For more information about the school, and to make an online donation to the China trip fund, visit the school’s website.
BHIS students planning dream trip to China
Tag Archives: bhis
Help music students at BHIS by donating instruments
That old dusty violin or clarinet in your attic could help fifth-graders who want to learn to play.
Beacon Hill International School is seeking donated trumpets, clarinets, flutes, and violins (1/2- or 1/4-size only) for the 45 students who want to study music. The school has only a few instruments to lend, and many students who cannot afford to rent or purchase.
If you have an instrument to donate, please drop it off in the front office at 2021 14th Ave. S. on North Beacon Hill.
6/8: Buy or sell to benefit BHIS at the Beacon Bazaar
Save the date for the 8th Annual Beacon Bazaar, coming up on Saturday, June 8, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., in front of Beacon Hill International School at 2025 14th Ave. S. The Bazaar is an event with community vendors selling goods and food to benefit the Beacon Hill International School PTA. Items available will include crafts, homemade tamales and baked goods, clothing, toys, books, organic veggie starts, and more.
All are invited to attend. If you want to sell at the Bazaar, tables are $30. You can keep your earnings, or donate all or part to the PTA. Here’s the flyer for vendors (we had to grab it from the Google cache because of problems with the BHIS website, but it should still work for now). If the link doesn’t work or you need more information, contact Beacon Bazaar Coordinator Mike Almquist at 206-619-5278 or almy55@yahoo.com.
The event will happen rain or shine; if we get some of that liquid sunshine, the Bazaar will move to the BHIS gym.
BHIS principal honored as Principal of the Year
The award was determined by a panel from the Elementary School Principals Association of Washington, who lauded Aramaki’s dedication to instructional leadership and engagement with the school, including occasionally breaking into song “to create a positive, collective identity” among the school’s staff.
Beacon Hill teachers trying to raise funds for needed supplies
Several teachers at Beacon Hill schools are using the DonorsChoose.org online charity website to appeal for donations from the community for supplies needed in their classrooms.
Teacher Diane Trudowski at Maple Elementary School is seeking donations toward the purchase of an iPad for use by her class, “Mrs. Trudnowski’s Second Grade All-Stars.”
On the fundraising page at DonorsChoose.org, Trudowski explains:
“iPads are transforming education at the primary grades! Children being able to connect with math, writing, and reading just through the touch of their hands is incredible! Sadly, my district’s budget has not kept up with advances in technology (i.e. iPads) – our computers are 10+ years old and slow.
“…This year 3 primary grade classrooms at our school have been using iPads every day. It has been eye-opening to observe how this incredible technology has transformed the way children are learning – it’s a whole new ball game! I want my students to be able to hit a home run with their learning – an iPad and protective cover will engage my ‘team’ and increase their academic achievement to Major League levels! Won’t you step up to the plate and help us be in a league of our own?”
The amount remaining is $940 for a 64G New iPad with cover, sales taxes, fees, and an optional $148 donation to help support DonorsChoose.org.
Over at Beacon Hill International School, BHIS Art Specialist Mary Howard Logel is requesting donations for art supplies: watercolor paints, brushes, permanent black markers, watercolor paper, and a portable drying rack. The project totals $835, with $333 remaining to raise. An anonymous donor is matching donations to the project.
Logel says:
“This project will provide painting materials for a whole year for my students as well as a drying rack that will be used for many years to come. Art increases student confidence, motivation, and critical thinking skills while allowing them to express their learning in diverse ways.”
Also at BHIS, Ashley Meier is raising funds for six iPads for classroom use.
At Kimball Elementary, Laurie Roseto wants to fund a book cart and privacy partitions. Another Kimball teacher, Mary Gallagher, needs chairs for her first grade class to use.
At Van Asselt Elementary School, Laila Henderson’s fifth grade class needs two Dell netbooks. She explains:
“Students in this low-socioeconomic area come to my 5th grade class with limited typing and research skills. With the proper resources such as these laptops, they will engage in hands-on projects in reading, writing, math, science, and social studies.”
High school teachers are also in need of supplies. At Franklin High School, Melissa Anne Povey is raising funds for 31 science books, including Women in Science, The Joy of Chemistry, The Physics of Baseball, and more.
You can see all the Seattle School District DonorsChoose appeals here.
Beacon Hill schools to benefit from STEM grants
Two Beacon Hill schools will benefit from investment grants recently-awarded by Washington STEM, a non-profit group dedicated to improving education in the “STEM” fields: science, technology, engineering, and math. The grants are of two types: Entrepreneur Award grants, one-year investments to support “breakthrough ideas and promising approaches in STEM education”; and Portfolio Awards for multi-year projects. The Beacon Hill grants are both Entrepreneur Awards.
The Cleveland High School grant of $10,000 is for a project, “Who Has the Right to Clean Water?”:
“Through the lens of social justice, science, and social studies, teachers will design an engaging unit of study in which students will investigate the essential question ‘who has the right to clean water?’ Bolstering the global nature of this question, Cleveland students will use internet technology to partner with students in Taita, a poor, rural area of Kenya. Students on both continents will conduct similar investigations and share data for comparison and analysis. In science, students will test water chemistry, explore their personal water footprint, and investigate engineering designs for water purification. Concurrently, in social studies students will explore social, geographical, and historical causes of unequal access to clean water and the impact that our daily decisions have on our environment. Students will ultimately create a call to action, sharing their findings in a daylong water symposium.”
The second Beacon Hill grant of $20,000 went to the local non-profit group Powerful Schools, for their project, “Building a STEM Community” at Beacon Hill International School:
“Seattle-based nonprofit Powerful Schools is empowering traditionally underserved students to start a community-wide conversation around the power of STEM at Beacon Hill International School, a diverse public elementary school located in south Seattle. In this ‘Curiosity Club,’ fourth and fifth grade student leaders will launch a STEM campaign including development of a mobile ‘lab’ to share hands-on STEM experiments school-wide. Powerful Schools will also commission a local artist to work with students to create materials that summarize their findings and encourage non-English speaking families to discover STEM at home.”
A full list of Washington STEM investments may be found at their website.
Buy or sell at the Beacon Bazaar June 9
Saturday, June 9 is a big day with the Beacon Boogie and Block Party starting in the evening, but earlier in the day is another community event: the 7th Annual Beacon Bazaar, benefiting the Beacon Hill International School Parent Teacher Association.
The bazaar is at Beacon Hill International School, 2025 14th Ave. S., from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. There will be vendors selling tasty international cuisine, arts and crafts, clothing, books, and various other specialties from tables set up in front of the school along 14th Avenue South. Community members are welcome to set up tables to sell their own items; table rentals are $20 for BHIS PTA members and $30 for non-members. Vendors may keep their earnings, or donate all or part of them to the BHIS PTA.
Here is the information and vendor registration form. If you have questions, contact Bazaar Coordinator John Shaw at johnshawtoo@hotmail.com.
Tai chi, soccer, fundraising, and more on this weekend’s events calendar
There are lots of activities on the Hill this weekend to keep you busy, from soccer and tai chi to urban redevelopment and high school fundraising. Here goes:
Today (Friday) from 1-2 p.m. is the unveiling ceremony for the new community tile mosaic mural at Beacon Hill International School. Details are here.
Saturday is a busy day, starting at 9 a.m. at Jefferson Park where neighbors are meeting for a pick-up soccer game. “Bring friends and play some soccer with a great view,” they say. Details are on Facebook.
An hour later at Jefferson Park is a local version of the World Tai Chi and Qigong Day event, from 10-noon and sponsored by Wise Orchid Martial Arts. There will be a free qigong and tai chi class and demonstration, followed by a group lunch. Information is on Facebook.
Also on Saturday from 10-noon, El Centro de la Raza is hosting a community open house to present the finalist design teams for the redevelopment of El Centro’s south lot. The south lot currently contains a parking lot, but is planned to contain a mixed-use transit-oriented project with housing. Details are here.
Then on Saturday night, head over to the South Seattle Community College campus in West Seattle for the Cleveland High School Red and White Night Soaring Eagles Auction from 5:30-9 p.m. and help the high school on the Hill raise $10,000. Information is here.
BHIS tile mosaic to be unveiled Friday
Everyone is invited to Beacon Hill International School this Friday, April 27 for the unveiling of the new community tile mosaic mural. The unveiling celebration will take place from 1-2 p.m., starting with a ribbon-cutting ceremony by the fifth graders, followed by a school-wide assembly.
The mural was designed by artist-in-residence Julie Maher from concepts created by students, parents, and community members, with the theme “We All Belong, A World of Learners.” (See previous local mural work by Maher here in this slide show.) A full year of work by the community went in to the creation of the mural, supported by a grant from the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods.
Beacon Hill International School is located at 2025 14th Ave. S. For more information about the project, see the website.
Beacon Hill International School hosting informational tours this week
There will be a brief presentation of program highlights followed by the tour of the school building. Registration is not required. Please note that no child care is provided.
Beacon Hill International School is located at 2025 14th Ave. S.