All posts by Genesee Hill PTA

Kindergarten Playground burnt

Uncategorized

The Kindergarten Playground is a total loss as a result of a late night fire last night. The West Seattle Blog has been covering this since early morning; check there for details and updates.

We’ve been getting a flood of messages from concerned members and the broader community. Thanks to all for your concern, offers of donation, and willingness to assist in any way!

 Here is the latest update:

  • No update on how fire started – cause is still being investigated.
  • Damage to play structure appears to be total.
  • Damage to building is considerable, yet luckily nothing major (19 windows and nearby wall boards). These are being fixed today.
  • This was a new play structure (opened this year).
  • Structure was paid for by district funds (not PTA monies).
  • Thanks to all those who suggested crowd funding and donations. Currently, we believe the replacement will be covered by district insurance. We will provide updates here and via West Seattle Blog, and email our members in the event of complication.
  • Area affected is considered a danger zone, and therefore no parent help is needed at this time (yet thanks for your offers). Professional cleanup is required and they will be onsite as soon as soon as possible.
  • The local company that built the structure has been alerted and we trying to figure out how soon we can have a replacement installed. (more to come).

Finally, we are expecting to have around 600 kids in the school this year. If the building had been affected, this could have been disastrous for our kids and the community. We are very lucky this was contained, that no one was hurt and our sincere thanks to all fire fighters involved.

Field Day is Thursday; lots of room for volunteers!

Uncategorized

It’s the end of the year and time for our final celebration, FIELD DAY Carnival!

Field Day is Tuesday, June 17th from 10:00 am to 2:30 pm. Below is the schedule of participation:

  • 10:00 am – 12:00 pm: 2nd grade, 3rd grade and 5th grade
  • 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm: Kindergarten, 1st grade and 4th grade

We need a lot of help and volunteers to:

  • Help set-up the event
  • Manage the games and check off bingo cards (25 games)
  • Hand out popcorn, cotton candy
  • Run the prizes table
  • Help clean-up

The volunteer shifts are organized by Set-up Crew, 1st Shift Volunteers from 9:45 am – 12 pm, and 2nd Shift Volunteers 12:15 pm – 2:45 pm (includes clean-up).

This is a fun day for everyone and again, needs lots of volunteers. Please sign up to help.

Let’s end this year with a bang!

DATE: 6/17/2014 (Tue.)

LOCATION: Check-in Playground

CREATED BY: Lorie Bennett

A Changing of the Guard – New Board Elected

Uncategorized

The main news from Thursday’s brief member meeting: The membership elected a new Board of Directors for the 2014-2015 year.

By a unanimous vote, the following members were elected:

  • President: Joe Turcotte
  • Vice President: Robert Kelly
  • Secretary: Alyse Hufford
  • Legislative Co-chairs: Emily Giaquinta & Angela Cough
  • Fundraising Co-chairs: Lorie Bennett & Derek Birnie
  • Communications: Cheri Carl
  • Treasurer: Tom Boyer
  • Vice Treasurer: Michelle Wonder

Also at the meeting, we discussed and celebrated a number of significant achievements, including a year-over-year increase in participation, volunteer hours, donor support, communication capacity, and cohort activity, as well as positive outcomes on crucial issues like the development of the new school site and math curriculum adoption.

While there are many people to thank for those accomplishments, we expressed deep appreciation for the following outgoing board member for their leadership this year:

  • Jeff Rayner, President
  • Ed Hansen, Treasurer
  • Nazleen Patel-Ejarque, Fundraising Chair
  • Sabrina Kovacs-Storlie, Teacher Representative

While this board hold fiduciary responsibility and charts the overall direction of the PTA, our success depends on the leadership of dozens of other people. We’re grateful that so many people have already stepped up to take responsibility for next year’s plans. There is always room for you to pursue your interest here. Drop a line to board@schmitzparkpta.org to get connected.

Challenges to District’s Math Adoption Decision

Uncategorized

Update June 11, 2014:

Superindendent Jose Banda sent a letter to principals strongly encouraging consistent adoption of Math in Focus (read the full letter here). In the letter, he writes:

“Given the short timeframe and the need for consistency in our District, I must ask you to support the adopted Math in Focus program for the fall. We will provide the funding to fully implement the program and also ensure aligned professional development.”

We will know its effect soon, as yesterday was the deadline for schools to submit waiver requests.

Original post June 7, 2014:

Although the School Board, the highest decision-makers at Seattle Public Schools, voted last week to adopt Math in Focus, there are indicators that there may be moves afoot within the district to undermine that policy decision, according to post at Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools’ Own Math War.

Author Melissa Westbrook reports on a conversation she had with Superintendent Jose Banda, which leads her to suspect rapid developments as schools need to decide quickly whether to apply for a waiver if they prefer alternative curricula to Math in Focus.

This would be a good time for Schmitz Park PTA members to contact friends at other schools to be sure they understand the benefits of Singapore Math and to ask their principals for information about the school’s plans.

Stay tuned for further developments.

Math in Focus Wins! School Board action on Math Curriculum

math curriculum, Uncategorized

This post will be updated as possible. For the SPS live feed, click here.

Update 8:19 PM. Per Lorie Bennett: “Math in Focus has been adopted as the sole math curriculum by the SPS Board with 4 votes for and 3 votes against.”

Amazing, amazing accomplishment! Thank you to everyone who sent a message to the school board!

Update 9:00 PM. Some other coverage:

Blow by blow reporting at Seattle Schools Community Forum

 Celebratory story at the Cliff Mass Weather Blog

Update 11:00 PM. Announcement e-mail to PTA members:

You Did It! Math in Focus WINS!

Thanks to you, the Seattle school board voted tonight in a monumental turn of events to adopt Math In Focus as the single K-5 elementary curriculum.  Your voice was heard, you saved Singapore Math for Schmitz Park, and every student in Seattle Public Schools will now have access to the math excellence that we’ve pioneered. 

Never say you can’t fight town hall. Courageous votes from Board Members McLaren, Patu, Peters, and Peaslee came only after long hard work by dozens of Schmitz Park leaders and our allies at West Seattle STEM and other schools to make a solid case, and by many more of you who took the time to let those board members know your own stories. 

Thank you for supporting the cause, sending letters, and giving moral support.  And special thanks to Emily Giaquinta – who spearheaded our campaign, and took our voice to new levels. 

This is a monumental win for our children, for our dedicated teachers, and for everyone! 

Future of Math in Seattle Schools: Will Singapore Prevail?

Community, Fifth Grade, First Grade, Fourth Grade, Kindergarten, math curriculum, Second Grade, Singapore Math, Third Grade

This is a Call to Action to Share Your Singapore Math Story

This is a critical time to voice your personal support for Singapore – Math in Focus to the Seattle School Board. Schmitz Park Elementary staff, teachers, parents, and the PTA board all agree that a Singapore Math program is the best possible curriculum for our kids—and over the last 7 years our kids math scores prove it. Please contact the School Board and tell them why you believe Singapore – Math in Focus is the right choice for your child.

What’s at stake?

The School Board is voting this Wednesday, June 4th, on which math curriculum will be adopted for all K-5 Schools over the next seven years. Now is the time to put all of our efforts into influencing the vote. We only have time for one last effort to reach School Board Directors and ask them to vote for Singapore – Math in Focus.

How did we get here?

During the Math Adoption Committee’s process, a Public Input period occurred and the results from parents were overwhelmingly in favor of Math in Focus. Schmitz Park Principal, Mr. Gerrit Kischner, our teachers, Schmitz Park PTA, and parents have each stated the same, over and over again. Our collective public opinion was not factored into the recommendation. Since then, more and more parents and schools are coming forward saying they want Singapore – Math in Focus as the preferred math curriculum across the District. What’s more, Seattle schools and Singapore Math advocates have challenged this recommendation. Fortunately, Singapore Math in Schmitz Park Elementary still remains a viable option. After the initial School Board recommendation, School Director McClaren submitted an amended Board Action Report which was co-sponsored by Director Sue Peters, outlining a “dual adoption” to provide schools a choice between enVision OR Math in Focus (Singapore). This amendment may be at risk, facing a potential legal challenge. Now, a new amendment is also in consideration which asks the School Board to adopt Math in Focus as a sole curriculum.

Here are Five Good Reasons why Singapore – Math in Focus is the Right Choice:

  1. Test Scores Prove It – Of Schmitz Park’s 70 graduating 5th graders, 51% will or are likely to bypass 6th grade math after 2014 Spring MAP Scores. (A score of 235+ qualifies recommended students to enter 7th grade math and 27 students scored 235+. A score of 228-234 qualifies a student to take the middle school placement test to confirm they will advance to 7th grade math. Nine students scored 228-234.) Of STEM at Boren’s 36 graduating 5th graders, 81% will or are likely to bypass 6th grade math after review of the 2014 Spring MAP Scores. (27 students scored 235+, two scored 228-234.)
  2. Buy- In: Schools Approve It – Singapore Math has backing from elementary schools (and middle and high schools) across the district. It was chosen 7 years ago as a “supplementary” curriculum by SPS. The problem was “supplementary” did not come with any district support in the form of professional development or materials for students. Buy in from parents is not easy to achieve and here is an example of where it is only growing, yet, SPS is ready to dismiss it. Read Testimonials.
  3. Anyone Can Learn It – Math in Focus is language neutral, ensuring “Equity for EVERY Student”. In contrast, the enVision curriculum is text heavy and will continue to present an English language barrier for ELL students. Children of ethnicity comprise 62% of the district (Bilingual children (ELL) have a 38% proficiency rate). Increasing their proficiency rates requires a program that has proven success for students struggling with text intensive math programs. Math in Focus would “Improve systems District wide to Support Academic Outcomes”, which has been proven by Schmitz Park Math scores and K5 Stem at Boren scores.
  4. Student Mobility-Consitency – There is frequent student mobility in the Southern sections of our district, where students may transfer in and out of Seattle Schools with the Highline School District. Highline uses Math in Focus and has achieved such strong results they are extending their curriculum to their middle schools. Math consistency during a transition into the Seattle School District will help make school transition easier for students.
  5. Teacher’s and Principal’s Testimonials – Read the testimonials made by teachers and parents who feel strongly about Singapore Math. There is a reason Singapore Math was selected at our newest Science, Technology, Mathematics & Engineering (STEM) School. There is a reason Schmitz Park Elementary achieves high middle school placement scores year over year.

Please Share Your Story on How Singapore Math has Benefited Your Student

Do not think for a moment that someone else will, or can, share your perspective. Every person (parent, student, teacher, principal, community member) needs to share their opinion on what is best for our students and families. School Board Members

School District Staff

For quick reference, these are the email addresses to cut and paste into your response martha.mclaren@seattleschools.org; sharon.peaslee@seattleschools.org; sherry.carr@seattleschools.org; harium.martin-morris@seattleschools.org; stephan.blanford@seattleschools.org ; sue.peters@seattleschools.org ; betty.patu@seattleschools.org ; isvela@seattleschools.org;  superintendent@seattleschools.org;  anna.box@seattleschools.org ; Shauna Heath ; slheath@seattleschools.org ; mftolley@seattleschools.org

Early Release Art Wizards Camp June 4

Enrichment
Wednesday, June 4th is an Early Release Day and we will be offering Art Wizards camp from 1pm – 3pm. The cost is $25 per child.
Click here for a registration form or hard copies can be found in the front office. All grades are welcome! The class is limited, so please sign up early!
Forms must be received no later than June 2nd.  Turn in to the front office. Any questions please contact Jennifer Schill at enrichment@schmitzparkpta.org

Golden Acorn – Nominate a Volunteer

Uncategorized

Do you know someone who is an amazing volunteer? Someone who, whether it be quietly, or out in front of everyone, gives all they have to give to Schmitz Park Elementary School? Here is your opportunity to recognize them.

The Golden Acorn is an award that is presented through the PTA to someone who is chosen by the families and staff of the school where they volunteer. Your nominations will be reviewed by a committee to make the tough decision on who to present the award to.

Please turn in your nominations to the office by *Deadline extended to Friday, May 30th* to give our committee plenty of time to determine the winner. Please use Survey Monkey  or forms are available in and can be turned into the office. Please feel free to nominate more than one person.  Thank you for participating!