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West Seattle schools: Principal chosen for K-5 STEM at Boren
February 14, 2012 10:21 am
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

On the day before an informational meeting for West Seattle’s new public school, opening this fall, Seattle Public Schools interim superintendent Dr. Susan Enfield has announced a principal has been chosen for K-5 STEM at Boren. She’s moving here from Tucson. Here’s the announcement:

I am delighted to announce that I have appointed Dr. Shannon McKinney as principal for the new K-5 STEM at Boren, which will be opening in September 2012 in West Seattle

Dr. McKinney comes to Seattle Public Schools from Tucson, Arizona, where she spent the last three years as Turnaround Principal for Hohokam Middle School, an ethnically diverse middle school in the Tucson Unified School District.

She will oversee our new school focused on STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Starting in September 2012, the Louisa Boren Building in West Seattle will be reopened as a STEM Option School for grades K-5. Any interested student in Seattle who will be in kindergarten through 5th grade in September 2012 can apply to attend. School bus transportation will be available for students who live in West Seattle. Open enrollment is from Feb. 27-March 9.

With more than 22 years of educational experience, Dr. McKinney has a decade of classroom teaching, service as an Assistant Principal and Principal in two Tucson-area school districts, and impeccable credentials, including a doctorate in education from the University of Arizona. She is also deeply knowledgeable about STEM subjects, as she served as her district’s Mathematics Coordinator, and was responsible for facilitating the vertical articulation and subsequent curriculum development of K-12 Mathematics for the district.

I selected Dr. McKinney not only for her STEM expertise and her demonstrated record of improved student achievement at the schools where she has been a leader, but also for her enthusiasm for our new STEM school. She describes the opportunity to work collaboratively with families and staff to build a new school from the ground up as “a dream come true.”

Dr. McKinney will be starting at Seattle Public Schools on April 2. She will spend the spring and summer working with families and colleagues to develop a mission and vision for K-5 STEM at Boren, hiring staff, and coordinating the planning and logistics needed to ensure a smooth start to the 2012-2013 school year.

Dr. McKinney stood out as an excellent candidate for this position. I am thrilled she has agreed to accept it, and I am looking forward to introducing her to you once she moves to Seattle.

A reminder: Interested families are invited to attend a K-5 STEM at Boren Family Information and Input Night, 7-8:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 15 at Schmitz Park Elementary (5000 S.W. Spokane St).

If you have any questions about our new K-5 STEM school, please visit http://bit.ly/K5STEM

ADDED 10:45 AM: We asked district spokesperson Lesley Rogers whether Dr. McKinney would be flying in for tomorrow night’s meeting. Her reply: “She is not able to attend tomorrow, but Aurora Lora [executive director of SPS’s West Seattle schools] will run the meeting and communicate with Dr. McKinney on what transpired at the meeting and next steps.”

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West Seattle weekend scenes: Denny/Sealth’s ‘Soul Jambalaya’
February 12, 2012 4:51 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle weekend scenes: Denny/Sealth’s ‘Soul Jambalaya’
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS culture/arts

(Photos courtesy Jeff Clark)
It was the most star-studded slate of music in West Seattle this weekend – and it was a hit, reports Denny International Middle School principal Jeff Clark:

The Denny International Middle School and Chief Sealth International High School Soul Jambalaya Concert was a big success! The students and special guests provided an amazing evening filled with the rich sounds of Jazz, Gospel, Blues, and Reggae. Another fantastic event made possible thanks to the dedication of Mr. Marcus Pimpleton!

Above, jazz musicians from Denny; next, their counterparts from Sealth:

Next, reggae veteran Clinton Fearon (whose upcoming gigs are listed here):

And here’s Septimus:

The Total Experience Gospel Choir performed as well. While the show was free, donations were accepted for the student music programs, which have some high-profile events ahead, as you can see on their online calendar.

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High-school basketball: Chief Sealth boys’ season ends
February 12, 2012 1:40 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS miscellaneous

From WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand: Chief Sealth International High School‘s boys-varsity basketball team closed out its season Saturday night at Nathan Hale, losing 55-49. It was a quick game that saw lots of error-free ball from both sides, with only a scant few fouls called until the last minute of the game. The Seahawks came from an 11-point deficit in the third quarter to pull the game within four by the start of the fourth quarter. And things got even closer:

Then, with a little over six minutes left in the game, Sealth senior Pepe Hernandez tied the game up on a free throw. Three times during the game, he and teammate Bronte Corbray turned the game into a track meet that had both teams doing wind sprints up and down the court. During those exchanges, Sealth came out on the long end of the deal as they controlled the rebounding. That gap eventually closed to one point in the last minute of the game, but Sealth’s repeated fouling of Hale sophomore Gadisa Margarsa put the game away. He was six-for-six at the free-throw line during the last 30 seconds. Julijs Pruzinskis was Hale’s leading scorer with 14 points, Margarsa was next with 13. Sealth was led by Hernandez with 21 points and Corbray with 11.

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West Seattle schools: New signs for Gatewood Elementary
February 10, 2012 4:32 pm
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 |   Gatewood | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Just received from the Gatewood Elementary PTA‘s 2011-2012 Board – that photo, and this explanation:

We are proud to show off our two new signs at Gatewood Elementary. They are located at the corners of Myrtle and Frontenac along Fauntleroy Way SW. This is the final piece of our Operation Imagination project that included a new big toy on the playground, construction of an amphitheater, and of course the goats, who helped us with our ivy problem. This has been many years in the making and many parents who started on the project have sense moved onto middle and high school. Big thank you to them and everybody still at Gatewood who have been so instrumental in this fabulous project. Welcome to Gatewood.

Many years indeed! Checking our archives, WSB coverage of those milestones stretches back to 2007 – including the goats’ visit in 2007 and the new “big toy” in 2008.

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High-school basketball: Post-season win for Chief Sealth boys
February 10, 2012 11:06 am
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

Chief Sealth International High School‘s boys-varsity basketball team has another post-season game tomorrow night, after a victory last night at home. Our summary and photos, ahead:Read More

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High-school basketball: Senior night at Seattle Lutheran
February 10, 2012 5:13 am
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

Wednesday night, Seattle Lutheran High School celebrated its senior basketball players – and senior cheerleader Valerie Reid, above – while closing out their regular season at home against Rainier Christian‘s teams. Ahead, our summary of the games – Lutheran won both – and photos of the senior athletes:Read More

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West Seattle schools: ‘Seussical The Musical’ at Alki Elementary
February 9, 2012 9:44 am
|      12 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS culture/arts

(Nikolai Siguenza as the Cat in the Hat, Ian Gesellchen as Horton, Jovanna Barron as Sour Kangaroo)
Thanks to Alki Elementary parents for sharing dress-rehearsal photos (both taken by John Hinkey) from the big show that students are about to present: “Seussical The Musical!” 7 pm tomorrow and 2 pm Saturday, at the West Seattle High School Theater – and we’re told there aren’t too many tickets left!

So if you want to cheer on all those local kids who’ve worked hard to put on a show (not to mention parents/volunteers/staff), find your ticket info on the official poster/flyer.

P.S. We know it’s play/musical season for many schools, so if yours isn’t on our Events calendar yet, please send the info! Thanks!

FRIDAY MORNING UPDATE: As noted in comments, both “Seussical” shows are now sold out.

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New STEM school, more discussed @ Marty McLaren meeting
February 8, 2012 10:07 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

With open enrollment approaching, and an information/input meeting next week about West Seattle’s new elementary school (to be known – for now – as K-5 STEM at Boren), you won’t be surprised to hear that West Seattle’s school-board rep Marty McLaren was asked about it today during her community-conversation meeting at High Point Library. Bottom line – no specifics yet, but go to the meeting. Today’s well-attended gathering touched on a few other topics too:Read More

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‘Soul Jambalaya’: Musical celebration this Saturday @ Sealth
February 8, 2012 7:42 pm
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS culture/arts

Last year, we called it a “talent feast” – a powerful lineup of music, by musicians of all ages, including Denny International Middle School and Chief Sealth International High School, under the banner “Soul Jambalaya.” This coming Saturday night, it’s happening again, with many performers from last year returning (including reggae veteran Clinton Fearon, seen above in one of our video clips from the 2011 event). Here’s the invitation from award-winning Denny/Sealth music master Marcus Pimpleton:

Please join music students of Chief Sealth International HS and Denny International MS for our annual Black History month celebration. The event takes place Saturday, February 11th, at 7 pm.

This concert affectionately titled Soul Jambalaya is a musical mélange of gospel, jazz, blues, funk, and reggae in celebration of the influence of black people to the musical landscape of America. The night will feature performances by the Total Experience Gospel Choir, Jamaican reggae singer Clinton Fearon, Septimus, The Chief Sealth International High School Jazz I, and the Denny International Middle School Jazz Band.

The event is free and open to the public, but donations will be accepted to offset costs associated with travel costs for the Denny and Sealth Jazz Ensembles. I assure you this will be one of your favorite school events of the year. Clinton Fearon’s voice is so rich and the Total Experience Gospel Choir is stirring.

It’s in the Sealth auditorium at 2600 SW Thistle.

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K-5 STEM at Boren: Feb. 15 meeting for new West Seattle school
February 8, 2012 10:08 am
|      20 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

As promised by Seattle Public Schools when we contacted them for the followup published here yesterday, they have shared the letter they’re sending out about the new STEM (science, tech, engineering, math) “option” elementary that will open this fall at the former Boren Junior High School in Delridge. And the letter includes news that the informational/input meeting they promised is set for 7 pm February 15th, one week from tonight, at Schmitz Park Elementary. Full text of the letter, ahead:Read More

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High-school basketball: Sealth boys’ 1st post-season game
February 8, 2012 7:01 am
|    Comments Off on High-school basketball: Sealth boys’ 1st post-season game
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

Story and photos by Randall G. Hauk
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”

Bronte Corbray scored 12 of his 26 points tonight in the fourth quarter, while Charlie Smith and Aaron Knox tallied 13 each, but they couldn’t keep Chief Sealth from taking a loss at home, as the Seahawks fell to Eastside Catholic 83-65 on the second day of the Metro League Playoffs.

You could forgive the Seahawks if they entered their home gym Tuesday night with great expectations. They were facing a team they had faced just 11 days prior, winning by 10 on the Crusaders’ home court, the result of which was ultimately a higher seed for Chief Sealth and the home court advantage in last night’s rematch.

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West Seattle schools: Author Paul Owen Lewis @ Arbor Heights
February 7, 2012 10:52 pm
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 |   Arbor Heights | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

(Photos courtesy Mark Ahlness – more on the AH Elementary Facebook page)
February is a most literary month at many West Seattle schools, with writing/reading events dotting many a calendar. Tonight, for the second consecutive night, we bring you a story about an author visiting a local school – this time, Northwest author Paul Owen Lewis at Arbor Heights Elementary. It’s the third time he’s visited AH, according to longtime teacher Mark Ahlness, who says Lewis’s first visit was in 1998 – that would have been before EVERY student currently enrolled at AH was born! He spoke to assemblies as well as to classes:

Mark says, “As always, he was dynamic, entertaining, and inspirational. A great day that the kids will remember!”

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Followup: District about to explain new STEM elementary
February 7, 2012 2:02 pm
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Since the Seattle School Board‘s vote last month to create a new “option” elementary focused on STEM (science, technology, engineering, math), to open this fall in a temporary home at the former Boren Junior High (left), many have asked – when will the district provide specifics about the plan for this school?

This afternoon, we have new information after following up with district spokesperson Lesley Rogers. She tells WSB, “A letter will go out to families in West Seattle this week announcing plans for the school, as well as a state for an open house” to be held before “open enrollment” starts February 27th. (We’ll add a copy of that letter when we receive it from the district communications team.) Rogers also says the district is creating a website for the new school, “hoping to get that up and running soon.”

The new school is also bound to be a topic tomorrow, when West Seattle’s school-board rep Marty McLaren holds her next community-conversation meeting, 11:15 am-1:15 pm at High Point Library (34th/Raymond).

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West Seattle schools: Author Katherine Schlick Noe visits WSHS
February 6, 2012 6:35 pm
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS culture/arts

(From left, Katherine Schlick-Noe and students Katherine “Kit” Hall, Taylor Chapman, Andres Acevedo)
On any given day, you never know who you will see at a local school. Special-education teacher Paula Tortorice‘s Language Arts class at West Seattle High School hosted a local author today. Dr. Katherine Schlick Noe is the author of “Something to Hold,” which does a turnabout on the topic of discrimination. Tortorice explains that the book is written from the perspective of “Kitty,” a white girl who with her family moves to the Warm Springs Indian Reservation in central Oregon, and that the book also explores topics including bullying. She says Dr. Schlick Noe showed a PowerPoint presentation featuring many of the places in the story, answered students’ questions, and listened to their opinions about “Something to Hold.” During their study of the book, they wrote about it and drew posters depicting “what they thought their favorite scenes in the book might look like,” Tortorice says. (In addition to being a writer, Dr. Schlick Noe is a professor at Seattle University.)

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West Seattle schools: Congratulations to Alki, Denny, Madison, Sealth
February 6, 2012 9:53 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Four West Seattle schools are honored in the newest round of annual statewide Washington Achievement Awards. Thanks to Laurie for the tip – she e-mailed to let us know about Alki Elementary, which won for Closing the Achievement Gap, as explained on the school’s website. Checking out the full statewide list, we also note that Madison Middle School won three – for Excellence, Improvement, and Science – and that Denny International Middle School and Chief Sealth International High School both won for Improvement. Congratulations to all!

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West Seattle schools: Golden (Apple) night for Marcus Pimpleton
February 4, 2012 1:46 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle people | West Seattle schools

(Photos courtesy Bruno Cross)
He’s the Denny International Middle School music director, he’s the Chief Sealth International High School band director, Seattle’s All-City Band director – and he’s now officially a Golden Apple Award winner: Last night was the big event for Marcus Pimpleton, and we’ve received photos from the ceremony at the Intiman Theatre downtown. Sealth Jazz Band musicians were there:

And so were colleagues – with the honoree in the next photo, Alki Elementary principal Chanda Oatis (former Denny assistant principal) and Denny principal Jeff Clark, who notes, “Mr. Pimpleton does incredible things with our scholars every day — he richly deserves this prestigious honor”:

This is the 20th round of Golden Apple Awards presented by KCTS 9; we published first word three months ago. Here’s the official news release with the full list of statewide honorees.

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High-school basketball: Senior night for West Seattle HS teams
February 4, 2012 1:16 pm
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

The seniors playing basketball for West Seattle High School were honored last night during a busy night at the WSHS gym, with Eastside Catholic visiting. Though both varsity teams lost, it was an occasion to pay tribute to the hard work this season and the achievements of the departing players – we have the seniors’ photos, plus game recaps, ahead:Read More

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High-school basketball: Two wins for Seattle Lutheran
February 4, 2012 1:49 am
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

Story and photos by Randall G. Hauk
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Spirit Week at Seattle Lutheran High School came to a happy conclusion tonight as the girls’ and boys’ varsity basketball teams celebrated “Senior Night” with comfortable victories.

Surrendering no more than a baker’s dozen points defensively will generally translate into victory for a basketball team. This was the case for the Lady Saints, who managed 13 points in the first quarter alone on their way to a 43-13 win over the Lady Eagles of Evergreen Lutheran.

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West Seattle schools: Celebrations at Seattle Lutheran
February 2, 2012 2:09 am
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Wednesday was a day to celebrate athletics, academics, family, and community at Seattle Lutheran High School – all in one assembly. Above, three generations of West Seattle’s Menashe family were at SLHS as its gym was dedicated as the Menashe Family Gymnasium. Jack and Linda Menashe have been involved with SLHS since its start, with four children, one daughter-in-law and seven nieces and nephews going there; Jack, Jacob and Jack Jr. all have coached at Lutheran, per SLHS’s Bil Hood, who says, “We are honored to have our gym named after this great family.”

In that very gym, at the same Wednesday assembly, two-time state Soccer Player of the Year, Ashley Shaw, ceremoniously signed her Letter of Intent to play for Seattle Pacific University:

That’s proud mom Teresa watching as her daughter makes the college commitment. And the four additional pictures ahead are in honor of academic awards given out at the same assembly – read on:Read More

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High-school basketball: Sealth vs. WSHS, night 2
February 1, 2012 11:52 pm
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

For the second consecutive night, West Seattle High School hosted Chief Sealth International HS for a varsity-basketball matchup. Tonight, the girls played – and as with last night’s boys’ game, Sealth came away with the win. Details ahead:Read More

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West Seattle schools: Madison gets Macs, and more
February 1, 2012 11:11 pm
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Thursday night, Madison Middle School welcomes prospective families to come visit for an Open House, 6:30-8 pm. If you go, you might want to ask about their new high-tech acquisitions – here’s the update the school wanted to share:

There are some exciting new advances in technology happening at Madison Middle School this year. Thanks to funding from Madison Middle School, Madison PTSA, the Frazier Foundation, and the Gerston family, Madison got a brand new Mac computer lab for their multi-media communication class taught by Curt Gerston. The 32 brand new Mac computers are all loaded with the latest versions of Adobe Photoshop, i-Movie, and Microsoft Office. They also have three class sets of digital cameras for photography and video.

Thanks also to a grant from the Madison PTSA, the Madison Middle School library now has new e-Readers that will be available for student use. With this funding, Madison will also be purchasing a mobile lab of Netbooks that can travel around to classrooms for research use and word processing. This mobile lab will not only allow teachers to access technology when the library computer labs at school are already occupied, but it will also give the librarian at Madison the chance to bring her library services, including teaching research and information literacy skills, directly to the classroom. Staff at Madison are very excited about the great opportunities this new technology is opening up for students at Madison Middle School.

Madison is at 3429 45th SW.

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High-school basketball: Crosstown matchup, WSHS vs. Sealth boys
February 1, 2012 1:41 am
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

Tonight (Wednesday), the girls-varsity basketball teams from West Seattle High School and Chief Sealth International HS face off for the final time this season. That’s what their male counterparts did Tuesday night, in a game won by the visiting Seahawks at WSHS, 63-48. The summary, ahead:Read More

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High-school basketball: Monday scores; Tues./Wed. games, food drive
January 31, 2012 2:10 am
|    Comments Off on High-school basketball: Monday scores; Tues./Wed. games, food drive
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

Tonight (Tuesday) and tomorrow, it’s crosstown-matchup time in high-school basketball: West Seattle High School‘s boys’ varsity team hosts Chief Sealth International HS at 7:30 tonight, and the girls’ varsity teams play same place, same time, Wednesday night. At both games, Bev Corey tells WSB, the WSHS cheerleaders will be collecting food for the West Seattle Food Bank, so spectators from both sides are encouraged to bring something to donate. Both schools were in action Monday night – WSHS hosted Bainbridge, and Bev reports that the boys won 68-45, while the girls lost 29-53. At Sealth, per our partners at the Seattle Times, the Seahawk boys lost to Lakeside 79-73, and the girls came up short too, 64-44.

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