The White Center Eagles have breakfast every Sunday from 9am – Noon, and this Sunday (July 25) they’ll be doing a fundraiser to help “Stuff the Bus” for WestSide Baby – bring in a package of diapers and you’ll get $2 off.

Most breakfasts are regularly $6 and that includes coffee and juice.  It is open to the public and kids are welcome.

Here are the details:

WHAT: “Stuff the Bus” fundraiser for WestSide Baby

WHEN: Sunday, July 25th, 9am – Noon

WHERE: White Center Eagles Hall, located at 10452 15th Avenue SW; (206) 248-1400‎

Beloved children’s songwriter and performer Dan Cohen, known to his fans as Danna Banana, will perform a free show for local families at the White Center Library this Wednesday, May 12.

Children age three and older and their families are invited to the White Center Library Wednesday at 6:30 for award-winning singer/songwriter Dan Cohen’s MAD about Books performance, in which he’ll “take stories from the page to the stage” for the entertainment of all.  Cohen, aka “Danna Banana” has performed all over the country, and he’s popular with both young kids and their parents, as his songs are catchy, entertaining, and educational.

WHAT: Dan Cohen, aka “Danna Banana” performs MAD about Books.

WHEN: Wednesday, May 12 at 6:30 pm.

WHERE: White Center Library, 11220 16th Ave SW, Seattle, 98146.

INFO: This free performance is hosted by the King County Library System at the White Center Library.  For more information and video clips of Danna Banana, check out his website. From www.dannabanana.com:

danna banana, dubbed ‘best party entertainer’ by New York Magazine, is a singer by training and a kid at heart. He’s done shows in venues big and small all over this land, as well as parties for everyone from Ernie Anastos to Rosie O’Donnell.

He’s also a veteran tunesmith, with credits ranging from Disney (Jojo’s Circus show and cds) to country (‘Your Reward’ on Sara Hickman’s Motherlode). He’s been entertaining kids and families since his first cd, Bananappeal, won him a Grand Prize in the prestigious John Lennon Songwriting Contest. And he uses all that experience-as a writer, performer, husband, and father– to create his unique, hummable, hilarious songs.

The modern pop production and fresh, funny lyrics ‘make parents and kids hoot with laughter’ (New York Magazine)

The inaugural “Be a PAL” Luncheon, which will serve as a fundraiser for King County’s Police Activities League (PAL) boxing facility in White Center, will be Tuesday, June 1st at The Golf Club at Newcastle from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

The featured keynote speaker will be Senator Patty Murray.

Other guests scheduled include Congressman Dave Reichert, Attorney General Rob McKenna and Tina Hendrix of The Hendrix Music Academy (yes, that Hendrix family!).

Here are the details:

WHAT: White Center Police Activities League (PAL) Fundraiser Luncheon

WHEN: Tuesday, June 1st from 11:30am – 1pm

WHERE: The Golf Club at Newcastle, located at 15500 Six Penny Lane in Newcastle.

INFO: Mimi Jung of King 5 News and King County Sheriff Sue Rahr will co-emcee the luncheon as they welcome everyone to this exciting event, including former defensive end and linebacker Joe Tafoya, other current and former Seattle Seahawks and a few surprise guests.

“PAL programs provide positive intervention in the lives of young people who are at risk,” said King County Sheriff Sue Rahr. “Police officers want to do all they can to help kids before they get in trouble and PAL assists them in this goal.”

Visit the Be a PAL Luncheon page here for more details, or for information about the event, sponsorship, underwriting and advertising opportunities, contact Laurie Perkins at (206) 922-2069 or via email at laurie@kingcountypal.com.

Story & Photos by Michael Brunk

Four years ago Washington State launched a project designed to bolster early childhood education by preparing preschoolers for kindergarten. Thrive by Five, a public-private partnership, was chartered to carry the plan forward.

On Saturday, March 27, the most visible product of the White Center Early Learning Initiative was revealed to the public with the grand opening of the new Educare Early Learning Center at 625 SW 100th Street in White Center.

Educare will provide full-day, full-year preschool and child care for 32 infants and toddlers and 102 preschool children ages three to five. Additional programs are available that provide services and support to parents and professional development opportunities for early learning providers.

The new learning center – part of a network of ten similar centers across the country – is supported in part by grants from Thrive by Five and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It will serve as a pilot project to test new approaches to early learning. If successful, the goal is to eventually replicate what is learned in the White Center project statewide.

Saturday’s dedication was well attended by politicians, business leaders, local educators and members of the community. After speeches and a ribbon cutting, the large crowd took advantage of the opportunity to tour the beautiful new 44,000 square foot facility. The building is LEED Certified for its environmentally positive design, and features natural light, airy classrooms, common areas and ample work space for staff members.

The children in attendance enjoyed art and music projects in the classrooms and spent time testing the outdoor play areas.

While it will take time to determine what affect this investment will have on education in Washington State, judging from the enthusiastic response of the children, the Educare Early Learning Center is already grabbing the attention of their future clientele.

Here’s a Photo Slideshow of the day’s events:

Click to View Michael Brunk’s Photo Slideshow

On Friday (March 26), Seattle’s KUOW-FM Radio did a story on the White Center’s new Educare Learning Center (opening Saturday; details here), calling it a “cutting edge” childcare facility.

It’s worth a listen, especially if you have kids and are considering utilizing this new facility.

Check it out here.

Also, don’t forget the Grand Opening is Saturday starting at 1pm – full details are here.

The Highline School Board voted unanimously Wednesday night (Mar. 3rd) to move ahead with a federal grant application that would require major changes at White Center’s Cascade Middle School, as well as SeaTac’s Chinook Middle School.

Cascade Middle School is located at 11212 10th Avenue SW in White Center.

Here are more details from a press release sent to us:

The grant opportunity is part of new federal regulations that identify high-poverty schools with large numbers of struggling students. In order to get the funds, districts must agree to restructure the schools by next fall.

Last week, a team of 45 people, including teachers, central office staff, parents, and community partners, gathered for a two-day summit to begin formulating a restructuring plan. Sarah Weir of the White Center Community Development Association, one of the community partners to participate on the planning team, said she left the summit “feeling really optimistic about the passion and commitment of the people who serve our kids.”

“We recognize the need for school reform. We believe all students are capable of reaching their dreams, and we’re excited about the possibilities these changes will mean for our students,” said Chinook teacher Amber Larson. She emphasized that “school staff, central office leaders, the school board, and parents all hold responsibility and need to work together to make changes.”

Theresa Carlson, Cascade teacher and vice-president of the Highline Education Association, agreed, “We need to start climbing this mountain and taking some risks. We are all in this together.”

The school board endorsed the planning team’s outline and directed the district to submit the federal grant application on Friday. Elements of the plan include:

• Increasing accountability of the school board, central office administrators, and parents, as well as teachers; and giving a senior administrator authority to make bold decisions to support the schools.
• Increasing involvement of parents and community organizations in the schools through two-way communication, bi-lingual staff, parent advisory teams, and other means.
• Developing new ways of evaluating staff and providing meaningful incentives for staff and administrators.
• Rethinking the way school is delivered, such as trying innovative ways of structuring the school day.
• Use strategies that have been successful in other high-poverty, highly diverse schools, such as adjusting schools schedules to provide more learning time.
• Setting ambitious goals for student improvement and expecting all students to become prepared for post-high school education and the workplace.

The planning team also calls for the school district to support the restructuring plans through policy, technical assistance, commitment from the school board, and creation of a plan to sustain the changes beyond the life of the three-year grant.

Superintendent John Welch told the school board the plan “builds on the great work that is already happening at Chinook and Cascade.”

The federal accountability program requires school districts to choose one of four restructuring models:

• Closure: Close the school and send students to other schools in the district. The school board ruled out this option for Chinook and Cascade because other middle schools do not have room to accommodate all students.
• Restart: Open the school under a third party education management organization. This option was also rejected since charter schools are not allowed in Washington and the state has not issued a list of approved third parties.
• Turnaround: replace principal and at least 50% of staff. This option was also eliminated.
• Transformation: Replace the principal, reform the instructional model, develop teacher evaluations with student growth as a factor, increase community engagement, and extend learning time.

The school board decided last week to use the “transformation” model at both schools.

Highline Superintendent Welch acknowledges that the four federal models take a narrow approach to improving student achievement.

“The models imply that sole responsibility for getting middle school students to grade level is with the middle school teachers and principals,” said Welch. “We know there are other issues that need to be addressed—in elementary schools, in our system as a whole, and in the community. Still, this is an opportunity to gain some resources we haven’t had before to tackle issues at the middle school level.”

The school district expects to know by March 26 if the funds will be granted. The money could start flowing to the schools by April. If that happens, teachers would start professional development this summer. There could also be summer programs for incoming 7th graders. The schools would open in September with the changes in place.

King County Parks has officially unveiled what they consider a “very groovy” new playground at White Center’s Steve Cox Memorial Park, which is located at 1321 SW 102nd Street.

Here’s the verbiage taken directly from the county’s website:

The new playground at Steve Cox Memorial Park in White Center is now officially OPEN!

Featuring some very groovy Scandinavian-designed equipment for kids aged 2-5 and 5-12, there are slides, swings, and lots of spinny things.

And of course, safety surfacing so you don’t get hurt when you fall down and go boom.

Enjoy!

As you may recall, Steve Cox was the King County Sheriff’s officer who was was killed in White Center in the line of duty in December of 2006. Formerly White Center Park, the park was re-opened in Cox’ honor in 2007.

Here’s a pic of the “very groovy” playground, courtesy King County Parks:

The Salvation Army has a youth basketball league called “HYPE,” and tryouts for 4th through 8th graders will begin Tuesday, March 9th at the Salvation Army Community Center, which is located at 9020 16th Ave SW in White Center.

This is a competitive basketball league, and is meant to provide kids with an athletic outlet to develop both teamwork and leadership in a competitive, healthy environment.

Here are details on the tryouts:

WHAT: Salvation Army HYPE Basketball League.

WHEN: Open tryouts will be:

4th, 5th, and 6th Grade:

• Tuesday March 9th – 5:30pm to 7:00pm
• Thursday March 11th – 5:30 to 7:00pm

7th and 8th Grade:

• Tuesday March 9th – 7:00pm to 8:30pm
• Thursday March 11th – 7:00pm to 8:30pm

WHERE: Tryouts will be held at the Salvation Army Community Center, which is located at 9020 16th Ave SW in White Center.

INFO: For more information, contact Sean or Charles (206) 767-3150 ext 113.

January is National Mentoring Month, and to celebrate, Neighborhood House is launching the Recruit-A-Mentor Challenge, where they’re trying to double the number of volunteer mentors for area middle school students.

Here’s what they say:

Mentors are an important component of CASASTART. Each month, mentors join our students in various activities during after-school hours. These activities range from educational to simply hanging out. By being present each month, mentors become positive adult role models to our students which they may not otherwise have if it were not for the CASASTART program. The time commitment is two hours per month with the students plus some planning time with the other mentors. We ask that mentors commit at least six months to the program.

If you (or anyone you know) are interested in becoming a mentor, please e-mail RominaR@nhwa.org for more information on how to get started as a mentor.

ABOUT NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE:
Neighborhood House is a multi-service, non-profit agency located in several public housing communities in the Seattle area. Last year, we
served 13,500 clients, 80% of which are refugees/immigrants. Our services include early childhood education, ESL classes, job placement, drug/substance abuse prevention, transportation for seniors just to name a few. The mission of Neighborhood House is to help diverse communities of people with limited resources attain their goals for self-sufficiency, financial independence, health, and community
building.

Our website is located at www.nhwa.org.

Wednesday, Sept. 9th is the first day of school for most Highline School District students, and since there are some serious schedule changes this year (like “early release Fridays”) we thought we’d share some info for parents wondering things like:

“There’s now early release every Friday???”

“I’m so confused – early release is exactly what time every Friday?”

“OMG early release means I have to change my schedule! WTF?”

Early release Friday will range from 1:40pm to 2:30pm depending on the school, so in order to help all our Readers who may have kids who are just jonesin’ to get back in class, below are two charts (download/view them here) showing the exact early release schedules (NOTE: click on each image to view larger version):

For more information, visit the Highline School District website here.

Highline School District on Wednesday (Aug. 19th) announced that, beginning this September and continuing through the 2009-2010 school year, students will be released 90 minutes early on “most Fridays.”

This new policy will replace the half-day Wednesdays and most of the non-student “waiver days” HSD has had in past years.

“This has nothing to do with budget cuts,” said Catherine Carbone Rogers, Director, Communication and Community Engagement for HSD. “The purpose is the give teachers time to learn and collaborate with the goal of improving instruction and student achievement. Most school districts do some form of early release or late start for this purpose, and have for many years. Students will have about the same amount of time out of school as they have for the past few years.”

School begins in three weeks for Highline students, on Wednesday, Sept. 9th, which would make the first early-release day Friday, Sept. 11th (so parents, mark your calendars).

“After students are dismissed on Fridays, teachers will use the time for training, professional development, and collaboration,” states the letter. “The 90-minute sessions, called Professional Collaboration Time (PCT), will include activities such as learning new and better ways to deliver instruction, analyzing student work together, and sharing ideas and plans that will improve student performance.”

Also, as printed in the letter, “The school district surveyed parents and teachers, and the majority preferred a weekly early release of less than two hours, versus a less frequent but longer block of time as we have had in the past.”

Here’s the letter, which will be sent out to families from individual school principals:

DATE

Dear [name of school] Families:

We want you to be aware of a change our school schedule. This year, school will be dismissed 90 minutes early on most Fridays. This will replace the half-day Wednesday schedule and most of the non-student “waiver” days we have had in past years. Overall, the amount of time students will spend out of the classroom is comparable to past years.

After students are dismissed on Fridays, teachers will use the time for training, professional development, and collaboration. The 90-minute sessions, called Professional Collaboration Time (PCT), will include activities such as learning new and better ways to deliver instruction, analyzing student work together, and sharing ideas and plans that will improve student performance. While you might not expect that giving time off school could lead to increased student learning, research shows that time invested in teacher training and improvement of instruction does indeed result in improved student achievement.
Students must be dismissed early in order to provide time for teacher learning and collaboration within teachers’ state-funded work day.

We recognize that shortened school days impact families and parents’ work schedules. The school district surveyed parents and teachers, and the majority preferred a weekly early release of less than two hours, versus a less frequent but longer block of time as we have had in the past.

The most significant impact will be to families of half-day Kindergarteners. Morning and afternoon classes will alternate attending school every other Friday. On Fridays, Kindergarteners will be on the same schedule as students in grades 1-6.

For example, on September 18, morning Kindergarteners will attend school the same hours as grades 1-6; afternoon Kindergarteners will have no school. On the following Friday, afternoon Kindergartners will attend school with grades 1-6; morning Kindergarteners will have no school.

We hope the consistency of the weekly early release will be beneficial for students, families, and teachers. If you have questions, please contact me at [phone number and/or email address]

Sincerely,

[name]
Principal

For more information, visit the Highline School District website here, or download a PDF of the school year calendar here.

Grace Church is offering up a free “Kickin’ It Soccer Camp VBS” from Monday July 27th to Friday July 31st, from 5:30pm-8:00pm at their campus at 10323 28th Ave SW.

This Soccer Camp is intended for kids entering Kindergarten through 5th grade, and here’s a blurb from the church:

Come on over and bring your friends for soccer, food, crafts and all sorts of FREE fun!

We will start each night out with dinner from 5:30-6:00 then off the kids go for an action packed evening (parents are welcome to stay and watch, or they can go and have a relaxing child-free evening).

To register online, click here to download a PDF registration form, which you should then print, fill out and mail it in to:

Grace Church
10323 28th Ave SW
Seattle, WA 98146

If you have any questions call 206-937-8400.

The Highline School District will be offering up free meals all summer long, including both breakfast and lunch at 13 different locations, most beginning on Monday, July 6th.

The district has been offering free summer meals for at least the last ten years, and the USDA-funded program has expanded significantly to include community sites as well as schools.

“Based on the estimation from our sites, we may serve up to 1,000 breakfasts and 2,000 lunches plus offer snacks to some sites,” said Brianna Smith, RD, Nutrition Services Manager.

Who is served by the Summer Food Service Program?

• All children 18 years and younger are eligible for the Summer Food Service Program. There is no registration or fee.
• All children are welcome to eat a meal at summer school sites, even if they are not enrolled in a summer program.
• The meal must be eaten at the site and be finished within 15 minutes of the final serving time.

Who pays for it?
The Summer Food Service Program is a federally funded child nutrition program that feeds children nutritious meals during the summertime when school is out and children don’t have access to school meals. It was created to ensure that children in low-income areas could continue to receive nutritious meals during long school vacations. Funding for the Summer Food Service Program is provided with federal dollars and is sufficient to meet expenses related to sponsorship of the program.

What is the purpose of the program?
Clearly, the nutritional needs of large numbers of children who depend on school meals during the school year are not being met in the summer. Good nutrition is essential for learning.

How are site locations determined?
Service sites for the Summer Food Service Program are determined based on:

1. Eligibility criteria.
2. Interest and need at the school building level.
3. Interest and need at community centers.

Here’s where and when the FREE Summer Meals will be available:

• Bow Lake School
  Breakfast: 7:30-8:45 Jul 6-Jul 24 M-F
  Lunch: 11:30-12:45
  18237 42nd Ave S SeaTac 98188
• Evergreen School
  Breakfast: 7:15-7:45 Jul 6-Jul 24 M-F
  Lunch: 10:45-11:15
  830 SW 116th Seattle 98146
• Gregory Heights School
  Breakfast: 7:30-8:45 Jul 6-Jul 24 M-F
  Lunch: 11:30-12:45
  16201 16th Ave SW Burien 98166
• King County Parks – White Center
  Lunch: 12:00-1:00 July 7-Aug 14 M-F
  Snack: 4:00-5:00
  1321 SW 102nd St Seattle 98146
• Midway Elementary School
  Breakfast: 7:30-8:45 Jul 6-Jul 24 M-F
  Lunch: 11:30-12:45
  22447 24th Ave S Des Moines 98198
• Mt. Rainier School
  Breakfast: 7:15-8:00 Jul 6-Aug 7 M-F
  Lunch: 11:00-12:00
  22450 19th Ave S Des Moines 98198
• Mt. View School
  Breakfast: 8:30-9:00 Jul 6-Jul 30 M-Th
  Lunch: 12:00-12:30
  10811 12th Ave SW Seattle 98146
• Schoenwald Park
  Breakfast: 8:30-9:30 Jul 6-Jul 15 M-F
  Lunch: 12:00-1:00
  16030 Sylvester Road Burien 98166
• Seahurst YMCA
  Breakfast: 7:30-8:30 Jul 6-Aug 14 Mon-Fri
  Lunch: 11:30-12:30
  14603 14th Ave SW Burien 98166
• Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission
  Lunch: 12:00-12:30 Jul 7-Aug 14 T-F
  Snack: 4:00-4:30
  15003 14th Ave SW Burien 98166
• Shannon South
  Lunch: 12:00-1:00 Jul 6-Aug 14 M-F
  Snack: 3:00-4:00
  3508 S 180th SeaTac 98188
• Southwest Boys and Girls Club
  Lunch: 12:00-12:30 Jul 6-Aug 14 M-F
  Snack: 3:30-4:00
  9800 8th Ave SW Seattle 98106
• White Center
  Breakfast: 8:15-9:00 Jul 6-Aug 7 M-F
  Lunch: 12:00-1:00
  10015 6th Ave SW Seattle 98146

• Food cannot be taken off the premises.
• The child does not need to be a Highline Public School student.
• There are no forms to fill out and no names are taken.
• Program is open to age 18 and under.

More information available at the Highline School District website.

In an effort to avoid having to close any more schools, Public Health Seattle and King County is asking parents to be on the front line of stopping flu infections, and are offering this informational checklist for parents:

Please talk to your children about how they are feeling.

If your child is sick, keep your child home. Staying home when sick helps reduce exposure to others and helps the sick person get well faster.

Answer these questions every morning before sending your child to school or child care:

1. Does your child have a fever (100º F or 37. 7ºC)?
2. Does your child have a sore throat, cough, body aches, vomiting, or diarrhea?

If you answered “yes” to both questions, your child might have the flu. Keep your child home from school for seven days or until symptoms are gone for 24 hours, whichever is longer.

If you answered “yes” to only one of the questions, keep your child home from school until symptoms are gone for 24 hours.

In addition to health and safety information about H1N1/Swine Flu, starting tomorrow, Wednesday May 6th, the Flu Hotline will offer callers an opportunity to speak with registered nurses.

(The hotline starts with a recorded message, follow the prompts for the best language option and when asked if you want “health and safety information about the H1N1 flu” or “if you have the flu,” follow the prompt to “if you have the flu.” This will take you to the menu that allows you to select “talk to a nurse.”)

Hotline nurses will tell callers how to manage their symptoms at home, tell them if they need to see a doctor or health care provider and answer other medical questions about H1N1 flu.

The Flu Hotline number is 1-877-903 KING (5464)

For more information, go to Public Health’s web site: www.kingcounty.gov/health/H1N1 or call the Flu Hotline at 1-877-903-5464

by Scott Schaefer

As if the seemingly endless stream of daily layoffs, rising unemployment rates and closing area businesses isn’t enough bad news, now comes word of major budget cuts for Highline Public Schools, which faces an estimated $8 million in cuts for next year due to reductions in state funding.

As a result, up to 228 teachers could be laid off.

These are in addition to $3 million in cuts already made during the current school year.

Superintendent John Welch has already announced cuts for next year totaling $2.2 million dollars. These cuts are to the central office, including administrator and other non-teaching positions.

“In our earlier projections based on the governor’s budget, we did not anticipate the need to lay off teachers,” Welch said in a statement. “Since then, the state budget shortfall has grown significantly, and the state House and Senate have published their budgets, which contain much deeper cuts to public education funding. As a result, we now anticipate a reduction in force of 228 FTE (Full-Time Employee) teaching positions.”

The public and Highline staff are invited to give input on these options at the following community budget forums (click on the school for address/directions):

• Thursday, April 23, 6pm – 8pm: Pacific Middle School
• Saturday, April 25, 9am – 11am: Hazel Valley Elementary
• Monday, April 27, 6pm – 8pm: Evergreen High School campus

Interpreters will be available, and childcare will be provided for children ages 3-12. No children in diapers, please.

Parents and concerned citizens are encouraged to attend and share their comments with the superintendent on ideas like:

If you were managing the district budget in these tight financial times, what areas would you prioritize and in what areas would you reduce spending?

If you can’t attend, you can always send in an anonymous comment by clicking here.

Highline Public Schools serves over 17,000 students in 35 different schools (18 elementary, 4 middle and 13 high schools), ranging in an area from White Center to Des Moines.

More information, including specific budget cuts, is available on the Highline Public Schools website.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

• Help Save Highline School Arts On April 15th

UPDATE 3/24/09: Tuesday afternoon in Tukwila, King County Sheriff’s detectives arrested the man they believe stole a car with two young children in it.

Here’s their release:

The suspect who Sheriff’s Office detectives believe stole a car with two toddlers strapped in the back seat was arrested this afternoon shortly before 2:30 PM. The arrest occurred at an apartment in Tukwila. The arrest was uneventful.

The kidnapping incident occurred last night (Monday March 23^rd) about 7:00 PM in the Top Hat neighborhood of Burien.

Detectives believe the suspect was loitering at the Oasis 76 Station, 11249 – 1^st Ave South last evening. A man went into the station to buy cigarettes, but left his 2005 Jeep Cherokee outside with the doors unlocked and the engine running, just outside of the entrance doors.

The man’s 1½ year-old daughter and 3 year-old niece were inside the vehicle. The father/uncle saw the suspect get into the car and start to drive away. He ran to the car and pulled open the driver’s door, yelling “My kids, my kids”, but the suspect pushed him out of the doorway and drove off. The dad gave chase on foot but to no avail. He returned to the store and called 9-1-1.

As Sheriff’s deputies were taking the report and notifying adjacent police agencies, the Jeep Cherokee pulled into the Albertson’s parking lot, 15840 – 1^st Avenue South, at a high rate of speed and honking the horn. The driver was yelling out the window “help me…help me” and when a patron approached the car he handed off both kids and took off quickly.

Suspecting something might be amiss, the customers called 9-1-1 and the connection was made. Families were reunited shortly thereafter.

An alert Sheriff’s sergeant located the stolen vehicle about 11:30 PM in a Tukwila parking lot.

The suspect arrested today is a convicted felon and on Active Supervision with the Dept. of Corrections. He was released from King County Jail on March 18^th after an arrest on an Obstruction charge.

The suspect will be booked into the King County Jail later today for Investigation of Kidnapping and Investigation of Theft.

PREVIOUSLY:The Seattle Times is reporting that a Jeep was stolen Monday night in White Center, with two very young children still inside.

According to the Times, someone left their two young kids in their idling Jeep, and a thief took off with it.

The kids, both under two years old, were later dropped off three miles away at the Albertson’s in Burien.

The incident started near South 112th Street and First Avenue South just before 7pm, and the thief then left the two girls at the Burien store, telling a witness that it was an emergency.

Police later found the Jeep at about 11:30pm, abandoned in Tukwila.

Read the full story here.

And if you’re a parent who drives your kids around, please don’t leave ‘em unattended in a car, whether it’s running or not.

“If you take your keys, take your kids…”