West Seattle, Washington
26 Monday
11:50 AM: Multiple texts came in minutes ago from parents saying Madison Middle School was being evacuated and that police were in the area. We’ve gone there to find out what happened; Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Martin Rivera is there and tells us they are investigating a ‘bomb threat’ that is believed to have come from “another school.” They’re searching the building and everyone remains evacuated at the moment, but so far nothing’s been found.
12:08 PM: Seattle Public Schools tells us this note has just been sent to families:
Dear Madison families,
Out of an abundance of caution Madison Middle School was evacuated at approximately 11:15 a.m. due to a threat toward the school that was called into the Seattle Police Department (SPD).
Students and staff are safe. They are currently waiting outside while SPD inspects our building for safety.
SPD and the SPS Safety and Security team are investigating. I will be sending families an update later today about this issue.
If you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Principal Gary
Madison Middle School
1 PM: Thanks for all the updates via comments and texts. Everyone’s been allowed back into the school.
3:42 PM: SPD has released a bit more information: “It was later discovered the call was made by a child who got possession of his parents’ phone.” We are asking on followup whether the child was questioned, detained, arrested, or none of the above.
3:59 PM: Police will only say that they “investigated the incident and determined the threat was unfounded.”
(WSB photos. Above, Matthew Henning)
In the third week of the season, the league-leading, undefeated West Seattle High School varsity baseball team just scored their third consecutive shutout victory. Playing tonight at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex, the Wildcats beat Franklin, 20-0.
(Tonight’s starting pitcher, Miles Chandler)
According to the GameChanger summary, WSHS really broke things open with a 10-run third inning. Owen Earls was the night’s leader in RBIs, with five; TJ Buehring was right behind with four. Starting pitcher tonight was Miles Chandler, who held Franklin to one hit in four innings; the hitless fifth inning was pitched by John Langen. The Wildcats’ next two games are on the road; they’re back home at 7 pm next Monday (April 3rd) vs. Cleveland at NCSWAC (2801 SW Thistle).
Your next chance to get up and dance – while helping local students – is just four nights away! In case you haven’t seen it the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar listing yet, here’s the invitation:
The Madison Music Boosters would like to invite students, their families, and community members to a Swing Dance & Auction on March 31st, 2023, from 6-9 pm at Madison Middle School! We have a lively event lined up, featuring performances by our very own Concert Band, Jazz Bands, Choir, and Orchestra, with a special performance by guest West Seattle Big Band! Tickets include a free Swing Dance lesson. Pizza and drinks available for purchase as well as an abundance of bake-sale treats, thanks to our Madison parents! The silent auction and Raise the Paddle will fund most of the Music Department expenses throughout the school year. Tickets are $15 presale or $20 at the door. Ticket link here.
An ADA accessible entrance is on the south side of Madison Middle School, nearest to the U-shaped parking lot outside of the gym structure. Elevators will be made accessible for the event, which will be held in the Madison Commons, one level below the main floor.
If you already know you can’t attend OR you’d like to simply donate to the Madison Music Program, please do so here.
Questions? Email the Madison Music Boosters at madisonmusicboosters@gmail.com
The school is at 3429 45th SW.
Three more students have been honored by the Rotary Club of West Seattle as Students of the Month – here’s who won, and what’s next:
The West Seattle Rotary conducted its fourth and final 2022-23 SoM Awards event.
Above is Chief Sealth International High School‘s SoM Kyler Blanton, with counselor Chelsey Thomas and Rotarian Alan Mitchell (who’s in all three photos). Below from Summit Atlas are counselor Keenan Grayson, SoM Ethan Anderson and his parents:
And below are West Seattle High School SoM Indie Oleson and her mom:
Now, each of the three West Seattle high schools will pick their nominee for the 2022-23 West Seattle Rotary Student of the Year (SoY) Scholarship from their 2022-23 SoM Awardees. The Youth Services Committee of West Seattle Rotary will select the winner from those three nominees. On May 9th, the West Seattle Rotary will conduct its 2022-23 West Seattle Rotary SoY Scholarship Award event. The winner will receive a scholarship worth up to $6,000 and each of the two runners-up will receive a scholarship worth $1,000.
From the Highland Park Elementary PTA:
Highland Park Elementary needs our support more than ever to raise 200K to add a classroom teacher and fund the Youth Services Assistant. This is a direct ask of our Highland Park Staff to support our school the way they see best fit.
Please share this Go Fund Me with anyone you know!The 150k is not just the salary, it includes the benefits of the teacher.
The Youth Service Assistant helps with social emotional support/development at HPE full time and our current HPE budget can only afford half time for this position; we want to raise the funds to have this support all the time for our growing students.
Even a small donation could help Highland Park PTA reach our fundraising goal. And if you can’t make a donation, it would be great if you could share the fundraiser to help spread the word.
More information can be found on our website or send us an email if you would like your company to match your donation. hpemustang@gmail.com
As a Chief Sealth International High School team parent described it in an email to us, “Huge win for the baseball team last night.” Sealth beat O’Dea for the first time in years, the parent explained – and the Seahawks were the visiting team. Final score Sealth 11, O’Dea 8. The parent added, “Fans were wild with the win! It was about 47 out and with a 7:00 start we all waited for the almost 11:00 finish!” According to the game notes logged with GameChanger, the Seahawks took the lead in the ninth inning, breaking an 8-8 tie when Teo Perala singled to bring in a run. The game’s hitting star for the Seahawks was Seth Clark, going 3 for 5. It’s early in the season but Chief Sealth has a 5-1 overall record and will play next at Nathan Hale, 3:30 pm Friday. O’Dea, meantime, will be visiting West Seattle High School (6-0) at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex at 7 pm Friday. We appreciate sports updates and tips – westseattleblog@gmail.com any time!
(Meeting video added Tuesday)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Seattle Public Schools plans to stake its future on “well-resourced schools” – but hasn’t settled yet on what exactly they are.
That’s one of the takeaways from what turned out to be a relatively short online community meeting about the district’s budget woes. Four district executives sat at a table, presenting information and answering questions for about 40 minutes before turning the rest of the hour over to other district staffers for Q/A in a Zoom chat window.
They reiterated that no decisions on school closures/consolidations would be made until spring of next year. One attendee, via onscreen Q/A, complained that’s too late, as enrollment decisions need to be made earlier in the year.
Assistant superintendent Bev Redmond warned attendees at the start of the meeting a
Chief operations officer Fred Podesta then rolled out the numbers: The current year has a $1.14 billion district general-fund budget, and money from the levy-generated capital fund can’t be transferred to it.
The district has to show the state a balanced budget by August. To cover the $131 million gap, he said they’ll throw in almost half that much from district reserved, and will also make some notable cuts – including $33 million from the “central office.” But, he added, this is not a “one-time problem” – he said state funding covers only about half the price tag of special education and transportation, and barely a third of multilingual education.
Meantime, on the enrollment front, low estimates show the district could be down to 43,000 students in 10 years. (Three trajectories of enrollment estimates were shown but not explained.)
Then that phrase “well-resourced schools” took centerstage again. Associate superintendent Dr. Concie Pedroza listed some attributes:
From there, the four at the table answered a few questions:
Why now? They’ve been covering budget gaps for years with various forms of one-time funding, so the underlying problem is not new.
Will my student’s teacher lose their jobs? The executives said they expected minimal job losses because hundreds of educators leave the district every year, and so even if a specific job is cut at a specific school, that teacher should be able to be placed somewhere else.
Why are you building/expanding schools if enrollment is dropping? Podesta said rebuilds are more efficient than modernizations for older buildings, and that they’ll improve safety. Plus, he said, the city continues to grow and the district must “take the long view.”
How are budget-cut decisions being made? Podesta reiterated that the district is trying to minimize cuts at schools by cutting more from the central office.
Why is enrollment declining? The contributing factors that were listed did not include any potential dissatisfaction with the district; the number of households with children isn’t rising at the same rate as the city population in general, they noted, also citing the housing crunch, lower birth rates, and changes wrought by the pandemic. Overall, Dr. Jones suggested, “we’re doing a pretty good job … I don’t think we’ve been telling our story.” The district plans to start doing that via an “enrollment campaign.”
After the four executives signed off and invited attendees to keep asking questions in Zoom (written) chat, several brought up the issue of the district lacking solid data on why families have left the district – or declined to choose it in the first place. One suggested a “simple exit survey” would be in order.
The only answer we found of note in the onscreen chat: “School consolidation does not typically affect class size,” said SPS budget director Linda Sebring.
WHAT’S NEXT? “Engagement” will begin in earnest in fall, said Redmond. Here’s the rest of the timeline:
As noted in our previous coverage, West Seattle was part of a wave of school closures in the late ’00s.
Parenting is a tough job. Especially considering the rules keep changing – for the kids as well as the parents. In hopes of helping a bit, the Westside Family Association is inviting all parents/guardians, West Seattle-wide, to this free event on Thursday:
Westside Family Association invites you to our next family-education event with speaker/educator
Consent Etc…. with Jo Langford from beheroes.net.
Thursday, March 23, 2023
6:30-8:30 pm
Westside Theater @ Westside School
10404 34th Ave. SWWe are now in 2023, and with our evolution both culturally and technologically, a new awareness about why and how we as parents need to speak to our kids about consent is emerging. It is our job to help ensure that we are providing the children we are raising communication and affirmative consent skills that are age-appropriate and that take into consideration the kinds of opportunities and obstacles they may face in today’s world – ‘cuz it’s not the nineties anymore…
This talk will help parents understand the ways that the concept of consent has changed and how variables such as LGBTQ+ identities and the use of technology impact affirmative consent. Attendees will also participate in a handful of fun, thought-provoking exercises and have the opportunity to ask questions and get answers around this important concept.
FREE. Please RSVP at this link. (so we know how many seats to put out)
Find out more about Jo Langford here.
Questions? Email wfa@westsideschool.org
Seola Pond [map] has new native plants courtesy of steward Scott Dolfay and students from Explorer West Middle School and Westside School (WSB sponsors). Scott says the annual restoration event happened last Saturday, and this time a King County grant program provided $3,500 to help make it happen.
Scott says he started this work in 2017 and it’s become an annual event, “always with neighbor volunteers and students & teachers from at least one of the 3 schools near the pond; Explorer West, Westside, and The Bridge School.” Scott says the weather was perfect – they did the planting a bit later this year so it wasn’t quite as cold.
Before students got to work, he walked them around the pond “explaining about native vs. invasive plants, the pond’s fauna, and the history of the effort.”
After the students left, he had other visitors: “As I was cleaning up, Mr. Darrell Wallis walked up. He has been mowing the grass with his riding mower on the west and south sides of the pond for years. He announced it was his 86th birthday that day. When I started in 2017 he was skeptical but has been won over seeing the results. Later, two separate elderly bird watchers showed up, happy to see to new work now on the south side.” Scott added, “I could have used at least twice the number of plants but it’s a good start. We planted several trees including one good sized Bosnian pine, I know, not native, but a great tree. As other grants come up I’ll apply so in time the area will be filled in.”
School fundraiser season continues! Tonight we heard about the Fauntleroy Children’s Center annual auction – through Saturday at 6:30 pm, so less than 48 hours to bid! Here’s the announcement:
The annual auction to support the Fauntleroy Children’s Center is a staple of the West Seattle community. This year marks the 36th time we are holding this event, an online auction open to FCC families, grandparents, alumni, and community members in West Seattle. The online auction runs through Saturday, March 18, at 6:30 pm.
The funds raised by the auction support the center’s 120 students as well as the 33 staff members who work at FCC. Funds will go toward updating decades-old outdoor play structures, funding scholarships for families in need, and supporting continuing education for our teachers.
FCC is in the historic Fauntleroy Schoolhouse. You can see the dozens of auction items (gift cards for local businesses and much more) – and sign up to bid – by going here. Questions? auction@fauntleroychildrenscenter.org
(Rendering by Mahlum, from last year’s info packet for proposed zoning ‘departures’)
6:27 PM: The decision isn’t final until Seattle Public Schools superintendent Dr. Brent Jones reviews it, but a district hearing examiner has issued his recommendation on an appeal related to the plan to rebuild and expand Alki Elementary (previous WSB coverage here). SPS hearing examiner Gary McLean said the appellants did not prove that the district was wrong in determining that the project did not require a full environmental review. His ruling’s summary:
Based on the entire record taken as a whole, the appeal should be denied. The appellants failed to offer sufficient evidence to establish that any probable, significant, adverse environmental impact will result from the project, even after requiring the project to meet existing laws, regulations, and measures noted in the environmental information included in the record. The Examiner is not left with a definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been committed.
In this type of challenge, the burden is on appellants to prove that the original decision – in this case, the decision that a full environmental review was not needed – was in error. The appeal was argued at a two-day hearing last month. The ruling summarizes testimony on behalf of the appeal – mostly area residents – and on behalf of the district – an array of “expert witnesses” led by an attorney from a private law firm that specializes in land-use cases. Hearing examiner McLean also noted that he visited the site multiple times between the completion of the hearing and the issuance of his ruling. His ruling summarizes the issues presented in the appeal as:
Archaeological/Cultural Resource Concerns;
Aesthetic/View Impact Concerns, especially for residents located uphill, behind the building.
Traffic and parking concerns.
General discussion.
In all, McLean wrote, “The witness testimony presented during all three appeal presentations added little, if any, substantive evidence that would serve to rebut the expert consultant studies, and on-site observations of the surrounding area, summarized by District witnesses during the appeal hearing. … The appellants’ evidence and testimony in this appeal was mostly a recitation of personal beliefs, opinions, and conclusory assertions. While sincere and genuinely concerned about the neighborhood and public schools, none of the appellant witnesses presented testimony or evidence of the same weight as the professional subject-matter expert reports and testimony included in the record.”
Again, the SPS superintendent now has to review this and make a final decision on the appeal. But that won’t be the last say on the project. The building and land-use permit applications remain under review by the city Department of Construction and Inspections; its decision, including whether to grant nine zoning exceptions (“departures”), also will be subject to appeal. Construction at the 3010 59th SW site is planned to start after this school year ends in June; Alki students and staff are scheduled to move into the former Schmitz Park Elementary for the next two school years.
9:14 PM: Just got word that the superintendent’s decision is in. In a one-paragraph letter, he accepts the hearing ecaminer’s recommendation:
I have received the Hearing Examiner’s Recommendation (“Recommendation”) regarding the SEPA Appeal that was filed by several appellants for the Alki Elementary School Addition and Renovation Project. I have carefully reviewed the Recommendation and find it to be sound. As a result, I adopt the Hearing Examiner’s Recommendation. Appellants’ evidence has not shown the Responsible Official’s SEPA determination to be clearly erroneous.
SEPA = State Environmental Policy Act; its provisions shape processes like this one.
It’s been a long time since Chief Sealth International High School presented a full-length theatrical play. And now, after intense work, the new Chief Sealth Drama Company is almost ready for its first production, “She Kills Monsters,” with performances this Friday and Saturday.
West Seattle-based Bayfest Youth Theatre, a 33-year-old nonprofit, has been working with the school for years to re-establish “a high-quality drama program that can offer productions to the school and community.”
The curtain will rise Friday night on the play “She Kills Monsters,” described in Bayfest’s announcement as “a high-octane dramatic comedy by acclaimed playwright Qui Nguyen that offers a heart-pounding dive into the world of Dungeons and Dragons, homicidal fairies, cheerleaders, and the fight against evil. It pays homage to the geek and warrior within us all, and explores themes of loss, identity, and friendship, with original music, projected animations, and many exciting stage combat sequences – swords, battle axes and magical conflict!”
(L-R: AJ Bitseff, Addisen Whited, Satomi Giedeman, Claire Popelka, Larenzo Boney – photo by Gentle McGaughey)
Making this all happen are 23 cast members and more than 20 student designers, musicians, and set and prop builders, working with a team of professional directors, fight choreographers, and designers. They hope you will come see their first production. Here’s what to know:
*Public showtimes 7:30 pm Friday (March 17th), 2 and 7:30 pm Saturday (March 18th)
*Onstage in the auditorium at Chief Sealth IHS, 2600 SW Thistle
*Appropriate for ages 11 and up
*Advance tickets $5 students, $10 adults (buy online)
*At the door: $8 students, $14 adults
*Group discounts for 10 or more available – email bayfestyouththeatre@gmail.com
It could be argued that we need humor more than ever these days. If you’re ready to provide some – or enjoy some – here’s a new West Seattle opportunity: South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) invites you to a Comedy Open Mic tomorrow (Wednesday, March 15th). It’s happening at the Alki Café on campus (no relation to the one at the beach), 3-6 pm. If you’re interested in performing, email CafeAlki@seattlecolleges.edu. No need to RSVP if you just want to go get a few laughs. No admission but you’ll have the chance to enjoy some of Alki Café’s fare: “Available for purchase will be Alki Café’s usual offerings of specialty coffee drinks and pastries along with wood-fired pizza (made fresh by Culinary Arts Students) and NWWA Red created by Wine Studies students (for those 21 and older).” If you haven’t been to the café, it’s in the Culinary Arts Building, CAB toward the center of the campus map.
Thanks for the early-morning forward. As happened at West Seattle HS a month ago, Gatewood Elementary is recommending mask-wearing because of “multiple COVID cases.” Here’s the note Gatewood principal Kyna Hogg sent:
Dear Gatewood Elementary Families,
There have been multiple positive COVID-19 cases identified at Gatewood Elementary. At this time, the district is recommending that all students and teachers wear a mask for the next 10 calendar days starting today to help prevent further transmission of COVID-19.
Please talk with your child [Monday] evening about wearing a mask at school, and if you are able to, please send your child to school with a mask. We also have masks available at school for any child who needs one.
Our goal is to keep as many students learning in-person as possible while maintaining a safe environment. To help do that, we ask that you please monitor your child for COVID-19 symptoms and keep them home if they are sick.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
The district’s COVID dashboard is here.
Were you in Chief Sealth‘s 1973 graduating class, or do you have a relative who was? Reunion organizers are circulating the invitation to this year’s big party – the 50th! Organizers say, “We are looking for all classmates.” The party is on August 19th at the Museum of Flight, 1-5 pm. If you’re interested, email Jerry McCullough at Sealth.Reunion.1973@gmail.com. You’re also invited to check out this social-media page.
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When Seattle Public Schools sounded the alarm about its budget crunch at the end of February, the district mentioned it would hold an informational community meeting on March 20th. Today SPS sent an advisory with details:
Seattle Public Schools is hosting an online event for families and community members to learn more about the SPS budget.
The district is facing a significant projected budget deficit and is working for a stable financial future that ensures funding for the highest priorities.
Who: Seattle Public Schools leaders
What: Online event providing details about district budget planning strategies and answers to frequently asked questions.
American Sign Language, Amharic, Cantonese, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese interpreters will be available. After the event, a recording will be posted to the Funding our Future webpage.
When: Monday, March 20, 2023; 6 p.m.
Where: Join Zoom Webinar
Online with passcode: 997311
Or
By phone: 253-205-0468
Webinar ID: 844 5720 4378
Passcode: 997311The meeting will also be streamed live on the SPSTV YouTube channel.
The School Board has to pass a balanced budget by early July.
Thursday morning, we shared the invitation from Louisa Boren STEM K-8 for you to visit during “Community Week.” One more note from the school this morning- they’re planting more trees in a nearby wetland and raising money for 5th and 8th graders to go to camp, through tree sponsorships!
(WSB photo: STEM students at Delridge Wetland in 2018, celebrating steward Willard Brown)
Throughout their years at Louisa Boren K-8, students have been active stewards of the Longfellow Creek Watershed. With support from the DNDA and Seattle Parks, students have been the primary stewards of the Delridge Wetland Project, and have planted hundreds of native plants and trees along Longfellow Creek, and within the Delridge and Myrtle Greenspace. They have consistently raised salmon within the Salmon in Schools program and created habitat within the schools own Native Plant and Pollinator gardens. For over a decade Boren students have made their mark improving natural areas surrounding the school.
This week 5th graders are adding more trees to the watershed and are looking for your help in the form of tree sponsorship. Funds raised from this event will cover a portion of outdoor education camp tuition with any remaining funds going directly into purchasing more native trees and plants for the watershed. Please use this link for donations. Thanks for supporting student learning and stewardship.
(Rendering by Mahlum, from last year’s info packet for proposed zoning ‘departures’)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Seattle Public Schools says a decision is expected within days on a challenge to the plan to rebuild and expand Alki Elementary School.
The challenge focuses on the district’s determination that the project doesn’t need a full environmental impact statement (this “checklist” document was prepared instead). Three people appealed that, and a little-publicized two-day hearing was held on the challenge last month, before a hearing examiner working for SPS.
Several of the nearby residents who are opposed to aspects of the rebuild plan also brought their concerns to last Saturday’s community meeting held by local School Board director Leslie Harris at Delridge Library.
First, some backstory:
(2018 West Seattle 5K photo by David Hutchinson)
As we first told you last month, the West Seattle 5K is returning this year for the first time since 2019. Today, we have details on what’s new, as well as how to register – which you can do right now. The WS5K is presented by the West Seattle High School PTSA, with co-sponsors including WSB. Here’s the update:
After a three-year break for COVID, West Seattle High School and the PTSA are excited to announce the 12th running of the West Seattle 5K on Sunday morning, May 21, 2023. All profits raised from the West Seattle 5K will provide funding for West Seattle High School to provide classroom tools, books, supplies, and much more to its students and teachers.
Thousands of runners and spectators from all corners of the Puget Sound area and beyond have participated in this 5K over the previous 11 years. Participants are drawn to the event by the family fun, the gorgeous scenery, a flat and fast course starting and finishing at Alki Bathhouse, and all the amenities that Alki Beach has to offer. Prizes will be awarded to the top three adult and student male and female finishers.
New this year is a grade-level competition among West Seattle High School students. The goal is to create a friendly competition to see which grade gets the most classmates to register. The winning grade gets out of Homeroom early for a special treat and cash ($250) to their grade-level ASB. “We have heard from event runners that they didn’t know this event benefitted the high school so we want to make sure to raise that awareness as well as get as many high schoolers involved as possible,” says Kelley O’Connor, event co-chair.
Other new 5k features include a “Sleep In” and “sponsor a student runner” options. There are buttons on the registration page to donate to the 5K if you’d rather sleep in that morning or don’t wish to run/walk. This is the community’s High School and we hope residents will feel generous in supporting the school and local students. This is a fun way to give back.
“This is a really important year for the 5K to be back,” says Brian Vance, West Seattle High School principal. “We had a levy expire in 2020-21 school year for WSHS. We are facing the loss of intervention dollars to run after-school supports, tutoring center and Saturday school. Events like the 5K make up for those lost funds.”Registration is live now. Adults are $35. Late registration for adults starts 5/1 at $40. Kids under 6 are free. Youth 19 and under are $20. Late registration starts 5/15 at $30. West Seattle High School staff members get to register at same rate as students. We brought student/staff rate down to $20 (was $30 in previous years). Students and staff go up to $30 during late registration starting 5/15.
We have amazing sponsors to thank: Portage Bay Cafe, School of Rock, Sea Pines Physical Therapy, West Seattle Blog, Dragonfly Yoga Pilates Dance, and West Seattle Realty and so many more. Please go to westseattle5k.com to see all sponsors!
That is also where to go to sign up.
Some schools have open houses for current families. Some have them for prospective families. What’s happening next week at Louisa Boren STEM K-8 is something different – “Community Week” activities. Here’s the announcement we were asked to share:
Come back to school with Louisa Boren STEM K-8 students March 13-17 to calculate pi, race the world’s smallest solar car, explore your local environmental impact, and engage in more activities focused on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
Louisa Boren STEM K-8 school in West Seattle is hosting STEM Community Week March 13-17, 2023 for school families and the broader community. Among the many favorite activities taking place: Girls Rock Math will calculate pi with wikki sticks on Pi Day March 14; attendees will explore blood and guts with the Pacific Science Center on March 15; and University of Washington’s Clean Energy Institute will run a solar-car derby on March 16.
School principal Ben Ostrom said, “Instilling a sense of curiosity and desire to learn more about the world around them through science, technology, engineering and math is sparking lifelong learning for our future builders and thinkers who will tackle big issues in the future.”
“When parents, caregivers and neighbors are involved in students’ education, students get better grades, have better attendance records, drop out less often, have higher aspirations, and more positive attitudes toward school and homework. STEM Community Week provides a perfect opportunity for friends, family and neighbors to invest in our students,” said 5th grade teacher Matthew McGavick.
The week’s activities include: a nature walk, math exploration, science experiments, an engineering workshop and culminates with a student art showcase, and a raffle of art, goods, and services from local businesses. Schedule and other details are available at stemk8pta.org.
The school is at 5950 Delridge Way SW.
West Seattle High School cheer coach Nadine Nguyen sends word that tryout time is approaching:
Are you ready to become a part of the State-Winning West Seattle High School Coed Cheer Team?
Now’s your chance. Tryouts will be held in person March 28th-March 31st from 4:30 pm-6:30 pm @ WSHS. To try out, you will need to fill out all online forms and provide a current Sports Physical.
* We will also be hosting Cheer Clinics on March 20th and March 21st.
CHEER CLINICS – Learn the cheer basics to help prep you for tryouts!
*For those interested in trying out for our State Winning Competition Team, you are invited to attend our Stunt Clinics where you will learn basic stunt skills. Though stunting is not part of our final tryouts, attendance may or may not benefit your chances on making our Comp Team! Stunt Clinics are on March 22nd and March 23rd from 4:30 pm-6:30 pmTo participate in tryouts on March 28th – Match 31st, Stunt Clinics, and the Cheer clinics, please bring a printed and signed copy of the following items below to the first day of the clinics/tryouts.
-Student Athletic Registration Form
-Signed Parent Waver
-Both Covid Forms (Screening and Release)
-Up-to-date PhysicalThe Tryout application and required forms are available through the following link tree:
linktr.ee/westseattlecheerFor tips and more information regarding tryouts, follow our Instagram @westseattlecheer
Good Luck and Go Wildcats!! For Questions email: westseattlecheer@outlook.com
If you haven’t seen the team in action, check out their promotional video here.
From West Seattle High School Key Club president Angelina Ly:
West Seattle High School Key Club is partnering with the African Library Project to help sustain libraries in Africa. We are hosting a book drive to collect books of 4th- to 8th-grade reading levels to donate to Mhlafuta Community Day Secondary School in Malawi, Africa. Our goal is to raise 1,000 books to donate, and we need your help to do so! We currently have a couple of drop off locations including New Leaf Bistro (2342 California SW), Paper Boat Booksellers (6040 California SW), and the library at West Seattle High School (3000 California SW).
Books You Should Try to Donate
-Mix of children’s fiction or universal themes (friendship, animals, love)
-Children’s nonfiction – Scientific books for students, reference materials like dictionaries
-Children’s books teaching life skills about topics such as health, hygiene, adolescents and careers
-Books about Africa or African-Americans
-Children’s books with diverse charactersBooks You Should NOT Donate
-Books with small, dense print
-Books with lots of slang
-Books referencing electronics (unless scientific)
-Books not in English
-Adult romance novels
-Books focused on U.S. or Canadian history/government
-Books about North American or religious holidays (Easter, Halloween, Christmas, 4th of July, etc.)
-Anything that evangelizes or promotes a particular religion
-Noneducational magazinesIf you have any questions, feel free to email 1wshskeyclub@gmail.com.
A nine-digit budget gap is staring down Seattle Public Schools, and the district is talking about major cuts including possible “school consolidation” (closures) as soon as the 2024-2025 school year. No specific local schools have been mentioned yet, but SPS is now getting to the “community engagement” phase, so plans and proposals might emerge soon. Here’s the district FAQ on where things stand, noting a $131 million “structural deficit” in the budget, with enrollment decreasing yet staff increasing.
Some background, if you’re new to the area, West Seattle has been through school closures before: Fairmount Park Elementary was closed in 2007, then expanded and reopened in 2014. The former Genesee Hill Elementary had hosted Pathfinder K-8, which was moved to the Pigeon Point site of what had been Cooper Elementary until the district closed Cooper’s “program” in 2009; the old GHES was torn down in 2014 and replaced by a bigger new school into which the former Schmitz Park Elementary was moved. Currently the former Schmitz Park campus is used as an interim site for schools during construction projects – West Seattle Elementary is in its second year there right now, and Alki Elementary is scheduled to move there during its rebuild, starting this fall. (Despite the talk of cuts and closures, there’s been no talk so far of cancelling projects like Alki, which will expand that school’s capacity.)
The School Board is required to pass a balanced budget by early July. They held a work session on the budget situation this past Tuesday; you can see the background information here, and watch the meeting video here:
The district promises a “community budget information session” March 20th. But before then, you have a chance this Saturday to talk with and hear from our area’s representative on the School Board, Leslie Harris – regarding the budget and/or any other SPS issues of interest. She’ll be at Delridge Library (5423 Delridge Way SW) starting at 2 pm Saturday (March 4th).
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