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High-school basketball: Chief Sealth loss, next game Friday
February 19, 2011 1:06 pm
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

1:06 PM: From Bellevue College: Chief Sealth International High School‘s boys-basketball team lost to O’Dea, 67-51. Next game: Auburn on Friday (part of the state tournament). More details on today’s game later.

ADDED: As promised, details, and two video clips, after the jump:Read More

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Schmitz Park Elementary gets double honors: Excellence, plus math
February 18, 2011 10:26 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Two proud Schmitz Park Elementary parents forwarded this to us to share with you – word of double honors for their school, announced to them via e-mail from principal Gerrit Kischner:

Schmitz Park has been awarded the Washington Achievement Award from the State of Washington. In addition, we were one of just three elementary schools in the State to receive “special recognition” for math, one of just two Seattle Schools to receive special recognition in any subject area. This is an award that recognizes the tremendous efforts of our entire staff and our entire community. It recognizes achievement in a matrix of 10 categories over two school years, 2008 to 2010.

Here’s the full statewide awards list; note that Concord International Elementary School in South Park, which Seattle Public Schools considers to be in the West Seattle area, also won an award for overall excellence.

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West Seattle Elementary ‘soaring’ – but needs books! Can you help?
February 18, 2011 2:03 pm
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 |   High Point | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

West Seattle Elementary School is in the middle of the first year of its mandated improvement plan – and new principal Vicki Sacco tells WSB there are encouraging signs, but they need a bit of help. First, her update on the progress:

The winter MAP assessment results came back and our school is soaring! Data in both math and reading have exceeded expectations and typical student growth for every grade level.

We recently visited WSES and will be reporting on some of the ways they’re evolving. But one thing they desperately need for those inspired young learners – more books:

We’ve spent over $20,000 of Title I funds to purchase classroom libraries this year and our students are devouring the books. To maintain this momentum we need more books for our students.

What kind? “Any and all appropriate books for elementary aged students would be welcomed. In particular we need biographies, chapter books and early learning books. Our older students (4th and 5th grades) enjoy non-fiction books as well.” If you have books to donate, call the school literacy coach, Brenda Ball, at 206-252-9450. Or drop them off (next week is midwinter break, so you’d likely have to wait till a week from Monday) at the front office (6760 34th SW).

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West Seattle High School Foundation’s spirited 2nd annual dinner/auction
February 17, 2011 11:56 pm
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 |   How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

As declared by King County Executive Dow Constantine – as you can hear him say, in our video – this was “Christy Rowe Day” in the county. That’s in honor of the devoted volunteer honored at tonight’s second annual West Seattle High School Foundation benefit dinner/auction, held at The Hall at Fauntleroy. Rowe’s volunteerism even has her leading the WSHS Foundation as its president this year. She and the county executive, of course, are WSHS alums (’72 and ’80 respectively), and she had a few things to say too:

We’ll be checking on the fundraiser’s final totals in the morning, but we watched a spirited auction – including two bidders winning lunch for 4 with Constantine, at $400 each. Lunch with Seattle School Board President Steve Sundquist was also up for grabs – he was at the event too (winning bidder for that one was the principal of Ingraham High School!). The event included one round of “fund a need” bidding, as many such auctions do, for a new sound system to make school events more audible; between bidders and a WSHS PTSA match, they brought in almost $11,000 of the $15,000 needed for the system. (Not too late to help – there’s a donation address on the WSHSF website.)

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Page to Stage: Chief Sealth ninth-graders’ poetic performance
February 17, 2011 10:28 pm
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Tonight was Choices Night at Chief Sealth International High School, a chance to show off the school to potential future students and their families. One special highlight was the performance we recorded on the video you see above, featuring four classes of ninth-graders (themselves the “potential future students” just a year ago). It’s “Page to Stage,” the culmination of a literary collaboration between Book-It Repertory Theater and the Writers in the Schools program. With the guidance of language-arts teacher James MacDonald, writer-in-residence Aaron Counts, and teaching artists Gail Sehlhorst and Naho Shioya, the students wrote poems and then performed dramatic interpretations of more than 20 of those poems. According to the program for the performance, this is the 11th year that Book-It has been at Sealth. (Before tonight’s show, the poems also were performed this afternoon at the end of the regular school day.)

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Postseason basketball: Sealth loses ‘seeding’ game vs. Prep
February 17, 2011 6:48 pm
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

The first seeding game for the 3A State Basketball Tournament was a matchup of two teams that were very familiar with each other’s offense. That led to a tight and low-scoring affair, but in the fourth quarter Seattle Prep built a lead that Chief Sealth was never able to completely overcome. Prep beat Sealth 51-48, and while the Seahawks went from being 10 points down to being tied with the Panthers in the last minutes of the game, Prep was able to close them out with these last second free throws by their junior forward Mitch Brewe.

(Clip is silent, to excise personal chat by people who were nearby)
Prep was effective underneath the basket only at the end of the game. Sealth managed to build a lead in the first half off long-range shots and a steady supply of free throws by senior guard Keon Lewis. Sealth moves on to play on Saturday in Bellevue at 11:30. They’ll meet the loser of tonight’s O’Dea-Bellevue game, which is under way right now.

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Also tonight: Alki Community Council; Pathfinder K-8 science fair
February 17, 2011 4:19 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Neighborhoods | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Yet more of note that’s happening tonight (in addition to this list) – The photo above is courtesy of West Seattle photographer extraordinaire Machel Spence (still celebrating her cover story!) from the daytime run of the Pathfinder K-8 science fair. She says everybody’s invited tonight 6:30-8 pm (1901 SW Genesee). Also tonight: The Alki Community Council‘s general meeting, 7 pm, Alki Congregational Church (62nd/Hinds), with topics including the future of the Alki Art Fair (since the Alki Community Center staffers who used to oversee it fell victim to budget cuts) and the proposal for bigger signs on skyscrapers – City Council President Richard Conlin is expected to be at the meeting to discuss that.

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Video: West Seattle Montessori student’s blanket drive gains fame
February 17, 2011 12:35 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Last week, we previewed this week’s blanket drive at West Seattle Montessori/West Seattle Academy (WSB sponsor) – the brainchild of a young WSMS student. This morning, our friends at KING 5 went to the school to talk with her, and the video clip above includes one of their reports (recorded live). Through tomorrow evening, you can take blankets (and sweaters!) to WSMS at 11215 15th SW, or to Carmilia’s in The Junction (4528 California SW).

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High-school basketball playoffs: Chief Sealth game this afternoon
February 17, 2011 11:55 am
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

(CSIHS practice on Wednesday)
At 3 this afternoon, we’ll be covering the Chief Sealth International High School game vs. Seattle Prep in Bellevue – a game that’s technically for “seeding” purposes for the upcoming state tournament, which the Seahawks are in, regardless of whether they win. WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand talked with head coach Colin Slingsby for a preview – read on:Read More

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Denny’s Chanda Oatis honored as Assistant Principal of the Year
February 16, 2011 10:11 pm
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

An announcement tonight from Jeff Clark, principal of Denny International Middle School in West Seattle’s Westwood neighborhood:

Please join me in congratulating Ms. Chanda E. Oatis as the recipient of the Principals Association of Seattle Schools Middle School/K-8 Assistant Principal of the Year award! Way to go, Ms. Oatis–we are proud of you.

She’s at left in the photo above, shared by her boss, who describes it as “Ms. Oatis and several Denny scholars enjoying a visit from local members of the prestigious Tuskegee Airmen.” (You may also have seen her on WSB, YouTube, and regional TV recently helping promote Denny’s student-sparking video “Teach Me How to Study“ – now past 18,000 YT views!)

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West Seattle HS senior roars into statewide automotive competition
February 16, 2011 1:37 pm
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Congratulations to West Seattle High School senior Phi Hoang (center), who is off to a state competition after taking second place in the Auto Service/Advanced competition of the Skills USA Regional competition in Everett last weekend. Two other Automotive Technology students from WSHS, senior Jonathan Delgado Quintana and sophomore Michael Sullivan, both finished in the top 10 in their competition categories, according to automotive instructor Pete McCue. He’s at right in the photo and new this year at WSHS after previous work including 8 years at Garfield HS and 6 in Port Angeles; at left, is Shorecrest High School’s Peter Smith, who set up this year’s regional competition. Congratulations to all and good luck to Phi, who will be vying in the state competition for a $34,000 scholarship to Universal Technical Institute and a spot in the national finals this summer.

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Video: Chief Sealth boys’ basketball team wins state-playoffs spot
February 15, 2011 10:14 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

From Bellevue College: Chief Sealth International High School over Mercer Island HS, 68-54. That guarantees the Seahawks a state-playoffs spot. More to come.

ADDED: More details, and video, ahead:Read More

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Global Reading Challenge: ‘Awesome People’ win @ Arbor Heights
February 14, 2011 4:56 pm
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 |   Arbor Heights | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

It’s time for the Seattle Public Library‘s Global Reading Challenge for 4th and 5th graders – call it the Battle of the Books. Last Friday, SPL librarians were at Arbor Heights Elementary School for the big event there. School librarian Jeanette Hagen reports that the “Awesome People” team got a perfect score! In the photo, shared by Kacy, the team members (from Ms. Sato’s and Ms. Boitano’s rooms) are: Chase, Ruby, Sophie-Briere, Daisy, Fathi, Sean, and Natalie, with (back room left) Mrs. Hagen and (back row right) principal Dr. Carol Coram. The “Awesome People” were one of eight teams in the competition at Arbor Heights; they’ll go downtown for the semifinals at the Central Library on March 16th.

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Basketball champs! Congratulations to Holy Rosary 6th grade boys
February 13, 2011 9:04 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

Thanks to Derek Page for sharing the photo and the results of this afternoon’s big game:

“The 6th Grade Holy Rosary boys defeated St. Joseph today in a hard-fought battle to win the citywide CYO championship. The final score of 20-13 reflects the excellent defense played by both teams. Congrats, Gators!

ADDED 9:58 PM: We now have the results of the HR 8th-grade boys’ championship game; they lost to Lakeside, 43-29.

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West Seattle schools: King County Executive @ Explorer West
February 13, 2011 3:21 pm
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Thanks to Explorer West Middle School for sharing photos from a special guest appearance last week by King County Executive Dow Constantine. Every year, the school focuses on a sustainability issue, and this year it’s “What makes a society sustainable?” so that’s what he talked about, before answering students’ questions. The school says his presentation included an explanation of balancing environmental sustainability with economic health plus reminiscences of his early involvement in community organizing to help save West Seattle’s College Street Ravine (side note, the Nature Consortium‘s quarterly work party there in his honor is coming up 10 am Tuesday – RSVP to 206.923.0853). So how did the school get West Seattle’s top politician to come speak? The event had a unique origin: Explorer West parent Judith Arvidson was the winning bidder for an appearance that Executive Constantine donated to the Southwest Youth and Family Services auction last year, and decided to in turn donate it to her daughter’s school.

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Chief Sealth Percussion Ensemble wins contest, on to state event
February 13, 2011 3:09 am
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS culture/arts

The basketball games we mentioned earlier weren’t the only student competitions on Saturday – just got this report early today from Marcus Pimpleton, band director at Chief Sealth International High School (among other local roles) – the video above is from the winning performance:

Please join me in congratulating the members of the Chief Sealth International High School Percussion Ensemble on winning the percussion ensemble division of the Elliott Bay Music Educators Solo and Ensemble Contest at Seattle Pacific University Saturday morning. The students received a rating of superior and will move on to represent the Greater Seattle area in the WIAA/WMEA State Solo and Ensemble Contest on April 29th in Ellensburg.

The Chief Sealth percussion ensemble is comprised of concert and marching band members from the Chief Sealth High School Band’s drumline. The participating students have demonstrated a great deal of initiative from the selection of the piece, to organizing their own practice schedule to individually mastering their parts. They have taken our percussion program to a whole new level of musicianship, pride, unity, and intensity. I would especially like to acknowledge Josh Chan and Justin Bales, the volunteer coaches who have helped to prepare the students for the festival.

P.S. – Some of Chief Sealth’s band musicians are on the program for the big Soul Jambalaya benefit next Saturday night (details in our previous story on that).

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Postseason basketball: How local schools did on Saturday
February 12, 2011 8:53 pm
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

(Video added: Last :30 of Sealth game, with the victory celebration)

HIGH SCHOOL: In district tournament play – Chief Sealth International High School just beat visiting Eastside Catholic, 44-42. Seattle Lutheran‘s boys also won, 49-35 over Shoreline Christian. Earlier, West Seattle High School lost at Bellevue, 82-60.

MIDDLE SCHOOL: Madison Middle School‘s girls and Denny International Middle School‘s boys both played Eckstein Middle School in championship games at Sealth this afternoon. Eckstein won both games, boys 73-51 (we’re still verifying the final girls’ score).

(added) HOLY ROSARY BOYS: Derek sent word the 6th graders beat St. Luke’s today and will play for the CYO championship on Sunday at 1:30 pm against St. Joseph, at Bishop Blanchet High School. (added) And the 8th graders are in their championship game at 6 pm Sunday at Blanchet, according to Dan.

ADDED EARLY SUNDAY: More details and more video, ahead:Read More

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Video: Politicians judge Madison students for ‘Project Citizen’
February 11, 2011 3:02 pm
|      13 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

(The judges with, second from left, Karen Chilcutt, one of the volunteer organizers)
3:02 PM FRIDAY: We’ve just wrapped up about two hours of an amazing We the People: Project Citizen event at Madison Middle School, with humanities teacher Starr McKittrick‘s students presenting their research on two hot topics – education funding and police/public relations – to a high-powered panel: Former Mayor Greg Nickels, County Councilmember Joe McDermott, and Seattle School Board President Steve Sundquist (all three West Seattleites), plus U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott‘s district director Darcy Nothnagle. The students made spoken presentations (written material also was turned in earlier) and were grilled by the four; then they were rated, with the winning group going to compete in a statewide event in Olympia this spring. For any parents awaiting word of the winners – the afternoon classes, who handled education funding, came out on top. We recorded most of the event on video and will add long excerpts later, so you too can cheer the students, described by Madison principal Henterson Carlisle as the event began, as “the leaders of tomorrow.”

ADDED LATE FRIDAY/EARLY SATURDAY: The video clips show each group of students, four each from the morning and afternoon classes, presenting specific parts of their argument, moving from the first group outlining it, to the fourth group with an “action plan.” The presentations were made in the Madison library, with each student group taking seats at the front of the room, facing the judges (and, behind the judges, the audience including all other participants as well as some parents plus the volunteers and school staffers). We’ve preceded each group with a photo of the hallway display about their topic (which, like the presentations, addressed it in four sections):

MORNING STUDENTS: Their project was described as “Help eliminate police brutality through more crisis intervention and cultural-awareness training.”

For this topic, we recorded the students’ presentation, but not the back-and-forth with judges, who asked some tough questions each time, trying to suss out how well the students knew their topics, premises and conclusions. (Added: To a point that has arisen in story comments, the students’ research, they said, did include meeting with police.) Here’s the first group, from left, Dakota Kantner, Buick McNamara, Lena Le, August Carow, Kyle McGlasson, Dominic Yem:

Second group, from left, Abby Gluckman, Diane Ly, Nafsya Magarssa, Erin Pennington, James Caldwell, Carlos Hernandez-Castro:

Group three, from left, Jamal Abdile, Zakariah Nyberg, Queen Norm, Taylor Latham, Sonja Fridriksson, Kristine La:

And the final group on this topic (with the “action plan”) – Gabriella Vanek, Brandon Tyler, Calvin Nguyen, August Mears, Lincoln Vuong, Nickolas Dyer:

AFTERNOON STUDENTS: The official description of their project: “Stop state government from rerouting federal monies for education.”

For three of these four groups, we were able to record some of the interaction with the judges, including this first group, outlining the problem: Ryan Wilson, Miski Hassan, Peter Forsberg, Alyssa Magcalas, Lina Le, Mecca Amen:

Second group: Carter Mensing, Jacob Woodbury, Danielle Nielsen, Ashley Abriam-Snell, Apisara Krassner, Katrina Carper:

In the third education-funding group, whose clip includes questioning from the judges – from left, Daseray Dang, Simon Tate, Colleen Huynh, Sahra Ibrahim, Kaelyn Johnston, Dylan Ledbetter, Lindsey Hage (who also is a starter on the Madison team playing in the middle-school girls’ championship game Saturday afternoon):

Here’s the final group presenting its solution to the education problem: Left to right, Natalie Williams, Nicholas Barth, Hannah Johnson, Mychael Huynh, Ellen Salenjus, Hannah Eklund. (this clip also includes the interaction with judges):

The judges offered their thoughts while the votes were tallied, and then Sundquist handed certificates to each and every participant, including the adult volunteers:

We’ll let you know when we have more information about the competition in Olympia, at which the Madison students will be the first-ever Seattle Public Schools team competing. The showcase on Friday was the culmination of months of work; one student, just before the event, told us he had edited his report eleven times!

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High-school basketball tournament: Tonight’s Sealth, WSHS scores
February 10, 2011 10:23 pm
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

Both West Seattle High School and Chief Sealth International High School had home games tonight in Metro League tournament play. The Seahawks defeated Lakeside; close game for the Wildcats, but they were on the losing end. More after the jump:Read More

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West Seattle Montessori’s blanket drive to help homeless people
February 10, 2011 7:43 pm
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 |   How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

From West Seattle Montessori/West Seattle Academy (WSB sponsor) – If you have a blanket you don’t need (or can buy a new one to donate), get ready to donate it in a blanket drive, inspired by pre-primary student Morgan Williams, who wants to “help the homeless people of West Seattle stay warm,” according to the school’s announcement. Next week, February 14-18, they’ll be collecting clean blankets – new and used – in a bin set up outside the school, so anybody can donate, not just students, staff and families. They’re at 11215 15th SW (map). P.S. Morgan says, “You can give them coats, too!” (One more WSMS note – the elementary play “Fiddler on the Roof” will be performed again tomorrow night, 7 pm, West Seattle High School Theater.)

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Sanislo Elementary student a ‘Neighbor Appreciation’ winner
February 10, 2011 12:41 am
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS culture/arts

A West Seattle student is among the winners in the city’s Neighbor Appreciation Day student art contest. Above, Sanislo Elementary fifth-grader Chandra Burnham took third place (see a bigger version of her work here). Winners (all listed here) are being honored this Saturday during Neighbor Appreciation Day, which also features myriad special fun city events (fire station tours, free swim at Southwest Pool, and more) – see them listed on the WSB West Seattle Events calendar.

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High-school postseason basketball: Chief Sealth IHS win, West Seattle HS loss
February 8, 2011 8:59 pm
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 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

Final scores are in from both of tonight’s postseason high-school boys’ basketball games: At Chief Sealth International High School, the Seahawks beat Eastside Catholic, 61-50; West Seattle High School lost its road game at Lakeside, 57-42.

ADDED: Sealth advances to the next round. More on tonight’s home game, ahead:Read More

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West Seattle schools: Lafayette playground makes goal, bids soon
February 8, 2011 2:55 pm
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 |   How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

It’s full speed ahead for the latest phase of the longrunning playground-improvement project at West Seattle’s most populous elementary school. Organizers of the Play It Forward campaign raising money for Lafayette Elementary‘s playground say they achieved the goal of matching funds/labor/materials to get the $100,000 city grant they had won, so they “are on schedule to head out to bid for the project as soon as some of the construction drawings are finalized,” according to Deborah Hazlegrove, who adds: “Our intention is to break ground after school is out and have a brand-spanking new playground for the kids when they return in the fall.” In the meantime, you’re invited to the next community meeting updating the project – February 17th, 7 pm, school library – and they’re still fundraising, so if you have ideas to help with that and/or with promotion, they’d love to see you there, or to hear from you any time (e-mail Holly at rhgrambihler@msn.com).

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