day : 19/01/2013 11 results

The first competition for the first Westside School (WSB sponsor) middle-school robotics team went well, says adviser Erik Christensen, sharing this report:

Way to go, Monkey Wrench Gang!

Westside’s inaugural Middle School FLL Robotics team, The Monkey Wrench Gang, participated in the State Qualifying Competition for the Seattle region. Final standings haven’t been posted, but the team placed in the top third out of 35 teams.

In addition, the team took home the “Programming Award” for developing the best program to run their specific robot design – quite a coup considering it’s the team’s first year of competition.

Congratulations, Blake, Grant, David, Luke, Emilio, Coach Erik Christensen, and Team Manager Julie Jetland.

More West Seattle teachers back MAP testing revolt: Now, Schmitz Park Elementary

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Teachers at a second elementary school in our area are voicing their support for others around the district who are declining to give the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) tests. As with Sanislo Elementary School‘s teachers (see their letter here), Schmitz Park Elementary teachers are sending a letter voicing support without going so far as to say they won’t give the tests. We received this tonight:

Dear Superintendent Banda,

The staff of Schmitz Park, by a nearly unanimous vote, joins in its support of Garfield High and all other schools and individuals around the district that boycott the MAP test. We agree with Garfield’s position about the harmful, ineffective, and wasteful nature of the MAP test and its deleterious impact on instructional time and consequently student achievement. We join SEA in asking you to not discipline our colleagues for standing up and speaking the truth.

We also agree with the Sanislo Elementary letter of support, which points out a deep concern around MAP. Apparently, district officials told Garfield staff the test was “not valid” because the margin of error can exceed the expected growth score. Given this information, it seems unthinkable that these scores would be used to determine the “effectiveness” of teachers. The teacher’s collective bargaining agreement allows the use of low scores to impact the placement of teachers into more comprehensive evaluations, en route to performance improvement plans and termination. The threatening of teachers with invalid data simply is not right.

There is a similar problem brewing in the elementary schools. Not only are our teachers concerned about the time taken away from instruction to administer the test, but the current version of the MAP test is aligned with the old state standards and it is clearly an unsuitable vehicle for evaluating students currently being taught the new required Common Core Standards. So not only are the results of little instructional value, but this discrepancy between what is taught and what is measured will yield falsely low scores making the MAP test invalid for the purpose of measuring student growth/teacher effectiveness.

The idea of using MAP scores as a component of teacher evaluations is disconcerting and needs to be addressed. As such, in response to Superintendent Banda’s e-mail of January 14, we recommend suspending the MAP requirement until the promised review has been completed.

We hope you will interpret the “boycotts” around the district not as disrespect but as a sign of deep concern and needed change.

Sincerely,
Schmitz Park Elementary School Staff

Here again is Superintendent José Banda‘s published message about the MAP revolt from earlier this week, saying the district will review it, but needs right now to proceed with it.

ADDED 11:25 AM MONDAY: The Schmitz Park teachers have revised their letter to add the word “nearly” before “unanimous,” and at their request, we have also added that word (toward the start of the letter) to reflect the change.

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West Seattle Weather Watch: Snow and ice, one year ago

January 19, 2013 5:12 pm

| 9 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

(January 19, 2012, photo by Meredith, taken from North Admiral)
Mired in the fog as we are, some WSB’ers have suggested a trip back in time … to the snow/ice that hit one year ago. James wrote today, “We are one year removed from Snowpocalypse 2012!!! Quite a difference a year makes. Might be fun to look back … ?” Kathleen e-mailed the same suggestion last night. Back on Tuesday, we asked “Think we’ll see snow this year?” (consensus: “no”) on the WSB Facebook page, while revisiting January 15, 2012; but an archive check reminds us the snowy, icy weather lasted for several days, with stories including these:

1/16/12: Photo roundup
1/18/12: Downhill skiing, Gatewood to Lowman Beach
1/19/12: Ice-storm warning
1/19/12: “Snow bird” photo gallery

But fog is the only “white stuff” we’ve dealt with this week, and it’s not expected to go away before Tuesday. Snow fans, don’t lose hope yet – the record for latest snowfall in Seattle is April 17, 1972, and that’s still three months away.

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About the fire response in Sunrise Heights earlier…

January 19, 2013 4:03 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

Close call in Sunrise Heights earlier this afternoon, 7100 block of 31st SW – “food left on the stove” caused enough smoke for a house-fire response, but it was caught in time to avert a full-on fire, and nobody was hurt. Thanks to Tony Bradley for sharing the photo!

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Another quick online vote: Concord 4th graders need tech

January 19, 2013 1:30 pm

| 4 COMMENTS

| South Park | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Concord Elementary in South Park is part of the West Seattle region for Seattle Public Schools, and one of its fourth-grade classes is asking for your help in getting a $1,000 grant for technology: Marina Pita‘s class made a video to enter in the online vote at changemyschool.com – a quick, no-strings-attached, no-registration-required type of vote: Just go here (and take a minute to watch the video too)!

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Social change regarding mental health: Talk about it @ Hope on Tuesday

January 19, 2013 12:38 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| Health | How to help | West Seattle news

Just out of the WSB inbox – you’re invited to come talk about a topic that many say isn’t discussed often (and openly) enough:

This Tuesday, January 22, 2013, at 7:00 PM in the Sanctuary of Hope Lutheran Church of West Seattle, the Hope Stephen Ministry group is hosting a discussion on community problems and opportunities related to current mental health legislation and issues, including those related to recent shootings and violence in the U.S.

Ann Christian, CEO of the Washington Community Mental Health Council, will respond to questions and present ways in which each of us can identify and help individuals in need and advocate for social change around this vital and ever-changing topic. This is a community-type meeting with no charge and all interested persons are welcome to attend.

Hope Lutheran Church is at 4456 42nd SW, just north of SW Oregon.

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Remembering Manvel ‘Schauff’ Schauffler, 1924-2013

January 19, 2013 10:30 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| Obituaries | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

The family of longtime educator Manvel “Schauff” Schauffler, a founding board member of Explorer West Middle School among many other achievements, shares this remembrance:

Manvel Schauffler, who taught hundreds of Seattle-area kids history, sailing, camping, cooperation, and the joys of classroom and outdoor learning for more than a decade, passed away on January 8, 2013.

Known to all simply as “Schauff”, he taught at The Bush School in Seattle and also helped found two middle-schools, The Hyla School on Bainbridge island and Explorer West in West Seattle.

He was born in New York City in 1924, and grew up in New Rochelle, New York. His pastimes there were sailing on Long Island Sound, playing ice hockey and other sports, and rooting for the New York Yankees. He once shook hands with Lou Gehrig.

He served with the U.S. Navy during World War II and met his wife, Verna, at Black Mountain College in North Carolina after the war.

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West Seattle Saturday: From Babypants to ‘Banned’

January 19, 2013 9:43 am

| Comments Off on West Seattle Saturday: From Babypants to ‘Banned’

| West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

As the three-day holiday weekend begins, live music bookends the day – there’s still time to get the family to High Point Community Center for Caspar Babypants at 10:30 am, and then tonight, last thing on the list is Aaron Daniel‘s “One Man Banned” performance, 9:30 pm, Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), with happenings along the way including a sunset nature walk. See the full list on the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar – just go there and expand any calendar line of interest via the right-side plus sign.

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Easy Street Records’ final Queen Anne night, and auction ahead

January 19, 2013 2:52 am

| 1 COMMENT

| Not WS but we're mentioning it anyway | West Seattle news

Photojournalist Erika Schultz of The Seattle Times (WSB partner) has published a gallery of Friday night images from the final hours of Easy Street Records‘ Queen Anne store – see them here. The West Seattle store remains OPEN, but Queen Anne is now shut down, as announced by proprietor Matt Vaughan earlier this month. Its final hurrah will be an auction on Sunday; if you’re interested in some of the fixtures/memorabilia – even a banner signed by West Seattleite/rock icon Eddie Vedder – there’s an auction preview at the site 4-7 pm today (Saturday), and again 9 am Sunday until the live auction’s start at 11 am. (See lots of auction-item previews on the Easy Street website.)

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High-school basketball roundup: WSHS at home, Sealth on the road

January 19, 2013 2:30 am

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

The West Seattle High School cheer squad and their young protégés had a lot to cheer for last night, as both WSHS varsity teams won their home games against Ingraham.

It was a runaway win for the girls – West Seattle 61, Ingraham 26, game stats here, with four Wildcats in double-digit scoring – Lydia Giomi had 16 points, and 11 each are on the books for Charli Elliott, Lexi Ioane, and Gabby Sarver.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Latest reader reports; advice about ‘nuisance properties’

January 19, 2013 1:06 am

| 9 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

After a few intense days, crime reports have calmed a bit, so far as we can tell from the inbox and 911 map. But we do have two burglaries and two car prowls to report:

Stephen discovered Thursday night that his home in the 6000 block of Fauntleroy Way had been broken into while he was away at work – and that burglars had struck elsewhere on their block, leaving (besides fingerprints) a footprint that police told him resembled one found at the other scene. He says the burglar/s entered by tearing a basement window out of its frame; they stole jewelry and an iPad, but left other electronics behind. He also says police mentioned “a band of about 5 people” are believed to be responsible for many of the West Seattle burglaries happening right now.

Car prowls: Betsy says her car was broken into early Thursday morning in the 6400 block of 36th SW, but “nothing of value in the car, so nothing stolen.” Then Friday between 9:30 am and 1 pm, Beth‘s Civic was broken into near 35th and 100th in Arbor Heights. She’s hoping her brown-leather purse was dumped somewhere by the thief/thieves – let police know if you spot one.

Last but not least – if you have a “nuisance property” in your neighborhood, the newest newsletter sent by Crime Prevention Coordinator Mark Solomon includes LOTS of information on what you can do about it, compiled, he writes, with the assistance of precinct liaison Melissa Chin from the City Attorney’s Office. See it here.

P.S. As noted here earlier, the next crimefighting meeting is the West Seattle Block Watch Captains’ Network, 6:30 pm Tuesday at the precinct (Webster/Delridge).

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