Reminder: Spirit Day May 7th

April Spirit Day is Friday, May 7th (not April 30th) and it is “Create Your Own Super Hero Day”

There is no need to go out and purchase a costume – just recycle what you have around the house.

Be creative, have fun, show your school spirit!

Questions?  Contact Kathy Aminian at ksaminian@seattleschools.org

Principal Selection Update #3

Here’s the latest on the selection process for our new John Hay principal.

Under the direction of Pat Sander (the Elementary Education Director responsible for John Hay)  an interview team comprised of staff, teachers, specialists and parents was formed.  The team members were Wendi Abella, Dotty Ewbank, Staci Jones, Katie Kaiser, Janet Schooler, and Kevin Whitworth.

That team performed a paper screening, based on the John Hay principal characteristics previously developed, of the best twenty candidates.  Those candidates were selected from a pool of more than a hundred that had been pre-screened by the district.

Next, the team participated in formal interviews for the candidates that had passed the paper screening.  Based on those interviews, the top three candidates, in alphabetical order, were given to the superintendent.  The team was very satisified with the quality and fit of each of the three potential candidates.

The candidates are now scheduled to participate with Pat Sander in a “learning walk” through John Hay, where they will be further assesed.

We do not yet have a time-line for a final decision.  As always, please contact our partners co-chair, Kevin Whitworth, with any questions.

(Kevin’s full contact information can be found in your John Hay directory)

Community Meetings — School Funding

Seattle Public Schools has scheduled two community meetings to provide information about how schools are funded and strategies to close the funding gap for the 2010-11 school year. We will also seek feedback on plans to address the shortfall.

In addition, families are invited to share their ideas on what SPS programs and services are most important for them to have protected as the district begins to address a projected $26 million budget gap for the 2011-12 school year.

Interpreters will be available at both community meetings, which will include a question-and-answer session.

Dates, Times, Locations:

Saturday, April 17, 1 – 3 p.m.
Aki Kurose Middle School – Cafeteria
3928 S Graham Street

Tuesday, April 20, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Roosevelt High School – Commons
1410 NE 66th Street

Help your child learn – SPS symposium for families (free!)

Saturday, April 24, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Aki Kurose Middle School, 3928 S. Graham St., 98118
SPS is hosting its second symposium for families. Support your child in math, science, reading, writing; learn to understand school and student data; help prepare your child for college and more.

Light breakfast and lunch provided.

Activities for children ages 4 and up.

Interpreters will be provided.  Want more info?  Click here.

Congratulations John Hay!

Great news!

John Hay Elementary will be receiving a Washington Achievement Award for Overall Excellence by the State Board of Education in May.  In addition, we will receive a Special Recognition Award as a high performing school in Math.

The Overall Excellence award places John Hay in the top 5 percent of all elementary, middle and high schools across the state.

Congratulations to all of the hard working teachers,  staff, volunteers and parents that made this happen, and make John Hay such a special place.

————————-

The Washington Achievement Awards recognize the state’s top-performing schools. Award recipients demonstrate the capacity to profoundly affect student learning.
The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Washington State Board of Education identify award recipients using a new school Accountability Index designed to support continuous improvement efforts

More on the Washington Achievement Awards

Principal Selection Update #2

Here’s the latest on the selection process for our new principal.

— A group of parents and teachers met with Pat Sander (the Elementary Education Director responsible for John Hay) the first week of March.  We presented and walked through a list of characteristics we thought were important for our next principal.

— The first round of interviews was conducted at the district offices, which Dan had a chance to participate in.

The next step in the process will be site based interviews with a team consisting of 3 teachers/staff and 2 parents.  The interview dates are not established yet, but might be within the next three weeks.  A team is forming to start to prepare a list of potential interview questions.

We need your input!  If you have any thoughts on the list of characteristics or what you might ask our next potential John Hay principle, please contact our partners co-chair, Kevin Whitworth.

(Kevin’s full contact information can be found in your John Hay directory)

Fourth Annual SSIA Breakfast

Successful Schools in Action is an educational non-profit working to support and strengthen Queen Anne and Magnolia neighborhood public schools. Created in 2003 as a neighborhood grassroots effort, SSIA creates powerful learning communities through student programs, teacher and staff support, and parent and community engagement.

They are having their annual breakfast featuring Dr. Susan Enfield,  Chief Academic Officer,  Seattle Public Schools.  She will be speaking on “Partnering for Success in
Seattle Public Schools”

• Fourth Annual SSIA Breakfast
• Wednesday, March 10
• 7:30-9:00am
• Swedish Cultural Center
• details

Principal Selection Update

The process for finding our new John Hay principal is well underway.  In order to understand how the district selection process works we have;

• Had discussions with the other affected schools in our cluster
• Met with a school that has recently gone through a principal change
• Met several times as a Partners board
• Gathered John Hay staff and teacher feedback
• Had a number of discussions with Dan

As a result, we have developed a one page list of qualities we think are critically important for our next John Hay principal, which you can review here.

This next week, two important events are happening.  First, a pool of candidates will be interviewing for all Seattle school district principal openings at the district office.  Dan is participating in part of the process, and will help interview some of the candidates.

Second, Pat Sander, the Elementary Education Director responsible for John Hay (and Dan’s boss) is coming to meet with the Partners board on Monday and John Hay staff on Wednesday.  We are looking forward to meeting with her to discuss our desired principal qualities, as well as understand the next phase of principal selection.

If you have an questions or comments please contact Kevin Whitworth, our Partners co-chair.

The Youth and Families Initiative Underway

The Youth and Families Initiative is a major initiative announced by Mayor Mike McGinn during his inaugural address. The Initiative will help shape the Mayor’s agenda on issues affecting youth and families including public education.   Here is the latest press release if you would like to get involved…

————————–

Seattle Youth and Families Initiative plans Community Caucuses

City seeks input from Seattle’s diverse communities

SEATTLE – The five large group workshops for city residents to discuss the Seattle Youth and Families Initiative are underway – but that’s not the only way you can participate.

The Youth and Families Initiative, announced by Mayor Mike McGinn during his inaugural address, will shape the city of Seattle’s agenda on youth and family issues. The Youth and Families Initiative is committed to eliminating racial disparities in key indicators such as education, child care, children’s health and the criminal justice system.

The Youth and Families Initiative plans to hold up to 100 Community Caucuses around the city between March 22 and April 30. These caucuses are part of the city’s commitment to active involvement by Seattle’s diverse communities and neighborhoods, including communities of color and immigrant and refugee households.

“I am pleased to serve as co-chair of the Youth and Families Initiative,” said Estela Ortega, executive director of El Centro de la Raza. Ortega also sits on the City’s Race and Social Justice Initiative Community Roundtable. “As a community organizer, I know how important it is to reach out in different ways to diverse communities, to ensure that all voices are heard.  We are a great City when we work to end race-based inequities.”

Community Caucuses are an opportunity for groups that want to make their voices heard to meet, with a facilitator, in living rooms, coffee shops, community centers—anywhere where people gather naturally. Each Community Caucus will elect one delegate to send on to the broader Kids and Families Congress on June 5 at Seattle Center.

“Inclusive outreach and public engagement is a cornerstone of the Youth and Families Initiative,” said Glenn Harris, who manages the city’s Race and Social Justice Initiative. “Our communities’ racial, cultural, and socio-economic complexity is one of our greatest assets.  The 50 to 100 small Community Caucuses are crucial for reaching those Seattleites who may not normally have their voices heard in an important process like the Youth and Families Initiative.”

Learn more about the Seattle Youth and Families Initiative, and get involved by volunteering at a large group meeting or helping to put together a community caucus with your friends and neighbors.

“Community outreach is essential for a strong public process,” said McGinn.  “I am confident that the good work of those in the Office for Civil Rights, Office for Education, the Department of Neighborhoods and many others will ensure that all those in our city who want to participate in the Youth and Families Initiative will get their voices heard.”

Queen Anne Little League Closes Early This Year

Queen Anne Little League registration is closing early this year, and they asked us to post a “last call” to insure nobody is caught of guard.

Queen Anne Little League Registration Closes This Sunday, 1/31

If interested, register at qall.org.

QALL evaluation, mandatory for non-returning Majors softball and baseball players aged 6 to 12, will be held at John Hay Elementary School Gym on February 6th and 7th.

See qall.org for the detailed evaluations schedule.

It would be much appreciated if you both could send out the text below for the Queen Anne Little League.  We are closing registration earlier than ever and also holding evaluations earlier than ever and we are doing everything we can think of to alert everyone to insure nobody is caught of guard.  Thank you for your help.  The re: line might read;