8:52 AM: Another West Seattle leadership change for Seattle Public Schools. In addition to six principal changes for the coming school year, all of the district’s West Seattle/South Park principals will have a new supervisor – Carmela Dellino (right) is leaving her job as the Executive Director of Schools for the Southwest Region after one year.

News of this first emerged in an open discussion on the Seattle Schools Community Forum website over the weekend (thanks to the WSB’ers who called that to our attention!); we have just confirmed it with Seattle Public Schools spokesperson Teresa Wippel. She tells WSB that Dellino, who was principal of West Seattle’s Roxhill Elementary School before taking the district management job, announced it in a note to co-workers. Here is an excerpt Wippel shared:

It is with mixed emotions that I send this email to all of you. After much reflection and discussion with my family, I have made the decision to pursue the opportunity to work for the City of Seattle and support the elementary schools that are the Family and Education Levy recipients.

Throughout the last five years I have truly enjoyed working with and learning from you. I feel honored to have worked with such an outstanding group of educators who are dedicated to closing the opportunity and achievement gaps. I experienced a great deal of joy over the last 5 years, serving the children, families, principals, staff, and communities of West Seattle and the southeast region. Additionally, my central office colleagues were always there for me and I am deeply appreciative of the support and guidance I received. Without a doubt, I learned so much from everyone. I look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with outstanding principals and educational teams in the committed efforts for ALL students’ success. I feel lucky that I can continue to be affiliated with many of you.

Thank you for your support, partnership and dedication to serving our students. I wish each and every one of you the very best.

Dellino’s appointment as this area’s Executive Director was announced almost exactly one year ago. That was one month after her predecessor in the role, Aurora Lora, announced she was leaving, after two years, for a job in Texas. SPS has not yet announced the plan for a replacement (or search for one). In each of the “regions” served by Seattle Public Schools, principals report to an Executive Director; here in what the district considers the Southwest Region, six of the 16 schools are changing principals for next year – Chief Sealth International High School, Madison Middle School, and Alki, Gatewood, Lafayette, and Sanislo Elementary Schools.

ADDED 4:42 PM: We sought more information about Dellino’s new job. We learned from the city that it’s a position as an Elementary School Innovation Consultant for the city’s Office for Education, working with schools that are receiving Innovation funds under the Families and Education Levy, and she’s expected to start in early August; it’s an existing position that became open when someone left recently.

West Seattle Christian Church‘s preschool has closed, and tomorrow they’re having a public “clearing out” sale, selling preschool-aged curriculum items, supplies,and furniture, according to Pastor Dan Jacobs.

Cash or check only, 10 am-2 pm Wednesday at 4425 41st SW. He says the church hasn’t yet decided on the future of the former preschool space.

The third and, we believe, final principal announcement this afternoon for West Seattle’s public schools – this time, news of a replacement, the new principal for Chief Sealth International High School principal:

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Aida Fraser-Hammer as your new principal, effective July 1, 2013. She replaces Chris Kinsey who announced in June that he would not be returning in the fall.

Ms. Fraser-Hammer comes to Chief Sealth International High School from Kentwood High School in Covington, Washington, where she has been an assistant principal since 2004. At Kentwood she worked with staff, students, and families to increase on-time graduation rates and students’ academic achievement. Ms. Fraser-Hammer has an international background, and she is fluent in Spanish.

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More principal news from Seattle Public Schools this afternoon. Earlier we published word that Gatewood Elementary‘s principal has been reassigned; now, the district sends word that Alki Elementary‘s principal has a new job too. Families are receiving this note:

Today I’m announcing a leadership change at Alki Elementary School for the next school year. Your principal, Ms. Chanda E. Oatis, has been appointed principal at Van Asselt Elementary School effective for the 2013-2014 school year.

Ms. Carmela Dellino, Executive Director for K-12 schools in West Seattle, will lead the process to identify a new principal for Alki. We will move quickly to form a hiring committee, and will keep you informed of the process. We are committed to finding a strong principal who will be a great fit for your community and who can build on Alki’s successes.

I appreciate the outstanding leadership that Ms. Oatis brought to Alki Elementary the past two years which has led to impressive gains in literacy, math and science achievement. And I appreciate the dedication of Alki families and staff to student success and to creating a positive and enriching learning environment at your school.

Please join me in thanking Ms. Oatis for her years at Alki Elementary.

Sincerely,
José Banda

She’s the 6th West Seattle public school principal whose departure has been announced since April (see the list at the end of our earlier Gatewood story).

Seattle Public Schools is sending an alert about portable deliveries coming up this week and next. From Tom Redman:

· Gatewood Elementary, one single portable (one classroom) scheduled to be delivered on Wednesday, June 26 between 10 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. The route, assigned by SDOT, is Fauntleroy to Myrtle, turning left to the school.

· Chief Sealth International HS, one double portable (two classrooms), scheduled to be delivered on Monday, July 1, between 5:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. via the Kenyon Street (north) entrance to the campus. (Not sure of the route yet- SDOT will notify us later this week)

· If there are “no parking” signs to be located on any streets on the route, they will be placed in advance of the delivery day, in accordance with SDOT requirements.

The district’s been talking about more portables for crowding relief since last fall. We’re checking to see what other portables, if any, are slated for West Seattle schools before fall.

Seattle Public Schools sends word that the School Board has just approved two versions of next year’s calendar – with one major difference: Version 1 includes three days with no classes because teachers are in professional-development activities; version 2 does not. Which will be used? Depends on what the state decides about those three days, which require the district to get a waiver from the mandatory 180 days of instruction. Both versions have the feature we mentioned last month – the return of a full week of mid-winter break, after a year without it. Read on for the full announcement:

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(WSB file photo of Madison’s east-facing gym exterior, where the sign would go)
One month ago today, we reported that the city had approved the four-year-old proposal for a 30-square-foot electronic sign outside the Madison Middle School gym. A group of neighbors has appealed the decision, and tomorrow, they go downtown for a conference with the city’s Hearing Examiner, to prepare for a full hearing in July. We talked with one of the neighbors, Claudia Ludwig, who explained why they’re challenging the decision:

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One more note from the last week of school:

Thanks to Sally Heit from Hope Lutheran School for sharing the photo from a Thursday morning surprise in honor of the end of the school year. She says the 130 flamingos that surprised arrivals that day were from Westside Flockers.

Congratulations to this year’s West Seattle 8th graders as they move on to high school! Denny International Middle School‘s promotion ceremony was last night, according to principal Jeff Clark, who shared the photo and this report:

The staff at Denny International Middle School were very proud to promote our eighth-grade scholars last night. The ceremony was filled with inspirational student speeches, fantastic music, and awards celebrating terrific academic accomplishments, community-building and school spirit. The auditorium was packed with families and friends — we are all very proud of our kids! Thank you to everyone who helped to make it such a memorable event!

277 eighth-graders in all – good luck to them in high school! Speaking of which, we covered all four of this year’s local high-school graduations – you’ll find the links in the “Big Stories” list on the WSB sidebar.

Our area’s 2013 high-school graduations wrapped up Wednesday night with the Chief Sealth International High School Class of 2013 ceremony at Southwest Athletic Complex, right across the street from the school.

That’s Seattle Public Schools Superintendent José Banda, concluding his first year on the job, helping send off Sealth’s more than 250 graduates. In the stands, celebratory signs included this beyond-life-size photo:

And graduation night didn’t just mean farewell for the students – longtime assistant principal Lupe Barnes is retiring:

According to the program, this year’s Sealth grads were awarded more than 400 scholarships.

Congratulations to the more than 240 members of the West Seattle High School Class of 2013, now on to their post-high-school lives after Wednesday evening’s graduation ceremony at Southwest Athletic Complex. And congratulations, too, to the adults who helped them along their way:

On behalf of the district, West Seattle’s school-board member Marty McLaren accepted the class:

According to the Westside Weekly newsletter, this year’s graduating class had a record number of scholarships and awards (listed here):

While seniors finished classes last Friday, this coming Friday is the final day of school for everybody else.

From five 17-year-olds to one 62-year-old, 864 people received degrees or certificates in today’s South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor) graduation ceremony. SSCC’s communications director Kevin Maloney says Benaroya Hall downtown was packed for the big event this afternoon, and shared the photo. Their commencement speaker was Geo Quibuyen from the hip-hop group the Blue Scholars, the Town Hall Seattle artist-in-residence for the past three months. Congratulations, graduates!

P.S. Coverage coming up later from tonight’s two high-school graduations.

“I MADE IT,” proclaimed the art atop the cap of one grad-to-be tonight as The Hall at Fauntleroy hosted the Middle College High School-High Point Center Class of 2013’s graduation tonight.

21 students comprise this year’s graduating class – here they are, making their entrance:

This is the first class to graduate since the southern branch of Middle College High School moved into its new High Point quarters, chosen after it lost its longtime home at South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor) this time last year. As recently announced on the MCHS-HPC website, the school has extended its High Point lease for another year.

This was the first of our area’s three Seattle Public Schools graduations in two nights; tomorrow night, Southwest Athletic Complex in Westwood will be the site of the graduations for both West Seattle High School (5 pm) and Chief Sealth International High School (7:30 pm). Our area’s lone private high school, Seattle Lutheran, gave its 33-member Class of 2013 their sendoff last Friday (WSB coverage here).

Out of the WSB inbox tonight, looking ahead to West Seattle High School‘s graduation ceremony Wednesday:

For WSHS Graduates and families: The WSHS music department will be offering concessions before and during the graduation ceremony on Wednesday June 12th. We will have hot dogs, chips, snacks and beverages. We also have a limited number of flower and candy leis to purchase for the graduates. Flower leis are $25 and candy leis are $10. All proceeds will go directly to the WSHS music program.

The WSHS ceremony is at 5 pm Wednesday (June 12th), Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle). Our full list of local graduation ceremony dates/times/places is here.

The graduations have begun! The first high-school commencement ceremony in West Seattle this year was Friday night at Seattle Lutheran High School. The Saints’ 33rd graduating class also numbered 33; family and friends gathered in the Menashe Family Gym on campus for the ceremony; we photographed them outside, just before their grand entrance. Video too:

Co-valedictorians this year were Jihyun Lee and Madison Jones; 17 – more than half – graduated with honors. The rest of West Seattle’s graduations are next week, all on our quick-reference list.

Today brings the second ribbon-cutting in two days involving South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor) – but this one wasn’t AT the college; instead, it happened a few miles north at Vigor Shipyard, where the new Harbor Island Training Center has just been dedicated. It includes a computer lab, classroom space, and industrial training floor, and its purpose, as explained in the announcement, is to provide students with the industrial skills they need to get family-wage jobs at the region’s industrial manufacturers.” Those jobs are available – but companies such as Vigor have trouble finding skilled workers to fill them, so this will help “bridge that disconnect,” as Vigor’s senior VP of HR Sue Haley puts it. SSCC already had welding and manufacturing programs, so the partnership made perfect sense. Vigor Industrial CEO Frank Foti and SSCC president Gary Oertli were among those who spoke:

Other local leaders on hand included City Council President Sally Clark and State House Transportation Committee Chair Judy Clibborn, in the photo below with SSCC president Oertli:

Enrollment information and other details about the new training center can be found on this SSCC webpage.