School may be out for summer, but that doesn’t mean you can’t help raise money for Queen Anne’s John Hay Elementary. It’s John Hay Day at Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt today, Wednesday, June 22, so swing by for summery treat any time today with either this Menchies Flyer, or tell the cashier you’re with the school, and 20 percent of your purchase will go right back to Hay.

Menchie’s is located at 2101 Queen Anne Ave. N. and is open from 11 a.m. to 1o p.m.

Seattle Public Schools is asking for community-input on their Strategic Plan. They have put together a 21-question survey which will close next Tuesday, May 31. “As we are in the mid-point of our 5-year Strategic Plan, Excellence for All, it is a good time to look at our progress and evaluate whether any adjustments are needed going forward,” the top of the survey states. All responses will remain confidential and anonymous. You can take the survey here.

Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day which means schools, some liquor stores (the Queen Anne store as well as these others .pdf are open until 7 p.m.), post offices and government offices are closed. Most banks are also taking the holiday and parking on city streets is free. But, garbage collection is normal and transfer stations are open. Metro is also running on a reduced schedule.

Don’t forget, if you’re planning on dining at the 5 Spot for dinner tonight, Tuesday, March 23 or tomorrow, Wednesday, March 24, your money will be helping one of two competing Queen Anne elementary schools – John Hay and Coe – as they head it off to see which school can raise the most!

The 5 Spot will be donating 25 percent of all of its food and beverage sales from 4 p.m. to closing to Coe tonight and to Hay tomorrow, so there’s no doubt students, parents and teachers will be packing into the cafe to make their orders and get an edge up on the competition.

All funds both nights will be donated directly to each respective school. Coe plans to use the money to purchase age and reading level appropriate books for their classrooms, while John Hay is going to put its donated funds toward hiring math and reading tutors.

Don’t forget, Coe night is tonight (Tuesday), and John Hay night is tomorrow (Wednesday). Go Coe and Hay!

Local non-profit Successful Schools in Action, which works to provide support and resources for schools, students and teachers at seven schools in Queen Anne and Magnolia, raised just shy of $30,000 at their 4th annual community breakfast last week, making the event the most successful breakfast fundraiser they’ve ever had!

SSIA says the funds are essential to their operations, enabling them “to continue providing tutors for struggling students, debate for every student who wants to participate, and Collaborative Conversations to support our teachers, empower our families, and engage our community.”

In a letter sent out today the organization thanked the community for their continued support.

We appreciate the incredible sponsor support we received this year from so many local businesses and organizations. Special recognition and thanks to our Signature Sponsor, Vulcan, and our Table Sponsors, JAS Design Build and King & Oliason.

Read up on the some of the past work SSIA has done in the community here, here and here. If you’d like to support SSIA, make a donation here, or eat out through the Celebrated Chefs program and have 5 percent donated on your behalf. See participating restaurants here.

(Photographer: Samuel Kuntz. Photos courtesy of SSIA).

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.

Queen Anne’s own academic non-profit Successful Schools in Action and the Alliance for Education will be teaming up to host a community discussion on the topic of teacher quality for residents in the Queen Anne and Magnolia communities on Wednesday, March 17 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the McClure Middle School lunchroom, located at 1915 1st Ave W.

“This is a subject very much on the front lines of public education these days, both nationally and here in Seattle,” writes SSIA Executive Director Lisa Moore. “This is a great opportunity to participate, engage, and learn more about this subject.”

Moore encourages interested parties to pass along invitations to neighbors, preschool families, neighborhood businesses and other local organizations. “We are reaching out to schools and the larger community as well,” she said.

Dinner will be provided by The Alliance. To RSVP for the talk, email solynn@alliance4ed.org or call 206-205-0329.

It’s Presidents Day which means schools, post offices, government offices and some liquor stores are closed (except the Queen Anne store and these (.pdf) others, which are open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.). Most banks are also taking the holiday and parking on city streets is free. Transfer stations are open though, and Metro is also running on their “When no UW” schedule.

Successful Schools in Action will be hosting a community meeting next Monday, February 1 from 7 to 8:30 p.m., to discuss the future of Queen Anne Elementary, formerly Old Hay. 

The meeting will be held in the McClure lunchroom, located at 1915 1st Avenue W. The Program Design Team will be giving an update and hosting a Q&A on what is planned for the newest school on the hill.

(Thanks to Heather for the tip!)

The Seattle Department of Transportation is awarding “mini-grants” to schools as part of its Safe Routes to School Program, for programs that encourage students to tide their bikes or walk to school. All Seattle schools are eligible to apply for up to $1,000 grants as part of the program, kicking off this week in celebration of International Walk to School Month.

Groups also eligible for Mini-Grant Funds include PTA groups; Safe Routes to School teams; Walking School Bus groups; and other parent or teacher groups. Mini-grants can be used for a variety of items that support and encourage kids to walk or ride their bikes to school. Recent grants have supported new equipment for the Student Safety Patrol at Brighton Elementary; a bike commuter class at Ballard High School; walking school bus incentives at Blaine K-8; and new bike racks at Holy Rosary School.

Applications are due by Friday, October 30, and recipients will be notified by Friday, November 13. Contact Brian Dougherty for more information at (206) 684-5124 or brian.dougherty@seattle.gov.

Coming in September, 200 new University of Washington undergraduate, graduate, and exchange students and scholars from all over the world will tour Queen Anne and a few other Seattle neighborhoods as part of a learning game. Called the FIUTS Seattle Challenge — FIUTS stands for Foundation for International Understanding Through Students — students will discover clues that lead them around the neighborhood and the city.

The Seattle Challenge on September 18th will lead students through Seattle neighborhoods for a lively and interactive experience designed to introduce them to our area’s public transportation, distinct neighborhoods, businesses, parks, culture, and major attractions. Students will sample coffee and snacks at various Seattle cafés, take photos with famous landmarks, meet local businesspeople, solve puzzles, and much more while making new friends along the way

If your business would like to get involved, please contact FIUTS Manager of Student Programs Nicole Comforto at 206.685.1548 or nicole@fiuts.org.

40 – 50 groups of four students each will meet a FIUTS Facilitator – a current student leader – at each location to pick up clues which will direct them to their next destination. Each group will start in the University District and end Downtown and at the Seattle Center. Neighborhoods visited will include Wallingford, Fremont, Greenlake, Ballard, Lower Queen Anne, Capitol Hill and the International District. Students will use the Metro Bus System to learn how to get around town.

FIUTS invites local businesses and organizations to host clues for the event. Participation in the Seattle Challenge is a great way to introduce a brand-new audience to your business. We welcome creative ideas such as coupons, samples, and Seattle trivia as a part of the activity.

On Friday September 18, 2009, approximately 200 new University of Washington undergraduate, graduate, and exchange students and scholars from all over the world will take part in a city – wide game, The FIUTS Seattle Challenge. FIUTS stands for the Foundation for International Understanding Through Students.

This Seattle Challenge will lead students through Seattle neighborhoods for a lively and interactive experience designed to introduce them to our area’s public transportation, distinct neighborhoods, businesses, parks, culture, and major attractions. Students will sample coffee and snacks at various Seattle cafés, take photos with famous landmarks, meet local businesspeople, solve puzzles, and much more while making new friends along the way

If your business would like to get involved, please contact FIUTS Manager of Student Programs Nicole Comforto at 206.685.1548 or nicole@fiuts.org.

40 – 50 groups of four students each will meet a FIUTS Facilitator – a current student leader – at each location to pick up clues which will direct them to their next destination. Each group will start in the University District and end Downtown and at the Seattle Center. Neighborhoods visited will include Wallingford, Fremont, Greenlake, Ballard, Lower Queen Anne, Capitol Hill and the International District. Students will use the Metro Bus System to learn how to get around town.

FIUTS invites local businesses and organizations to host clues for the event. Participation in the Seattle Challenge is a great way to introduce a brand-new audience to your business.  We welcome creative ideas such as coupons, samples, and Seattle trivia as a part of the activity.

The Seattle School Board has approved the final recommendations for the Student Assignment Plan, which will determine where a student attends school based on their home address. Now Queen Anne students will know which schools they’ll attend through high school. The district will now start working on the boundaries and public comment will be heard in the fall. As part of the final plan, the School Board also approved an amendment to address the grandfathering of siblings as part of a transition plan to be developed by the district, “provided that doing so is feasible and does not displace incoming attendance area kindergarten students,” the district press release says.

Successful Schools in Action (SSIA) thanks all their generous supporters – businesses andbindividuals- who helped make our Third Annual Breakfast Fundraiser a hugebsuccess.

Over 125 people gathered on March 25th at the Golden Gardens Bathhouse to help us celebratebfive years of supporting our public schools. As Patrick D’Amelio, keynote speakerband Executive Director of the Alliance for Education stated,

I am so impressed by the numbers of parents, community members and business leaders that engage with this organization….it’s essential, absolutely essential, that nonprofits like SSIA are on the ground, in schools, with the students and teachers of Seattle.” With your help, we will continue to provide innovative and exciting programs to the students, staff and parents at our neighborhood schools.

For more information on the work of SSIA, please check the website. If you were unable to attend or haven’t yet donated, it’s not too late!  Donate online or send a check to 2212 Queen Anne Ave. N., Ste 280, Seattle, WA 

Seattle Police are investigating two 12-year old students from McClure who may have been dealing drugs on campus. According to a police report, school administrators say two students confessed to selling drugs after school staff recovered “a wad of cash” that totaled $600. No drugs have been found and no arrests have been made, reports KING5.com.

Seattle Public Schools is holding a community meeting tonight (Tuesday) to discuss the proposed closure of the Old Hay building. The plan is to move the Secondary Bilingual Orientation Center (SBOC) to Meany Middle School, leaving the old school building empty once again. The meeting is 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Old Hay at 411 Boston St.

The “Old Hay” school building on Boston Ave. may close under new recommendations from Seattle Public Schools. Under the plan, the Secondary Bilingual Orientation Center (SBOC) would move from the Hay building to Meany Middle School. Longtime Queen Anne residents will remember when John Hay Elementary moved out the building in 1989, and the SBOC moved in. And three years ago, a group banded together to refurbish the facility. If the school board approves the recommendations, the building will close, and perhaps like other Seattle school buildings of late, be put up for sale.

Update: Here’s a summary of the recommendations (PDF)