tell me about Sanislo?

[hopey]

First time through the registration process, and I really thought we’d get better than 4th choice!

We put Sanislo on the list mostly because we thought the tumbling program could help our stepson who is bright/gifted but has motivation problems and poor attention habits.

Any Sanislo parents here? What else can you tell me about the school?

Share This

[JoB]

i had no idea that school registration had become so competitive here.

Share This

[hopey]

We were shocked too. For what it’s worth, this is for a new third grade student. Our choices were:

Lafayette Spectrum

Lafayette

Schmitz

Sanislo

John Muir Spectrum

We figured it’d be better to keep him in WS than travel for Spectrum. That may not have been the right decision. We’ll see.

I’m hoping some Sanislo parents can step up and help us feel a little better about this. :)

Share This

[WSB]

Hopey, I can tell you that Sanislo is one of the schools we have spent the most time covering lately because it’s got a lot going on and its parents are working hard to get the word about it. If you don’t hear from some of them here by later today, I’ll ping my most frequent contact and call her attention to this thread.

Have you looked at the website yet?

http://sanislo.org

This is the “unofficial official” website.

Separate from that, I’m sadly not surprised to hear it’s tough to get your first choice. I think the school-age demographic is growing faster than Seattle Public Schools gave it credit for, and the closure of schools might have been pennywise-poundfoolish.

Did they waitlist you for Lafayette (Spectrum and not)? The year our son started there (also third grade) he was on the waitlist till school was just a few weeks away; then a spot opened up. — TR

Share This

[hopey]

Thanks, TR! I would love to hear from folks at Sanislo. Like I said, I really think their unique tumbling program would help my stepson tremendously. I am just concerned about how his academic needs will be met as well.

Yes, we’re on the waiting list for Lafayette Spectrum, so that is GREAT news about your experience. How long ago was that?

Share This

[WSB]

Last three school years before this one (Junior Member of Team is in 6th grade now). All three of our years there were terrific. Whenever we drive by, we get pangs of nostalgia. I only wish that I hadn’t listened to people who, years before we became parents, talked so much trash about the Seattle public-school system that we were terrified to even try it at the start. The central administration may be less than perfect but individual schools have some incredible, committed people and great programs … many of which we’ve covered on WSB (and more to come!) … and of course the parents’ volunteer efforts make a big difference too — TR

Share This

[michaelj]

It must be very disappointing to not get your first choice. Sanislo was our first choice, and I know we would probably have felt the same sense of disappointment had we not gotten in. Kindergarten especially can feel so life and death. But we’re very happy there for many reasons: the school is absolutely alive with joy. Just walk into the building and you can’t help but feel the deep sense of community there. The teachers are very experienced, Between the two kindergarten teachers, I think they’ve been teaching for about 30 years. They run a tight ship, and know what they’re doing. Curriculum is standardized throughout the district, so Sanislo is going to have more or less the same reading/writing/math/science as every other Seattle public school. The art and gym offerings are exceptional — just look in the hallways. The ambition and respect the art teacher has for the students is evident on every wall. And the gym teacher is as good as they come. What I would urge you to do is visit the school, or call the PTA. What I think you’ll find is a school where your child can learn, develop close friendships and become part of a close, caring community where talk about kids coming first is followed up with action. Good luck!

Share This

[hopey]

Thanks, MichaelJ! My stepson will be a 3rd grader in the fall. Do you have any experience with those teachers?

I am glad to hear your view of the school. Arts education is important to us, so I’m happy to hear there is a strong emphasis. And one of the things that made us put Sanislo on the list was a newspaper article from a few years back highlighting the tumbling program. Is that still happening? I didn’t find any mention of that program on the PTA website.

Share This

[michaelj]

Hi, Hopey. Just logged into the forum, and saw your post from six days ago. I don’t have any experience with the third grade teachers, but you won’t have any problem finding parents who do. Just call the PTA, and they can put you in touch with several people. Or drop by the school, and check out the teachers in action. That will help your decision more than anything I can offer.

The tumbling is offered as an after-school club event, and the former teacher who headed the program returned to assist the current PE teacher in teaching it last session. I don’t know how that compares to the old program. We have a very active boy, too, and he is absolutely crazy about the current gym teacher, Luther Bonow. He brings a lot of energy and fun to the job, and his classes are the highlight of my son’s week.

As you probably discovered, everyone thinks their school is the best, and it is — for their kid. I’ve no doubt you’ll find a good place for your son. Good luck!

Share This

[LisaK]

Hi, Hopey,

After reading about them for some time, I’ve finally checked out the WSB forums and saw this thread. As another Sanislo parent, I just want to add my welcome to MichaelJ’s. Sorry you didn’t get your first choice, but if you do end up at Sanislo this fall (and, don’t give up, you never know what will happen with those waiting lists)I hope you and your family have a good experience with us. I’ve met several families that have transferred in during the upper grades, and they’ve been happy with their experiences. (One of the new students in my son’s class this year is actually their student council rep.) Please feel free to come by a PTA meeting–only a few left, and they are the second Tues. of the month at 6:30 in the school library. To be honest, our meetings aren’t highly exciting (lots of fundraising planning right now as we look towards next year’s budget needs), but the folks who attend are great people. Also, check in with Debbie Nelsen, our new principal, as to the dates of our upcoming family nights–you may be able to attend (we went a reading night before we started kindergarten and it was good to see the community in action). Another opportunity to meet some Sanislo folks may be through our librarian’s “West Seattle Reads” program–search for it on WSB for more info.

But more to the heart of your questions….I’ve got a second-grader, so our kids could possibly be under the “Big Top” together at Sanislo next fall. Though I don’t have a kid in their classrooms, everything that I’ve seen and heard so far of the 3rd grade teachers and beyond makes me excited and I feel confident as my kid moves on through the school. Ms. Parkhurst and Ms. O’Connor have been at the school for a while, have a huge amount of dedication to our kids, talent for teaching, and it shows. They may not be the uber-warm fuzzy types, but they are great teachers. If your kid likes reading, it may help to know that in the past few years at least, there have been accelerated reading groups for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders led by a specialist to provide more challenge for the kids on the higher end of the reading spectrum. (Previous years saw Ms. Wey working with K-2, but this year she was 1st-3rd, so I’m not sure if she’ll be doing 3rd again next year yet. That may be something where the leadership has to decide which grade level has the greatest number of kids who would benefit. I’m really hoping she’s with the 3rd graders again, because my kid loves her.)

Just for clarity around your image of the tumbling program–it underwent a huge transition when Ms. T retired as PE teacher a couple of years ago (she was at Sanislo for over 20 years and is rather legendary in her work). To be honest, you’d find there are still a few folks mourning the loss of her, but she is there helping our new PE teacher with tumbling and unicycling as free after school clubs. Not sure if she’ll be back next year yet. Luther has a degree in PE and is learning the ropes from her this year in terms of those specific programs, and it will be interesting to see what the coming years bring as the program reinvents itself under Luther’s leadership. It is still very popular with the kids, and dear to the hearts of some parents. So, while the program may no longer look like the one you see so many pictures of on the walls, it’s still around and providing a lot of pride for its participants.

We do also have other free after school clubs led by some talented and generous parents–the spring session includes Earth Club, Origami, Chinese Paper Folding, Rollerskating, Chess, Learning about Money, etc., as well as the continuation of tumbling and unicycling. If your kid is the active type, rest assured we’ve got a good playground with a wonderful wooded setting that I think is a good break for the kids from the focused/academic side of things throughout the day.

I also want to echo MichaelJ’s praise of our art teacher–Ms. Autenrieth is simply fabulous. A huge talent and great with the kids and parents. The art on the walls is inspiring and makes me want to sit in.

I feel really good about our new principal–Debbie has some great ideas and I am eager to see what builds in the coming years. (I have a friend who is at her former school and they really loved her and were sad to see her go.) She’s very open to talking with parents and listening to both the positive and the struggles. Her honesty and groundedness are great qualities–she’s not too slick or too much of the “politician” type administrator. She really seems to tell it like it is. If you have concerns going into this, please try to get in to talk to her–I think you’ll find her helpful. She may even have a little perspective on the waiting list thing.

We have a new student council this year, a growing focus on student leadership, and a greater emphasis on community and responsibility as a student body. All-school, monthly assemblies are now celebrating student achievements and talents both in academics and pursuits beyond school.

One of the things I deeply appreciate about Sanislo is the parent community–I find folks to be down to earth, community-oriented, and open-minded. They want the best for their kids, but don’t hover too much, and they truly care about the needs of other children as well.

Sanislo isn’t perfect, and we’ve certainly got our challenges (um, maybe you shouldn’t come to a PTA meeting). ;) The Seattle Public District as a larger body can sometimes (often times?) leave parents shaking their heads (or fists), on occasion. That and the constant budget worries can sometimes make you want to scream. Like any school, Sanislo isn’t going to be right for everyone, but hopefully you’d find us to be a place where your kid can grow and learn and where you can feel comfortable as a member of the community.

All that said, my child’s preschool teacher was a tough sell on public schools (we were at an “alternative”-type school, and she was pretty hard core in the “unschooling” movement)–but even she said she’d recommend Sanislo “3rd through 5th grade.” If you do wind up with us this autumn, maybe you’re hitting us at just the right time. I hope for your kid’s sake that wherever he ends up is a good fit. It’s a big change. That’s when we all take a deep breath and try to remember how resilient kids are supposed to be, especially when supported by loving parents.

Best of luck, and keep in touch. If you do end up with us, maybe we can get you together with some of the other third graders before your kid starts this fall?

LK

Share This

[hopey]

LisaK, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, and for your offer to meet. The information about the accelerated reading program is very helpful, as my stepson would definitely qualify for that. And even if the tumbling program isn’t as formalized as in the past, it sounds like there is still a strong PE program, which is fantastic.

I will definitely look you up if he will be starting at Sanislo in the fall. The more connections he can make before the school year starts, the better! I wish there were a more “secure” way to share email addresses on this forum… I’ll see if the WSB folks can forward my email address to you.

Thanks again!

Share This

[Author]

Posts