After a decade heading up Queen Anne-based non-profit Successful Schools in Action, which provides educational support, tutoring services and programs to seven public schools in the Queen Anne and Magnolia neighborhoods, executive director Lisa Moore is stepping down from her roll leading the organization.

“I am as passionate about the model and mission of SSIA as I have ever been, but after 10 years I’ve come to the difficult decision that it is time for me to seek new opportunities. I have seen how SSIA’s work has produced clear benefits to students, strong partnerships, and a community that is more engaged in and supportive of our public schools. I am extremely proud of SSIA’s accomplishments,” Moore said in a statement released Wednesday.

Moore will stay on to help SSIA through the coming transition period, while the organization’s board will meet to develop a plan to guide the next phase of SSIA.

“As a founder of SSIA and the only Executive Director in the organization’s 10-year history, Lisa has been an instrumental part of the core of the organization. Our success has been in large part due to her commitment to public education and our neighborhood schools. We will greatly miss Lisa’s leadership and vision,” SSIA Board President Steve Havas wrote in letter to supporters and friends of the organization.

Find out more about SSIA and the services it provides in our neighborhood here.

Local education non-profit Successful Schools In Action is hosting an open house fro 3 to 6 p.m. tomorrow, Tuesday, March 29 at McClure Middle School, at 1915 1st Ave. W. in Portable 1. SSIA invites commuting members to stop by and learn about the programs and plans the organization has in the works for the 2011-2012 school year.

Also coming up on the SSIA calendar:

Readers Workshop for Parents – Make reading fun – for you and your student! Every Wed. for five weeks beginning April 27th. Register Here

Spring Break Art Camp – Choose from Painting, Cartooning, Improv, and Plushie Monsters! Tues. – Thurs., April 19, 20, & 21, For 3rd – 6th graders. Register Here

Find more information on SSIA, its work, and programs in the community on the SSIA website.

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.

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

Queen Anne educational non-profit Successful School in Action (SSIA) is kicking off its 2010-2011 presentation series with a conversation with Seattle school board president Michael DeBell, and central area director Nancy Coogan. The talk will be held on Wednesday, December 1 at 7 p.m. at the McClure Middle School cafeteria.

The event will be broken into two parts. The first, called Let’s Move, will take place from 7 to 7:30 p.m. Representatives from the Mayor’s office, who are working to launch the Seattle initiative of Michelle Obama’s national Let’s Move campaign addressing the issue of childhood obesity, will be in attendance.

In Seattle, health indicators give us a clear picture of alarmingly high obesity rates, with unacceptable disparities based on income and race. This is a problem that the entire community must understand and address. The Mayor’s Office and Public Health- Seattle King County are working on a public education campaign to showcase causes of childhood obesity and provide key action steps parents, kids, community members, educators, and others can take to help reverse this epidemic.

The second portion, from 7:30 to 8:45 p.m. will include an introduction to Nancy Coogan and a short presentation from Michael DeBell, and a community discussion and Q&A session that will cover the following topics:

• What’s next with the new Student Assignment Plan?
• The new school reports
• What an area director actually does?

For more information, contact Successful Schools in Action at 206-375-5375.

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).

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.

Successful Schools in Action, a local non-profit dedicated to providing support and resources for schools, students and teachers in the neighborhood, is having their fourth annual breakfast next week on Wednesday, March 10 from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the Swedish Cultural Center, 1920 Dexter Ave. N.

Attendees will get to meet SSIA reps, learn more about the organizations efforts in the Queen Anne and Magnolia communities, and hear a talk from keynote speaker and Chief Academic Officer of Seattle Public Schools Dr. Susan Enfield.

To RSVP to the breakfast click here, or call 206-378-0797. For more information, contact Lisa Moore at lisamoore@schoolsinaction.org or 206-378-0797. Can’t make it to the breakfast, but want to make a donation? Click here.

(Artwork by Jo Clark, Grade 8, Lunchtime Art Program, McClure Middle School; Courtesy of SSIA).

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!)

Successful Schools in Actions Debate Club is looking for volunteer judges for their upcoming tournament on Saturday, January 16 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Judges must be 15 years or older. Prior experience is not required and parents, friends and neighbor volunteers are welcome. The tournament will be held at John Hay Elementary on Queen Anne. There will be a 30 minute training on the day of the tournament.  Get information about the tournament here. Debate Club is for 4th and 5th graders who attend Blaine, Lawton, Coe, and Hay Schools. Please contact Sandy Nielsen for more information at sandynielsen@schoolsinaction.org. For information on other upcoming SSIA events, click here.

This is just a reminder that there are two free events happening in the neighborhood tonight. The first ever Interbay Singles Mixer will be at Whole Foods from 5:30p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Get ready for snacks, wine and beer ($2 a pour), and produce-aisle flirting. Details here.

Educational non-profit Successful Schools in Action is holding a discussion on the February school levies from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at McClure Middle School tonight with Schools First board member Lisa Macfarlane. This is one of there upcoming SSIA events. Details here.

Successful Schools in Action, an educational non-profit organization in Queen Anne dedicated to the grassroots effort of improving neighborhood schools, has a number of community events coming up in the next couple of weeks.

On Tuesday, January 12 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at McClure Middle School SSIA and Schools First board member Lisa Macfarlane are hosting “SCHOOL LEVIES – Everything You Need to Know,” to discuss the February school levies.

Every Thursday beginning January 14 through February 11 from 7 to 9 p.m., SSIA will host a Writer’s Workshop for parents led by Blaine principal Heather Swanson and McClure principal Sarah Pritchett. The 5-week course is designed to put parents in the shoes of their students and experience what the writing process feels like.

The SSIA Fall Debate Tournament will be held on Saturday, January 16 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at John Hay Elementary. 4th and 5th grade students from Hay, Blaine, Coe, and Lawton will tackle the topic “Public schools should require school uniforms.” More information on current debate classes here.

SSIA has received financial support from many local organizations, including the Bank of America and the McClure PTSA, who both donated $5,000 in the second half of 2009. This funding provides one-on-one tutoring for students and extensive training programs for teachers, among other things. For more information on current and upcoming programs and events, see the SSIA website.

The McClure PTSA has decided to allocate its entire tutoring budget for the 2009-2010 school year – a $5,000 sum – to math tutoring for students through Queen Anne nonprofit Successful Schools in Action (SSIA).

“The caliber and reliability of the tutors, as well as the level of supervision and accountability provided by SSIA, were cited as the primary reasons leading to the decision to grant the funding solely to SSIA rather than utilizing a variety of different resources,” SSIA said in a press release earlier today.

The organization, which focuses on improving education, resources and one-on-one attention to students at six Queen Anne and Magnolia schools, received a $5,000 grant from the Bank of America to support the organization’s Math Assistance for Public Schools (MAPS) program over the summer.

According to SSIA, McClure math teachers have found the SSIA program extremely valuable in assisting their students’ academic growth.The $5,000 funding, SSIA says, will allow the organization to provide 30 hours of tutoring by trained instructors to McClure students each week.

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