December 5th, 2012 by Laura
It seems like the election just happened, but already we can look ahead to the next one – a Special Election on February 12, 2013. Included on the ballot will be the renewal of two Seattle School District levies: an Operations Levy that funds approximately 30% of the District’s operating budget and a Capital Levy (BEX IV), that funds building and infrastructure projects.
To help educate voters, a Community Meeting is being held this Thursday (tomorrow) at Coe Elementary with Senator Jeanne Kohl-Wells, Michael Debell, Lisa MacFarlane, and Kerry Cooley-Stroum from Schools First. The speakers will address the upcoming Levy votes and the role of levies for funding education in Washington, from the District to the State level. They’ll also discuss in-school fundraising, the McCleary Decision, the District’s role, and more.
“The meeting is a great opportunity to understand education funding and learn what parents and community members can do to help. We felt like we needed a meeting to explain the issues and the key players. Parents just don’t have the time to follow all it. So, we’re bringing speakers to them.” – Cheri Curson Bowles, Coe PTA Co-President
Key Details:
Where: Coe Elementary Gym, 2424 7th Ave W
When: Thursday, December 6, 7-8:30 pm
For additional information, please contact Stacy Lawson, Coe Elementary PTA, 206.999.6724
Tags: Seattle Public Schools
October 15th, 2012 by Elyssa
GirlFest, put on by the Girl Scouts of Western Washington, is coming to the Clink Event Center on October 20th! Tickets ($15 each) can be bought here and more information can also be found here.
Have you ever thought, “I sure wish there was one whole day where I could learn more about what I like and who I am”? If you’re a girl (or know one!) and you live in Washington, then you’ll be pleased as punch to know that day exists! It’s called GirlFest, and it’s a day-long celebration on Oct. 20 for EVERY girl (and their families) that celebrates all the cool things about being a girl!
Seattle Public Schools has early enrollment open for the 2013-14 school year allowing incoming kindergarten students and other families new to Seattle Public Schools for the 2013-14 school year a way to jump on the enrollment process starting this week. Early enrollment is offered through Jan. 31, 2013.
Parents can enroll their students at the JSCEE Service Center, Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The JSCEE address is 2445 3rd Ave. S., Seattle. More information on the process, and a link to additional information and help on the process can be found here. In addition, more information and a link to enrollment paperwork can be found here.
Twirl Cafe turns 2! On October 21st from 9am-1pm join Twirl and celebrate their birthday.
Wear your costume and join us at the Twirl Patch for a fun Anniversary Pumpkin Bash! Help crank our REAL cider press and watch as we turn Washington’s own apples into fresh cider!
There will be plenty of festivities including: * Face Painting * Costume Dance Party * Queen Anne Books Story Time * Carnival Games * Balloon Animals * Spin-the-Wheel and Raffle Prizes * Chance to win a Petunia Pickle Bottom Diaper bag! *
FREE PLAY RSVP On Our
Facebook Events Page and get an extra raffle ticket! Come join this fun and festive Anniversary Party and help us celebrate another year of providing Seattle Parents with a community establishment to gather, play and learn!
Tags: Girl Scouts, links for little ones, Seattle Public Schools, Twirl Cafe
September 24th, 2012 by Elyssa
Two meetings are coming up for Seattle Public School parents.
- SPS BEX IV Capital Levy Community Meeting at McClure on Thursday 9/27, 6:30pm.
- Also on 9/27, there is a Public Arts Education Forum that will host the opportunity for parents to go and learn about progress with the new K-12 Arts Learning Collaborative that is being introduced into all Seattle Public Schools. It is being held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Bertha Knight Landes Room at City Hall, 600 Fourth Ave.
October 1st, marks the start of Raffi week at the Children’s Museum:
Raffi is coming to town and the Museum is helping to celebrate! Each day educational programming will be themed to one of his songs – including dance parties and story times! Be sure to check out the program calendar for more details
Monday – Down by the Bay
Tuesday – 5 Little Frogs
Wednesday – Boom Boom
Thursday – Baby Beluga
Friday – Apples and Bananas
Saturday – The More We Get Together
Children’s Museum is also hosting a Pumpkin carving night on Friday October 26th starting at 5:30pm. You can RSVP now if you would like to reserve your spot. $5 per person, or $3 per person for Members. Remember that it’s BYOP!
You bring the pumpkin, and we’ll provide the place to get messy and the tools to carve with. Light snacks will be provided and costumes are encouraged! And as an added bonus, you get to play in the Museum without the crowds!
Tags: links for little ones, Seattle Public Schools, The Children's Museum
August 24th, 2011 by Thea
After the implementation of the Student Assignment Plan, Seattle Public Schools is also changing the way K-8 students get to school.
The transportation map for John Hay Elementary. Orange is the walk zone, yellow the bus zone.
The new neighborhood-based transportation system is expected to streamline bus routs for attendance-area students and get kids to their neighborhood school in 25 minutes or less. This change will also save an estimate $4 million by using fewer buses and less gas.
“With more efficient routing, buses are less likely to encounter the traffic delays that occur on longer routes, so families will find departure and arrival times to be more reliable,” said Tom Bishop, SPS transportation manager. “In addition, the more streamlined routes will also benefit the environment by taking up to 80 buses off the roads and reducing the district’s carbon footprint.”
Students within the transportation zone, but outside the walk zone for a school will be eligible for district-provided transportation. There are an estimated 3,600 elementary students who live outside the new transportation zones. They will still be eligible for the following transportation:
Students who live within a half of a mile from the Transportation Zone boundary can walk to a yellow bus stop within the zone. Seats will be allocated on a space-available basis.
Community stops will be created so students can catch a yellow bus near an attendance area school and take it to another school.
Students who are no longer eligible for transportation will receive a guaranteed assignment to their attendance area school, if requested.
School bus routes will be assigned later this summer once all the students assignments are complete. Families should expect a letter later this month, prior to the start of the school year.
For more information and to see the transportation zone for your school, click here. FAQ can be found here (.pdf)
Tags: school bus routes, Seattle Public Schools, student assignment plan, Student Transportation Plan, Tom Bishop
August 19th, 2011 by Doree
If you haven’t already enrolled your children in Seattle Public Schools, the district is urging parents to do so by August 30, to ensure your child has a school assignment by the first day of
school, on September 7.
Families new to Seattle Public Schools who want to change schools or who have not yet enrolled should visit us at the John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence (JSCEE) at 2445 3rd Ave. S. You can find a map, driving directions and bus routes to reach the John Stanford Center here. Enrollment hours are 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday.
“Those first few days in the classroom are so important, and we want to make sure all students have school assignments before the first day of school,” said Brandon Holst, JSCEE Services Manager. “It takes time to complete the enrollment paperwork, and the lines in our lobby grow longer as we get closer to the first day of school. We encourage families to enroll by Aug. 30 and avoid the last-minute rush.”
In addition, families should note that the JSCEE building will be closed Wednesday, Aug. 31 due to a district-mandated unpaid furlough day for all employees, one in a series of furlough days aimed at offsetting reductions in state education funding.
Families of students who are continuing enrollment at their assigned school DO NOT need to visit the John Stanford Center. Instead, they can submit their enrollment applications via email, by mail or by using our 24-hour drop box located at the JSCEE south entrance, facing Lander Street.
Format
If you haven’t already enrolled your children in Seattle Public Schools, the district is urging parents to do so by August 30, to ensure your child has a school assignment by the first day of school, on September 7.
Families new to Seattle Public Schools who want to change schools or who have not yet enrolled should visit us at the John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence (JSCEE) at 2445 3rd Ave. S. You can find a map, driving directions and bus routes to reach the John Stanford Center here. Enrollment hours are 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday.
“Those first few days in the classroom are so important, and we want to make sure all students have school assignments before the first day of school,” said Brandon Holst, JSCEE Services Manager. “It takes time to complete the enrollment paperwork, and the lines in our lobby grow longer as we get closer to the first day of school. We encourage families to enroll by Aug. 30 and avoid the last-minute rush.”
In addition, families should note that the JSCEE building will be closed Wednesday, Aug. 31 due to a district-mandated unpaid furlough day for all employees, one in a series of furlough days aimed at offsetting reductions in state education funding.
Families of students who are continuing enrollment at their assigned school DO NOT need to visit the John Stanford Center. Instead, they can submit their enrollment applications via email, by mail or by using our 24-hour drop box located at the JSCEE south entrance, facing Lander Street.
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Tags: enrollment, enrollment forms, John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence, Seattle Public Schools
July 6th, 2011 by Doree
Seattle Public Schools will drive its yellow school bus, called Community Resources on Wheels, to nine locations during July for those who haven’t yet registered for school. Parents also can get information on a variety of Seattle-area resources for families.
The bus will be open from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on the following dates and locations:
- July 12: QFC, 1801 N. 45th St. 98103
- July 13: Safeway, 8340 15th Ave. N.W. 98117
- July 14: Fred Meyer, 13000 Lake City Way N.E. 98125
- July 19: Bailey Gatzert Elementary, 1301 E. Yesler Way 98122
- July 20: Promenade Red Apple, 2301 S. Jackson St. 98144
- July 21: Safeway, 3820 Rainier Ave. S. 98188
- July 26: Safeway, 3900 S. Othello St. 98118
- July 27: Target Store, 2800 S.W. Barton St. 98126
- July 28: High Point Neighborhood House, 6400 Sylvan Way 98126
Parents and caregivers who plan to enroll their student in school should bring the following: Birth Certificate (K-1st grade only); immunization information; current proof of Seattle residence (utility bills, lease, DSHS; shelter/transitional housing letter); admission form (parents can fill out in advance at seattleschools.org or it will be available on the bus) and photo ID of parent/guardian.
For more information, visit district.seattleschools.org/enrollment or call the SPS Service Center at 205-252-0760.
Tags: community resources, Community Resources on Wheels, events, school registration, Seattle Public Schools
June 13th, 2011 by Thea
The Center School was one of ten schools in the Seattle School District to receive mobile carts packed with either 15 iPads or 30 iPods for the upcoming 2011-2012 school year through a grant that supports technology in the classroom. The winning schools were announced last week, after the District’s Instructional Technology team wadded through more than 50 applications from teachers and administrators, including proposals explaining how they would best use the new technology in the classroom.
The grant recipients are:
iPod:
Denny Middle School
Sand Point Elementary
Alki Elementary
iPad:
North Beach Elementary
Pathfinder K-8
Orca K-8
Lowell Elementary
Center School
Kimball Elementary
Eckstein Middle School
In addition to the iPads/iPods, schools will receive professional development over four days during the summer, three follow-up sessions during the year, and Instructional Technology support for their curriculum projects during the course of the school year.
For more information on the winning proposals, and how these iPad/iPod grants will be implemented in the classroom, check out the Seattle Public Schools’ Instructional Technology Blog.
Tags: Center School, Instructional Technology, iPads, iPods, Seattle Public Schools, Seattle School District, technology grant
June 13th, 2011 by Thea
If your child is in Seattle Public Schools, expect your phone to ring this week as the district starts its annual school climate survey today, Monday, June 13.
The goal is to gather information about learning environments at all District elementary, middle and high schools, including student engagement, academic rigor, discipline and safety, and family involvement. The survey results will assist SPS in determining how to best support the academic needs of all students.
The family survey will be administered via the district’s automated SchoolMessenger system, which will allow families to provide feedback using a touch-tone phone response or taking an online survey by email.
The SchoolMessenger Family Survey schedule is as follows:
June 13-20 Families with children in grades K-5
June 14-21 Families with children in grades 6-8
June 15-22 Families with children in grades 9-12
The SchoolMessenger system will only make phone calls on the first day of the survey. Families who prefer to take the online survey by email will have seven days to respond. Note that some families may receive more than one phone call. For example, if a family has one child in high school and another child in middle school, they will receive two separate calls, and will be asked to take both surveys – one for each school.
The District will resend the online version of the survey to all families that did not respond in the first round. This will occur on June 22. Families will have seven days to respond to the online survey in the follow-up round. Phone calls will not be made in the follow-up round.
Questions about the family surveys should be directed to performance@seattleschools.org
Tags: phone survey, Seattle Public Schools, Seattle School District
May 30th, 2011 by Doree
Seattle Public Schools is partnering with the Nick of Time Foundation to offer free youth heart screenings on Wednesday, June 1 at Garfield High School. All students between the ages of 14-24 years are eligible for a screening, regardless of their enrollment status.
According to the American Heart Association, one in every 350 young people has an undetected heart condition. The best way to detect these conditions is through a heart screening using an ECG (electrical test) and Echocardiograms (ultrasound) of the heart. The test is painless and takes about 25 minutes. Athletes especially are encouraged to sign up for a cardiac screening.
Screening packets are available at the Garfield High School office or the Garfield Teen Health Clinic. Those interested can also download the forms at www.nickoftimefoundation.org.
To pre-register your child for a screening, email jasmine.brooks@seattlechildrens.org or call the Garfield Teen Health Clinic (open Monday-Friday) at (206) 860-0480. Please include the following information:
- Child’s full name (first, last)
- Age/Date of Birth
- Parent’s name, email address and contact phone number
- Where the child attends school
- Preferred (first and second choice) appointment time
Last year, the Seattle School Board voted unanimously to update the District emergency management plan to include a public access automated external defibrillator (AED) program. Seattle Public Schools collaborated with the Heart of Seattle Schools, a non-profit organization that includes the Seattle Seahawks and Sounders, local hospitals, the American Heart Association, Nick of Time Foundation and other school community partners, to develop a plan for implementing this program. Starting in the fall, SPS will begin placing AEDs in schools with the ultimate goal of having an AED in every school and ensuring that staff are trained to use them if necessary.
Tags: AED, American Heart Association, cardiac screenings, Garfield High School, Heart of Seattle Schools, Nick of Time Foundation, Seattle Public Schools, youth heart screenings
May 25th, 2011 by Cory Bergman
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.
Tags: education, schools, Seattle Public Schools, strategic plan, survey
May 20th, 2011 by Thea
If you have questions or concerns about Seattle Public Schools, you can share them with School Board Director Michael DeBell at a drop in meeting on Saturday, May 21 from 9 to 11 a.m. at Caffè Appassionato, located at 4001 21st Avenue West next to Fisherman’s Terminal.
This is a coffee chat and an informal, drop-in community meeting to discuss public school issues and opportunities.
Tags: Caffe Appassionato, coffee chat, community meeting, meet & greet, meeting, Michael DeBell, School Board, Seattle Public Schools
May 11th, 2011 by Thea
It seems that after less than a year under the leadership of Tate Loftin, Coe Elementary may have a new principal, though mums the word from the Seattle School District on the change.
According to Mary Cropp over at the SeattlePI, an interim principal, Terry Acena, is already in place at Coe, and both Acena and SPS Executive Director of Schools for the Central region Nancy Coogan will be attending a meeting at the school for parents and incoming families on Thursday, March May 12 in which they will “briefly discuss the recent changes in leadership and outline a course for the future of Coe.” The meeting will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Coe Library.
For more information, contact the Coe PTA directly through the organization’s website.
Tags: Coe, Coe Elementary, Mary Cropp, meeting, Nancy Coogan, Seattle Public Schools, SeattlePI, Tate Loftin, Terry Acena
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