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
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Updated Closure List - Arbor Heights is not on the list!
The Seattle School District sent out a News Release late last night.
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
Seattle Public Schools continues to weigh options for capacity management and building closure
Community feedback, ongoing evaluation helping to shape options
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
Friday, December 5, 2008
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.
Technorati tag: savearborheights
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.
Technorati tag: savearborheights
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
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.
Technorati tag: savearborheights
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.
Technorati tag: savearborheights
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:
How:
Give voucher code to 413831 when making purchases, to benefit Arbor Heights.
For More info: contact
Technorati tag: savearborheights
Thursday, December 4, 2008
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:
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,
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
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