Our school will have two teams in the fall, a FLL team which will be ages 9-14 and a jrFLL which will be for ages 6-9. If you think you might be interested in providing this opportunity for your student I would encourage you to attend an informational meeting tomorrow night at Coe Elementary. Please read below for more information on the meeting. If you have any questions please contact Sara Mirabueno at 252-2100.
While there is little you need to do before school starts, there are some helpful things we have learned in the past two years, which if taken care of now, will allow you to hit the ground running in September and prepare for the competition season in WA State.
John Hay will be hosting an informal meeting for parents interested in signing their kids up for the new program at 7 p.m. tonight, Wednesday, June 8, at Coe Elementary School, located at 2424 7th Ave W. At the meeting parents and teachers will get the chance to talk with CoeBotics Coach Willem Scholten about how the CoeBotics team is organized, what they have learned throughout the program, and pose any questions they may have. Scholten encourages those interested to pass this invitation along to other schools and organizations that may also be interested in starting up their own program.
The meeting will go from 7 to 8:30 p.m. tonight. If you plan on attending, please email Scholten at wscholten@learningaccess.org and let him know how many people will be coming so he has a rough idea of expected attendance. Check out more about the Coebotics team here.
The school says all proceeds from the rummage/bake sale will go directly to people in need in Japan, while any left-over items not sold at the event will go toward helping needy families here in the Seattle area.
John Hay’s first-term principal Karen Hanson is hosting a coffee chat from 5 to 6 p.m. tonight, Wednesday, April 6 at the Interbay Starbucks, located at 1613 West Dravus Street, in the back room.
Hanson became John Hay’s new principal after 5-year head Dan Warren was reassigned to the new Sand Point Elementary this academic year. Hanson, who had been a teacher at John Hay for 11 years prior to her appointment, holds regular coffee chats with the community and invites neighbors to bring thoughts, questions, and lively discussion to these meetings.
Our last week of fundraising shows John Hay Elementary in the lead with a mere $5 donation with Queen Anne Elementary coming in a very close second. Coe comes in third with McClure and St. Anne’s tied for fourth place.
Want to help your school win the grand prize (an Ultimate Pizza Party auction item courtesy of Zaw), as well as help them raise more dough? Customers can tell Zaw which school they’d like to make a $5 donation to in their name on all orders over $20 for the rest of the day today.
In the new transportation plan, transportation eligibility for attendance area elementary and K-8 students will be based on transportation zones.
Students within the transportation zone and outside the walk zone for a school will be eligible for District-provided transportation.
Students outside their immediate transportation zone, but within their extended intermediary boundary, can walk to an attendance area school for bus pick-up if they live within a safe walk zone (up to one mile). Otherwise, they walk up to a 1/2 mile to a regular neighborhood stop. This is a temporary option to extend transportation for two (2) years (2011-12 & 2012-13).
* Transportation Zones will include the entire attendance area of a school
* Transportation Zones will extend to areas within a 1.25 mile radius from the school and within the middle school service area
* Walk zones to schools will still apply.
Here are the maps for Queen Anne-area schools (all links are .pdfs).
The John Hay Chorus has been invited to perform at two Earth Day events, coming up on Saturday, April 16. However, because Earth Day is also the first day of spring break, many of the students in the chorus will be out of town and unable to perform. Therefore the chorus is looking for temporary singers, between 2nd and 5th grades, to fill in for the two events.
Anyone who loves to sing and wants to perform and represent John Hay to the community is welcome. No fee will be charged – we just need singers!
Rehearsals for the Earth Day events will be held on Tuesday mornings, from 8:15- to 9:00 a.m. on March 22, March 29, April 5 and April 12. The two performances will take place on Saturday, April 16, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
For more information on the chorus and how to get involved, contact Suzanne Grant at suzgrant@uswest.net.
Local education non-profit Successful Schools in Action is looking for debate judges and timers for its tournament on Saturday, February 5.
The tournament takes place at Lawton Elementary on February 5 from from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.. No experience is necessary but you do need be at least 15 years old. All orientation materials will be sent by email, and a 30 minute training for volunteer judges and timers will begin at 8:30 a.m. on tournament day. Each judge evaluates two teams of two kids in two rounds.
SSIA also needs volunteers to monitor sign-in, snack table, and make copies as needed. Volunteers can receive high school service hours.
Debate Club is made up of 4th and 5th graders from Blaine, Lawton, Coe and John Hay elementary schools. More details here.
The market also welcomed a number of newcomers, including the folks from Jello Mold Farm in the Skagit Valley, who were excited to take part in their first farmers market ever.
The Queen Anne Farmers Market will be held every Thursday, through October 7, 2010 from 3 to 7 p.m. on W Crockett St. at Queen Anne Ave N. Happy market season, Queen Anne!
Back in January Seattle Public Schools changed up some of the principal positions around the city, reassigning 5-year John Hay principal Dan Warren to head up the new Sand Point Elementary for the 2010-2011 school year. Many in the community have been waiting to find out who will be coming in to take over Warren’s post, and just last week SPS Superintendent Maria L. Goodloe-Johnson announced longtime Hay teacher and enrichment specialist Karen Hanson as the new school head.
In a letter addressed to the community on Friday, May 7, Goodloe-Johnson explained the decision making process and introduced Hanson, while wishing Warren well at his new post. Read the full letter below:
Dear John Hay Community:
I am pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Karen Hanson as the new principal for John Hay Elementary School.
A team from John Hay participated in the selection process. The team developed a profile of the qualities desired in the next school leader, interviewed a series of candidates, and provided feedback on the strengths of each applicant relative to the needs of your school. The candidates were drawn from a highly qualified pool of individuals who participated in a rigorous interview process conducted by principals and administrators. Led by Education Director, Pat Sander, the finalists that your school team recommended then participated in a Learning Walk at John Hay. During this walk, they visited classrooms, interacted with students and wrote some reflections on what they observed. The Superintendent and Chief Academic Officer conducted final interviews and made the appointment.
We believe that Ms. Hanson’s background as an enrichment specialist, classroom teacher and head teacher at John Hay for the past 11 years qualifies her to be an excellent principal choice for your school, and will ensure continuity of John Hay’s current educational experience. Her student-centered approach means that she works for the success of all students at every level; she demonstrates personal integrity and an ability to foster positive change.
Ms. Hanson’s recent experience includes two years as a head teacher, three years as a classroom teacher and six years as an enrichment specialist at John Hay, plus five years as a classroom teacher at Olympic View Elementary School. She values relationships with staff, students, families and community, and is committed to ensuring academic success for all students. Ms. Hanson’s professional preparation includes a Bachelor’s Degree in psychology, a Master’s Degree in curriculum and instruction, and principal certification from Seattle Pacific University.
We want to also take this opportunity to thank Dan Warren for his outstanding educational leadership. His dedication to providing the best possible education for every child has been a gift to John Hay. We wish him all the best in his appointment as principal of Sand Point Elementary School.
The 5th Annual Boardwalk 5K, Walk of Champions and Carnival Activities, is this Sunday, April 25 at the University of Washington Husky Stadium. The event supports health and fitness programs in Seattle Public Schools and emphasizes serving “underserved” students. Participants of the Boardwalk 5K will spend the morning walking, jogging or traversing the scenic UW campus, all while raising money for PE programs in local schools.
Funds will be used to support and expand equipment for the Physical Education Equipment Resource Center (PEERC). PE teachers share everything from archery equipment to roller skates to unicycles. PEERC makes it possible for all students to have access to success-oriented fitness experiences.
Other events, including the Walk of Champions, Carnival of Activities and Physical Education awards ceremony are free and will be held in the stadium. Check the full schedule here.
Queen Anne residents interested in participating are invited to join the John Hay Elementary team, which has already raised $710 in pledges, $460 over their goal! From the John Hay blog:
All of your registration fees will come directly back to John Hay to support Mr. Sturm’s efforts to keep our kids active and fit!
This event is for everyone in your family. We had a sizeable group last year and our fundraising allowed Mr. Sturm to buy many items on his wish list! We hope to see you on April 25, proudly sporting your John Hay spiritwear or Move-a-thon t-shirt!
Other Queen Anne Schools participating include Coe Elementary (they’ve raised $680 so far) and McClure Middle School (they’ve raised $35 so far). The brand new Queen Anne Elementary doesn’t have a team yet, but it’s not too late to make one!
One Tuesday, March 23 and Wednesday, March 24 two local schools–John Hay and Coe–held a friendly fundraising competition to see who could raise more money by eating out for dinner at the 5 Spot, which donated 25 percent of its sales both nights to each respective school.
On Tuesday Coe earned a whopping $1,376.67, but was slightly beat out by Hay, which raised $1,442.52 on Thursday, adding up to $2,819.19 in total!
The funds are going directly to each school. Coe will be purchasing age and reading level appropriate books for their classrooms with the funds, while John Hay is putting its portion toward hiring math and reading tutors.
Families from the schools who participated in the fundraiser were asked to write their teacher’s name at the top of their checks, allowing the 5 Spot to figure out which classrooms from both Coe and Hay had the highest level of family participation. Ms. Spiller’s class at Coe and Ms. Mirabueno’s class at John Hay took the prize. Every student in both winning classes was given a $10 Chow Foods gift card.
“We know our local public schools are hurting as much or more than the rest of us right now and are in a frightful financial state. As an integral part of the Queen Anne community, we at the 5 Spot wanted to answer that call. We couldn’t have asked for two more successful evenings—both schools are winners!” said 5 Spot owner Peter Levy in a press release today.
Queen Anne’s own John Hay Elementary will be receiving a Washington Achievement Award for Overall Excellence, as well as a Special Recognition Award for high performance in math education from the State Board of Education this coming May!
These awards recognize top-performing schools across the state, selected based on statewide assessment data collected over three prior consecutive years and analyzed using a school Accountability Index (.pdf). (Read up on the methodology here). John Hay also received these same two distinctions last year. See previous award recipients (.pdf). From John Hay’s blog,
The Overall Excellence award places John Hay in the top 5 percent of all elementary, middle and high schools across the state.
Congratulations to all of the hard working teachers, staff, volunteers and parents that made this happen, and make John Hay such a special place.
Read more on the Washington Achievement Awards here. And congratulations Hay!
Spring break is just around the corner, and for many parents that means looking for fun and safe activities to occupy their kids during the week off. John Hay Elementary has decided to make the search easy by reprising and extending one of their most popular programs–Play-in-a-Day!
Their new Spring Break Drama Camp will focus on creating a play in four days, beginning on Monday, March 29 to Thursday, April 1, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Using improvisation exercises and theatre games, we will create and perform a play which has a plot with a beginning, middle, end, characters and setting – all in 4 days!
The Spring Break Drama Camp costs $135 for the week. All school grades and ages are welcome. To sign up, pick up forms in the John Hay Volunteer Office or print and return the forms here.
Kids should bring a light snack to camp and wear comfortable clothing that allows them to move. For more information or to answer questions, email Deb Fox at foxbarlow@comcast.net.
Which school can raise more money? That’s the challenge Upper Queen Anne cafe 5 Spot has proposed to two neighborhood elementary schools, John Hay and Coe.
On Tuesday, March 23 (Coe) and Wednesday, March 24 (Hay) students, parents and teachers will pack into 5 Spot and see how much they can earn by eating out. For these two days the 5 Spot will be contributing 25 percent of all their food and beverage sales from 4 p.m. to closing at midnight to each respective school. So if you eat at the 5 Spot either Tuesday or Wednesday next week, a quarter of every dollar you spend will go straight to Coe or John Hay.
Additionally, the children in the classroom from the winning school that has the highest level of family participation—families will be asked to write their teacher’s name at the top of their guest checks—will win a $10 Chow Foods gift card for each child in the class of the “highest participation level” classroom.
All funds raised over these two nights will be donated directly to each respective school. Coe Elementary, who will be fundraising on Tuesday the 23rd, plans to utilize the proceeds to purchase age and reading level appropriate books for their classrooms. John Hay Elementary, who will be represented on Wednesday the 24th, plans to put its donated funds toward the hiring of math and reading tutors.
The John Hay Citizenship Committee and Student Council are hosting an evening of great music, dancing, a cupcake walk, face painting and food. All proceeds will continue to support our sister school in Afghanistan.
According to John Hay volunteer coordinator Lynn Baker, all proceeds from the Sock Hop will go toward helping the Afghan school build six more classrooms. Admission is $12 per family at the door. Once inside, tickets will be sold for 50 cents each that will be redeemable for concessions, face painting and the cupcake walk.
“Journey With an Afghan School” is the brainchild of Seattle woman Julie Bolz, who has been working to raise money for the construction of 19 schools and repairing of more than a dozen others in the Balkh province in northern Afghanistan. Read the Seattle Times piece on Bolz’s project here.
Before joining their friends and family to watch the Superbowl on Sunday, Queen Anne parents, teachers and students volunteered their time running the Help for Haiti Rummage Sale, raising just shy of $20,000 for post-earthquake aide.
This is the second time Coe Elementary, John Hay and McClure Middle School have gotten together to run a major sale event for charity. The three schools first teamed up in 2005, just after the tsunami, and successfully raised $10,000. When the earthquake hit Haiti, the organizers decided to run the event again. This time they raised $19,200.
“The same group all came together and decided to do it again,” said organizers and former John Hay parent Mimi Gan. Their goal was to beat their previous record. “We’ve almost doubled it!” she said.
As for the sale itself, items varied from used toys and clothes, to housewares, baked goods (the in-house bake sale raised $755 alone) and even some last-minute surprise donations, including a car! According to Gan, the principal of Coe Elementary, Mr. Elliott, drove his car to the rummage sale and began taking bids, eventually selling it for $350.
“I don’t know how old it was,” Gan said. “He was very honest about it – there were some things wrong with it. But it sold!”
Volunteers said the rummage sale stayed relatively busy from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., when the crowds were taken over by football frenzy.
“We had a steady flow of people most of the day. At the end, we did a Craig’s list blast to get rid of as much as we could. We advertised $5 for what you could take out,” said fellow parent and volunteer Stacy Lawson. As for the results, “We were ecstatic,” she said.
“It was great fun,” Gan said. “It was a great community builder and people were so generous.”
Seattle Public Schools announced a handful of principal changes for the 2010-2011 school year yesterday evening, and Queen Anne is the neighborhood getting the most swaps. In a detailed letter announcing the assignments, Superintendent Maria L. Goodloe-Johnson explained the reasoning behind each move. One of the primary factors: finding good leadership for the three new schools opening up in the district next fall, including Old Hay, a new Montessori option school in the neighborhood, where Coe Elementary head David Elliott – after ten years as principal – will be taking up his new post. Reader Meg Ferris gave her thoughts on the change. She wrote,
While it is an incredible loss at Coe, it will be a wonderful thing for the new school community.
In addition to Elliott’s reassignment, the principal at John Hay (not to be confused with Old Hay), Dan Warren, will be moving to the new Sand Point Elementary after five years on the hill. Read principal Warren’s letter to John Hay families here (.pdf).
And on the high school level, The Center School principal Lisa Escobar will be moving to Rainier Beach, where she will become co-principal alongside current head Dr. Robert Gary. Meanwhile, Judy Peterson will serve as the interim principal at The Center School.
To read Goodloe-Johnson’s letter, check out the West Seattle Blog, who have posted it in its entirety.
Do you have connections? From gift certificates to getaways, outdoor equipment to cameras, experiences to evenings-out–no donation is too big or too small for the John Hay Elementary School auction being held on May 2nd at Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center. The deadline for donations is March 13th, but we love to get items in early as it makes planning the event easier!
Donation forms are available in our volunteer office, or you can contact our procurement liaison Lauren Clisham.
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John Hay will be following in the footsteps of another Queen Anne school and adding a new after school robotics program in the upcoming 2011-2012 year. The new offering will be part of the same popular program at Coe Elementary – Coebotics, which took students to a national competition back in May. From the John Hay Daily Bulletin:
Today is the last day of 
