West Seattle, Washington

23 Tuesday

65℉

Pigeon Point 208 results

Pigeon Point Council: Crime-fighting reminders, Night Out, more
June 9, 2009 5:18 pm
|    Comments Off on Pigeon Point Council: Crime-fighting reminders, Night Out, more
 |   Pigeon Point | West Seattle news

High atop the heights of northeastern West Seattle, signs like that help get the word out about the Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council‘s meetings – like the one we covered last night at Cooper School. The impending transition at that school was one of the topics – as was something a little further into the future, Night Out block parties (not that far away – August 4th is the date – and registration just opened) – and more immediate concerns about crime-fighting – plus the saga of the buried bunker! – read on for the highlights:Read More

Share This

Today/tonight: RPZ vote, Pigeon Point Council, Alki Art Fair signups
June 8, 2009 6:30 am
|    Comments Off on Today/tonight: RPZ vote, Pigeon Point Council, Alki Art Fair signups
 |   Pigeon Point | Transportation | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

RESTRICTED PARKING ZONE VOTE: The proposed changes in Restricted Parking Zones come before the City Council for a vote during its meeting at 2 this afternoon; if you have anything to say, there’s a public comment period as the meeting begins.

PIGEON POINT NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL: 7 pm, Cooper School cafeteria. Not sure if you’re in Pigeon Point? Boundaries are described here.

ALKI ART FAIR VENDOR SIGN-UPS: Last registration/site-selection event for next month’s popular artist showcase at the beach – 6:30-8 pm tonight at Alki Community Center.

Share This

West Seattle weekend scenes: Farewell parties @ SSCC, Cooper
June 7, 2009 9:14 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Pigeon Point | Puget Ridge | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

You can’t have a farewell party without a cake. That’s one of two we saw this afternoon while stopping by two celebrations we had previewed – first, the one for Ingrid Olsen-Young, the popular veteran preschool teacher at South Seattle Community College Co-Op Preschool who’s leaving for Walla Walla. “Teacher Ingrid” agreed to take a quick break from mingling with well-wishers to pose with friend Janet Ko (thanks again to Janet for help with our preview story):

The party was, of course, at SSCC, Brockey Center to be precise; photos were shown on the big screen, and albums were out for perusal:

Now a bit northwest to Pigeon Point, where Cooper School‘s “closure celebration” opened the school to visitors this afternoon, 4 months after the School Board vote to end the Cooper Elementary “program”:

Outside, kids got the chance to bounce:

Cooper Elementary classes continue until Seattle Public Schools‘ last day of the year on June 19; between now and then, the legal challenge brought by closure opponents (first WSB story here, followup here) gets a hearing next Friday.

Share This

Dumped items: “Did somebody have their car stolen last night?”
June 7, 2009 3:55 pm
|      13 COMMENTS
 |   Pigeon Point | West Seattle news

So asked Rich in the note he sent with the photo you see above:

This new looking “Bugaboo Gecko” stroller is sitting just off the road near the 4400 block of 21st Ave SW, right by the radio tower. There are various cloth grocery bags and an umbrella. This is not the usual trash that gets dumped in this field… I tried calling the police non emergency number, 206-625-5011, but was advised to call back later by an automated voice due to a large number calls.

I hate the fact that car thieves might be using my neighborhood as safe place to ransack stolen cars.

If the stroller is yours, Rich can reunite you with it – contact us and we’ll put you in touch with him – editor@westseattleblog.com. (P.S. A note if you live in Pigeon Point – tomorrow night’s the next meeting of the Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council, 7 pm at Cooper School.)

Share This

Followup: School district response to Cooper legal challenge
June 4, 2009 11:03 am
|      12 COMMENTS
 |   Pigeon Point | West Seattle news | West Seattle school closure | West Seattle schools

As reported here earlier this week, there’s a key hearing next week in the legal challenge to the impending closure of Cooper Elementary School in Pigeon Point: The closure opponents have made a motion for “summary judgment” (read it here) and this week, Seattle Public Schools filed its document opposing the motion. The district provided us with a copy; you can read the entire 27-page document here. One of the main points of contention in the legal challenge is that there was not a formal “closure hearing” at and for Cooper, because the district considered it a “program” instead of a school; the district’s rebuttal to that includes:

Appellants claim that not treating a programmatic change as a school closure resulted in impacted persons not getting notice or the opportunity to be heard. What Appellants fail to acknowledge to the Court is that they all actually provided testimony at public hearings and School Board meetings related to the decisions they are challenging.

Appellants had not only ample notice and opportunity to be heard, they were actually heard. However, the elected School Board, after consideration of thousands of pages of documents and the input of hundred of citizens, made a choice that the Appellants dislike. That is not the proper basis for a legal challenge, particularly when considering the substantial deference that must be afforded to the School Board in making administrative and policy decisions.

…With respect to the recommendation to close the Genesee Hill building for instructional purposes, a site-specific hearing was held at the Genesee Hill building on December 16, 2008. … Numerous speakers at this hearing identified themselves as being affiliated with Cooper. … In fact, all three of the Appellants in this case, Shelly Williams, Charity Dumas, and Joy Anderson actually provided testimony at the December 16, 2008 hearing.

Their challenge also takes on board votes to change policies enabling both the relatively rapid adoption of the school-closure proposal last January and enabling Cooper to be considered for closure; the district’s document contends “legislative bodies like the School Board are always free to amend their own polic(i)es and procedures …” The hearing is scheduled for 10:30 am Friday, June 12, before Judge Greg Canova in King County Superior Court. Meantime, Cooper is having a “closing celebration” at the school at 2 pm this Sunday.

Share This

Cooper Elementary supporters not giving up without a fight
June 1, 2009 7:17 pm
|      29 COMMENTS
 |   Pigeon Point | West Seattle news | West Seattle school closure | West Seattle schools

Court fight, in this case. At Delridge Day this past Saturday, our spot in the Youngstown Arts Center parking lot was a few tables over from the booth you see in the photo above – with the “Save Cooper” theme. You might wonder, as we did, what’s the “Save Cooper” theme now, since the Seattle School Board vote to close the Cooper Elementary School “program” and move Pathfinder K-8 into the Cooper building in Pigeon Point happened four months ago, and a Cooper closure event is scheduled for this Sunday. Turns out, they were raising money for a legal challenge that continues, with a potentially pivotal hearing scheduled next week, headed by Cooper parent and PTA member Joy Anderson, aided by longtime school-closure opponent Chris Jackins. We spoke with both Anderson and Jackins at the event; read on to see what the Cooper challenge is about, and what happens next:Read More

Share This

Bittersweet celebration: Last Earth Day for Cooper Elementary
April 22, 2009 2:29 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Environment | Pigeon Point | West Seattle schools

One of the special programs at Cooper Elementary School is called The EARTH Project — and a garden on the south side of the school has been a centerpiece. Today is the last Earth Day that Cooper students and staffers will work in that garden, since the school “program” is being closed at the end of this year, with Pathfinder K-8 (which also has an “environmental focus”) moving in. AmeriCorps volunteers invited us to come share the occasion – that’s AmeriCorps’ Gina Barteletti at left with kindergarteners, planting kinnikinnick:

Assisting students in this next photo, Cooper parent Steve Ball with the group in the foreground, head teacher David Kipnis at right:

The kindergarteners got a quick briefing about how to plant before they donned gloves and went over to dig and plant. They also brought notes “thanking the plants” – they were instructed to tear up the notes and put them into the planting holes:

Hundreds of native plants, purchased by AmeriCorps with grant money, were to be placed in the garden before this round of planting ends. As the kindergarteners returned to their classrooms, they got to high-five a “fishy” visitor:

And then, the shovels were lined up and waiting for the next class, which was to take its turn right after lunch:

The Nature Consortium, which stewards and restores the West Duwamish Greenbelt – including the section that Cooper borders – also had representatives at today’s planting event. Another local school with an environmental emphasis, Gatewood Elementary, will be the new school for more than 100 Cooper students; Gatewood teacher Donna Rodenberg told us at last weekend’s Earth Festival at Cooper that they’re working on outreach to ease the transition, letting the incoming students know about Gatewood’s Project Earth Care.

Share This

Happening now: Duwamish Alive! work parties, report #1
April 18, 2009 12:56 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | Pigeon Point | West Seattle news

With coordination from EarthCorps and the West Seattle-based Nature Consortium, hundreds of volunteers are working at 20+ sites in the West Duwamish Greenbelt section south and east of Pigeon Point’s Cooper School, just one of more than a dozen Duwamish Alive! events today in honor of Earth Day (which technically isn’t till Wednesday). In a clearing close to the school, numbers mark where each group’s supplies were gathered:

EarthCorps told us we were the first media visitors of the day; they were expecting a few high-profile political visitors too, including County Councilmember/Executive candidate Larry Phillips, who was there (at right in the photo below) during our stop (expected this afternoon, two West Seattleites: County Councilmember/Executive candidate Dow Constantine and Mayor Nickels):

The heart of the work: Tearing out, pulling out, pulling down the invasive plants that choke the life out of the forest and its native understory – this gentleman was doing battle with a thickly trunked Scotch broom:

Some invasive plants like Scotch broom and ivy are still sold for planting, but even if you think they’re great in your yard, birds can eat the seeds and distribute them far and wide, so think twice before using them in your landscaping. More on Duwamish Alive! after we go back for this afternoon’s community festival at Cooper, 2-5 pm (and you’re invited), and we’ll add some video later, including the musician serenading the volunteers in the meadow.

Share This

So much to do, so little time: Happening in West Seattle today
April 18, 2009 6:21 am
|    Comments Off on So much to do, so little time: Happening in West Seattle today
 |   Environment | Fun stuff to do | How to help | Pigeon Point

That’s just a slice of the 400-strong crowd at the Duwamish Alive! Earth Day mega-work party southeast of Cooper School last year – and a similar crowd is expected today (with at least three political leaders – Mayor Nickels and County Councilmembers/Executive candidates Dow Constantine and Larry Phillips – visiting along the way). It’s part of a HUGE slate of not just Earth Day events, but also fun fundraisers, live music performances, 2 big rummage/garage sales, and a lot more happening today – we’ll just point you directly to the Saturday section of the West Seattle Weekend Lineup – click here.

Share This

Pigeon Point Council: New chair; car-crime spree; cleanup plan
April 14, 2009 2:30 am
|    Comments Off on Pigeon Point Council: New chair; car-crime spree; cleanup plan
 |   Crime | How to help | Pigeon Point | West Seattle news

That’s Andy Worline, just elected to chair the Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council in West Seattle’s northeasternmost neighborhood, taking the reins from Pete Spalding, who took over on an interim basis after Matt Swenson resigned six months ago. Andy’s election (by acclamation of all 20-plus attendees in the Cooper School cafeteria) came midway through a meeting that began with some reassurance from Southwest Precinct Lt. Steve Paulsen, invited by Pete because of a recent car-crime spree that rattled the neighborhood. Read on to hear what he had to say, along with details of the upcoming Pigeon Point Spring Clean event, and more:Read More

Share This

Greenbelt cleanup: Can you pitch in too? Local students hope so!
March 21, 2009 11:14 am
|    Comments Off on Greenbelt cleanup: Can you pitch in too? Local students hope so!
 |   Environment | How to help | Pigeon Point

As you probably noticed in the West Seattle Weekend Lineup, lots of work-party action in local greenspaces today, as is the case most Saturdays – but if you can spare some time TOMORROW, here’s a request we just received:

My name is Sam Westler and I go to Chief Sealth High School. A group of students along with myself are hosting a work party to remove the invasive plants in the West Duwamish Greenbelt. We are working from 10-4 on Sunday March 22nd, and we would like to get the word out to as many people as possible. Everyone is welcome to come help out. We are meeting in the Cooper Elementary School parking lot at ten.

If you haven’t been to Cooper, which is on Pigeon Point, here’s a map.

Share This

Followup: Heart On My Sleeve – next move, and how to help
March 19, 2009 4:37 am
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   How to help | Pigeon Point | West Seattle people

Here on WSB last week, you met Heart On My Sleeve in this story – three men, working out of a Pigeon Point duplex, hoping to change the world for the better, with recycled-material fashion, design, and music: Navy veteran Johnathan Oliver, former UW football player Shelton Sampson (shown above), and musician Art B. They were hopeful their “big break” was just around the corner; in the week and a half since we met them, some new excitement has materialized, starting with Seattle Fashion Week next month. Johnathan wrote to say:

Seattle Fashion Week has invited us to show our line. They also want us to serve as visual graphic directors for the show. We will also have the opportunity to design a piece for Vitamin Water. They are one of the sponsors for the event. They will be providing us with the money to purchase the materials needed for the piece. We have so many great ideas and I’m sure we would be able to make quite a statement at this show. We feel that a successful show can and will catapult us in the local fashion scene as well as the global.

Johnathan later e-mailed to say fashion-industry insider BJ Coleman has agreed to come here for the show, if they can figure out how to get him here. And that’s not all. They’ve been asked to perform some of their songs at a Fashion Week promo event on March 26, plus:

We will be creating 10 pieces for the fashion show. Each piece will have a charity associated to it. Such charities as The American Heart Association, the glass-blowing program in Tacoma. We are also creating a piece for Fashion Week that will be auctioned off at the Community School of West Seattle to raise money to replace technologies in their preschool. The kids will actually be helping us construct the piece as well.

They’ve been getting by on something of a shoestring – so in order to make all this happen, they have a wish list that you might be able to help with – read on to see it, plus an easy way to help:Read More

Share This

Heart On My Sleeve: Fashion, and love, from Pigeon Point
March 10, 2009 8:00 pm
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   Pigeon Point | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Seattle could and should be “the independent fashion capital of the world.”

That’s the bold – yet not boastful – declaration of the three men who comprise Heart On My Sleeve, a fashion (and design, and music, and more) business based in a deceptively drab Pigeon Point duplex, a stitch away from the West Seattle Bridge.

Johnathan Oliver, 23, is a Navy veteran. Shelton Sampson, 25, is a former UW football player. Art B, 32, has a music focus.

Focused on fashion creations from recycled clothing, Heart On My Sleeve started 2 years ago when Johnathan and Shelton met in Hawaii, where John was working on a production of the “Lion King” musical with which Shelton’s sister happened to be involved. They became fast friends and business partners, hatching the HOMS idea and coming up with the logo in a Hawaii Starbucks – presaging their eventual headquarters in Starbucks’ hometown (how they got from there to here is a whole ‘nother tangent for another time’ — in short, Shelton was from here, and finally convinced Johnathan to move).

If you haven’t heard of Heart On My Sleeve before, that’s what they’re trying to hurdle now. They are working around the clock, getting by, but confident they’re on the brink of that one big breakthrough.

They’ve gotten attention already. When we saw a KING5 feature a while back (watch it here) — our ears perked at the mention of “West Seattle,” but we couldn’t find contact information online. Someone eventually sent it to us after an online discussion, but it fell through the proverbial cracks. Then Johnathan sent a note just yesterday – along with some files including portfolio-style photos of their work:

So let’s get to what their creations are all about. The heart of what they do is recycling: Here’s Shelton, for example, with a work in progress on one of the mannequins standing in the room where I chatted with him, John, and Art this morning:

That started with a jacket – something that might have come from a thrift shop, or a donation. Then it’s examined with a fresh eye – a vision – and becomes the foundation of something completely new. The knot you see around the waist is for sizing – it’s a device they use if they’re consulting with a client.

The clothing is major, but Heart On My Sleeve doesn’t just design.

Read More

Share This

West Seattle Crime Watch: Pigeon Point 11-car rampage
March 3, 2009 10:37 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Pigeon Point | West Seattle news

First, this note went out last night on the Pigeon Point neighborhood list:

Two cars in the 4100 block of 20th Ave were car prowled, a van at the very north end of 20th Ave was burglarized and a vehicle was stolen from the corner of 21st Ave and SW Genesee. [map]

Then tonight, Pigeon Point neighborhood organizer Pete Spalding sent this followup:

Just wanted to give everyone a quick update of what I have learned in the last 24 hours. It seems that at a minimum there were 11 vehicles that were either car prowled, vandalized, burglarized or stolen on Sunday evening/night. Most of these were on 20th Ave SW and the one that was stolen was on 21st.

Pete also reminded Pigeon Point’ers that this is a good time to organize a Block Watch if you don’t have one already, and a good time to meet with yours if you do. (Benjamin Kinlow, crime-prevention coordinator at the Southwest Precinct, is the person to contact about setting one up.)

Share This

Pigeon Point Council: Greenbelt cleanup; snowstorm ratings …
February 9, 2009 10:56 pm
|    Comments Off on Pigeon Point Council: Greenbelt cleanup; snowstorm ratings …
 |   Environment | Pigeon Point | Safety | West Seattle news

(from left, Chief Sealth students DJ, Holly, Sara)
Tonight’s Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council meeting included an appearance by student reps of a project we’ve heard about at several meetings in the past few weeks: Chief Sealth High School students working with Cooper Elementary students to document and clean up the nearby section of the West Duwamish Greenbelt. This meeting, of course, had special significance, since Cooper is where the PP group meets. The students are looking for people who can help them compile neighborhood history, too. Another agenda item: Debbie Goetz from the city’s neighborhood-preparedness team led some post-mortem discussion of the December snow (even as some February flakes are falling). She asked attendees to rate the snowstorm on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being “extreme inconvenience” – most gave it a 7 or 8, and many voiced concerns about the bus troubles that happened throughout the storm; Debbie reiterated what’s been said at recent city meetings — Metro’s being brought into planning for future weather problems. She also passed out flyers for the next SNAP (Seattle Neighborhoods Actively Prepare) session in West Seattle, 6:30 pm March 12 at the Admiral Library branch.

Two more items discussed: Pete Spalding voiced concern about maintenance and vandalism (including tagging) on Pigeon Point-area staircases. Neighbors agreed to assess the staircases and contact the city for repair materials; maintenance trouble spots include railings that are in bad shape. Plus, the future Delridge Produce Co-Op came up (as reported here last week), with lots of enthusiastic discussion, and questions about whether parking strips can be used for edible gardens and fruit trees. (The next meeting for everybody interested in the Co-Op, by the way, is this Thursday, 6:30 pm, Delridge Library.)

Share This

Monday afternoon notes: From annexation vote to float followup
February 9, 2009 3:23 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Arbor Heights | How to help | Pigeon Point | West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival | West Seattle news | White Center

COUNCIL SAYS “NO” TO ANNEXATION AGREEMENT: We’re working on continuing coverage for this at partner site White Center Now, but it’s worth a note here: The Seattle City Council has just voted 8 to 1 to *not* endorse the recent agreement reached with Burien and two fire districts, setting a framework for the potential annexation process over the next few years; the agreement basically gave Burien first rights of refusal on the southern half of the North Highline unincorporated area, and Seattle first rights on the north half (including most of White Center). We’re continuing to add details from the council discussion to the WCN report here. (5:14 pm note: Added a comment from Seattle mayoral spokesperson Alex Fryer, saying, “The MOU with Burien took some time, but we had an agreement that made sense for all the parties. With the City Council decision today, we’re done with the issue for this year.”)

HAPPENING TONIGHT: Last reminders about three events of note, all on the WSB West Seattle Events calendar: The Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council meets at Cooper Elementary, 7 pm; the Denny Site Redevelopment Design Team meets at the Denny Middle School Library, also 7 pm; and the ARK Park benefit concert (raising money for a privately funded new park on land owned by Arbor Heights Community Church) is happening at Roosevelt High School, also at 7.

“HAVE A HEART” FINAL TALLY: Heather at Illusions Hair Design (WSB sponsor) tells us yesterday’s event (WSB coverage here) brought in more than $1,700 for West Seattle Helpline and Pencil Me in for Kids.

HI-YU FLOAT HOME SEARCH: West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival president Tim Winston reports that the float has a reprieve (following this item over the weekend) but it’s not forever:

Harbor Properties has once more been gracious and extended our storage of the float through February. However, their project will need us to be out after that.

Regarding use of other currently empty buildings – they are looking for contacts, so even if you don’t know for sure whether something might be available, if you have a contact and can provide that info to Hi-Yu, please call Tim at 206-938-2088.

Share This

West Seattle school-closure fight: Cooper makes a stand
January 14, 2009 10:15 am
|      37 COMMENTS
 |   Pigeon Point | West Seattle news | West Seattle school closure | West Seattle schools

By Charla Mustard-Foote
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

The long-awaited meeting between the Cooper Elementary School community and Seattle Public Schools representatives took place Tuesday night. Approximately 140 people filled the school cafeteria (moved from the library to accommodate an overflow crowd).

Read More

Share This

Eve of school-closure “final recommendations”: Cooper, still?
January 5, 2009 11:56 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Pigeon Point | West Seattle news | West Seattle school closure | West Seattle schools

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

By mid-afternoon tomorrow, Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson will announce her “final recommendations” for which school buildings and “programs” to close, in hopes of saving the district millions of dollars. Her announcement won’t be the last word — the proposal will be formally introduced at the following night’s School Board meeting, and then a final round of hearings/meetings (and no doubt protests) will follow, till board members’ scheduled vote on January 29th.

When the process began, the timing was considered difficult at best.Read More

Share This

West Seattle snow: School-closure meetings canceled tonight
December 18, 2008 12:09 pm
|    Comments Off on West Seattle snow: School-closure meetings canceled tonight
 |   Pigeon Point | West Seattle news | West Seattle school closure | West Seattle schools | West Seattle weather

In addition to the Design Review Board meeting cancellation we mentioned earlier, we have just received word that the Cooper Elementary school-closure meeting tonight IS ALSO CANCELED – no new date set yet. Seattle Public Schools also sent word that the Lowell Elementary hearing is canceled too; APP (top-level gifted program) families citywide would have been going to that one. We’ll be launching a new afternoon coverage post shortly and will recap closures and changes there too.

Share This

West Seattle school-closure hearing: Cooper makes its case
December 17, 2008 4:02 am
|      27 COMMENTS
 |   Arbor Heights | Genesee Hill | Pigeon Point | West Seattle news | West Seattle school closure | West Seattle schools

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

40 speakers, 3 schools, 2 school board members. Those are the numbers from last night’s school-closure public hearing at the Genesee Hill Elementary building that Pathfinder K-8 has called home for almost 15 years. And numbers were the reason the hearing had to happen at all – a $24 million-$37 million budget shortfall faced by Seattle Public Schools, with $3.6 million a year potentially to be saved by shuttering school buildings including the long-deteriorating Genesee Hill. The district’s been proposing closing it for years — without also closing the Pathfinder “program” — so the issue has been, and remains, where does Pathfinder go?

Read More

Share This

School-closure fight: Cooper Elementary community’s new website
December 15, 2008 1:32 am
|      12 COMMENTS
 |   Pigeon Point | West Seattle news | West Seattle online | West Seattle school closure | West Seattle schools

Just got word of this and wanted to share the link: Cooper Elementary‘s community has put up a website to get the information out about their fight to keep the school “program” from being closed, as is now listed as a “potential final recommendation” as Seattle Public Schools tries to find a new home for Pathfinder K-8. The site is at cooperschoolworks.com, and among other info, it lists the next round of meetings this week – district public hearing at Genesee Hill tomorrow night, School Board meeting Wednesday, and a meeting at Cooper on Thursday, with more content promised. It also links to the Cooper “fact sheet” we told you about last Wednesday. (On the “closure info” page at the official Cooper Elementary website, by the way, you can now read a handwritten letter by a student in Cooper’s autism program.)

Share This

School-closure fight: Cooper Elementary strategy session
December 12, 2008 2:56 pm
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   Pigeon Point | West Seattle news | West Seattle school closure | West Seattle schools

You’ve certainly seen that bumper sticker before. But there was something plaintive about seeing it on the side of a car door parked outside a school where parents are about to plot strategy to try to save their kids from getting moved out of their school because of district budget troubles. Two nights after Cooper Elementary officially materialized on Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson‘s list of “potential final recommendations” – with the “potential” proposal being, close the Cooper program and move Pathfinder K-8 into the Cooper building – dozens of members of the school community gathered in the library, as heralded by the whiteboard near the school’s front doors:

Key points of what they said and what they’re strategizing, ahead:Read More

Share This

School-closure fight: Cooper Elementary’s “fact sheet” out
December 10, 2008 10:08 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Pigeon Point | West Seattle news | West Seattle school closure | West Seattle schools

Days after Arbor Heights Elementary was proposed for “program closure” in the “preliminary recommendations” from Seattle Public Schools leadership two weeks ago, its community prepared and released a “fact sheet” (WSB report here). Now, the morning after its official appearance on the potential closure list – its program, not its building – Cooper Elementary has created a “fact sheet” as well, so we wanted to share that with you. Read it here (7-page PDF) in its entirety. Among many other points, the document showcases some of Cooper’s programs, like these two:

*Cooper’s Bilingual Program serves a culturally diverse group of English language learners. Two bilingual teachers and three instructional assistants provide instruction and support to students and parents who speak Spanish, Cambodian, Vietnamese, and Somali.

*Cooper’s Autism Program continuum serves 24 students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Eight students are served in Cooper’s general education classrooms with additional support and instruction provided by one special education teacher and 2 instructional assistants. Sixteen students are served in rooms 209 and 107, Cooper’s self-contained Autism K-2 and 3-5 classrooms. They are supported by two special education teachers and six instructional assistants. Additionally, Cooper’s resource room supports students with learning disabilities and developmental delays through both pull-put and push-in support.

The document also says closing Cooper’s program would eliminate the Earth Project (here’s its link on the Cooper site), which we’ve mentioned previously. Again, here’s where you can read the Cooper document in its entirety; the school is having a meeting tomorrow night – we covered the first Cooper meeting last Friday. Also, if you missed it last night, the latest “potential final recommendations” for school closures and changes citywide are summarized on the district website here.

Share This