Arbor Heights Elementary Annual Salmon Release

Check out the West Seattle Blog's write up for the Arbor Heights Elementary annual salmon release.

http://westseattleblog.com/blog/?p=16815

Spectrum at Arbor Heights Elementary?

The West Seattle Blog gave a great recap of the School Board Meeting last night. According to the West Seattle Blog,

West Seattle board rep Steve Sundquist is asking why the district did not respond to a community request to offer the Spectrum gifted-education program in a West Seattle elementary school (Arbor Heights has been suggested - right now West Seattle’s only official elementary Spectrum program is at Lafayette in the north end); the staff response was that the closure process caused some bumps in the feedback process, and that explanations of the denial will be forthcoming “now that everything is final.”

If anyone has more information regarding this, feel free to post the information on SaveArborHeights.com or add comments to this posting.

It would be great to have a south cluster Spectrum Program. Arbor Heights would be a great school to house this program! Perhaps a new thing to rally for?

School Board Approves Capacity Management Plan

The Seattle School Board voted to approve the Capacity Management plan. It was an emotional school board meeting last night. The West Seattle Blog describes some of the emotions at the meeting: http://westseattleblog.com/blog/?p=13937

Here is a link to the official news release:
http://www.seattleschools.org/area/m_news/20090129_Approved_Recommendations_NewsRelease.pdf

The West Seattle Impact:
Cooper Elementary's program will close, Cooper's building to become the new home of Pathfinder K-8. The majority of Cooper students will be reassigned to three schools: Gatewood Elementary, Highland Park Elementary and Arbor Heights Elementary. So our school will grow.

We can now focus our energy towards growing Arbor Heights and filling up the school. Let's show the Heart of Arbor Heights!

Technorati tag: savearborheights

Superintendent’s Final Recommendation on School Closures - Board Votes Tonight

The Superintendent's Final Recommendation on School Closures will be discussed by the school board and voted on tonight. The Seattle PI gives an overview of the meeting and the last minute closure list ammendments: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/397806_schools29.html. The West Seattle Blog also gives a good rundown: http://westseattleblog.com/blog/?p=13905.

The last minute school board amendments to the closure list are listed in the meeting agenda, along with links to the detailed text.
http://www.seattleschools.org/area/board/08-09agendas/012909agenda/012909agenda.pdf

The only ammendment where Arbor Heights is mentioned is Steve Sundquist's ammendment, where Arbor Heights is listed as one of three recepients of Cooper children (which is a good thing, for school growth).

There is no public testimony on tonight's agenda. For "up to the minute coverage" of the meeting, watch the West Seattle Blog this evening (http://westseattleblog.com/blog/).

Technorati tag: savearborheights

Seattle school closure list announced

Seattle school district superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson has released a list of schools and programs for closure and relocation in her final recommendation to the School Board in an attempt to help clsoe a $37 million budge gap.

A full article is on http://www.komonews.com/news/local/37170589.html.

Arbor Heights is not on the list.

Technorati tag: savearborheights

January chats with Steve Sundquist

School Board representative for West Seattle, Steve Sundquist, will be available to meet with interested parents, guardians and community members at two locations this month.

Wednesday January 21st @ 9:00 AM
Coffee To A Tea With Sugar
4541 California SW, Seattle

Saturday, January 24th @ 1:00 - 2:30
Delridge branch of the Seattle Public Library
5423 Delridge Way SW Seattle

All are welcome to come and share insights and concerns about education in Seattle.

NOTE: there is usually a very small group and this is a great opportunity for 'one on one' conversation.

Technorati tag: savearborheights

Save Seattle Schools Rally

There is a Save Seattle Schools Rally on Wednesday, January 7th, at 5 pm at the John Stanford Center. Join parents, educators and students for a better vision of the Seattle Schools. For more information, contact Vicky Jambor.

Technorati tag: savearborheights

Anti-school closure petition gaining steam

The Seattle P-I also wrote a brief article able a group who is pushing for school closures only as a last resort. http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/schoolzone/archives/158391.asp

The article says:

A new group called "Educators Students & Parents for a Better Vision of Seattle Schools" (ESP Vision) has started an online petition, criticizing the preliminary plans to close some Seattle schools and urging the Seattle School Board to consider closures "strictly as a last resort."

An excerpt:
"We, the parents, teachers, students and concerned members of the Seattle Public Schools community, oppose the capacity management proposal put forth by School Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson, which would close as many as seven school buildings and discontinue (or dramatically alter) as many as 14 programs, directly impacting over 4,000 children citywide and negatively affecting many more through class-size increases and other unintended consequences."

Grass roots momentum to minimize school closures is growing.

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Seattle PI Article - School closure fight goes online; Parents, others turn to Web sites, blogs, Facebook

Mark Ahlness proudly represented Arbor Heights in an interview with Jessica Blanchard - Seattle P-I reporter. The Tuesday Seattle P-I article starts out with:

Tech-savvy Arbor Heights Elementary teacher Mark Ahlness had a hunch his school would be targeted in the latest round of Seattle school closures. So he bought a domain name for $10, and waited.

It paid off: Hours before the formal announcement that his program would be discontinued in the fall, Ahlness launched "Save Arbor Heights," a blog touting the school's value to the community.

"I figured, well, if we're not on the recommended closure list, that's $10 for the domain name, and that's all," Ahlness said. "That's $10 well spent."

Others quickly followed suit....

The full Seattle P-I article can be read at http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/394886_schools06.html.

Thank you, Mark for taking the lead. Arbor Heights is very lucky to have such a technology pioneer!

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A message from your PTSA Board

A story about Arbor Heights recently aired on KUOW radio. Unfortunately the KUOW story contains a number of inaccuracies and did not accurately reflect the subject matter of our conversation with the reporter. As saveseattleschools.com, West Seattle Blog and Seattle Times have reported earlier, Seattle School Board members (Sundquist and Maier) directed the District to consider Cooper Elementary as a location for Pathfinder at the November 25th School Board meeting when closures were first announced – prior to any testimony, letters from parents or calls to Board members. Also at that meeting, Board members questioned Dr. Goodloe-Johnson about why she wasn’t proposing to close a high school when the District had excess capacity of 3,000 seats, with 800 more by 2011.

During public testimony at the December 3rd School Board meeting Arbor Heights parents presented School District data supporting three potential alternatives to closing Arbor Heights. That data was in no way based on poverty. It was based on building capacity, percentage of attendance drawn from reference area and rate of first choice attendance.

Three schools in West Seattle rank high (2nd, 4th & 5th respectively) for first choice and neighborhood attendance despite high levels of students in poverty – Concord (81% free lunch), Sanislo (50% free lunch), and Highland Park (73% free lunch).

Dr. Goodloe-Johnson’s Superintendent’s report at the December 3rd School Board meeting proposed Cooper as the location for Pathfinder and closure of Rainier Beach. Delivered immediately following public testimony, the report was clearly prepared in advance. These facts are easily verifiable through media reports of the meetings and by the Superintendent’s Reports on the School District’s website.

Seattle School District has said schools will close. This is nothing to celebrate and we at Arbor Heights, along with the rest of West Seattle, do not celebrate ANY West Seattle School closing. Our efforts have always been, and will continue to be, focused on two things only: making sure that the district stays true to its stated priorities of neighborhood schools and equitable access to quality education for all students.

Please contact ahptsa-owner@yahoogroups.com with any questions or concerns.

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Arbor Heights on the Net

Arbor Heights has an illustrious past on the Internet, beginning with the establishment of The Earth Day Groceries Project and the school web site in 1994, pictured here. This is a place to share thoughts about the impact of our school on the web in education. Leave a comment here (please leave your full name, location, and affiliation), or send an email, and we'll get your story up here. Thanks! - Mark

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Media Advisory - 12/11/08 - Arbor Heights Receives Grant for Playground Improvements

Arbor Heights Elementary will receive a "Small & Simple" Neighborhood Matching Funds grant from Seattle Department of Neighborhoods in a ceremony tonight from 6 - 7:30 pm at Alki Elementary School, 3010 59th Ave SW.
Arbor Heights parents applied for the $4,084 grant to install new basketball hoops and courts at Arbor Heights Elementary after the school's old basketball hoops were removed by Seattle School District in September 2008 because of high lead content on their painted surfaces. Replacements were not supplied by the District, so Arbor Heights parents began fundraising and writing grants to fund new hoops on the school playground.

Arbor Heights raised $800 to fund new basketball hoops through two fundraisers: a childrens change drive, where Arbor Heights students brought in their loose change; and a partnership with West Seattle restaurant Endolyne Joes, where a portion of one November evening's sales benefitted the Arbor Heights basketball hoops. Arbor Heights PTSA will contribute approximately an additional $975 toward the cost of building new basketball courts and installing new hoops.

More information: Suzette Riley, Arbor Heights PTSA Co-President, 206-409-1960

Updated Closure List - Arbor Heights is not on the list!

The Seattle School District sent out a News Release late last night.

Seattle Public Schools continues to weigh options for capacity management and building closure
Community feedback, ongoing evaluation helping to shape options

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ahptsa/files/20081209_Capacity_Management_NewsRelease.doc

Arbor Heights Elementary is not on the updated closure list.

Technorati tag: savearborheights

Events for Tuesday, December 9th

Today is busy day for Arbor Heights parents. A number of parents and staff will be greeting the School Board Members this afternoon at the Stanford Center (between 3:30 and 4:00 PM). The School Board has a School Board Workshop regarding Capacity Management, starting at 4:00 PM.

Many parents, staff and community members will also attend the Program Community Meeting with Patrick Johnson (6:00 - 7:30), at the Arbor Heights Elementary Cafeteria. Patrick Johnson will get a chance to see the Arbor Heights Community in action.

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School Closure Discussion with Steve Sundquist - Sat. Dec. 6th

West Seattle School Board member, Steve Sundquist, is offering an informal meeting opportunity for West Seattle parents on Saturday at Delridge Library, 3-5 pm. Drop by for a chat. The last informal chat he had (on November 26th) was very informative and constructive.

When:
3-5 PM on Saturday, December 6th

Where:
Delridge Library
5423 Delridge Way S.W.

Technorati tag: savearborheights

Seattle Schools Community Workshop - Saturday Dec. 6th

I encourage any and all to attend Saturday’s Community Workshop. It would be great to have Arbor Heights representatives at many of the tables; that way every group reiterates the Arbor Heights talking points.

Recap of Thursday's Meeting:
At the community workshop last night (at the Stanford Center), Arbor Heights was represented by 3 parents and 1 teacher. The West Seattle Herald was there. (side note: Lowell was represented by about 30 people.) We need Arbor Heights to be well represented at all school closure meetings. The more times we can get our "safety green and yellow" shirts glowing at these meetings the better. The School Board has stated they want suggestions earlier than later – the time to strike is now!

At Thursday's community workshop, the Superintendent gave a rundown of the criteria used for picking schools to close. Attendees then divided up into tables of eight people. Reference information was provided at each table (maps, building enrollment, building scores etc.). The people at each table came up with alternative solutions to what was provided on the table. They also discussed the closure criteria being used. A spokesperson was selected for each table, and they presented a 2 minute synopsis of their ideas to the group. It was a loud and hurried process with lots of staff stopping by to listen, to see if we had picked a spokesperson, to see if we had a note taker etc.

Call to Action:
If you can attend Saturday's Community Workshop, come prepared to share ideas of what alternatives you would like to see. The information the PTSA shared at Wednesday’s board meeting is exactly the type of info we need to share. We need to reiterate our stance. Don't close “Neighborhood Schools”, especially ones that are working.

The workshop is: 9:30 – 11:30 @ the Filipino Community Center 5740 Martin Luther King Jr. Way.

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Arbor Heights Pajama Party/Fundraiser at Barnes & Noble brings parents protesting closure

Media Advisory:

Arbor Heights Pajama Party/Fundraiser at Barnes & Noble brings parents protesting closure, signing Save Arbor Heights petitions.

What:

• Arbor Heights kindergarten teachers (who both attended the school as kids) read stories to Arbor Heights kids at Westwood Village Barnes & Noble.
• Parents walking the sidewalk with "Save Our Neighborhood School" signs.
• Parents seeking for signatures on Save Arbor Heights petition.

Where:

• Barnes & Noble - Westwood Village store, 2600 SW Barton St, Suite E-1 Seattle, WA 98126

When:

• Kids' pajama party starts at 5 pm
• Story time with kindergarten teachers starts at 5:30 pm

Why:

• Fundraiser for Arbor Heights, to fund projects such as: paying for kindergarten assistant teachers, buying books for school library, and an Artist in Residence program. All purchases Friday Dec. 5th - Sunday Dec. 7th give 10% proceeds to Arbor Heights.
• Protest Seattle School District's proposed school closure.

How:

Give voucher code to 413831 when making purchases, to benefit Arbor Heights.

For More info: contact Suzette Riley, 206-409-1960

Technorati tag: savearborheights

Parent Letter

I just received this letter and attached picture from a former Arbor Heights parent. She sent it to Director Sundquist, and I share it here, with her permission. I taught both the young men in the front of the river raft below, when they were third graders at Arbor Heights:

Dear Director Sundquist,

I am writing to provide input on the proposed Arbor Heights Program Closure. I have lived in the Arbor Heights community since 1987. I can tell you that the Arbor Heights Program is not just a school program. It is an integral part of our neighborhood community.

At the time we moved here, my son was 3 years old. He attended Arbor Heights Elementary, then Madison Middle School, and finally Chief Sealth High.

In Kindergarten, my son Tony planted grass seeds in a Styrofoam cup in Ms. Broome's class. That grass is still being tenderly nurtured by me in a special pot on the back porch, 18 years later.

Mr. Dorr's class walked up to our house and had a fun picnic lunch during the last week of first grade. I helped water the young trees during the summer when they were planted on the hillside when Tony was in 4th grade. Tony won the All School Mile Run in 5th grade. I, along with my girlfriend down the street, whose boy also attended, have journals from the Young Author's Conference up in our attics in "Memory Lane."

As we take our dogs for walks around the neighborhood, we see our neighbors children walking home from school and visit. We're still in touch with the neighborhood kids that have attended that school. At 25 years old, Tony had his best Arbor Heights buddy fly up from North Carolina this past summer to go river rafting with him in Montana.

I could go on and on for hours, and don't want to bore you. I know everyone's neighborhood schools are important, but I feel especially that Arbor Heights Elementary Program is an important life-force to this community. It takes so long to get to know your neighbors these days. I can't imagine how it would be if the children that lived locally had to be relocated a distance away. Please don't end our neighborhood school program.

Sincerely,

Sabra Snow

Tony Zwink's Mom

Technorati tag: savearborheights

Capacity-Closure Public Workshop at Arbor Heights on Tuesday, December 9th

Please attend a Capacity-Closure Public Workshop at Arbor Heights Cafeteria on Tuesday, December 9th 6:00-7:30 pm. Patrick Johnson, Educational Director for Arbor Heights will present.

The purpose of the meeting is to provide information and inform the community and staff about school closures: the process, criteria, impact on the school. This is also an opportunity for the community to give input.

Technorati tag: savearborheights

Students Blog about Arbor Heights

The third graders in Room Twelve at Arbor Heights have been writing about the proposed closure of our school.

Their articles are grouped together for easy reading, at "Save Arbor Heights". The list of posts is sure to grow, so please bookmark the site and check back later. These young writers would welcome comments from one and all, so feel free to respond to them individually (the blog is totally moderated).

Many thanks,
Mark Ahlness,
teacher, grade 3

Technorati tag: savearborheights