 percent increase in students joining us this fall for college transfer pathways compared to last fall. Our college transfer students traditionally take freshman and sophomore classes at South for a fraction of the cost of four-year universities and colleges, earn their associate degree and then transfer to a four-year university or college with the skills and confidence to complete their bachelor’s degrees.
SSC’s main campus is at 6000 16th SW on Puget Ridge and includes several spots also open to non-students, such as the retail Garden Center and Northwest Wine Academy tasting room/wine bar (both open Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays). More on the new quarter tomorrow!
By Torin Record-Sand
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
As we first reported earlier this month, Seattle Public Schools sparked controversy with an abrupt announced that all comprehensive high schools (including West Seattle and Chief Sealth) must have two separate lunch periods. The announcement made a week and a half into the school year led to a districtwide walkout protest at district HQ on September 15th. But the district is moving ahead with the change, it was clear after a short discussion at Wednesday night’s special meeting of the School Board, and all schools must have split lunches in place by October 6.
The justification was simple. “We serve more lunches if there are multiple lunch periods.” said superintendent Fred Podesta. He provided statistics such as a case study from Cleveland High School that showed splitting the lunch period led to 31 percent more lunches being served to students, addressing the district’s persistent concerns about ood access. Other justifications were reiterated, such as the need for staff to take their own breaks in accordance with contracts, which were noted in the slide deck posted beoore the meeting.
Nonetheless, acknowledging the community backlash, the district plans some “mitigations” and will seek community engagement. Many complaints were from students feeling that the change would split personal availability and time to use for either extracurricular or personal matters: the ability to schedule a club meeting, meet with a teacher, do homework in advance of a class, or to be able to see friends. Some possibilities include a scheduled advisory time between students and teachers, more flexible choices for students in the time of their lunch period, and shifting club meeting times
It was noted that meetings are under way with student leaders from affected schools to ask them for feedback. Coordination with school principals on the implementation of the plan was promised too. Here’s a slide showing the status of that:
Associate superintendent Dr. Rocky Torres-Morales noted there are many different approaches on how to deal with the change, and these will be left to each respective school implementing the change. “Each school is their own school, there is no one size fits all decision.” he said.
Also discussed: The school lunch change as part of thei overall plan to re-evaluate the high school day this year and next. A task force will be dedicated to the re-evaluation, working on options for equitable access to credit-earning opportunities, protecting time for extracurricular activities, and reviewing school start and end times, among other goals.
The school board’s hope is that this upcoming process will be more transparent than what led to the lunch announcement. “This [the upcoming changes] is a serious topic, we won’t unwrap it like a Christmas gift in April, people need to hear about it along the way.” said superintendent Podesta. The recommendations on revisions to the high school day will be due from the task force in spring 2026.
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WSHS senior Adriana Havens
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