Mount View and White Center Heights Elementary Schools will both celebrate back-to-school by giving out new backpacks full of school supplies to students courtesy Qwest, World Vision, Community Schools Collaboration (CSC) and Highline Public Schools.

In addition to giving out the free backpacks, families of students are invited to a free barbecue as well.

Here are the details:

• Tuesday, Aug. 31st at Mount View Elementary, located at 10811 – 12th Avenue SW, between 10am – 2pm.
• Wednesday, Sept. 1st at White Center Heights Elementary (10015 – 6th Avenue SW) from 5pm – 7pm.

This past week the final boxes, desks, chairs and “all things academic” were unloaded and moved into Westside School’s new facility in the former E.C. Hughes building in nearby West Seattle.

The daunting task of moving an entire school took just three days, according to Admission Director David Bergler. Teachers have been arriving earlier than in past summers, anxious to set up their new classrooms. Westside School (www.westsideschool.org) currently offers classes from Preschool through 5th grade.

The school, formerly located in Arbor Heights, will be holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday, Sept. 7th at 4pm. The first day of school is the following day, Wednesday, Sept. 8th.

Here’s more info from our friends at Westside:

Westside School parent volunteers are giving up their weekends to help ready the new campus for students and families for the big ribbon cutting on Tuesday, September 7th at 4:00. Volunteers have been supporting the move with a variety of tasks including landscape work and setting up the new library. Pictured above is a group of volunteers helping assemble the new playground structure.

“One of the cornerstones of Westside School is the high value that is placed on a caring community,” said Bergler.  He adds, “That spirit of community can be seen in the tremendous support we have had from our families during our move.”

On Tuesday (May 11), South Seattle Community College announced that after a nationwide headhunting search, they have named Gary Oertli (pictured, left), widely-known college leader and current interim president at Seattle Central Community College, as its new president.

Oertli, who has worked at community colleges and baccalaureate institutions throughout Western Washington, will begin his responsibilities at South before the start of fall quarter.

He was selected following a national search and recommendations made by a college-wide committee to Jill A. Wakefield, chancellor of the Seattle Community Colleges, which include South, North and Seattle Central Community Colleges.

“Gary Oertli has excellent depth of experience as a college leader,” Wakefield said. “With his skills at inspiring employees and at creating community support for the college, and his strong commitment to student success, he will be an outstanding president for South.”

According to an SSCC press release:

Oertli is currently serving as interim president at Seattle Central Community College. He also was recent interim president and interim vice president for instruction at South Seattle Community College, former dean at Seattle Central, and director of development for International Affairs and Alumni Relations at the University of Washington. He was honored as president emeritus when he retired from Shoreline Community College, Shoreline, Wash., where he served as president and CEO from 1995 to 2000. He also served for 18 years at Edmonds Community College, Lynnwood, Wash., where he was interim president and CEO, executive vice president for instruction and student services, dean of instruction, vocational director, Business Programs director and tenured faculty member. He started his community college career as a part-time faculty member at North Seattle Community College. Mr. Oertli is a graduate of the Executive Management program in the graduate school of Business Administration at the University of Washington, where he also earned master’s and bachelor’s degrees. He received an honorary doctorate of Humane Letters from Schiller International University in London.

In his previous positions, Oertli developed several important partnerships and is well-known for his successful history of obtaining gifts, grants and in working with college foundations. His service also includes membership on the Governor’s 2020 Commission on Higher Education and president of the U of W Alumni Association. He has been recognized with higher education awards for his work in communications, community relations and by the American Association of Women in Community Colleges for enhancing opportunities for women.

South Seattle Community College serves a multicultural population of almost 17,500 credit and non-credit students from an 87-acre, wooded campus in residential West Seattle, and satellite campuses in the nearby neighborhoods of Georgetown and Beacon Hill.

Students of color make up more than half of the student body, making South one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse colleges in the state, and inspiring the college to match its high student diversity with equally high student success. The college is recognized as one of the leaders and originators of the IBEST curriculum (integrated Basic Education and Training), which combines technical training with basic English skills. In 2008, the college received a two-year, $2.4 million federal grant to support student retention and success, with a special focus on Asian-American and Pacific Islander students. South is among only six recipients from across the country, including both two-year and four-year institutions.

South offers one of the state’s first four-year degree programs at a community college. A Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Hospitality Management launched in 2007 is the only one of its kind in Western Washington. A Wine Studies program features an on-campus winery, unique to the Puget Sound region, where students are creating award-winning wines.

The president will direct a workforce of 650 full- and part-time employees; he replaces former president Jill A. Wakefield, who was selected by the board of Trustees to serve as the district chancellor in January 2009.

The Seattle Community Colleges educate 53,000 students every year at North Seattle, Seattle Central and South Seattle Community Colleges, and at the Seattle Vocational Institute. College presidents are part of the district-wide leadership team who report to the district chancellor and also serve as vice chancellors responsible for coordinating specific district-wide areas such as instruction and student services.

B-Town Blog Advertiser West Seattle Montessori School would like to let our Readers know that they will be hosting a Plant Sale this Saturday, May 1, from 9am to 2pm, with plants for sale grown in their own greenhouse.

West Seattle Montessori is located at 11215 15th Ave SW, Seattle.

“We would like to invite the entire community to come out and purchase plants grown from our greenhouse,” said Tara Requa, spokesperson for the school.

“There will be a coffee cart and lots of plant selection!” Tara told us. “Veggies and flowers both!”

From their website:

The sale includes: fruit and vegetables, flowering bedding plants, free potting soil, a Master Gardener on hand to answer questions, a Mother’s day craft table for kids, an espresso bar and bake sale, and entertainment from some of our middle schoolers. We will also be offering a membership to the “Friends of the Greenhouse” where for a one time annual fee supporters will receive a first option of purchasing special hybrid fruit and vegetables before the day of the plant sale, a discount on holiday wreaths, a biannual newsletter, their name on a scroll in the Greenhouse and more!

We hope to see you there!

West Seattle Montessori School
11215 15th Ave SW
Seattle, WA 98146
(206) 935-0427

Website: www.westseattlemontessori.com

Westside School, technically located in Arbor Heights, but close enough to White Center to be considered “local,” is in negotiations with the Seattle Public School District to lease the historic E.C. Hughes School building at 7740 34th Ave SW, with hopes of starting the 2010-11 school year there in the fall.

“All the lease options for the inventoried Seattle Public School buildings were presented at the School Board meeting last night, and the vote will take place May 5th,” said Jana Riggin, Westside’s Director of Marketing & Development.

Here’s more info provided by Jana:

Westside School has put in a proposal to lease the E.C. Hughes building on 7740 34th Ave SW, and hopes to start the 2010-2011 school year in this new location.

Westside has been growing since 2006, and has outgrown its current location at 10015 28th Ave SW. Portable buildings have been the short-term solution, but the school is excited about this new building that has enough square feet to meet all its current program needs.

Next year, Westside will have about 230 students, grades preschool – 5th, and has not only run out of classroom space but also room for other important programs like PE, music and art. Currently, Westside shares its space with another independent, private middle school and both schools need more room.

The move to E.C. Hughes will give the needed space for all day PE classes, office space for our Spanish and Chinese teachers, and classrooms for music and art while allowing every classroom to be in one building and bring our community together.

Westside School’s current location goes back to 1993, when they made a deal with the Highline School District to take over the former North Shorewood School on 28th Avenue SW.

And now, like the 230 young kids they teach, they’re growing again.

On a personal note, Hazel Schaefer, grandmother of Publisher/Editor Scott Schaefer, once taught Kindergarten at E.C. Hughes, and if all goes according to plan, Schaefer’s own daughter will be attending school this fall in that very same building.

[PHOTO CREDIT: Joe Mabel, Wikimedia Commons]

The Evergreen High School Booster Club is holding a fundraising Spaghetti Dinner and Raffle this Saturday, April 24th, from 5pm – 8pm, with all money raised going to support the Evergreen Cheer Squad.

This is a perfect way to boost some serious carbs into yourself and your family, all the while boosting your local school’s cheer squad and stunt team.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Evergreen High School Booster Club’s Spaghetti Dinner and Raffle

WHEN: Saturday, April 24th from 5pm – 8pm

WHERE: Evergreen High School( located at 830 SW 116th Street). Dinner will be held in the cafeteria.

COST: Tickets can be purchased at the door for $10 each.

INFO: Food-Fun-Prizes-Entertainment.

Come down and meet the newly elected members of the 2010/2011 Evergreen Cheer Squad and Stunt Team.

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.

According to a press release, nearby school South Seattle Community College is partnering with the U.S. Census Bureau to “help achieve a complete and accurate count of the nation’s growing population.”

The release says:

By supporting the 2010 Census, the college hopes to raise awareness of this important initiative and work to increase the overall response rate of historically hard-to-count college and university students.

The partnership will involve sharing information about the census on the college website, www.southseattle.edu, and encouraging students to complete and return their 2010 Census forms. Off-campus sites NewHolly and Georgetown will also participate in outreach activities.

In addition, a Question Assistance Center (QAC) will be established on the main campus in Cascade Court room 123 (former site of Bernie’s Bakery), where staff will answer questions from students and members of the community.  The QAC will be staffed from 11 am to 7 pm on the following dates:

• Tuesday, March 16
• Wednesday, March 17
• Tuesday, April 6
• Wednesday, April 7
• Tuesday, April 13

South Seattle Community College is located at 6000-16th Ave. SW, in West Seattle. Driving directions: www.southseattle.edu/campus/map.htm#sscc.

For more information about the 2010 Census, visit 2010census.gov.

Wednesday, April 14

South Seattle Community College (located nearby at 6000 16 Ave S.W.) will be offering a number of very ‘green” non-credit Electric Vehicle classes, beginning with a safety course this Saturday, Feb. 27th.

The classes, part of a partnership with the Seattle Electric Vehicle Association, will be taught by a group of experienced instructors who have converted over two dozen vehicles.

Here are the details:

WHAT: A series of non-credit Electric Vehicle classes

WHERE: South Seattle Community College, located at 6000 16 Ave S.W.

WHEN: Class times vary – see details below:

• Electric Vehicle Conversion Workshop
  Instructor:  Ed Stegall
  An intensive six days hands-on learning class that teaches the basics in converting a gasoline engine to electric power.
  8 am – 5 pm     M T W Th F Sat  March 22-27     $899
• Electric Vehicle Safety Systems
  Instructor:  Roger Wright
  Learn how to keep your electric vehicle safe; how a DC system works, what parts go into it, and why you should have these parts.
  9 – 11:30 am            Sat     February 27     $35
  ** Enrollment is still open for the February 27 class. **
  6:30 – 9 pm             T       May 25  $35
• Introduction to AC Drives for Electric Vehicles
  Instructors:  Dan Bentler and Frank Jump
  Learn the advantages and disadvantages of DC and AC motors. Gain valuable insight and knowledge of how AC drives work and how to apply them to vehicles. Class will provide hands-on operating demonstrations of motors and variable-frequency drives and other motors using bench-top equipment VFDs.
  9 am – 4 pm             Sat     April 24        $65
• Electric Vehicle Component Technology for Conversion
  Instructor:  Cory Cross
  Learn about what parts go into a conversion and how they connect to each other. Strong emphasis placed on learning to read schematics and understanding why the parts are connected that way.
  6 – 9 pm                Th      May 13  $45
• Electric Vehicles – Batteries
  Instructor:  Stephen Johnsen
  Topics include: general overview of popular suitable batteries for EVs; comparison of costs and specs on various batteries available; calculating the kWhr rating of my pack; how to extend battery life; charging and recycling of batteries.
  6:30 – 9 pm             T       May 18  $45
• Electric Bicycles
  Instructor:  Ed Stegall
  Go through the process of actually converting a normal bike to electric. Class also covers bike safety, bike laws and basic maintenance and tips for doing your own conversion on your own or with a kit.
  Class fee of $99 includes two sessions.
  6 – 9 pm                Th      June 3
  9 am – 4 pm             Sat     June 5

INFO: From a press release:

The six-day workshop guides students through the complete process of converting a vehicle from a gasoline engine to electric power.  By the end of the workshop, the group will have completed one running electric car conversion capable of highway speeds, with a 30-60 mile range on one charge.

Electric Vehicle classes fill quickly and interested students are encouraged to sign up early.

REGISTER: Register online at www.LearnAtSouth.org, or call (260) 764-5339 for more information.

South Seattle Community College’s Continuing Education division offers 150 classes each quarter, ranging from computer skills to cooking to home repair. Designed to fit into busy schedules, these classes offer the lifelong learner variety and flexibility, with online and classroom instruction.

The Seattle Electric Vehicle Association was founded in 1979, with a mission to educate, demonstrate, and proliferate electric vehicles. The interests of SEVA members represent a wide spectrum of Electric Vehicle interests range from fast dragsters to NEVs, from home conversions to Teslas.  For more information, visit the website at www.seattleeva.org.

Beverly Park Elementary School (located at 1201 South 104th Street), is one of 11 schools honored for completing the first level of King County’s Green Schools Program.

It is one of four Highline School District schools recognized; the others include Gregory Heights Elementary in Burien, Madrona Elementary School in SeaTac, and North Hill Elementary School in Des Moines.

Each school received a “We are a King County Green School” banner, a certificate of recognition, a success story on the program Web site and mention in a press release issued by King County.

Participating schools receive assistance on how to conserve resources such as paper, electricity and water, and they are often rewarded with reduced utility and garbage disposal costs.

“Each of these 11 schools has involved its whole school community – students, teachers and administrators – in reducing garbage and increasing recycling,” said Dale Alekel, King County Green Schools Program manager.

Highline Schools honored include:

• Beverly Park Elementary School (unincorporated King County)
• Gregory Heights Elementary School (Burien)
  
• Madrona Elementary School (SeaTac)
• North Hill Elementary School (Des Moines)

These schools completed level one of the program by initiating or improving recycling practices and engaging in waste-reduction strategies, such as decreasing paper use. Success stories for each school are at this website.

According to the King County website, some of Beverly Parks’ achievements include:

Waste Reduction and Recycling:

• Beverly Park Elementary School increased its recycling rate from 33 percent to 38 percent.
• To compost food and yard waste, paraeducator Karen Eng spearheaded the creation of two outdoor worm bins. With help from the Green Schools Program, sixth grade students from teacher Rosanne Esposito’s class participated in a King County Green Team workshop on how to compost using a worm bin. Each lunch period, selected students collect food scraps and tend the worm bin.
• The school started recycling breakfast milk cartons and currently recycles approximately 150 milk cartons and 120 juice cartons per day. Custodian Archie Champion has led this effort.
• Recycling containers provided by the Green Schools Program were added to the lunchroom for milk cartons, juice boxes, plastic bottles, aluminum cans and food scraps.
• School staff placed recycling stickers on all recycling containers. Provided by the Green Schools Program, the stickers list what can and cannot be recycled.
• Beverly Park has adopted and promoted a double-sided copy policy which has helped decrease paper waste.

Participation in the King County Green Schools Program has grown each year. To date, 10 of King County’s 18 school districts have received assistance or are now participating, and in doing so they have increased recycling, reduced energy and resource consumption, and engaged students in benefiting the environment.

The program has helped more than 300 schools cut waste and save resources since its inception in 2003. By providing hands-on assistance, including school visits, tailored recommendations, help with outreach to students and staff, and recycling containers and stickers, the Green Schools Program provides schools and school districts with the support they need to set up and maintain effective conservation practices.

In addition to providing schools with the hands-on help they need, the program offers a website, www.kingcounty.gov/GreenSchools, with useful tools and resources.

Schools interested in receiving assistance to improve conservation practices can contact Dale Alekel at dale.alekel@kingcounty.gov.

WCB Advertiser Three Tree Montessori invites parents and kids to their Open House this Saturday, Jan. 30th from 10am – Noon.

Here’s what they’d like you to know:

Come see the beautiful classrooms, gardens and playgrounds, meet the teachers, and learn about Montessori programs for children ages one through twelve.

All are welcome!

Three Tree Montessori is located in Burien at 220 SW 160th, near Sylvester Middle School. More info at their website here.

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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.

We’d like to welcome back Advertiser Three Tree Montessori School, which serves student learners from the Highline and West Seattle area – you know, that’s the school behind those whimsical columns on SW 160th in Burien. They’ve been guiding students in this area since 2003. “Guiding,” as in not “teaching” – well that’s the Montessori philosophy, you see.

Montessori is a time-tested, (since 1907 in Europe, and the mid-50s in the US), child-centered developmental education method that is focused on the individual child’s potential, giving the child hands-on experiences that nurture the love of learning. It emphasizes collaboration, self-expression, and self-motivation in beautiful learning environments, which foster respect, peace, and joy.

Every Thursday morning from late October through May, Three Tree Montessori welcomes interested parents and the community to experience Montessori by watching classroom activities. BTB recently spent time viewing Three Tree’s students at work. It wasn’t like any classroom we knew of, being products of public school, but it was interesting and worth explaining to our readers who are interested in public school alternatives.

Montessori divides classes by age, not grade level. The Toddler Program includes children aged 1 (and walking) to 3. This is where young children experience their first structured contact with other children. There are two toddler classes with 12 students in each class guided by a Montessori-certified teacher and an assistant teacher. There is one half-day class and one full-day class.

To give you an idea of what the Three Tree Montessori is like, here’s a slideshow of photos:

I was paired with an anxious mother from West Seattle who needed to watch her 1-1/2 year old son in his first week in class (he was doing much better than Mom!).

The Toddler environment is prepared to meets the needs of the child and to foster independence, motor coordination and language acquisition. This is where young children experience their first structured contact with other children. We observed tea parties, biscuit-baking, sweeping and cleaning—all performed with age appropriate tools.

Next we were off to the Primary Program for ages 3 to 6. We observed one of three primary classes. There is one teacher/guide, one assistant, and one support staff. One of the basic tenets of Montessori theory is the multi-age classroom. Here students learn practical life, sensorial, cultural, math and language activities and of course, outdoor play. There isn’t a desk in sight – instead there are chairs and tables that are age appropriate. Many of the children were using floor mats, studying math and geography working in groups or individually, with the older students mentoring the younger. We noted how quiet it was as they were learning at their own pace.

Finally we were welcomed into the Elementary classroom for ages 6-12. Yes, welcomed. Two girls (class greeters) welcomed BTB and offered tea. Students were working in small groups. Elementary children are noted for their questioning minds and their imaginations. The ability to reason is at its greatest capacity in the child of this age. The elementary classroom is designed to be the stepping-off point into the universe. The study of language includes writing, reading and oral expression. Math includes arithmetic, geometry and algebra (and we’re talking little kids learning this stuff!). Once again, all this learning is done on the floor or at tables.

After our tours of the classrooms were complete, we toured the gardens. Outdoor education is as important as indoor education at Three Tree Montessori. Each age level has their own garden area planted outside their classrooms, and are all aspiring gardeners. Their gardens include a compost pile as well as rain barrels (which were overflowing).

Service to the community is an important aspect of the Elementary program. Over the years, the children of Elementary have raised money for a Montessori school in Kenya, organized food drives for Northwest Harvest and holiday gift drives for the non-profit organization Baby Boutique, and held a clothing drive for a local family who lost all their belongings in a fire. And this past school year, the Elementary class has sent a work party of students each Friday to Marra Farm, a non-profit community farm promoting sustainable agriculture and education that donates tons of fresh produce to local residents.

We sat with the Elementary guide/teacher and learned there are no grades given in Montessori School. Rather there are two annual parent teacher conferences and a year-end evaluation (the ITBS is given to the equivalent of third and sixth graders).

Three Tree Montessori offers a diverse student and teacher population, and they work at keeping classrooms diverse and balanced (by race and sex). Tuition assistance is available. There are 120 students at the school, with room for a few more in the Toddler and Elementary Programs.

Three Tree Montessori is located at 220 SW 160th in Burien. Imported columns grace the front of Three Tree Montessori.

For more information about Three Tree Montessori, please contact the school office at (206) 242-5100, or click on their Ad for more info.

And about those columns – the originals were found in Cawa Cawa, New Zealand. They are replicas designed and built by parents from originals done by famous New Zealand artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser.

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The White Center Blog is proud to welcome as our latest Advertiser the wonderful people of the West Seattle Montessori School.

It’s a great school.

And they’re having a Rummage Sale this Saturday, May 2nd.

Go!

It’ll be this Saturday from 9am to 3pm at the American Legion Hall, which is located at 3618 SW Alaska Street in West Seattle (map below).

Booth space is available for a small fee. Call the school for more information at 206-935-0427.

Also, the West Seattle Montessori School will soon be moving to their new location in White Center.

They are now enrolling for the 2009 – 2010 academic school year.

“Choosing a school where children flourish according to their needs and abilities is more critical today than ever,” said the school’s Angela Sears. “West Seattle Montessori School is pleased to offer individualized teaching from experienced professionals, and would be delighted to assist you throughout your child’s academic journey.”

West Seattle Montessori School
4536 38th Avenue SW, West Seattle
phone 206-935-0427
www.westseattlemontessori.com

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And the nominees are..

Nancy Paré, Executive Director of Highline Schools Foundation for Excellence has announced the nominees for the 2009 Highline Gold Star Awards.

Over 40 educators, volunteers and classified personnel were nominated by fellow educators, parents, citizens and students in the following classifications:

• Outstanding Administrator/Principal
• Outstanding Teacher
• Outstanding Volunteer
• Outstanding Classified Employee

If you want to see if you, a friend, a neighbor, a relative or your favorite principal/teacher were nominated, just click here.

The winners will be selected by a volunteer committee that has been selected to review the Gold Star nominations and make recommendations as to who will be the winners in each category. The committee consists of a Highline School District representative, a Foundation Board representative, a Retired Teachers Association representative, and a PTSA representative. The committee is staffed by the Foundation Executive Director. The committee will be reviewing the submitted nominations materials and meeting early next week for decision making.

Stay tuned to the WCB as we will be announcing the winners next week.

The winners will be honored at the Gold Star Benefit Luncheon at the Doubletree Guest Suites in Tukwila, coming up on May 29th. The Master of Ceremonies will be local funnyman John Keister, former Host of KING TV’s “Almost Live!“, local celebrity bald guy and former co-worker of the publisher of this here blog (EDITOR’S NOTE: whatever you do, don’t say this to John in an overly-enthusiastic voice: “Successful succession of successful success!“).

For more information on how you can attend this luncheon, please contact the foundation at 206-248-5196.

The Highline Schools Foundation Gold Star Benefit luncheon is sponsored by Boeing, BECU and Rogers and Norman.

Highline Schools Foundation mission is to “provide community resources to help Highline Public Schools Succeed. By enriching the classroom and school experience, we can engage students to reach a higher level.” Since 2001 the foundation has distributed over $250,000 to the 32 schools in the Highline District. Donors include corporate, foundations and private citizens.

White Center Blog Reader Louise Conroy sends us this note about how a group of area parents are teaming up to try and improve the facilities at Concord Elementary School, located just down the hill in the South Park neighborhood:

A group of Concord parents are trying to improve the outdoor facilities at Concord Elementary for the student body and broader community.

The purpose of this project is to convert an underutilized outdoor area and create within it a multi-purpose, multi-functioning space that provides enhanced outdoor recreation and education for use by the Concord Elementary School and South Park residents.

Upon completion, the new facilities will:

• improve the quality of outdoor education and recreational equipment;
• support a greater variety of exercise and athletics;
• create an outdoor amphitheater for use in learning, gathering and performance;
• build designated planting/gardening beds in partnership with the neighborhood farm co-op;
• significantly extend the periods during which the resource is available.

To learn more about this project, we have created a website. We would love to hear your comments / suggestions and ideas.

If you would like to learn more or become involved, please e-mail concordplay@live.com or check out our website:

www.concordplay.com

Here’s a concept design of the proposed plan:

Concord School is located at 723 South Concord Street in Seattle; (206) 252-8100:

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