Police had to help break up a melee that led to tonight’s boys’ varsity basketball game at West Seattle High School getting cut short. At the gym, WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand, who’s covered numerous games around WS this season, says the game had less than five minutes to go when he saw two players, one from Rainier Beach HS and one from WSHS, get into a confrontation on the floor, then someone “came out of nowhere” to join the melee, police stepped in, someone in the stands was yelling at the refs, and others joined in the criticism of the refs. Police stepped in and started helping get things under control, but the game was officially called with 4:22 to go, score RB 58, WSHS 22, and we are told it will count. No word of any injuries. Patrick talked with WSHS principal Bruce Bivins as the gym was clearing; he said, “The students acted correctly – (but) the actions of hotheaded adults” are what resulted in the melee. 11:02 PM: Long before the game’s abrupt ending, this was Senior Night and Open House night at WSHS, and we’ll have a separate story on all that a bit later.

The elementary-school science fair is nowhere near as common as it used to be – so Pathfinder K-8 is excited that it’s continuing to have one each year. Tonight, the cafeteria at Pathfinder’s new site was abuzz with projects by about 100 students, and most of the young scientists stood nearby, ready to talk about them – like Anthony Giomi (above), who enlisted the help of his brother Xavier and sister Lydia to study the performance of certain types of bubble gum. He wasn’t doing a demonstration during the fair, but others were – like the group with “Oobleck, a non-Newtonian fluid” – cornstarch, water and coloring, firming up as it was squished hand-to-hand:

We got a whirlwind tour from longtime Pathfinder parent/volunteer Eric Baer, who’s a scientist himself and was judging tonight’s exhibits – those who get the orange certificates you see on this next one, get to move on to the state tournament:

Winners in the state tournament in turn get to move on to a tournament in Washington, D.C., according to Baer.

King County Elections has published first-night results – and both Seattle Public Schools levies are winning in a big way. They only require a simple majority, but each so far has at least 71% yes votes. See the results here. Of note for those who live in (currently) unincorporated King County areas, such as White Center, the King County Library System levy is passing narrowly, with 50.5% yes. (Results from elsewhere in King County are here; the next round of numbers will be released around 4:30 tomorrow.) 9:56 PM UPDATE: Seattle Public Schools’ communications team has sent out a “thank you” news release on the district’s behalf – read on:Read More

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

“Helloooo, Gatewood!”

That’s how West Seattle High School principal Bruce Bivins (photo left) greeted the Gatewood Elementary PTA last night as he and 1st-year Madison Middle School principal Henterson Carlisle (photo right) made a guest appearance to tout, and ask questions about, their schools. It was an introduction of sorts, because until the new Student Assignment Plan attendance-area maps were finalized, designating Gatewood as a feeder for Madison and WSHS, it had been more aligned with West Seattle’s other middle/high-school pair, Denny/Sealth.

Because of the way the feeder groups are set up, projections suggest Madison and WSHS could be under-enrolled within several years, while their south-end counterparts could be stuffed, so the principals are faced with the task of marketing their schools as well as running them – to make sure potential enrollment is maximized. (WSHS has its open house coming up this Thursday night, 6 pm, as Bivins mentioned more than once.) Their selling points – and Q/A – after the jump:Read More

Thanks to Madison Middle School PTA president Kim Early for sharing word of two days of special events at the school, tomorrow and Wednesday, because of Take Your Family to School Week … everything from cooking demonstrations, to class observations, to learning something you might not know about the art of raising a middle-schooler (for example, “breaking the code” of texting — do you know what KPC stands for?) .. Read on!Read More

Story and photos by Mary Sheely
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

There’s a parent-teacher conference going on at Madison Middle School, 3429 45th SW, and it’s being led by an eighth-grade girl.

Parents Lora and Michael Bunch and science teacher John Urdal sit at a table in the library with student Riley Bunch, who is flipping through her portfolio, a large binder of papers, tests, and assignments that she has completed so far this school year.

She points out original 3D computer renderings that she later turned into physical objects using a drill press and scroll saw. An essay inspired by “a traumatic experience at a water park” is described as “one of my best writing pieces.” She explains her goals for the remainder of the year, and even her plans all the way to college and beyond.

The presentation is a relatively new phenomenon at Madison Middle School (which has an open house tonight, 6 pm).

Two years ago, head counselor Lauren Divina pulled together a small group of sixth-grade students to test a new approach to traditional school conferences, Navigation 101.

Read More

We have updates from several West Seattle schools tonight. First, it’s open house night TOMORROW at Madison Middle School:

Welcome 5th Grade Families to Madison Middle School Open House
Thursday, Feb. 4th — 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Come visit Madison classrooms, meet teachers & administration.
Ask questions about curriculum, feeder-patterns, GeoBee, etc.
We look forward to seeing you @ Madison!

We’ve also received word tonight of a preschool open house this Saturday – it’s a new school, and they’ll get you the open house details if you RSVP:

Saturday, Feb. 6th 9:30am-11:30am
The Cove School
www.thecoveschool.com
RSVP: admissions@thecoveschool.com

And Saturday afternoon/evening, Cometa Playschool has its next open house:

Open House
Saturday, February 6th from 4-6 pm
at Cometa Playschool, 3212 California Ave SW

Moving on to next week – on Thursday, Feb. 11, West Seattle High School has its open house – principal Bruce Bivins shares the news release with full details (see it here) – here’s the schedule of events that night:

6:00-6:30 Departmental Fair in the Commons
Hors d’oeuvres prepared and served by our culinary arts students
Student-performed music
Meet with faculty and learn about course offerings and expectations in each department

6:30-7:00 Presentation
Welcome & Introduction from Principal Bruce Bivins
Student video: “Why Westside?”
Scene from student-directed play, “Jumpin’ Jupiter”

7:00-8:00 Panel Discussions (choice of two)
1. Student Panel: Students discuss life at Westside
2. College-Prep Panel: Faculty discuss advanced learning opportunities and program expectations within the departments
3. 9th Grade Panel: Faculty and students discuss school requirements, resources and supports, and summer-bridge expectations

7:00-8:30 Explore Westside: School facility and lab tours throughout the evening
8:30-10:00 Basketball Game
Prospective students and their families will receive free admission to the boys’ varsity basketball game with special appearances by our Pep Band, Cheerleaders, and Spirit Mob

Nearby at Lafayette Elementary, their playground project has just received a big boost – here’s the latest newsletter update:

The Playground Committee started the year off with a generous donation of $10,000 to the PTA earmarked for the playground from a Lafayette family. Whoever you are, thank you so very much! Several fundraising events will be announced specifically for the playground improvement project in the coming year. One will be a Ski and Sports Equipment Swap in April. Save your items for sale or donation for that event. More details will be coming on that event. Feel free to attend any of our meetings. For more information, or to get involved, please contact Janine Bostock at Janine@avadesignbuild.com

And looking ahead to next month, we’ve just added this to the WSB Events calendar:

Sanislo Elementary’s 4th Grade Used Book Sale.
Sanislo Elementary School
1812 SW Myrtle St, (206) 252-8380
Saturday, March 13th from 10 am- 2 pm.
Sanislo’s 4th graders are having a Used Book sale to raise money for their annual educational overnight trip. There will be many books of all types for sale as well as coffee, tea and treats. You are invited to this fun event!
If you have books that you would like to donate, drop them by the school or call Lisa at 206-767-3561 for other arrangements.

(added) And tomorrow night is your first of 2 chances to see local students put on a show – thanks to Michele for sharing this:

A stage production of Mulan will be performed by the West Seattle Academy (& West Seattle Montessori [WSB sponsor]) at the West Seattle High School Theatre this Thursday (2/4) & Friday at 7:00 pm(2/5). Tickets are $10 at the door.

WSA/WSM performances boast professional choreography and set design… and they are very entertaining!

Not recommended for children under age 5.

Got school news? Share it! Here are all the ways you can reach us – choose whatever works for you.

Two winning stories to share with you this morning, both about local students. First, from 6th-grade teacher Tim Owens at Madison Middle School:

Which Mediterranean country, located at the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula, is Europe’s largest exporter of cotton? This question determined the winner of Madison’s annual Geography Bee. With the correct answer of Greece, sixth grader Owen Yeasting defeated fellow sixth grader Peter Bryson.

Twenty-eight students from all three grades participated in the Bee, which was moderated by sixth grade teacher, Tim Owens. After seven rounds of questions covering both US and global geography, ten students advanced to the final round. These ten students either scored a perfect seven out of seven or missed only one, and they were Allison Nelson, Alexis Johnson, Michael Stewart, Brandon Keller, Ellen Salenjus, Jamal Abdile, Oliver Hamlin, Will Ferrulli, Peter Bryson, and Owen Yeating. These students were asked a series of tough questions, and through a process of elimination, the two sixth grade students advanced to the championship round. Allison Nelson, an eighth grader, was the last of the other eight to be eliminated, securing a third place finish. As the school champion, Owen has an opportunity to go to the state level of the Geography Bee.

The next step is to take a proctored qualifying test. These tests will determine the one hundred students (grades 4-8) around the state who will be invited to the Washington State Geography Bee. Through a similar process, students from around the state will compete to be crowned the Washington State Champion. Interestingly enough, Washington has produced more national Geography Bee champions than any other state.

Madison has a proud history with the Geography Bee and has sent a student to the state level nearly every year over the past decade. Former Madison student Sean Keller placed in the top ten in the state two years in a row (2008-2009). Congratulations to all Madison students who participated in the Geo Bee!

Next, from a news release sent to media outlets by South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor):

An Chu, 27, and 18-year old Kelleen Curtiss, from West Seattle, will be recognized for their academic achievement, leadership, and community service at a ceremony March 25 in Olympia. They are part of a group of students representing the state’s two-year colleges.

The All-Washington Academic Team program has become the showcase for Washington’s community and technical colleges. It honors academic achievers who have demonstrated a commitment to success in the classroom and in the communities in which they live.

An, who already holds a BA in English and Sociology from Ho Chi Minh City Open University in Viet Nam, plans to pursue a four-year business degree and graduate studies in student services. In addition to serving as a Cultural Club Commissioner, she has also been involved with the Vietnamese Student Association, API Advisory Council and as coordinator of the annual Día de los Muertos event. …

Kelleen is a Running Start student, who has already been accepted for entrance fall quarter into the Honors College at WSU, where she plans to study international relations and communications …

An, Kelleen, and their All-Washington Academic teammates will receive a $750 scholarship from Key Bank and the National Education Loan Association (NELA), and are now nominated for the 2010 All-USA Academic Team. Officials from Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for students of two-year colleges, will select students for the All-USA team. For more information on the All-Washington Academic Team and the ceremony, visit www.spscc.ctc.edu/allwa.

Got school news? Share it – here’s how.