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.

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.

From the SPS website:

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).

Catharine Blaine K-8

Frantz Coe

John Hay

Lawton

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.

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.

If you are interested in volunteering, email marysteele@schoolsinaction.org to volunteer.

…to performances by the Coe Elementary and John Hay Elementary children’s choirs.

(Photo courtesy of Jon Boyce).

Canlis chef Jason Franey demoed his cooking skills (with samples!), and the folks from Chocolopolis handed out sweet treats.

Many QAFM old timers returned to the market this year…

..including Seattle street food favorites Parfait and Maximus/Minimus.

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!

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.

Sincerely,

Maria L. Goodloe-Johnson, Ph.D.
Superintendent

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!

For more information on joining the John Hay team, contact Carol Brown at carolgbrown@gmail.com or Suzanne Cohen at suzcohen@yahoo.com.

Although online pre-registration has closed, participants can still register day-of. More information here.