Total slacker, I am (took me 2 weeks instead of 1). :-)

Here comes the doodle poll to find a date that will work for all or most of us. Feel free to forward and share with other TM families.

http://www.doodle.com/8a7mp7y758wxtk4q

Bump

I put STEM as our choice school out of a leap of faith. I am more and more glad I did!! Our daughter will be in the 1st grade at STEM next school year. :) Thanks to everyone who's worked/working on this!!

One of the great things that was happening at the STEM elem. that I visited in Houston was that in the summer they put on STEM focused workshops/classes for anyone in the community who was interested. Not only did it open up more science opportunities in the greater community, it gave the teachers a chance to test out new projects and ideas.

I can totally see our STEM program offering something during the summer (whether it is a day, week-long camp, etc) that is open to the whole community for little or no cost. Maybe a Saturday community program once per quarter? I'm sure we could find grants or private sponsorship for such events.

Kootchman, we want this school to succeed in part so that it changes the way education is done in surrounding public schools. For example, some ways this could happen is in sharing the EIE kits (Engineering is Elementary), and exploring best practices for project-based, hands-on learning. All kids deserve a well-rounded, child focused, inspiring school experience.

I really appreciate the influences of Schmitz Park and Pathfinder (and others), and hope that SPS and/or the community brainstorms ways to extend the positives of each program to other schools. There is clearly a N/S disparity in our WS schools. The problem is always funding, but perhaps there is a way that schools can join up to solicit donor money and grants?? The budget cuts hurt those schools without a strong PTSA. I'm sure K-5 STEM will have great enthusiasm and funding from the parent community (ie. option schools usually do b/c they are specifically chosen by parents), but maybe there is a way for us to collaborate with other schools? Perhaps we could all open our doors to the wider student population so that kids in all schools have exposure to robotics/technology, geography, gardening, nature, art, music, etc... Each school offers something that is not found at a neighboring school.

We the community need to think about ways in which we can improve education for all students in West Seattle. How can we make this happen?

That sounds fun. My son will be new to TM and starting 3rd grade, so we'd love to join you.

The Design Team is carefully and successfully working to come up with a tremendous curriculum. The progress they have made has been fantastic.

We were skeptical at first but now we are fully on board. If others are on a wait list that is deep at other schools, they should get on the STEM list. Especially Kindergarten and First Graders. Another class will be opened up when more kid's parents put their children on the list. Our child is on the waiting list and with the announcement of Singapore Math, plus Art, and the other outstanding choices for the curriculum, we are hoping to be part of this wonderful school.

Sounds exciting.. with a new superintendent coming.... we need lots of incubators for new ideas and new ways to teach. I hope SPS has enough curriculum diversity to make school assignment obsolete. Parents have more choices.

Great points juliew. I have a feeling that there will be many changes to the configuration of classes before all is said and done.

HI everyone. My daughter is on the waiting list for Kindergarten at STEM or the blended K-1st grade they have discussed. They will open another classroom if enough children are on the waiting list. The principal and program seem terrific and so I hope parents with children on some of the other waiting lists in West seattle will consider moving their child to the STEM waiting list. The sooner the better so they can announce the opening of the new class, hire teachers, etc. If people wait to switch until almost September, there may not be enough time to open a new classroom.
My daughter was on the Pathfinder waitlist, but that list has dozens of children on it and very little movement and she would not have gotten in. So I decided to move her to the STEM waiting list, and after hearing more about the program I actually think STEM would end up being a better fit ( or at least as good) for her than Pathfinder would have been. I really hope more parents apply so they can open another classroom.
Julie

It was an amazing meeting. I continue to be encouraged and excited about this amazing new program! Just a side note to anyone reading this that hasn't joined our Yahoo group...

groups.yahoo.com/group/k5stem

...that we are meeting at the Southwest Library on May 17th at 6:30pm to discuss the formation of our PTA/PTO. The community is pumped and waiting to dive right in! Join us!

SPSMOM, I think it would be best to sign up/enroll earlier because they plan staff, etc. by the numbers they have earlier than September. They will probably determine if they will add extra classes earlier than September and if people wait until the last minute it might be too late.

And we can sign up/enroll for the school up until class starts in September?

Probably not next year, but likely the year after. Could be earlier if the Levy passes, who knows. The building is used as an interim site for various school programs (ie. it was used for Sealth prior to K-5) while other buildings are refurbished to become permanent locations. If you have read about the Levy, you will see that SPS plans to use the Boren building for several other schools in the next few years as their permanent buildings are built or refurbished.

They are currently remodeling the inside, and will start on the inside towards the end of the month or June (per DT meeting last night). The parents & DT just weeded the planters last weekend, and SPS will beautify the grounds. There will be 2 sets of playground equipment moved in, though one set will be for the preschool kids on site. The entire building will not be used for K-5, since the program is not yet big enough. We will have use of the science labs for both science and engineering projects, though. This is all I know about the building thus far...

Do you know if they will move the school to another building next year?

Just voted in tonight. The school will apply for a waiver from the district. Very excited.

Additionally, will have Engineering is Elementary, a music program, and some kind of art program. They will use the standard district science curriculum w/ supplementation. A literacy/writing program will be chosen in the next 1-2 weeks. They envision eventually sharing the EIE curricula with any other interested schools (so that more kits can be purchased, saving costs for all). The school will be hands-on and incorporate problem-based learning as much as possible. The principal is absolutely wonderful.

Tracy Libros stated tonight that another K/1 split classroom could be opened if enough people sign up for the waitlist. There are NO guarantees, but if someone is interested in STEM and feels that their chances would be better on our waitlist rather than Pathfinder or Schmitz Park, please check us out! We currently have no waitlist for 2nd and 5th.

As the end of the school years approaches does anyone have any thoughts to share about the state of affairs at West Seattle High School? A neighbor suggested to me that the school is on an upswing with the busing changes and the return to being more of a neighborhood school.

We have three kids within a few years of 9th grade. As it stands we plan to continue homeschooling until they are old enough for Running Start.

We'll wait another week and then set a date for June (via doodle). If you know or meet other TM families please let them know as well. Lincoln Park or Camp Long would work great for us. How about a family picnic?

Our son will be starting 4th grade at Thurgood Marshall next year, we would love to join in on a play date!

Our daughter is returning to TM next year for 2nd grade, and we would be happy to join a meet up. Why don't we pick a Saturday afternoon this summer to meet at Lincoln Park?

Our son will be starting in 2nd grade APP and would love to meet some new friends before the school year starts!

Our daughter is headed to 2nd, and she'd love to meet up too.

Hi. Our daughter will be headed to Marshall for 3rd grade. It will be new for her too. I know there are other families on the board who's children are going there too. Lets try to get everyone together.

Hello, our son will go to Thurgood Marshall 1st grade in fall and we are looking for other Thurgood Marshall families to meet over the summer. Does not have primarily 1st grade your child is going to as we think it might be nice to know at least some friendly faces on the bus or for recess. :-)

The Little Gym of West Seattle will again offer Summer Camps from 1-4 pm for ages 3-8, Mon-Fri beginning July 2-August 30. You can sign up for as many days as you'd like, and there's a new Family Flex Pass, which allows you to choose the days as you go for a discounted price. Open to members and non-members. Call 206.937.0311 on go online for more information.
http://tlgwestseattlewa.com

The Cove School has camps as well. Morning and afternoon.

The West Seattle YMCA has several options from all day camp at Lincoln Park to different sport themed camps. Price varies if you're a member or not. I found the prices to be reasonable (About $130 a week I think)

Fauntleroy Childrens' Center has a wonderful summer program, great full day coverage for working parents.

Got in at Pratt Art, and Pacific Science Center. There is also a art camp at Gage Art Academy.

Want your kids to get a jump on a Fun AND Educational Arts & Technology Day Camp this summer?

West Seattle Animating Cartoons Summer Day-Camp for ages 9-14

Unified Outreach@Ginomai Art Center provides a unique Summer Day-Camp option for Parents who are interested in seeing their child attain a stronger grasp of Arts & Technology in a fun and exciting environment.

An average afternoon of Summer Day-Camp will include educational exercises embedded in fun games designed to encourage personal growth, positive self esteem and team building skills. The day will also include physical activities and outdoor time (as weather allows) including lunch in the park. But the highlight of each day will be working on the creation of a personal cartoon-animation using the kids ideas, stories, drawings and voices; of which they will have their very own DVD to show to friends and family.

NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY! Our students are coached by knowledgeable, skilled instructors who will work with the kids each step of the way; from story development, to character design, digital imaging, cartoon animation, and voice-overs using industry-level production software including Adobe Photoshop, Flash, Soundbooth, and more.

Day Camp dates are:
June 25th-29th
July 2nd-6th
July 9th-13th

Doors open at 8:30am and close at 5:30pm – Parents may drop off their child at anytime during operational hours. $300 per student/week.

Unified Outreach is a 501C3 Youth Arts Charity which has been Active in Seattle for over 10 years.

Please visit http://www.UnifiedOutreach.com or call 206-333-8118 for more information on our Charity.

Check out this YouTube video made by the kids!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgykKjWQZfo

Pathfinder has a truly wonderful PE teacher. Lou Cutler is a dedicated teacher and gets those kids moving!

Are you interested a fun cultural experience this summer? Consider hosting a high school student from Spain this July! Nacel Open Door is looking for West Seattle host families! Contact Katie Carper at katiecarper@gmail.com.

More information:

http://www.nacelopendoor.org/hosting_faq.htm

HMC, you have really hit on something. There is so much energy and excitement in this small, but growing, STEM community. It is an amazing process. It's not very often that you get an opportunity to build your child's school from scratch!

I hope many of the people on the Pathfinder list, or others not completely satisfied with their reference school, do send in another open enrollment form for STEM.

New school (not the building), new hopes, new or different curriculum, new future, new energy. I like it.

Hear hear!!!

I fear that an important piece of the STEM enrollment article got overlooked or misunderstood. See article and comments:

http://westseattleblog.com/2012/04/west-seattle-schools-226-assigned-to-k-5-stem-at-boren

What is wonderfully unique about the enrollment process for Boren is that the district is willing and able to OPEN MORE CLASSROOMS where there is interest! Chances are, the people who got waitlisted are really just waiting for more people to enroll so that they can open an additional classroom rather than waiting for people to leave. This is a HUGE opportunity for families.

Most schools do not have this sort of capacity for growth at this time. STEM does. For now. This school is going to be amazing. I imagine it having Pathfinder-worthy waiting lists in the next few years as the program specifics become known and understood.

So, don't get discouraged because you hear there is a waiting list! The more kids that enroll, the more classrooms they can open, the more opportunities available to our children. Remember, you don't lose your current school seat until you have a guaranteed spot at STEM. Not enough kids to open that extra classroom? No worries, you don't lose your current seat. You can weigh your options and apply for enrollment through the end of September (though sooner is better for everyone involved).

Yes, there is a limit to how many classrooms can feasibly be opened in each grade but you will find greater flexibility here than anywhere else in WS right now.

Thinking about STEM? Check out our community run yahoo group:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/K5STEM/

See what the design team is working on. Read the amazing files collected on math, science, engineering, and tech in education. Join the discussion on how we can best approach making STEM into STEAM on a piddly budget...

It's all very exciting and you can be a part of creating a great school option for WS and beyond!

I currently have a kindergartner at Pathfinder and am trying to get my older daughter in to 3rd grade, her first foray in to public school. We are first on the wait list and were assigned to our over-crowded reference school. Clearly I fully support this plea!

We were 8th on the K list last year. Moved to 9th, then back to 8th.

Hope there is more movement this year for your families! :)

Second that! We are first on the waitlist there for first grade. I just want to know before school starts as my worst case scenario would be to start my kid at her current school and then have to change after school starts. I would rather just stay if this scenario came up because it would be really hard on her.

Good luck to all my fellow waitlisted families!

We just find out that our kid is in the 4th of wait list at Pathfinder. For the parents with the kids who are assigned to Pathfinder, but won't attend this school....PLEASE PLEASE do inform the Enrollment Department at Seattle Public School. It will mean a huge thing for us to plan the next step ahead . Thank you so much West Seattle Parents !

Please edit the title to be about the event, not the program, or else it's an ad. Thanks. - TR

We are excited to invite our West Seattle community to our Toddler Program Open house!

Come join us on Saturday, April 21st 10am to 12noon.

Classes start in the Fall, Monday through Friday, 9am to 12noon.

We have created a beautiful environment for kids to play, explore, and learn Spanish and designed this program as a gentle introduction to school for children ages 24 to 36 months.

To RSVP please email or call Program Director Manuela Slye @ info@cometaseattle.com / 206 353-6781

Nos vemos!

Thanks clhowle-I'm glad you got all the information. Let me know if there is anything else I can do to help.

And THANK YOU community supporters-it is always nice to know people have good things to say about us!

Thanks for clarifying, CSWS; I apologize for any misunderstanding.

We used the Co-op and CSWS. Our son benefitted tremendously from both. Please believe the post above from CSWS.

clhowle-I'm really sorry we were not able to accept your application at this time. I can ASSURE you it was NOT because of reqesting financial assistance. We have NEVER and will NEVER deny someone acceptance to our school because they need financial support. We do still have scholarship money availble for next year. Most of the applicants I had to turn away this year requested a full time schedule or were already 4 years old. I try to balance each class with a good mix of 3 and 4 year olds and we just had more 4 year old applicants than we have had before. If a part time space works for you-like a Tues/Thurs, please feel free to send me an email. I can put you on the waiting list and if something opens up I will call you. csws@comcast.net

I can't say enough good things about the Community School (CSWS) and their generous financial aid. Instead of assuming it's profit that's standing in your way of a scholarship there clhowle, (especially at a non-profit organization) it's probably safer to assume that there are just a lot of families in your community that are in need of help, with some in more need than your family. Please don't start bad mouthing CSWS, it raises the hair on this mama bear's back!

Yes, it is true that many preschools are just out for making money. I can assure you that CSWS is not. They are a 501CE non-profit. When I was in need of financial help they were able to help me and since I went through this process (5 years ago) I know that they give $6000+/ month in financial assistance to their families which is more than any other school I investigated in WSeattle. I guess the real problem is that there are so many families in need.

Will look into those options, thanks luckymom30!

What about a co-op preschool? There are seven in the one right at the South Comm College Campus on 16th Ave SW., also

http://www.southwestearlylearning.org/

And many churches have preschool programs