High-school softball & baseball: WSHS, Sealth teams all play again today
SOFTBALL: In 3:30 pm games today, Sealth is scheduled to face Blanchet and West Seattle is scheduled to play Nathan Hale. In Thursday games, according to our partners at the Seattle Times, Sealth fell to Holy Names, 19-1, while West Seattle beat Seattle Prep, 9-6.
BASEBALL: West Seattle and Chief Sealth both had games at Steve Cox Memorial Park in White Center. The Seahawks came away with a win:
(Photos by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
They edged Ingraham, 3-2 (here are the stats); the Wildcats shut out Nathan Hale 10-0:
Both play again today – West Seattle vs. Prep (at 4 pm – just verified that with the school), and Sealth vs. O’Dea.
West Seattle wildlife: Fauntleroy Creek salmon releases’ midpoint
Students from Fauntleroy’s Little Pilgrim School are the latest to release salmon fry into Fauntleroy Creek, where volunteer Dennis Hinton says about 1,000 of the little coho have been released since May 1st (we covered the season’s first student release that day, with Westside School (WSB sponsor) visiting – here’s the story). Dennis reports that about 260 students have been to the creek for releases so far, and there will be more through the end of the month:
The program is coordinated by volunteer creek stewards. Most of these fry have been raised in the classrooms since January. Creek stewards have also been monitoring the number of coho smolt. These are fish the kids released in the creek last May, have survived for about a year, and are now headed downstream to the saltwater. As of today
115 smolt had been counted. The smolt count will also wind up May 30.
Here’s a look at some of those smolt:
After a year in the creek, Dennis says, they are generally three to five inches long. In the fall, volunteers watch again for returning fish; you can find out more about Fauntleroy Creek here.
High-school sports: Softball, soccer, baseball updates
High-school spring sports are now into postseason play – and here’s some of what’s happened so far (thanks to our partners at the Seattle Times for some of the scores):
(Photos by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
SOFTBALL: Chief Sealth and West Seattle both played on Wednesday in the Metro League tournament. Sealth won its game against Seattle Prep, 11-4 (photo above), while WSHS lost to Holy Names, 8-7. Both teams play again today – swapping opponents, essentially; their 3:30 pm games are Sealth vs. Holy Names and WSHS vs. Prep.
Meantime, at Interbay:
SOCCER: A hard-fought game on Wednesday between Chief Sealth’s standout team and Bainbridge Island, which just two weeks earlier had been the first team to beat the Seahawks all season.
It took extra time, but Bainbridge defeated Sealth again – this time 1-0. Sealth is scheduled for a game today against Bishop Blanchet.
BASEBALL: There’s a doubleheader at Steve Cox Memorial Park in White Center today – at 4 pm West Seattle vs. Nathan Hale, followed by Chief Sealth vs Ingraham at 7 pm. Meantime, Seattle Lutheran is scheduled to play Concrete this Saturday, after a big win on Tuesday:
The Saints shut out La Conner in that game, 10-0.
West Seattle schools: Arbor Heights students grow, sell, give tomato plants to learn, help
At Arbor Heights Elementary, a first-grade class isn’t just talking and learning about healthy food – they’re growing it, too, and ready to share their plants with you. Parent Krista Withers shares the news of a plant sale continuing through the end of the week, and a giveaway planned for weekend after next!
All year long our teacher, Marcia Ingerslev, has been focusing on building healthy habits for lifelong nutrition and good health. In addition to cooking in the classroom each Friday, the children from room 16 have been planting, potting, repotting, watering, and caring for many tomato plants.
These plants will be for sale (by donation) after school at the Arbor Heights Playground this week.
Mrs.Ingerslev explains how this will benefit the class, the school and our community here:
“In the cold days of February, the students of room 16 at Arbor Heights planted two flats of tomatoes. With 400 or more sprouts I figured we would get a couple hundred plants.
We are currently at 400 tomato plants, which confirms what I have always known, anything planted and nurtured by a child grows better than when planted by an adult. Some of the plants have been transplanted several times, others are still waiting for a larger home. We will be selling plants until none remain. On May 19th some of my students are going to be at Safeway on Roxbury to share what they have learned about nutrition. They will have a hundred tomato plants to give away. We want families to be able to eat healthy food. This is our small contribution to that end.
If you can’t wait until then or are interested in purchasing (for a donation) more tomato plants, please contact me at mmingerslev@seattleschools.org. 100% of the proceeds go to fund a native-plant garden and our school and to run Room 16’s nutrition program. All of the seeds, pots, and soil were donated. Manpower was provided by first-grade students.”
After-school sales this week are running from about 3:10-4:05 pm. On Saturday, May 19th, Krista tells us, the students’ visit to Roxbury Safeway (Roxbury/26th) will be from 9:30 am-1:30 pm.
New draft of school-levy proposal suggests two 650-seat elementaries for West Seattle
At 4 pm today, the Seattle School Board meets for another work session on the BEX-IV levy at district HQ in SODO – which will raise money to build and renovate schools throughout the city. A new draft proposal is on the district website for discussion at the meeting – see it here. Nothing dramatically new for West Seattle, but it does add new details to some of what’s been under discussion:
NEW SCHOOLS:
-The new Schmitz Park Elementary proposed for the old Genesee Hill site would be a 650-seat K-5, this draft says
-The new Arbor Heights Elementary would also be a 650-seat K-5, this draft says
REOPENED SCHOOLS:
-The old Hughes building, currently leased by Westside School (WSB sponsor), would be “upgraded” to reopen as a 304-seat K-5
-The old Fairmount Park building, closed five years ago, would be “upgraded” to reopen as a 304-seat K-5
INTERIM SCHOOL:
-The Boren building is listed as having a capacity as 760 and being “interim location for STEM K-5, Fairmount Park, Hughes, and Arbor Heights” – ostensibly while renovations/rebuilds are under way for each of those schools
Though Roxhill Elementary made its case at a meeting last week for needing renovations, if not a rebuild, or maybe even a move – WSB coverage here – it is not mentioned in the draft. There is a mention toward the end of the document that this proposal could result in a “potential elementary seat surplus in West Seattle.”
The document says that there will be one more round of community meetings in September before the board finalizes the levy plan later in the fall, to go to voters next February. One more note: If you want to talk with West Seattle’s school-board director Marty McLaren about this or any other issue – like the transportation (and therefore bell-time) changes – she has a community conversation meeting scheduled TODAY at Southwest Library (35th/Henderson), 12:30-2:30 pm.
West Seattle schools: Gatewood Elementary’s Mariners surprise
Thanks to Gatewood Elementary PTA president Nicole Sipila for the photo and report about today’s big event:
Just wanted to share an exciting surprise with you about the students and staff of Gatewood Elementary today. Six Mariners came to talk to the kids about being apart of the Dream Team, D = Drug Free, R = Respect, E = Education, A = Attitude & M = Motivation. Manager Eric Wedge, John Jaso, Dustin Ackley, Kyle Seager, Jason Vargas, and Felix Hernandez all spoke about how important it is for kids to succeed in life to stay drug free, show respect for themselves and others, to stay in school and do well, to keep a positive attitude, and to be motivated to succeed.
Also, the students of Gatewood enthusiastically took Felix Hernandez’s two-extra-books-a=week challenge! It was a very special and exciting day for the Gatewood community. A big Thank You to the community outreach team of the Mariners for a great surprise!
More details in an MLB.com writeup we just found on the Mariners’ website.
Bike Month kickoff: Westside School’s two-wheelin’ Sunday
(Photos by Preston Poythress)
Thanks to Astrid Klopsch, a Westside School (WSB sponsor) parent who along with fellow parent Carmel Schimmel led a Bike Month workshop at the school today, for sharing this report on how it went:
Today from 10 am – 12:00 pm, Westside School, with the support of the Cascade Bicycle Club, hosted a Bike Month Kick-off where children of all ages received assistance with bike adjustments, practiced skills and rode through obstacle courses.
More than 35 students participated – everyone showed improvements and one student even was able to get rid of their training wheels. It was a big success and everyone is looking forward to more great biking.
Bike Month includes Bike to Work Day, coming up on May 18th, a week from Friday; once again this year, there’ll be a commute station by the west end of the “low bridge,” co-sponsored by Alki Bike and Board (here’s a list of the commute stations around the region).
When school’s out, learning can continue; see how, next Saturday
With summer vacation only a month and a half away, families are finalizing plans for what their kids will be up to this summer – and learning can be part of it, even with school out till September. That’s the message of a symposium next Saturday to which all parents are invited, and it’s here in West Seattle, at Chief Sealth International High School. The event coordinated by Seattle Public Schools is called “Building Bridges for Summer Learning,” and along with workshops and a resource fair, you can check out workshops and enjoy a free breakfast and light lunch – kids’ activities are planned too. You don’t have to RSVP – just show up next Saturday; it’ll be ongoing, 9:30 am-2:30 pm The district’s Office of School-Family Partnerships is organizing it; here’s a webpage with full details.
Roxhill Elementary meeting touts ‘magical place’ that needs ‘worthy’ building
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Lots of love, lots of concern, and lots of questions.
That’s the three-part bottom line for last night’s two-part community meeting at Roxhill Elementary School.
It was originally announced three weeks ago as a chance for the school’s community to speak out about what was at the time a possibility that Seattle Public Schools‘ forthcoming BEX IV levy might result in the closure of Roxhill and its “merger” into a large new elementary school on the Arbor Heights campus a mile and a half away.
That option is not in the newest levy draft, though nothing’s officially ruled out, either, given that the BEX-IV plan won’t be finalized till a School 
Board vote this fall. But since it’s not currently in play, the plan for last night’s meeting morphed to a two-part mission: Advocacy for Roxhill’s needs, and a West Seattle-wide look at how BEX-IV might best benefit the peninsula, with high-profile district reps there to listen – West Seattle’s board rep Marty McLaren, and assistant superintendent Pegi McEvoy.
Roxhill principal Carmela Dellino (right) presided over the first part, which included not just advocacy, but also passionate testimonials about her school.
It was that passion, in fact, she suggested, that led to the closure/”merger” proposal getting shelved. “We had 300 surveys returned from our families and staff that said ‘no’ – there was not one supporting a merger. It was a clear message.” She described her school as “an incredibly magical place.”
Even a “magical” place, though, “has to be safe” – and that’s part of why she and the school community want someplace new.
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High-school sports: Carne Asada Bowl trophy goes to Sealth
The sun dropped in for a while during this afternoon’s Carne Asada Bowl soccer game/cookout at Southwest Athletic Complex, with Chief Sealth International High School Seahawks beating the Secondary Bilingual Orientation Center (aka Seattle World School) Internationals – which means they get the trophy, with which we got head coach Ron Johnson to pose:
The Carne Asada Bowl is about more than soccer – Sealth athletic director Sam Reed described it in his announcement as “a way to unite two communities that share much in common – many of our past and current Chief Sealth players have transitioned into high school through the BOC – and celebrate soccer as a diverse, worldwide sport.” Celebrations, of course, mean food:
The feast was free, thanks to lots of help, including parents, other supporters, and faculty – like Sealth’s Delfino Muñoz, who cooked up the event’s namesake Carne Asada:
He was all smiles at the big turnout for today’s game – Sealth’s acclaimed band played too:
Next stop for the Metro Sound Division-winning home team, the playoffs – one more look at the field today:
We’ll have the postseason games in the calendar soon as they’re announced.
Followup: Seattle Public Schools now wants your opinion on transportation plans that could change ‘bell times’
We have followups today on the Seattle Public Schools board considering a staff recommendation to change the transportation plan for next year because of a budget problem, as reported here Wednesday afternoon. A transportation-plan change in turn would change start/end times for most if not all schools, since they are linked to bus arrival/departure times, and the last-minute discovery of this agenda item led to an outcry because part of the proposal could dramatically change those “bell times.” The video above is from Wednesday night’s board meeting – the second of two clips published by Seattle Channel; forward it to about 95 minutes in, when the discussion on this topic finally began. West Seattle’s school-board director Marty McLaren said during the meeting that she had talked with WS High School principal Ruth Medsker on how a much-earlier start time would affect high-school students, many of whom take Metro buses – often being passed frequently by already-full buses – and McLaren said her understanding is that this could have a “catastrophic impact” on that situation, especially considering an anti-tardiness campaign that she said has been working well at WSHS, and has led to improved academic performance.
Among other things, the district manager who briefed the board Wednesday acknowledged that this had all unfolded without public input – in fact, he said the “accelerated project” did not “allow” it. But today, the district has put out an update on where the situation stands, now REQUESTING public input before the school board’s possible vote on May 16th. You can read their full update here. Right now, district staffers are doing more “analysis” of various options and promised to have that by next Friday (May 11th). This all has to be finalized soon, the district says, because start/end times have to be set in stone for next year by the end of this month.
Got something to say to the district? Here’s the address: transdept@seattleschools.org
Another benefit! WSHS baseball/softball dinner Saturday
Late last night we mentioned a few upcoming fundraisers for which tickets are still available – and just found out about one more! Co-chair Kim Gearon sends word of tomorrow night’s West Seattle High School Baseball and Softball Teams’ spaghetti dinner/auction/raffle. It’s the teams’ biggest fundraiser of the year. Tickets are $7 (available at the door), with dinner served beginning at 5:30 pm in the WSHS Commons (3000 California SW). Kim notes that the proceeds will help cover many expenses beyond the limited amount allocated to the school’s athletic budget, from equipment to uniforms to transportation. (You can get to the Commons through the gates that open onto the school’s parking lot facing California SW, near the illuminated sign on the school’s west side.)
West Seattle schools: K-5 STEM at Boren ‘weeding party’
The home of West Seattle’s newest public school needs a little TLC, and a community-organized cleanup is set for this Saturday. The invitation:
Join us this Saturday, May 5 from 1-5 for the first K-5 STEM at Boren WEEDING PARTY!
Community members, STEM families, students, friends – come play in the dirt and meet other families coming to STEM!
SPS grounds crew will be there with supplies to support weeding out the planters facing the parking lot and facing Delridge. Feelfree to bring your own tools, gloves, water, sunscreen & snacks.
This event will be cancelled in event of rain.
The Boren building is in the 5900 block of Delridge Way SW.
High-school sports: And now Sealth has two division champions
Chief Sealth International High School‘s spring-sports program now has two division champions!
SOCCER DIVISION CHAMPS: Tonight, the boys-varsity team clinched the Metro Sound Division title:
They shut out Nathan Hale 1-0 – with Kristian Nilssen on goal – at Southwest Athletic Complex tonight. (Stats here, from our partners at the Seattle Times.)
It was also seniors’ night; the graduating players were scheduled to be honored at game’s end – before the game, we caught up with students and parents who were putting together the postgame celebration (food, balloons, etc.):
From left, Noele, Tasha, Ryan, Claire, and “Coach Mom” Rosario.
SOFTBALL DIVISION CHAMPS: Even before tonight’s soccer victory, Sealth already had a division winner. Athletic director Sam Reed reports that the girls-varsity softball team concluded its regular season Monday by defeating Roosevelt, ending with a 15-5 record, the Sound Division title, and a look ahead to the playoffs starting next week.
Seattle Public Schools start times back in play – board meets tonight
Thanks to those who have flagged us to this today via e-mail and phone, and it’s also under discussion at Seattle Schools Community Forum, with the exhortation, “Now is the time to pay attention”: Tonight’s Seattle School Board meeting includes the first look at a “Revision to Transportation Standards.” That means changing the scheduling of school buses, which in turn means changing the scheduling for schools’ start and end times.
You might recall, this all came up just last year – when another round of transportation changes and ensuing bell-time changes meant that some schools were starting as late as the 9:30 am vicinity; Sanislo Elementary, in particular, tried to fight it (here’s one of our stories from May 2011).
Last year’s changes were supposed to save money. However, it didn’t work out that way, according to district documents in tonight’s meeting packet – so now they’re looking at a new three-tier system, with bus arrivals at schools as early as 7:10 am, 15 minutes earlier than the earliest ones now, and longer bus rides. Here’s a screen grab:
No specific “which school would be in which tier” list already that we can find (and we’re asking the district just to be sure). The report on tonight’s agenda says this could save $1 million next year. For the current year, “transportation expenditures” may be almost $3 million over budget, the School Board has been told. Tonight’s board meeting (agenda here) is at 6 pm at district headquarters in SODO.
‘Bye Bye Birdie’ opens @ West Seattle HS May 10; benefit May 12
It’s spring musical season at West Seattle High School, and the WSHS Drama Club and Music Department invite you to come see “Bye Bye Birdie,” opening May 10th for six performances – 7:30 pm that night plus May 11th, 16th, 17th, 18th, and an 8 pm event on May 12th including a pre-func that’s a special benefit for the arts programs at Westside. The synopsis:
‘Bye Bye Birdie’ is one of the most captivating musical shows of our time. It is a satire done with the fondest affection, and tells the story of a rock and roll singer who is about to be inducted into the army. An English Teacher, What Did I Ever See in Him?, Put on a Happy Face, One Boy, A Lot of Livin’ to Do, Kids, Rosie and Spanish Rose are musical theatre classics. This is the tops in imagination and good old-fashioned fun.
For the five regular performances, tickets are $7 with a reservation (call 206-252-8834 or e-mail reservations@westsidedrama.com), $12/door. For the May 12th benefit – which includes a pre-show arts display, appetizers, and beverages at the St. John’s church hall next door – it’s $25 in advance, and no guarantee of space at the door, so get the specifics here.
Not too soon to think football! Seattle Lutheran fundraising dinner
Coming up this Saturday (May 5th), you’re invited to the Seattle Lutheran High School Football Team Fundraising Dinner for the 2012 season, 5 pm at the SLHS Gym (41st and Genesee). Per the announcement we received: “Guest speakers are both former UW Husky players: Nesby Glasgow, who also played for the Seahawks, and Deacon Demetrius Deke Devers. Emcee and hostess for the evening is Sonya Doswell. Bring a friend or two and enjoy an evening of fellowship and food while supporting the Seattle Lutheran High School Saints.” You can buy your ticket online – here’s the link.
Seattle superintendent search: 1 finalist, José Banda, remains
According to a news release just in from Seattle Public Schools, another finalist has withdrawn from the superintendent search – Dr. Sandra Husk of Salem – which leaves José Banda of Anaheim (photo right). The School Board will vote on Wednesday, and, according to the news release, asked its president Michael DeBell to call Banda last night (UPDATED 11:02 AM after the news release, with more context on the 2 withdrawals; also UPDATED 11:13 AM with district clarification that the Banda decision was made before the Husk withdrawal)Read More
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