West Seattle, Washington
21 Friday
South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) invites you to an onlinre speaker series with six events over the next three months – free! Here’s the announcement:
South Seattle College faculty will host a virtual speaker series titled Artist as Storyteller: Adaptation, Resiliency, and Environmental Justice, with the first event tomorrow (Tuesday, March 9).
The series, supported by the Seattle Colleges Performing Arts Fund, will welcome BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) artists, performers and activists to share their work and explore what it means to be an artist in today’s social and cultural climate. All events are free, open to the public and hosted virtually on Zoom.
From beatboxing and butoh to drag, photography, and tattoos, the Artist as Storyteller speaker series will feature six artists. It begins on March 9, 2021 and concludes on June 8, 2021. Links to learn more and join each speaking event are available at www.artistasstoryteller.com.
The series was organized by four South Seattle College faculty members and they will host future series in 2021 and 2022.
Artist as Storyteller Event Schedule:
Tuesday, March 9, 2021, 1 – 2 p.m.: Butylene & One: Seattle-based Latinx drag performers
Tuesday, April 13, 2021, 1 – 2 p.m.: Haruko Crow Nishimura: dancer, vocalist, and co-director of the Degenerate Art Ensemble
Tuesday, April 27, 2021, 1 – 2 p.m.: Nicole Paris: freestyle beatboxer, YouTube star, and children’s book author
Tuesday, May 11, 2021, 1 – 2 p.m.: Nic Masangkay: Seattle-based Filipinix cultural worker in music, poetry, multimedia and transformative justice
Tuesday, May 18, 1 – 2 p.m.: Emma Kates-Shaw: handpoke tattoo artist of the Bad Apple Tattoo Collective
Monday, May 31, 1 – 2 p.m.: Binh Danh: inventor of the chlorophyll printing process, photographer and artist
The series theme, “Adaptation, Resiliency, and Environmental Justice,” emerged from the challenges and new possibilities of the COVID-19 era. We cannot safely gather in the community spaces of galleries, theaters, or music venues. We have experienced and borne witness to economic devastation, racial inequities, insecurity of healthcare systems, the violence of failing political systems, and a changing climate that has wrought havoc on our more-than-human world.
However, art making, activism, and storytelling persists and provides a refuge and space for reflection in this time of isolation. Artists, performers, and activists are on the cultural front lines of helping us understand the future through new forms of digital and adaptive storytelling. In bringing the public and artists together in conversation, we hope to create a new community formed with a foundation of resiliency and persistence shared by all.
High-school football is happening in spring this year instead of fall, and two local teams’ first games are tomorrow night. According to the Metro League schedule, Chief Sealth International High School hosts Roosevelt at Southwest Athletic Complex at 4 pm Saturday, and West Seattle High School plays Cleveland at Memorial Stadium downtown at 5 pm Saturday. One big thing to know: No spectators in the stadiums. However, you can still see the West Seattle-Cleveland game, as Rainier Avenue Radio plans online play-by-play, video and audio – here’s where to watch at gametime.
We’re continuing to feature school-group fundraisers – and tonight we have an unusual one, involving a scavenger hunt (and more)! Here’s how the Genesee Hill Elementary PTA explains it:
We have a cool way to do fundraising for a unique kind of year at Genesee Hill and invite the community to join in!
To state the obvious, school looks very different for everyone this year. What hasn’t changed is the need for the Genesee Hill PTA to partner with the Genesee Hill Administration to ensure the necessary programs are in place for all of our kids to be successful. Fundraising allows us to be flexible and “fill the gaps” on services that are unfortunately not covered by the school district or the State of Washington.
To make it a bit more fun – we have added some fun twists.
YARD SIGNS! With a minimum of a $50 donation, you will receive a yard sign delivered to your doorstep. There is a spot for you to be creative and create something fun for kids to find. Draw, paint, attach something – the sky is the limit! Once done, put the sign out in your yard for the scavenger hunt.
RAFFLE! We are hosting three raffle drawings throughout the campaign. We are incredibly grateful for the strong support we received from so many local businesses and are happy to feature them here.
SCAVENGER HUNT! All of the yard signs are numbered and Genesee Hill kids are invited to find as many as they can then enter their own raffle drawing. Click here for more details.
Join us in helping to support all kids to succeed in our school!
You can donate to the Genesee Hill PTA by going here.
In case you’ve lost track of the status of the plan to re-start some Seattle Public Schools in-person learning: Though the goal voiced by the district back in December was to return preschool, kindergarten, 1st grade, and special-education “intensive pathways” students to campuses on March 1st, the district and the Seattle Education Association are still negotiating. Last Friday, the district announced that it had declared the “intensive pathways” and preschool staff as “essential,” and would expect them back on campus next Monday (March 8th), with those students starting in-person classes (with their families offered the option to remain remote) on Thursday, March 11th. The district’s latest update on this is here. Meantime, SEA’s latest update is here. The union’s board considers the unilateral “essential” declaration illegal and “unionbusting,” and is recommending that those covered by it continue working remotely. SEA is having a 5 pm meeting tonight to consider that and other recommendations, and another meeting tomorrow for the members who the district has declared “essential.” The union’s update from Monday includes both district and SEA links to proposals, counterproposals, and comparisons.
Many West Seattle independent and parochial schools have offered hybrid programs this year, as we reported last fall – some in-person learning, some online. One of them, Seattle Lutheran High School, has just announced it’s adding a fourth day of in-person learning starting this week.
The Seattle Lutheran High School Board of Directors is pleased to announce the approval of a fourth day of in-building learning for all students in grades 9-12 beginning the week of March 1, 2021. Students will now attend classes in the building Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, with Wednesday being fully remote and the last Wednesday of each month being an asynchronous workday.
“The Seattle Lutheran Board and I are excited about moving to four days a week of in-building classes. Our protocols have worked flawlessly and with the continued infection rate reductions, we are confident this is the right move for our students,” commented Tim Morgan, Interim Executive Director of Seattle Lutheran High School.
In the fall, students had the option of attending classes remotely or in-person. Safety protocols have been strictly enforced on campus with students and staff screened every morning before entering the building, including temperature checks and required mask wearing. When asked what she thought of the additional day of in-building learning, ASB SLHS President Melina Menashe replied, “I really enjoy going to school every day to be with my best friends, as well as asking teachers questions and receiving answers in person so you can get more than just a visual experience.”
Senior Emma Freeman added that she feels “adding Friday to the list of in-person days will help increase engagement in whatever classes in-person students have for that day. I know for me personally it is sometimes easier to slide off on Zoom on a Friday afternoon, but being in the building helps keep me on track.”
Seattle Lutheran High School is still accepting applications for Fall 2021, and more information can be found here or contact the Admissions Director Sally Heit at 206-937-7722, or visit www.seattlelutheran.org.
The SLHS campus is at 4100 SW Genesee, just north of The Junction. We asked if they’ve had any COVID cases; the response, “SLHS has had only one positive Covid-19 case but it was not contracted at the school nor transmitted within the school community.”
The longtime principal of Chief Sealth International High School, Aida Fraser-Hammer, is in her eighth year there, and has just announced it will be her last. Here is the letter she sent to the school community:
It is a tremendous honor being principal at Chief Sealth International High School. I truly love the school and I cannot see myself working anywhere else. When I walked in the doors of this beautiful school 8 years ago, I had already fallen in love with the students and I was driven by my deep desire to provide them with the education they deserve, an education that empowers the powerless, open doors for the uninvited, and makes dreams a reality. I truly appreciate the trust that you placed in me to guide the school to where we are now. Together we have designed the path to social justice and equity in education. Without your support, our school would not be on the cusp of becoming a place where ALL students belong. YOU made the difference for our students, and along the way YOU have empowered me.
By means of this letter, I would like to let you know that I have decided to retire at the end of this school year. My decision to leave was a very difficult one to make. It was difficult because I am still in love with the school and to our mission; and I am still committed to the students, to you, and to the community. However, the time has come for me to fulfill a promise that I made 40 years ago to my late husband. I will work with the Human Resources Department and the district Leadership Team to find my replacement. Together we will ensure a smooth transition and a continued emphasis on increasing student voice, embracing practices that focus on the value of people as individuals, appreciating ethnic/cultural contributions, practicing inclusion, demanding academic relevance and authenticating the assessment process. I leave with appreciation for your support, encouragement and trust. I grew professionally and personally over the last eight years, and I am thankful for all the valuable lessons and wonderful memories. I am going to miss coming to work every day.
As I fulfill my long-standing promise, I will remain active during my retirement. I will travel, volunteer with DAWN and CASA, and explore any enticing opportunity that comes my way. I will also host family reunions in Trinidad and Nicaragua so my children and grandchildren can become more acquainted with their complex heritages. I may also find time to write my autobiography. And of course, I will keep in touch with you.
Although my date of departure is still a long way off, I want to express my best wishes to everyone at Chief Sealth. I wish you all continued success and growth with current and future projects. It’s great to be a Seahawk!
Before Fraser-Hammer started in fall 2013, Chris Kinsey was Sealth principal for 2 years; he was preceded by John Boyd, who was there for 7 years.
ADDED FRIDAY: Fraser-Hammer has since sent a letter to families, and asked us to add it to the story:
Two more dine-out fundraisers for local schools, including late word of one happening now:
GENESEE HILL PTA @ CHIPOTLE: Just got word of this – the Genesee Hill Elementary PTA is fundraising with a dine-out event at Chipotle in The Junction (4730 California SW) tonight until 8 pm. If you go, show this flyer (on your phone), which also has a code to use if you order in advance online for pickup.
ALKI ELEMENTARY PTA @ MISSION: This one’s happening Sunday (February 28th) at Mission Cantina (2325 California SW) in Admiral:
We are thrilled to announce that Mission Cantina will generously donate 20% of all sales that the restaurant makes to Alki Elementary PTA on Sunday, February 28th, for their full hours of 11:00 am to 8:00 pm. This includes all food, alcohol, and gift cards!
To order regular menu items please call Mission directly at 206-937-8220 on February 28th. Please note, we are encouraging families to work with the restaurant directly rather than use 3rd party apps such as Grubhub and Ubereats to help the staff get more of the funds from tips and orders.
After opposition greeted a suggestion to save up to three-quarters of a million dollars by cutting bus service to most “option schools” – including Louisa Boren STEM and Pathfinder K-8s in West Seattle – Seattle Public Schools is looking at other options too. The School Board spent almost two hours Tuesday hearing and talking about possible ways to save money on transportation; it was a “work session,” so no decisions were made. District staff said the underlying problem is that the state funding for school transportation falls short, so fixing that would mean cuts and changes wouldn’t be necessary, but that’s up to the Legislature and Governor.
(STARS is a state-funding formula.)
Each bus needed costs the district $102,000. Much of the transportation the district offers, it was noted, is not legally required; they could cut back on eligibility, but then they’d be getting less compensation. One possible way to save, district-wide: Group schools in three start-time “tiers” rather than the current two, meaning fewer buses would be needed; that could save $3 million to $5 million, staff believes. One board member said that wouldn’t be simple, recalling the difficulty of getting to the current two tiers. District staff also noted the possibility of unintended consequences – the current two-tier timing means more money has to be spent chartering buses for sports transportation.
Big changes would likely not be possible until the 2022-2023 school year, staff acknowledged, but for next year they could make some money-saving tweaks such as adjusting routes and walk zones, or offering more ORCA cards for older students to use Metro buses.
WHAT’S NEXT: School board members were asked to let staff know what they’re interested in pursuing; the topic will be brought back during a budget work session next week. West Seattle/South Park rep Leslie Harris asked Superintendent Denise Juneau if option-school principals’ request for a meeting with staff was being addressed; Juneau said she believed two members of her staff were “setting up some sort of meeting.” Meantime, though work sessions don’t have public-comment periods, you can comment via email – spsdirectors@seattleschools.org.
If you’re thinking about having pizza before the week’s out, two local schools are getting a slice of the proceeds during separate one-day fundraisers at West Seattle’s MOD Pizza locations:
ALKI CO-OP PRESCHOOL: This Thursday (February 25th), MOD Pizza at 4755 Fauntleroy Way SW will donate a share of what you spend to nonprofit Alki Cooperative Preschool. This is important: “Please use our code (GR176595A) or mention Alki Co-op Preschool in store. NO THIRD-PARTY OR PHONE ORDERS PLEASE!” You can order via the website, though. Hours are 10:30 am-10 pm.
LOUISA BOREN STEM K-8: The STEM K-8 PTA has a fundraiser this Sunday (February 28th) at the MOD Pizza at Westwood Village (2600 SW Barton). The code for this one will be GR179557L – or mention the school – and again, you can order in-store or online, for pickup or delivery, directly from MOD. Same hours, 10:30 am-10 pm.
Seattle Public Schools promised an update today on the status of returning thousands of students to in-person learning next month. Here’s the promised update:
Central office staff have been preparing for many months. Health and safety protocols have been implemented, Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) is in place, and the district has prepared for student transportation and meals.
An increase of in-person instruction also requires we negotiate new working conditions with Seattle Education Association. Unfortunately, we don’t yet have an agreement with SEA. To begin phasing in students on March 1, we needed an agreement by Monday, February 22. Without an agreement, the in-person return date has been delayed until at least March 8.
Staff continue to prioritize the phased return of students in Special Education Intensive Service Pathways first, followed by students in PreK-1 grade.
A special Board Meeting will be held on February 25 from 4-5:30 p.m. to discuss next steps and take action on the OSPI required Washington School’s 2020-21 Reopening Progress Report Template. Families and staff are encouraged to watch or listen to the board work session. (See the agenda here.) The meeting will be broadcast on television or can be viewed on the SPS TV YouTube channel. To listen by phone, dial 206-800-4125 and use Conference ID 931 417 102#.
District staff are committed to continuing negotiations in good faith. SPS has requested mediation support from the Public Employment Relations Commission to help facilitate a timely resolution. PERC is impartial and will help the district and the union explore solutions that lead to a mutual agreement. At this time, Seattle Education Association has declined mediation services.
You can review the most current bargaining update, the district’s proposal to SEA, including a racial equity analysis, on the Bargaining webpage.
The union’s updates, meantime, are here. More recent than those posts is this video update from bargaining-team members. (added) SEA also has just responded to the SPS statement with a Twitter thread, saying in part, “The District’s inability to implement needed health and safety protocols is delaying return to in-person learning.”
We’ve been reporting since last month on the Seattle Public Schools proposal to drop bus service to most “option schools” – including Louisa Boren STEM K-8 in Delridge and Pathfinder K-8 on Pigeon Point – to nibble at a budget crunch. The suggestion is from district staff and has not yet gone to a vote of the School Board, which won’t finalize the budget until summer. But since the idea came to light after a budget work session last month (here’s our first report), it’s stirred opposition at affected schools, and the board has a “work session” tomorrow to focus specifically on transportation funding, including this proposal. The agenda is out now and notes that the district’s transportation costs have risen sharply. Its contract with yellow-bus provider First Student was $26 million in 2017-2018, and $36 million for 2020-2021. Cutting bus service to 1,100+ students at 12 option schools including the two serving West Seattle/South Park was estimated to be a potential $740,000 savings. Here are some other possibilities for transportation savings that will be presented to the board tomorrow:
Here are recommendations the staff plans to propose:
District staff also call attention to the need to “fix” state funding for school transportation, and to keep districts’ funding from suffering because of pandemic-related enrollment drops. The full agenda and slide deck is here and includes information for watching/listening to the 4:30 pm Tuesday meeting, which does not include a public-comment period. (You can send comments any time, though, to spsdirectors@seattleschools.org.)
This week is midwinter break for Seattle Public Schools – no classes, remote or otherwise. By early next week, the district has promised an update on the plan to offer in-person learning again for preschoolers through 1st graders, as well as special-education students on “intensive pathways.” The district has also finally released full results of its survey of families whose students are eligible to return to school buildings. They’re published here. The survey was open January 5th-19th; the district reports that of the 10,742 eligible students, 46.8 percent of families said they want their student to return to in-person learning, 40.9 percent preferred to continue remote learning, and 12.3 percent did not respond. Breaking the results into demographic groups, SPS says white families had the highest support for in-person learning, 56 percent, while Asian families had the highest support for continuing remote learning, also 56 percent. The district also surveyed staff and says 30 percent want to continue working remotely. The district says the responses from families and staff “were used to develop proposed instructional models and create sample illustrative schedules that have been proposed to Seattle Education Association in the ongoing negotiations.” A separate district update says those negotiations are continuing this week and that the district has requested a mediator’s help. (Here’s the union’s own latest update.) Once an agreement is reached, the district says, it will survey families again.
Before we get back to snow coverage, one event to preview for today: We’ve been covering the Seattle Public Schools proposal to save three-quarters of a million dollars by cutting bus service to most “option schools,” including Louisa Boren STEM K-8 and Pathfinder K-8 in West Seattle. This afternoon at 3 pm, School Board directors Leslie Harris – who represents West Seattle and South Park – and Lisa Rivera-Smith will host an online meeting to discuss the proposal. register here ASAP for attendance info.
(WSB photo: WSHS Class of 2020 drive-thru event, May 2020)
Because of the pandemic, the Class of 2020 ended high school with online ceremonies and drive-thru celebrations. With vaccinations under way and case numbers dropping, should the Class of 2021 get a chance to graduate in person? West Seattle High School‘s senior-class leaders say yes, and have just launched a petition drive. Here’s how they make their case, as sent by ASB president Ella Richardson;
As planning is getting underway, the school board has informed the student body that their graduation this year will be held virtually yet again. For the class of 2021, their entire year has been experienced virtually. They have missed out on all of the milestones that high-school seniors often look forward to, which has contributed to the mental-health crisis many students are facing.
Though this has been a year of loss, the Senior class has still held out hope for an in-person graduation. With vaccine rollouts rapidly increasing, and COVID numbers trending down, the likelihood of in-person events happening in June is a possible reality.
All of our schools hold weekly in-person distributions, and contact sports have resumed. Furthermore, many schools across the state have managed to safely return to in-person learning. These steps make it clear that a safe, in-person graduation is possible, and should be pursued by the Seattle Public Schools district.
If you agree the School Board should move beyond simply holding a virtual graduation, and begin planning for a safe in-person graduation, please sign this petition.
Some districts are planning for possible in-person graduations, like Highline (just south of Seattle). SPS’s website, meantime, lists only dates.
Two weeks ago, we reported on two local schools’ concerns over a district proposal to save money by cutting school-bus service. Seattle Public Schools says it would save $740,000 – chipping away at a projected $48 million shortfall next year – by dropping service to “option schools.” West Seattle has two – Louisa Boren STEM K-8 in Delridge and Pathfinder K-8 on Pigeon Point. The cuts would affect thousands of students district-wide, according to an SPS breakdown in this budget update on the district website. In an FAQ included in that update, the district responds to the question “How can families make informed [enrollment] decisions if they don’t know if transportation will be provided to option schools?” by saying that the enrollment period has been extended to February 26th. The budget isn’t finalized until summer, but one event of note will happen before that deadline – the School Board is having a “work session” at 4:30 pm Tuesday, February 23rd, focused on transportation. The agenda’s not available yet, but work sessions don’t usually include public comment, and a chance to have a say is what local families have been pushing for – both have online petition drives going, Pathfinder here and Boren STEM here.
ADDED: Two School Board members, including West Seattle/South Park rep Leslie Harris, are having an online community meeting about this at 3 pm Saturday (February 13th) – register here ASAP for attendance info.
10:48 AM: Congratulations to the school nutrition team at Denny International Middle School and Chief Sealth International High School, which have continued feeding students throughout the pandemic! The announcement is from Denny principal Jeff Clark:
Guess how many meals were given out to our community, thanks to all of the efforts being run out the Denny/Sealth kitchen last month.
If you guessed 23,733, you are correct! This number makes us the largest food distribution site in the entire state of Washington!
A very large number of meals go out thanks to our partnership with Amazon and their delivery drivers. A couple of months ago, a production crew came to Denny to film. It is possible that we might see Ms. Doree and our fabulous team during an Amazon Super Bowl commercial (they won’t tell us ahead of time).
Super Bowl commercial or no Super Bowl commercial, our amazing kitchen team and all of our partners deserve a massive shout-out of appreciation on behalf of our staff and entire community! Go Dolphins!
(We checked and so far, the only Amazon commercial previewed is the one for Alexa – but many commercials don’t get previewed, so be on the lookout!)
ADDED 7:11 PM: Legendary “lunch lady” Doree says this is the commercial:
(Note that’s West Seattle’s own Don Armeni Boat Ramp at the end, too.)
Thanks to Alicia from the Louisa Boren STEM K-8 PTA for the photos. As previewed here, the PTA organized a demonstration this afternoon wrapping up Black Lives Matter at School Week.
Alicia reports that more than 50 students, family members, and staff participated. Delridge is torn up in front of their school, so they gathered along Sylvan Way, outside High Point Neighborhood House.
Alicia adds, “We enjoyed the honking horns and waves from passing cars!”
5:40 PM: Seattle Public Schools says that the students returning to in-person learning will return in phases, with the first phase serving special-education students (in “intensive pathways”). That means the others, preschoolers through 1st-graders, won’t start until sometime after March 1st. Also from the briefing that’s under way now, the district says about 50 percent of eligible families have indicated their students will return for in-person classes. District officials are also describing the schedules – the special-education students would attend Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, while the preschoolers, kindergarteners, and 1st graders would be split into A and B groups – Mondays and Tuesdays for one, Thursdays and Fridays for the other. More details to come – families were repeatedly advised to check the district’s website, but it’s currently down again.
5:48 PM: The briefing’s over; we’ve added the recorded video above.
More partnerships between local schools and local businesses:
MISSION CANTINA DINE-OUT FOR FAIRMOUNT PARK ELEMENTARY: This is happening on Sunday at Mission Cantina (WSB sponsor). From the Fairmount Park Elementary PTA:
We are excited to partner with Mission Cantina for our next Dine-Out Event! Mission Cantina will generously donate 20% of ALL sales that the restaurant makes on February 7th, for their full hours of 11:00 am to 8:00 pm. No need for a special code or link! This includes all food, alcohol, and gift cards.
To order, please call Mission directly at 206-937-8220. The restaurant will begin taking phone orders starting at 11 am. Please note, we are encouraging families to work with the restaurant directly rather than use 3rd-party apps such as GrubHub and Ubereats, to help the staff get more of the funds from tips and orders.
So enjoy brunch, lunch, dinner, evening margaritas, or all of them! Avoid the rush by buying a gift card to use another day! Thank you for supporting a local restaurant AND the PTA!
Mission Cantina is at 2325 California SW.
DREAM DINNERS DEAL FOR ‘WEB’ AT MADISON: Dream Dinners-West Seattle (WSB sponsor) does the prep, you finish at home and serve! They’re offering three chances to get family meals and support WEB at Madison Middle School, as explained by faculty coordinator Mike Kreiger: “Madison’s WEB (‘Where Everybody Belongs’) Program consists of about 90 eighth-grade leaders who help make the school a more inclusive place. They plan and run the 6th-grade orientation, give tours to new students, and make relationships with new-to-Madison students. They meet during advisory and lunch and plan fun ‘get-to-know-you activities’ with the 6th graders to make them feel connected to Madison.” Here’s how the fundraiser works:
By helping WEB and a local small-business, your money has a DOUBLE positive impact in our community. For $50 you can get three 3-serving meals (9 servings total), and $10 of that will go straight to Madison’s WEB program for next year. You can pay online up to 36 hours before the pickup time, and then just pick up during your window and you have 3 pre-made meals that are ready to cook! Here are the dates (and links, with menu options) to our fundraiser if you can help:
Thursday, March 4th 6:30 pm-7:30 pm – dreamdinners.com/session/875439
Saturday, March 6th at 10:30-11:30 am – dreamdinners.com/session/875440
Wednesday, March 10th at 6:30-7:30 pm – dreamdinners.com/session/875441If you are not interested in Dream Dinners at this time, we are asking for donations of $10 (or more) to keep WEB going strong. If you can help, here is the donation link.
Pickup will be at Dream Dinners-West Seattle (4701 41st SW, outer east side of Jefferson Square).
A big honor for a longtime member of the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) faculty. Here’s the announcement:
Dr. Yilin Sun, who has spent the majority of her 30-plus year career teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) at South Seattle College (SSC) and Seattle Central College, has been recognized as a top-30 contributor to the U.S. Department of State’s English Language Specialist Program. The specialist program is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2021.
The “30@30 Award” recognizes Sun as one of a select group of thirty specialists who have made a lasting impact on the specialist program and on the TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) field since 1991, building English-teaching capacity abroad and bolstering mutual understanding through English language education.
Sun is a tenured faculty member in the Basic and Transitional Studies Division at SSC, and now directs faculty development programs for the Seattle Colleges District. She has served the field of TESOL for more than 30 years and has been with Seattle Colleges for more than 27 years as a dedicated educator. She is a tireless advocate for racial equity, diversity, and inclusion in higher education and for providing equitable, accessible, and quality education to underserved student populations. She also strives to empower learners and TESOL professionals.
Sun is a former president of the TESOL International Association from 2013 to 2016. This was the first time in TESOL’s 50-year history that an Asian, female, bilingual Chinese and English speaking professional served as president of TESOL.
“What makes Dr. Yilin Sun such a remarkable leader and role model is her ability to develop inclusive, equitable and diverse communities, and provide resources which foster critical thinking and creativity,” said Anne Levin, ESL faculty member at Seattle Colleges. “When in her presence, students and colleagues feel welcome and inspired to be their very best selves. Her advocacy for immigrants and refugees, collaborative spirit and enthusiasm for teaching and learning is heartfelt and contagious to all who have the honor of working with her.”
The 30@30 awardees will be honored throughout the anniversary year with featured stories on the English Language Programs website, in presentations at the Virtual 2021 TESOL International Convention, as expert panelists in online webinars, and at an Appreciation Luncheon and Awards Ceremony in October at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., conditions allowing.
For further information, please visit the English Language Specialist Program and U.S. Department of State websites.
(Photo courtesy Dr. Yilin Sun, shown speaking to the 2015 TESOL International Convention in Toronto.)
Congratulations to the West Seattle High School athletes who signed letters of intent for National Signing Day today! WSHS qthletic director Corey Sorenson sent word of these five:
West Seattle National Signing Day 2021
Nate Rasmussen: Signing with Bellevue College for baseball, planning to major in business.
Aliya Couillard: Signing with Long Island University for soccer, planning to major in forensic science.
Kambel Fiser: Signing with Adelphi University for volleyball, planning to major in exercise science.
Nic Chantorn: Signing with Bellevue College for golf, planning to major in civil engineering.
Lauryn Nguyen : Signing with Northwestern University for golf, planning to major in communications, with a minor in business institutions.
All five also shared memories and gratitude you can read about here, or below:
In less than four weeks, Seattle Public Schools plans to offer in-person classes for preschoolers, kindergarteners, first-graders, and special-education students on intensive pathways. How many will show up? The district surveyed families last month; we asked about results of that survey today, but the district says they’re not available yet. Meantime, district leaders plan to livestream an update on in-person planning this Thursday (February 4th) at 5:15 pm (you can watch here). And they’ve put together a video showing, among other things, the way classrooms will be reconfigured:
Just to our south, Highline Public Schools also plans to resume some in-person learning March 1st, with a plan covering more grades, eventually adding 2nd through 5th graders within a month
Three more school-fundraiser announcements from the WSB inbox:
ALKI ELEMENTARY PTA VALENTINE’S PACKAGES: From the Alki Elementary PTA:
Valentine’s Day Packages are now available and include Cupcake Royale cupcakes, Jones Soda Shirley Temple Kits (sponsored by Mission Cantina), Cobb’s Popcorn (Pike Place Market favorite) and games for the whole family! Add a beautiful bouquet of roses or locally designed Valentine’s Day and PNW cards from Brush & Mallet (as seen at NW Art & Frame)! Pick up available Sunday, 2/14 from 12-2 at Genesee and 54th.
Want to have a dozen roses delivered to someone special? Have an Alki volunteer cupid porch-drop a beautiful bouquet the morning of Valentine’s Day with your own personal message!
Any of the above can be ordered online, here.
LAFAYETTE ELEMENTARY PTA: They’re selling Krispy Kreme donuts through February 10th:
Buy a “Digital Dozen” for $10. Digital gift cards will be delivered via email after the fundraiser ends to be redeemed ANY time at ANY Krispy Kreme. The new contactless Digital Dozens are a fast and convenient way to put Original Glazed Doughnuts virtually in your hands. We collect donations and distribute the Digital Dozens by email, then you redeem it for an Original Glazed Dozen the next time you visit a shop or the drive-thru. Digital Dozens will be emailed to you after the fundraiser ends. We have a created a special link to share with our community who may want to support Lafayette and buy a Digital Dozen. They can use the Store Locator to find a nearby store for pickup. Thank You for supporting the students of Lafayette in this sweet way!
The one nearest West Seattle is in SODO, but the offer might be appealing if you have family/friends in other communities who are KK fans.
ALKI CO-OP PRESCHOOL @ MOD PIZZA, FEBRUARY 25: You have a few weeks to plan for this one:
Alki Co-op Preschool is hosting a Dine Out Fundraiser at MOD Pizza (Fauntleroy location only) on February 25th. Part of SSC’s West Seattle Preschool program, Alki Co-op Preschool is a non-profit preschool that enriches our community through positive discipline education. Please use our code (GR176595A) or mention Alki Co-op Preschool in store. NO THIRD PARTY OR PHONE ORDERS PLEASE!
Here’s the flyer.
Got a fundraiser the whole community can support? westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
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