West Seattle schools: 2nd info meeting for K-5 STEM at Boren

(WSB photo from February 15th meeting)
Eight days after a standing-room-only crowd attended the first informational meeting about West Seattle’s new public elementary opening this fall, K-5 STEM at Boren (WSB coverage here), the district has kept its promise to set a second meeting. Just in:

Families interested in the new K-5 STEM at Boren in West Seattle have a second opportunity to learn about this new school at an informational meeting 7-8:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 1 at Denny International Middle School, 2601 SW. Kenyon St. Interpreters will be available.

STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. These subjects are an increasingly popular focus for elementary students.

Seattle Public Schools will be opening the new elementary program for fall 2012 in response to strong enrollment growth in West Seattle. The STEM program will be housed in the Boren building (5950 Delridge Way SW.). It will be a K-5 option program and open in September 2012 offering all six grade levels.

After a strong turnout at the first Family Information & Input night on Feb. 15, Seattle Public Schools is holding this second information meeting. It will be identical to the previous meeting, featuring a short presentation and a question-and-answer session.

Because STEM at Boren is an option program, it is open to any student in Seattle entering kindergarten and Grades 1-5 in September 2012. Bus transportation will be provided for students who live within West Seattle. Families who wish to apply to K-5 STEM at Boren can do so during the District’s Open Enrollment process from Feb. 27 through March 9, 2012. Families can also apply after Open Enrollment through Sept. 30. School Choice forms will be available at www.seattleschools.org beginning Feb. 27.

To learn more about K-5 STEM at Boren, visit http://bit.ly/K5STEM or send an email to K5STEM@seattleschool.org. Want to help shape the future of STEM? Applications for the Design Team are available at http://bit.ly/K5STEMdesignteam and due by Friday, March 2.

We are checking to find out (a) where at Denny and (b) which languages they’ll offer interpretation for.

ADDED 11:20 AM: From district spokesperson Lesley Rogers – (a) TBD, (b) Spanish, Somali, and Vietnamese, and an additional question we asked on behalf of commenter “String Cheese” – seeking the status of the promised answers to questions posed by attendees last week: “We hope to have an online FAQ by February 29th.” (Open enrollment starts Feb. 27th.)

StringCheese February 23, 2012 (10:47 am)

Tracy, perhaps you could also ask them when they expect to post the follow-up from the last meeting. They made a point of telling us they were writing down all of our questions for the purpose of posting the answers online. Perhaps the March 1st meeting could go more smoothly if we could focus on questions that haven’t already been asked and answered (or not able to be answered as the majority of cases may be).
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I must admit that there is a cynical part of me that wants them to have to post all of the questions and be forced to write “TBD” on 90% of them. I want them to be keenly aware of the position they are placing families in by not having adequate information BEFORE open enrollment ends.

WSB February 23, 2012 (11:03 am)

SC – I have answers to all including your question but will answer you here before I add to the story: The district Public Affairs office says they “hope” to have the online FAQ up by February 29th. (That is how they said at the meeting last week that they would answer questions – via an FAQ – as opposed to one by one by one …) – TR

WSParent February 23, 2012 (10:58 am)

StringCheese – great comments! This is ludicrous that we’re supposed to make an EDUCATED decision about our child’s EDUCATION w/o knowing any details. If you’re like myself and deciding between two schools (STEM & Choice #2) both of which are *not* your neighborhood school – what are you to do?!
___

I wish the district would move ALL open enrollment back. Just for my above mentioned purpose.

STEA...BCDEF etc February 23, 2012 (11:02 am)

This whole thing is seat of the pants. But, hey, be on the seat of the pants design team!

StringCheese February 23, 2012 (11:29 am)

TR, as always, my sincerest thanks for all you and your team do for our community!

StringCheese February 23, 2012 (1:01 pm)

I don’t remember anyone asking about touring the Boren building. One of the first things many parents do when investigating school choices is to tour the facility. I’ve never been inside the building. I’d love to see the space and hear their vision for the property. Anyone heard anything on this? Meanwhile, I’ll send an email to the designated people and see what they say.

jen February 23, 2012 (5:14 pm)

Thank you to the SPS and parent project team for a quick and thorough turnaround on the request for a second meeting. We know you guys are very busy getting the new school up and running. Thank you for all your hard work.

Walnut February 23, 2012 (5:47 pm)

A building tour?
That school is all boarded up and I seriously doubt the district has miraculously started the required renovations to move students back in to the mothballed building.
Although if you did go, you could get a good glimpse of just how much of the building does not meet today’s life safety & health codes.
But hurray, think of all the money the district will be saving by beating the DPD ‘unoccupied building’ window.

curious February 27, 2012 (9:17 am)

For those who can’t attend, will the meeting be video taped as the last one was? (sorry if this was address earlier) – Thanks!

WSB February 29, 2012 (3:30 am)

I’m planning on it, though breaking news could always change the plan – TR

evergreen February 29, 2012 (2:21 pm)

Today is the 29th, and no informative FAQ has yet been published, unless you include this very general post:

http://www.seattleschools.org/modules/cms/pages.phtml?sessionid=1464392e4d3debe013da1824556fc054&pageid=261258

JB March 1, 2012 (3:43 pm)

As I am new to the area my questions were about other subjects, arts, physical education, social studies, history etc etc…..I am also curious about a cafeteria. And I am worried that they are not ontop of this as they would like to be with the lack of answers for questions or the fact that they couldnt even get the first round of questions and answers up. As much as it seems like a good idea I am wondering if the children will suffer as they will be piloting this first year or so.