West Seattle, Washington
08 Friday
ORIGINAL 7:09 PM REPORT: That’s the trophy at stake tonight at Southwest Athletic Complex in Westwood, with Chief Sealth International High School as the home team this year for the annual Sealth vs. West Seattle High School varsity-football faceoff. The game’s just getting under way; we’re tweeting updates from the stadium on our sports/special-events @wsblive Twitter account (you can click there to see the latest, even if you’re not a Twitter member). We’ll have a full report later on both the game and the surrounding festivities.
8:55 PM: If you aren’t at the game or following Twitter updates, it was WSHS 23, Sealth 7 at the half. Second half now under way.
10:09 PM: Game now over. Final score WSHS 43, Chief Sealth 7. The trophy presentation is yet to come. We’ll have a separate story with video highlights later.
Big week for West Seattle’s biggest elementary school (526 students as of the newest enrollment report), Lafayette. Yesterday, we showed you a second-grade class’s special field trip; today, the entire school’s involved in the biggest fundraiser of the year, the annual Walk-A-Thon. Above, lining the course to cheer on the walkers – some run:
And some get company – that’s WestSide Baby‘s Nancy Woodland taking a lap earlier this morning. School fundraisers like this rustle up cash for what the budget just doesn’t cover any more – though at least the schools still get great folks like the Lafayette office team, Ms. Selena and Ms. Connie:
For years, by the way, Lafayette has been working on upgrade its playground – and an entirely different round of fundraisers is under way to take advantage of a grant that’ll evaporate if not matched – look for that story coming up here on WSB. And if you have a school fundraiser, celebration, event, need, whatever, that you want to make sure the greater West Seattle community knows about – send the info this way! Thanks!
(We hear from Tilden School’s fifth-graders from time to time. Tonight – they explain their recent forest-restoration project.)
By Tilden School’s Fifth Graders
Special to West Seattle Blog
On October 8th, our fifth-grade class joined Nature Consortium’s Restoration Project Director Mark Tomkiewicz (aka Buphalo) and Restoration Project Coordinator Lizzie Petrin in the West Duwamish Greenbelt here in West Seattle. Nature Consortium is a nonprofit organization “whose mission is to connect people, arts, and nature,” and Buphalo and Lizzie spent a whole day teaching us how to be stewards of the environment through hands-on habitat restoration activities. Even though the word “green” is in “Greenbelt,” and it is green, this West Seattle forest is unhealthy and needs our help.
The West Duwamish Greenbelt is covered with both invasive and native species. Common invasive species include Himalayan blackberry, evergreen blackberry, and English ivy. Our class picked up trash and ripped out invasive species, so we could plant native species, specifically western red cedars. When native species grow near invasive species, they can be killed, but we can save native species by removing invasive plants and planting native ones.
The western red cedars we planted are young coniferous trees. Mature coniferous trees are not currently in the West Duwamish Greenbelt, but if they were, we would gain many benefits. One of them is carbon reduction. You might ask why, and the answer would be under the bark. Coniferous trees do a great job of capturing the carbon dioxide we produce. The Pacific Northwest actually holds the top ten carbon-storing forests in the U.S., according to the Wilderness Society. If you cut down the trees that hold the carbon, it is released into the atmosphere to contribute to global warming as greenhouse gas.
Even though the West Duwamish Greenbelt has few evergreen trees, the forest is still green. It’s a common misconception that since it’s bright and green, it’s healthy. That’s not the case. Invasive species can be green, and they kill off the more important coniferous trees! Also, most of the green, mature trees in the Greenbelt are short-living and deciduous, thus not storing much carbon and allowing invasive species to take over. Coniferous trees are long-living (some over 1,000 years), store much more carbon, and stay green and oxygen-producing all year round. So, here’s the proper conception of a thriving forest: if it’s a green forest in winter, chances are it’s a healthy forest!
The West Duwamish Greenbelt is a large watershed whose naturally-filtered water should drain right into the Duwamish River, one of the most polluted rivers in the U.S. However, because West Marginal Way and industrialized land stand between the Greenbelt and the Duwamish River, the healthy water from the Greenbelt cannot flow directly into the toxic river. If it could, it would help clean up the river, creating a healthier, salmon-filled waterway.
Even though we may have only made a small dent in the giant wall of ecosystem-destroying forces, our effort to stop the reign of pollution and invasive species will lead to a better world. We have begun to improve our future and that of generations to come. With year-round opportunities to volunteer with Nature Consortium, we all can save the West Duwamish Greenbelt by fighting for native species and against invasive species.
When Pacific Science Center downtown had a media sneak peek for its new “Harry Potter” exhibition today, some local students got a preview too – Dano Beal‘s second-graders from West Seattle’s Lafayette Elementary School were front and center. Their teacher is known for classroom themes, and we’re told it’s currently decked out as Hogwarts. PSC’s Stan Orchard shared the photo. The exhibition officially opens this Saturday (here’s the info page on the PSC site).
A beautiful day to be out by a creek, in a forest, and that’s exactly what students from Little Pilgrim School got to do today. They’re part of a first-of-its-kind program with EarthCorps trainees from several states and countries, installing 400 native plants along the restoration area at Fauntleroy Creek’s last degraded segment.
According to Fauntleroy Creek neighbor and steward Judy Pickens, the $52,000 project is funded by the City of Seattle, King County, the King Conservation District, and Fauntleroy Church, which owns the site. Little Pilgrim School is headquartered in the church; EarthCorps is based in North Seattle, and its team members talked with the kids in their classrooms just before they came out to plant (one group this morning, one group this afternoon).
P.S. You have a chance to lend a hand to Fauntleroy Creek this weekend – 5 pm Sunday at the creek overlook across Fauntleroy Way from the ferry terminal, it’s the annual gathering to drum, chant, and sing to call the coho home. Everybody welcome.
It’s an annual crosstown-rivalry football tradition, and it’s coming up Friday night – Chief Sealth athletic director Sam Reed just sent full details of this year’s Huling Bowl:
Chief Sealth International High School vs. West Seattle High School
Friday, October 22, 2010
Southwest Athletic Complex (SWAC)
Game time: 7:00 p.m.
Festivities start: 5:00pmJoin both schools, alumni and the entire West Seattle community in this annual contest between friendly rivals. Festivities include a free pre-game barbecue provided by long-time supporters, Steve and Tom Huling. Everyone is invited to start the day with a guided tour of the newly finished Chief Sealth International High School.
Half-time entertainment includes an exciting joint performances from the two bands as well a light-hearted competition between the two schools’ student leaders. The Chief Sealth cheerleaders will also perform.
Following the conclusion of the game Chief Sealth senior football players will be recognized as part of their “Senior Night.”
Pre-game:
· 5:00: Early ticket sales open at SWAC main entrance
· 5:00: Nels Enquist will lead a tour of the new Sealth facilities for all interested
· 5:30: Pre-game BBQ starts (provided by Steve and Tom Huling)
· 6:00: Stadium gates open
· 6:55: Sealth Band performs National Anthem
· 7:00: KickoffHalf-time (20 minutes):
· 10 minutes: Sealth and West Seattle band in joint field show
· 3 minutes: Sealth Cheer performs
· 5 minutes: Sealth vs. West Seattle student government “punt, pass & kick” competitionPost-game:
· Sealth’s “Senior Night” presentations
The Southwest Athletic Complex is at 2801 SW Thistle, right across the street from the Chief Sealth campus.
Two more area schools have issued invitations for vendors at their upcoming holiday bazaars. Schmitz Park Elementary started lining up its vendors last month – here’s our previous story – 
and tonight we have invites from both Highland Park Elementary and Shorewood Elementary. Highland Park (1012 SW Trenton) is having its bazaar 10 am-3 pm on December 4th – in addition to the bazaar itself, they’re having a raffle, with donations from vendors and local businesses, linked to a food drive for the West Seattle and White Center Food Banks (bring a nonperishable food item, get a free raffle ticket). If you’re intererested in being a vendor, e-mail highlandparkpta@hotmail.com. Meantime, Shorewood (2725 SW 116th) is looking for craft vendors for its bazaar, 10 am-4 pm on November 13th; e-mail shorewoodbazaar@gmail.com to find out more. (P.S. If your school or organization has a bazaar coming up, please share the info! editor@westseattleblog.com – if you’re looking for vendors, we can share the news; if you’re not, we want to be sure it’s at least on the WSB Events calendar.)
(Tailgating in the chilly sunshine before the game)
This weekend’s final local high-school football game is over – at West Seattle Stadium, it was Orcas Island 28, Seattle Lutheran High School 20. This was homecoming for the Saints, so lots of ceremony. ADDED SATURDAY NIGHT: Video (including the guest band from Chief Sealth) and more details after the jump:Read More
(Roxhill librarian Pat Bliquez, visiting China in 2007, photo from school website)
Roxhill Elementary School principal Carmela Dellino sends word of a big honor for a member of her team:
Roxhill Elementary is proud to announce that our librarian, Pat Bliquez, has been selected as one of the seven 19th Annual Golden Apple Award winners for Excellence in Teaching in Washington State!
http://kcts9.org/kids/golden-apple-awardsThis year almost 200 educators from across the state were nominated for this award. This award was the idea of the Golden Apple founder Martin J. (Mike) Koldyke, who felt that excellent teachers did not receive adequate recognition for their contributions to building a stronger, better-educated society. Pat will be officially recognized during January at the Awards Banquet, but we will be honoring her at Roxhill later this month. …
Pat is 1000% dedicated to all students’ success. She is acutely aware of how to help Roxhill students become the best global citizens that they can become. She imbeds this instruction into her daily lessons for every grade level. She includes – truly and authentically – includes our self-contained Autism students, our Head Start students, our developmental preschool students, our transitional kindergarten students, as well as our general education students into this kind of learning.
She has devoted millions of hours (I can tell you that is NO exaggeration) to helping the lives and learning of students. Ms. Bliquez believes AND LIVES on a daily basis the importance that every student can excel at a very high level. She reaches those students who struggle academically and those who academically far exceed their peers. She brings in a global perspective to her lessons. Our students learn about Chinese characters and culture, the Holocaust, about slavery through the text of Elijah, Home of the Brave, and a myriad of other social justice topics.
And it doesn’t stop there. They say that a library is supposed to be the hub of a school. Our librarian IS the hub of our school. Learning centers around her work and efforts. She is the cog in the wheel. She goes out of her way to support every single teacher, support staff and the principal so that learning can be engaging, enriching, intentional and meaningful. Roxhill would not be the same without her.
She knows how to challenge thinking; push her own thinking; and help all of us grow (students and staff) as thinkers.
I could talk about the endless hours, the endless summer hours, the being the first to get here and sometimes the last to leave, but perhaps what resounds in my heart the most is the profound impact she makes on the intellectual, emotional, social and personal lives of every educator and student at Roxhill.
She IS the Golden Apple Award.
The principal says Roxhill head teacher Christopher Robert – himself a past Golden Apple recipient – nominated Pat Bliquez for the award. Congratulations to her and to Roxhill!
The game’s over at Southwest Athletic Complex – Nathan Hale 52, Chief Sealth International High School 34. More to come, including touchdown video plus the band’s halftime performance on the field. ADDED EARLY SATURDAY: That’s all after the jump:Read More
One of tonight’s two games is over: West Seattle High School beat Ingraham at Northwest Athletic Complex, 28-0. ADDED EARLY SATURDAY: Game notes and a video clip, after the jump:Read More
(Photos by Ellen Cedergreen)
Right in the middle of homecoming/spirit week, a big nighttime event at Chief Sealth International High School – with three sports teams teaming up to raise money for the athletics program. In our top photo, that’s Sealth athletic director Sam Reed with members of the volleyball team, one of the three – also front and center in the effort, boys’ basketball:
Football players, here with volleyball-team friends, too:
But the teams couldn’t do it alone. Friends and families joined them at Wednesday night’s spaghetti dinner:
From a platform above the crowd, Principal John Boyd opened up the bidding for a silent auction:
Items listed included a Mariner-autographed baseball and a “Two-Hour Work-Crew Party” donated by six Sealth basketball players and their coach. Another unique fundraising element, the dessert dash, won by (making the highest donation) table 19:
For their $300 total, they got first pick at the dessert table — choosing a pumpkin pie. P.S. You can find Sealth teams’ schedules here.
(Photo courtesy Symetra Financial)
That’s Randy Harkness, who’s taught first grade at West Seattle’s Sanislo Elementary School for more than 20 years. His new jersey is part of what he was given during a special surprise presentation today – Symetra Financial and the Seahawks honored him as a “Hero in the Classroom.” He was nominated by principal Ernie Seevers, who is quoted in Symetra’s announcement as saying, “He made a choice to contribute to our community’s future by working with our youngest scholars, and he has delivered the gift of literacy to two generations of children.” This season, the Heroes in the Classroom program will honor two dozen K-12 teachers around Western Washington, and Harkness is the 8th, as well as the 1st one from West Seattle. Besides the jersey, he got a certificate and tickets to a Seahawks home game as well as acknowledgment on the field – he’ll get his shoutout when the Seahawks host the Arizona Cardinals on October 24th. The award also makes Sanislo eligible for a $10,000 MVP Award – three of the schools with teacher honorees this season will get those awards at the end of the football season. (P.S. Another West Seattle teacher was honored this time last year – Christopher Robert from Roxhill.)
Got plans for dinner this Wednesday? Here’s a chance to dine at the newly renovated Chief Sealth International High School while helping its athletics program:
This Wednesday, October 13th, the Football, Boys’ Basketball, and Volleyball programs at Sealth will host a dinner benefit to support these programs. It will be a spaghetti dinner event with short presentations from each sport. The dinner will begin at 7:00 pm; tickets are $12, with the proceeds going toward the Football, Boys Basketball and Volleyball programs, and Sealth Athletics. Purchasing a dinner ticket will also give you free admission to the first Sealth home basketball game in the new gym when the Boys’ Basketball team takes on Brisbane, Australia, on November 30th, 2010 at 7:00pm. You can purchase dinner tickets at the door this Wednesday night starting at 6:30 pm. The event will be held in the brand new Galleria at Chief Sealth.
If you haven’t been there yet (or lately) – 2600 SW Thistle (map). P.S. It’s homecoming week at Chief Sealth (the football game is this Friday night across the street at Southwest Athletic Complex, 7 pm, vs. Nathan Hale).
We’re committed to at least one election-related update per day/night between now and Election Day on November 2nd; you’ll be able to vote within days, since King County says it’s mailing ballots this Wednesday. 
Seattle Public Schools Proposition 1, a supplemental operations levy with a property-tax increase seeking to raise $48 million over the next three years. The basic language you’ll see on the ballot, plus the pro-con statements/rebuttals from the official voters’ guide, can be seen here. The district itself has an explanatory page here, including this line: “This levy is intended to fund textbooks, materials and teacher salaries per the new SEA contract.” The fine print – the actual detailed resolution approved by the School Board to place this on the ballot – can be read here. It doesn’t stipulate exactly what will be spent for whom and where. For an even-closer look at what supporters and opponents are saying, this site is set up by people advocating a “no” vote; this one is from the group that says “vote yes.” P.S. If you’re interested in discussing the levy (or any other SPS issue) with West Seattle’s School Board rep, Steve Sundquist has a community chat 11 am-12:30 pm today at High Point Library.
All three local high-school varsity-football teams lost tonight. At Southwest Athletic Complex in Westwood, the final score was Rainier Beach 31, West Seattle High School 8. WSHS’s lone touchdown came from sophomore DiAndre Johnson, who ran the ball 21 yards for the score:
At Memorial Stadium downtown a few hours earlier, it was Franklin 38, Chief Sealth International High School 0. And Seattle Lutheran High School was on the road in Skagit County, where they lost to La Conner, 21-9.
(Photos added 11:58 am – thanks to Lynn for sharing them! Top, CSIHS girls & boys; bottom, all participants, boys & girls, WSHS in yellow, Franklin in Green, Ingraham in blue, Cleveland in red)
Just received results of Thursday’s multi-school Lincoln Park high-school cross-country meet from Jason Glover, cross-country coach at Chief Sealth International High School:
Here are the results from the metro 3A cross country meet held @ Lincoln Park 10/7.
In the boys’ race, CSIHS had 4 runners in the top 10, led by senior Daniel Perrine in second place with a personal best of 17:49. WSHS had 3 boys in the top 10, led by M. Wicklam with a time of 19:39.
Out of five teams, CSIHS won with a score of 39 points, while WSHS was second with a score of 47 points.
In the girls’ race, CS freshman Kenaia Neumann won with time of 22:57, followed closely by WSHS’s N. Broten @ 23:16.
Chief Sealth won the girls’ team race with a score of 27 points.
Chief Sealth, West Seattle, Ingraham, Cleveland, and Franklin were the teams involved.
A nearby project needs your help today, and/or tomorrow, and/or Sunday:
This coming Friday / Saturday / Sunday (Oct 8,9,10th) from 10 am to 4 pm, Concord International Elementary School is looking for volunteers to help assemble their new Play Structure. … We have a new play structure for the school body and local community that we will be assembling this weekend under the supervision of the structure manufacturer. All tools will be provided. Volunteers are much appreciated. Please e-mail concordplay@live.com if you think you can help us out.
While Concord is in SP, the district considers it part of the West Seattle “region,” and Concord feeds into this area’s other two international schools — Denny and Chief Sealth.
Three West Seattle school notes tonight:
WEST SEATTLE HIGH SCHOOL’S 1ST NEWSLETTER OF THE YEAR: Denise Lathrop from the WSHS PTSA shares the link to their first newsletter of the year, inviting the community – not only those directly involved with the school – to see what’s up. According to Denise, highlights include an introduction for WSHS’s all-new administrative team, principal Ruth Medsker and vice principals Mike Kelly and Jennifer Kniseley, opportunities to volunteer and/or to serve on the PTSA board, dates for ACT and SAT testing/registration, and what’s up in student life/activities (even the dates for the fall play!). Here’s the direct link to the newsletter (PDF download from the school website).
PATHFINDER K-8 MUSIC PROGRAM NEEDS INSTRUMENTS: Sent by Lashanna Williams from the Pathfinder K-8 PTSA:
This year at Pathfinder K-8 the participation in instrumental music has SKYROCKETED!! We are looking for instruments so that all our kiddos can play!! DO you have an instrument that you would be willing to loan? Clarinets and violins are in high demand- but anything is appreciated! To donate or loan an instrument, e-mail Alisha scrapinmomx2@hotmail.com or call Lashanna @ 715-5265
LAFAYETTE WALK-A-THON DEADLINE: Lafayette Elementary is the biggest public elementary in West Seattle, and every year its Walk-A-Thon raises money for needed items that aren’t provided for in the district budget. Besides walker pledges, they also look for business sponsors every year (WSB signed on again this year) and tomorrow is the deadline for signing up. Sponsors get their logos on the official Walk-A-Thon T-shirt plus published in a directory and the school yearbook. Businesses interested in sponsorship can contact Mark Johnson at 206-932-0501 or markj0501@yahoo.com.
Got a school fundraiser, too? We’d love to publicize your event/campaign/etc. too. E-mail info to editor@westseattleblog.com. That’s also the address for any kind of West Seattle school news (and other ways of contacting us are listed here). Thanks!
The third of this weekend’s three games involving local schools is in the books: Concrete 47, Seattle Lutheran 6, tonight at West Seattle Stadium. A few more details, plus a highlight, ahead:Read More
2 more high-school-football notes in addition to our coverage of last night’s West Seattle High School homecoming victory: Also last night, Chief Sealth International High School played a nonconference game at Eastside Catholic, losing 56-6; Seattle Lutheran High School plays tonight at West Seattle Stadium, hosting Concrete, 7 pm.
Just in from Southwest Athletic Complex – West Seattle High School‘s first varsity-football win of the year, and it was homecoming too – 29-6 over Cleveland. More after the jump:Read More
The speeches were short, the community-mingle-and-chat time long, during the fifth and final Seattle Public Schools regional “Welcome Back” meeting last night at Chief Sealth International High School. Above, Sealth principal John Boyd (left) is with Gatewood Elementary principal Rhonda Claytor, Mohamed Roble from the district’s Family and Community Engagement team, and head teacher Chris from Roxhill Elementary. Boyd and Claytor were two of 11 principals announced as in attendance from West Seattle schools; those who weren’t, had events under way at their schools.
Superintendent Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson was there, sharing a story she said she’d told at the previous meetings – about her kindergartener daughter wanting to choose her teacher, and hearing from Superintendent Mom that she couldn’t, but whomever she got would be “excellent.” She touched very briefly on several hot topics – saying that districtwide “curriculum alignment” was not the same as standardization, that the district has invested in its teachers through the recently approved contract, and that testing is vital – “it’s how we give formative data back to teachers about students.”
Her second-in-command, Chief Academic Officer Dr. Susan Enfield, spoke briefly, promising parents, “We will see gains [in student achievement] this year.” She also discussed the reorganization of the “executive directors” reporting to her and in turn directly supervising principals. Instead of being each assigned to manage a type of school, like elementary or middle or high school, they are now assigned regionally for “more tailored engagement with the community”; Aurora Lora, who’s in charge of West Seattle, spoke briefly, mentioning a “professional development” session earlier in the week in which she and the region’s principals gathered at Denny International Middle School. And there were other district leaders, such as Family/Community Engagement manager Bernardo Ruiz:
He told us that SPS families will see information sent home soon about what’s available for support through his department – with one major event coming up soon: a Family Academy and Early Learners’ Resource Fair, 10 am-2 pm October 16th at South Shore School (4800 South Henderson), featuring free workshops. The superintendent, meantime, is scheduled to return to West Seattle for another community event, one of her “coffee chats,” 6-7 pm October 25th at West Seattle Elementary.
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