West Seattle, Washington
29 Tuesday
(Photos courtesy Tilden School)
“T” is for Tilden, as in Tilden School, which is celebrating a milestone today – a quarter-century in operation. That’s Whitney Tjerandsen, Tilden director, who signed the papers creating Tilden on this date in 1985. She joined students and staff in a party with not only the mini-cupcakes, but also a round of “Happy Birthday”; we’re told she explained to the students, “We’re celebrating with you, because you’re the reason we’re here!”
Tilden is a K-5 school at 4105 California SW, north of The Junction.
Future Blue Thunder drummers? Maybe! We recorded those student musicians and others in the recital that ended the mid-winter-break music camp at Denny International Middle School – and now, the spring break version of that same camp is days away, with Donna sending word there’s still room:
Band students, 4th through 8th grade: Come make music with friends from schools all over West Seattle during spring break!
All-Star Spring Break Music Camp
Mon., Mar. 29 – Fri., Apr. 2, 2010 – 9 AM to 3 PM
Grades 4 thru 8
Suggested donation for tuition: $100 (or pay what you can) – Lunch provided
More info as the announcement continues after the jump:Read More
As of this fall, Madison Middle School no longer will be the only Seattle Public Schools middle school without the Spectrum program for academically gifted students. That’s of great interest to Spectrum-qualified West Seattle students, many of which attend nearby Lafayette Elementary, where a meeting was held Tuesday night to try to answer families’ questions. Photojournalist Matt Durham was there and says about 100 parents heard from West Seattle’s school board rep Steve Sundquist (above) as well as Madison principal Henterson Carlisle (below).
Also at the meeting, the man who runs the district’s Advanced Learning programs, Dr. Robert Vaughan (seated in the background). Matt reports that parents were reminded that if they are interested in having their children attend Madison’s Spectrum program this fall, they must file enrollment paperwork making that choice, even if the students are currently in Spectrum at Lafayette or elsewhere. (That’s explained at the bottom of this page.) P.S. If you have an education topic to take up with Steve Sundquist, his next community-chat gathering is this morning (Wednesday), 11 am, at High Point Library.
Exactly three months from today, June 22 will be the last day of school for Chief Sealth High School in its temporary quarters at the former Boren Junior High on Delridge. In September, after two years away, Sealth moves back into its permanent location – while the new adjacent Denny International Middle School is built. The project team has just provided the latest site aerial:
Compare that shot (taken last week) to a similar view seven months earlier:
Denny isn’t scheduled to move to its new site (the lower left of those photos) till 2011, so Sealth students will still have the campus to themselves when school starts this fall. The project’s official website is here; it includes a webcam, looking currently at the Galleria that both schools will share – see that here.
Three West Seattle schools have teams at the citywide Global Reading Challenge finals tomorrow night – and everyone’s invited to go cheer them on – Arbor Heights, Highland Park and Lafayette Elementary Schools are all in the running (as is Concord International School from nearby South Park). Read on for the announcement we just received from the Seattle Public Library:Read More
Thanks to Madison Middle School‘s Jeanne Merritt for sharing a report and photos from last night’s big event:
Madison Middle School celebrated its annual Literacy Night on Thursday. Students and their families were treated to free pizza in the Commons, then sat down to play games that build literacy skills such as Scrabble. Some visitors were busy making beautiful bookmarks.
In the library there was an open mike for students to read stories and poems they had written — Madison’s own Reader’s Theater.
Also in the library online literacy activities were available.
Books were of course a key ingredient of the evening. A representative from a local bookstore was present, plus hundreds of donated books were available for exchange or free. Hundreds of student-written books were displayed and visitors genuinely enjoyed reading them.
Seventh graders had written ABC biographies of people in U.S. history. Eighth-grade Washington State History students wrote travelogues of an imaginary trip around Washington. They had to include what went in their suitcases, expenses, mileage, photos, information about places they visited, etc. Other eighth-graders had created their own journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Sixth-graders displayed comparative religion essays.
All in all the evening was a very fun celebration of literacy.
School news always welcome – either with information and photos you provide, or tips on events we can cover – here are all the ways to reach WSB!
A meeting is planned tomorrow for the next step in organizing a new West Seattle cooperative preschool to open at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center beginning this fall. From organizer Benni Sack:
We have a preliminary commitment for space at Youngstown beginning in August, 2010, and now it is time to figure out who is interested in participating in this new coop!
Here is what the preliminary parameters might be for an endeavor like this:
– Your toddler will be at least 24 months by August, 2010, and no older than 4.5 years old by August 2010
– You are interested in volunteering in the coop on a regular basis (the volunteer positions and duration of them will be decided by the coop board)
– You are potentially interested in belonging to the coop board, which will need to meet online and in-person on a regular basis to bring together the particulars of the coopHere are the meeting particulars:
Saturday, March 20th, 2010 @ 10:00 a.m.
Mosaic Community Coffeehouse – in the demitasse room (kids playroom), 4401 2nd Avenue Northeast (map)They have coffee, tea, and pastries there which can be purchased by donation (it’s a community, not for profit coffeehouse). I will bring some extra treats as well. PLEASE BRING YOUR LITTLE! We can have a play date!
This will be an informal meet and greet to try to ascertain the level of interest and participation from the community. Please RSVP to blackbirdrosie1973@gmail.com. If you can’t make it but would still be interested in participating, please contact me by e-mail and let me know your level of interest. Board members are encouraged! We have a lot of fun stuff to get done this spring and summer to get ready!
She says the meeting’s being held at this particular coffeehouse because it has that kids’ playroom.
That’s the phrase Luckie used as she shared that photo taken in a kindergarten class at Lafayette Elementary:
Mrs. Bell decided to combine Dr. Seuss’s birthday (March 2) and St. Patrick’s Day (today) with a reading of Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham, followed by a banquet of green eggs and ham and a few other green foods. A little green food coloring turned the ham and eggs into a Seussian spectacle! And, just like the protagonist of Green Eggs and Ham, the kids were willing to try them. They polished off pretty much everything!
Thanks to Tim McMonigle for sharing photo and summarizing the latest milestone for newly renovated Hiawatha Playfield and the players who have been waiting a long time for it:
West Seattle High School (in blue) had their first varsity soccer game of the season today and played on the beautiful new turf at Hiawatha in front of local students and fans, beating Franklin HS 3-0. This is a great improvement over playing their home games at Memorial Stadium the last several years where many fans could not see them. The weather cooperated and the boys played their hearts out. Their next game is Thursday afternoon at Ingraham HS and Friday evening against Sammamish HS, hopefully at a local venue. Come on out and support your local WSHS Wildcat soccer team!
The advance announcement of Seattle Lutheran‘s “Global Connections” dinner/auction Friday night at South Seattle Community College‘s Brockey Center promised “an announcement about future plans … that will have a lasting impact on our school and community.” While full details are yet to come, Head of School Adair Hinds said the main announcement was that they’ve received a “seven-figure donation” to launch a capital campaign for a building project affecting “both the school and community,” including “major upgrades.” Hinds told us a little more on camera, with SLHS Director of Advancement Bil Hood alongside:
This time last year, Seattle Lutheran and neighboring Hope Lutheran School had big news too – that’s when they announced that after decades of operating separately, they would begin to operate together as Seattle Lutheran Schools (WSB coverage here). That was just as an expansion/renovation project was wrapping up at Hope (WSB coverage here). Meantime, right now the extended enrollment period for the two schools (preschool-12th grade) continues; tour schedules and other info can be found on the schools’ website.
Tuesday night, the Gatewood and Roxhill Elementary Schools‘ music programs will benefit from a mini-concert by Westside Symphonette at Gatewood – with the minimum admission price just $1 (they hope you’ll give more, of course). Here’s the plan, from Westside Symphonette’s Toni Reineke (April 2009 photo at right):
Concert in the Community
Come hear West Seattle’s very own orchestra, 45 members strong!
Program Highlights
Orchestra classics: Finlandia, Intermezzo from Hary Janos, Bugler’s Holiday (with a twist!)
Sing along: Sounds of Simon and Garfunkel
Special guests: Gatewood and Roxhill advanced strings and their coachesGatewood Elementary, 4320 SW Myrtle [map] in the cafeteria
Tuesday, March 16, 7:30 p.m.Sponsored by the Gatewood and Roxhill PTAs; funds will benefit both music programs
The Gatewood PTA also plans a bake sale, so bring $ for treats. (P.S. Westside Symphonette’s on Facebook now – you can join its group page here.)
Thinking of going into politics – or just need/want to understand more about how that realm works? Here’s a rare chance to learn more about the practicalities of politics – without being right in the middle of it. It’s an upcoming course just announced by South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor) – read on:Read More
All three community councils meeting this week have announced their agenda highlights:
TUESDAY – WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL: This meeting’s scheduled guest is Benjamin Kinlow, Crime Prevention Coordinator for the Southwest Precinct, which means he also helps coordinate the Block Watch program. The newly formed West Seattle Blockwatch Captains’ Network – which you can join on Facebook – is urging members to be there. This meeting also routinely includes a crime-stats update from local police leadership, and time to discuss your neighborhood concerns. 7 pm Tuesday, Southwest Precinct (Delridge/Webster; map).
WEDNESDAY – DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOODS DISTRICT COUNCIL: Scheduled guests include City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw, Nathan Torgelson from Seattle Parks (to discuss the Camp Long Lodge renovations), and Mark Ufkes and Peggy Weiss from the pro-Seattle-annexation White Center Homeowners’ Association. DNDC members also will discuss their recent retreat, as they meet at 7 pm Wednesday, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way; map).
THURSDAY – ALKI COMMUNITY COUNCIL: West Seattle’s school board rep Steve Sundquist is a scheduled guest, along with Seattle Parks staff. ACC meets at 7 pm Thursday, 6115 SW Hinds (map); get the latest info at alkinews.com.
ONE MORE BIG MEETING NEXT WEEK: Monday night, 7 pm at Denny International Middle School, it’s the next in a series of meetings around the cities to talk about Mayor McGinn’s Youth and Families Initiative (explained here). Previous meetings in other neighborhoods have drawn hundreds of people. This initiative involves almost every issue you can imagine – safety, education, health, environment – so whatever you care most deeply about, be ready to advocate for it.
Story, photos and video by Randall G. Hauk
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
While some people spent the morning in line for the Safeco Field box office or on their computer in an attempt to get tickets for Seattle Mariners games that are at least a month away, others chose to take advantage of the rare March sunshine and the offer of free food at the Southwest Athletic Complex while watching the Chief Sealth High School Seahawks baseball program scrimmage with the Cleveland High School Eagles.
In his second year as the head coach of the Seahawks, Ernest Policarpio says the event was imagined as a way to bring the community closer to the school’s growing baseball program, hopefully stimulating more popularity of the game among parents and students.
Today’s event also featured a barbecue as a chance for community mingling.
This year, Chief Sealth will have enough athletes to field three teams for the first time in recent memory. Growing interest in the sport is not, however, the only positive momentum working in the Seahawks’ favor. The results on the field are also showing improvement.
While today’s game will not count in the standings, Sealth managed 17 runs in just two innings of play today, albeit against a very short-handed Cleveland squad. However, combined with yesterday’s jamboree in which Sealth outscored Foster 5-1 and Franklin 7-1 in a pair of three-inning sessions, there is reason for optimism.
“We wanted to play good baseball,” said Policarpio (photo) about the team’s mission for the day. “When they had the chance, the kids were hitting the ball.”
Policarpio will need those hits to continue next week when his Seahawks officially open their season by hosting the defending 3A champions, O’Dea High School, scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Friday at SWAC.
ALSO NEXT WEEK: West Seattle High School boys’ varsity baseball team plays Blanchet at Lower Woodland, also 3:30 Friday … Seattle Lutheran High School‘s winter-athletics awards night is Monday at 6:30 pm (the SLHS baseball team is leading a clinic at the school this weekend for younger players).
That photo e-mailed to us shows part of the crew getting ready for tomorrow’s 4th Grade Used Book Sale at Sanislo Elementary, raising money for their annual educational overnight trip. Coffee, tea and treats, too! 10 am-2 pm, 1812 SW Myrtle (map). That’s one of four benefit sales tomorrow in the West Seattle Weekend Lineup – TONS going on – review the list here.
We dropped by the Denny International Middle School cafeteria just before lunch today – to visit the fabled Lunch Ladies who had let us know earlier this week (as reported here) about their plan to try to break a record for most school lunches served in a day. The old record was 599 – and Doree Fazio-Young sent word late today that they did it, serving 604! We talked to her moments before they started serving – and she explained the day’s OTHER big events:
Doree and Sue have worked together for 20 years. Congrats on the record!
What a day for Colin Slingsby, boys’ basketball coach at Chief Sealth High School. Not only did the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce announce he’d been chosen as Westsider of the Year, he also got to celebrate his team’s successful season during the Sealth winter-sports banquet tonight. Also on hand, athletic director Sam Reed:
His wrap-up of the winter-sports season, e-mailed last weekend, was printed out and handed out at tonight’s banquet. Here’s what he wrote:
Nearly four months after the season started, the last of the Chief Sealth Winter sports teams concluded their season last week, when the boys basketball team was defeated in a winner-to-state, loser-out game versus Franklin High School. While the 68-65 loss wasn’t the desired result, it doesn’t dampen the amount of ‘Sealth Pride’ that was built throughout the season.
All of our Winter Sports have things to be proud of. Foremost, it was a season marked by excellent coaching. Long-standing coaches Dave Rosario (wrestling) and Colin Slingsby (boys basketball) each took home Metro League Coach of the Year honors and added regional awards as well. Tony Trahan, in his first year at the helm of the girls basketball team, and Katie Hathaway, also new to the school as head swim coach, helped craft hard-working teams that competed well throughout the season. Gymnastics was led in conjunction with West Seattle High School and coached by Echo Balliett-Legge.
#1 – HEALTH FAIR SEEKS BUSINESS PARTICIPANTS: Here’s the announcement:
What does being healthy mean to you? Pathfinder K-8 wants to know! Can you share your healthy living ideas with our community? If you are a business that promotes healthy food, fitness, environmental practices- we would love to hear from you. Pathfinder K-8 is looking for local business to share their scoop on healthy living in Seattle. April 29th the PTSA is sponsoring a health fair and we are looking for people to set up a spot in our cafeteria and share knowledge and/ or demos. For more information, please contact Lashanna Williams at lashannaw@gmail.com
#2 – EARTH DAY WORK PARTY AND FESTIVAL: On the next Duwamish Alive! day, this one on April 17th in honor of Earth Day, there’ll be a huge work party at and adjacent to Pathfinder K-8 grounds (map), 9:30 am-2 pm. Last year hundreds of volunteers worked at the site. After the work party, Pathfinder will host an Earth Day Festival 2-4 pm. If you can help with the work party, RSVP by e-mailing marisa@naturec.org or call 206-932-0853 (if you get voice mail, leave your name, phone number, and e-mail address).
#3, UPCOMING SCHOOL VISITS: Pathfinder is an option school and therefore among those that must specifically be chosen. The open enrollment period continues three more weeks, till the end of the month, and the school asked us to remind you of these chances to visit Pathfinder if you’re considering applying to go there:
K through 5th Grade Visits
8:45 am to 10:00 am
March 15th, 18th and 22nd6th through 8th Grade Visits
8:45 am to 10:00 am
March 11th and 25thPlease call the school office if you need an alternate date/time to visit Pathfinder, (206) 252-9710
During a recent visit to Denny International Middle School, we spotted that poster in the hallway. Took the photo with the intent to follow up – and before we got around to doing that, we got a note from “lunch lady” Doree Fazio-Young, who told us all about it: This Friday, she and her manager Sue Trainer – who’ve worked together as Denny “lunch ladies” for 20 years! – are hoping EVERY student at Denny will eat lunch at school. If they do, Doree and Sue could break what Doree says is a Seattle Public Schools record, and Denny record, “for feeding everyone in attendance at school that day.” Not only will they be working hard to serve hundreds of lunches, they’ll also be celebrating two special occasions: Doree turns 50, and Sue marks 30 years at Denny (10 years before Doree got there!). By the way, lunch at Denny isn’t just your average school lunch – it’s the regionally renowned Denny Diner (as explained here), which is why you see that phrase in the poster. Lunch at Denny starts at 10:45 am, but of course Doree and Sue start working on it hours ahead of time.
When the Chief Sealth High School boys’ varsity basketball players attend next week’s sports banquet, they’re bound to be holding their heads high. Their season’s over, but it was down to the wire. Last night against Franklin at Bellevue College, in a “winner to state, loser out” situation, Sealth spent the last five minutes of the first half going from seven points down to four points up, but that run and a subsequent one in the third quarter were not enough, as Franklin beat them 68-65 in the last minute. The loss ended the Seahawks’ season and moved Franklin into a seeding round this weekend to determine their place in the state tournament next week. Sealth’s gut-check run at the end of the first half made up for a very flat game up until that point. They managed to keep the streak going at the start of the third and went up on Franklin by as much as 12 points. During that run, the Seahawks controlled the rebound and managed to keep control of the ball.
By the fourth quarter Franklin pulled up and tied Sealth on a series of three-point shots. Most of the last five minutes saw the game turn into a one-point affair, and with less than a minute to go, Sealth went up, thanks to this three-pointer from Keon Lewis.
Lewis was the high scorer for the Seahawks with 28 points, the bulk of those coming on free throws. Congratulations to Chief Sealth for an exciting season!
Dina Johnson was among the Highland Park Action Committee volunteers who visited HP Elementary today to help the students celebrate Dr. Seuss – whose work of course everyone knows is best read aloud. HPAC chair Dan Mullins issued a blanket invite to his group to join him in reading to the students during Dr. Seuss’s birthday (3/2) week, and drew a good turnout, posing here with a school staffer or two:
Thanks to Dina and Monica Cavagnero for sharing the photos!
From Chief Sealth High School (at Boren) – The Seahawks boys’ varsity team won tonight’s district-tournament game against Seattle Prep, 57-50. They play again Thursday – if we’re reading the chart correctly, the opponent will be Franklin. .
9:36 PM UPDATE: Confirmed – Sealth plays Franklin at Bellevue College, 6:30 pm Thursday. Winner goes to the state tournament.
ADDED 10 PM: Here’s our video of how the game ended – listen for the countdown:
Our summary: Most of the elements that had been missing from Sealth’s last two games managed to make a return tonight as the Seahawks beat Seattle Prep 57-50 to move on to play in the next round of the Sea-King 3A District Tournament. The game was a tight one, tied at halftime. Sealth only pulled away from Prep in the fourth quarter by controlling the rebounding. Big games for Sealth: Keon Lewis with 18 points, repeatedly powering his way through Prep’s defense under the basket; Tomas Ogbaslassie with 15 points, including a couple of 3-pointers and a perfect night at the free-throw line. Side note: Congratulations to Sealth coach Colin Slingsby for being honored as the 2010 Star Times boys’ basketball coach.
Just published by our citywide-news partners at the Seattle Times – an update on the state’s list of “lowest-performing” schools. Three Seattle Public Schools are on the list, and the only one in our area is West Seattle Elementary. According to the Times, Seattle Public Schools plans to send letters home to parents. And WS Elementary will get a new principal, because of the district’s plans for dealing with “lowest-performing” schools – if a principal at any such school has been there longer than two years, as has Gayle Everly, the district will replace them. The designation also means that the school may be eligible for a federal grant; the district has until the end of this week to apply. (Two months ago, we covered an at-times-contentious meeting in High Point at which local parents faced district leaders with their concerns, mostly about WS Elementary.) 2:39 PM UPDATE: We’ve now received the district’s news release about all this – focused on the grant possibilities – read on:Read More
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