SCHOOLS: How to help Genesee Hill Elementary PTA honor longtime principal Gerrit Kischner

| Genesee Hill | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

On this final week of school, another West Seattle school is getting ready to say goodbye to its longtime principal, and planning a tribute. The Genesee Hill Elementary PTA is inviting community participation beynd current students/families. Here’s their message:

As announced in April of this year, our longtime Principal and friend Gerrit Kischner will be stepping down as the Principal of Genesee Hill Elementary. The current Assistant Principal, Liz Dunn, will replace Gerrit starting in the fall of 2021, keeping Genesee Hill and our community in very good hands.

Gerrit has been a tireless leader and advocate for our children and schools since his arrival at Schmitz Park in 2008. To celebrate and honor Gerrit’s many contributions to our West Seattle community, a group of current and former PTA leaders and other community members are organizing a fundraiser and commemorative gift for Gerrit.

The PTA volunteers involved in this effort are finalizing the exact gift to honor Gerrit, but we anticipate it will be a visual reminder of his years of work to support our children and our community that will be located on our around the Genesee Hill Elementary grounds. Wouldn’t it be lovely to sit with your child and reflect upon their years in elementary school on a peaceful bench? It’s just one of a few ideas we have, and we’ll update everyone on our progress.

Your child’s classroom may be organizing a gift or other activity to honor Gerrit, and you are welcome and encouraged to support those efforts. The PTA leaders and other volunteers have come together to celebrate Gerrit on behalf of our entire West Seattle community.

Our fundraising goal for this effort is $5,000, which will fund this commemorative gift and support the work of the Genesee Hill PTA.

Any unspent donations will go to benefit the current and future students at Genesee Hill. The past year has been very challenging for our children and the Genesee Hill Elementary community, and your gift in honor of Gerrit’s contributions and your support of our PTA are appreciated.

Please use this link to make an online contribution to our gift to Gerrit Kischner.

Sasquatch June 15, 2021 (12:38 pm)

Gerrit was great with students and families. He was on the playground every morning and learned most students’ names, which is rare in a public elementary school that big.Gerrit was not so great with many staff members and famously had a star teacher fired for an incident which was questionable. Many staff found his tactics deceitful and unethical. This happened years ago, but the consequences are still very real for the person fired.

Lillet June 15, 2021 (9:34 pm)

He is a gem. Our family started at Alki (with our younger boys for several years), before being “re-zoned” with our youngest. We would have been on our 4th principal in 6 years. Gerrit was a gem in the rough staying at a school for so long , beloved by both the staff and parents. He was so supportive of my boys and will be truly missed. He is a superb leader and will be such an asset in his next post. With his residence being in North Seattle and the bridge out of commission , I’m sure this factors into his move. This is understandable, but still a loss to our community. ❤️

Kgr June 16, 2021 (4:49 pm)

Mr. Kischner – one of West Seattle’s best assets – so many children in our community have benefitted from having had him as their principal. We all wish him the very best in his new endeavors.

Sasquatch your reply is misplaced on a fundraising post.