All are invited to World Language Story Times at the Beacon Hill Branch Library, weekly this Fall. Free. No registration necessary.
ä¸æ–‡æ•…事会 (MANDARIN CHINESE STORY TIME) Thursdays, Sept. 3 to Dec. 3, 2015, 11 – 11:30 a.m.
HORA DE CUENTOS! (SPANISH STORY TIME) Saturdays, Sep. 19-Dec. 5, 2015, 2 – 2:30 p.m.
(Stacy submitted this article via our Commons section. Thank you, Stacy! — Ed.)
Have you registered your incoming kindergartener for Jump Start? It is a great way to start the school year off. You can register your child at our upcoming Kindergarten Kick Off on Saturday, August 8 from 10-2 p.m. at Van Asselt Community Center, 2820 S. Myrtle St. Seattle Public Schools​’ enrollment staff will be on site to enroll and answer questions. Free entertainment, giveaways, and bring a friend!
Parents, are you looking for more fun, healthy things to do with your kids this summer? Bring them over to El Centro de la Raza for free lunch and fun activities every weekday!
We welcome all kids/youth 18 and under to join us for lunch and fun crafts, games, sports and activities every Monday-Friday from 11:30-1 p.m. in the playground.
Did you know over the summer families spend an increased $1000 in food while kids are home from school? Save money and feed your kiddos healthy, nutritious lunches at our free lunch program. The program will run every week though 8/14.
No proof of income, address, or citizenship is ever required, all children/youth 18 years and under are always welcome!
The El Centro de la Raza Playground is located at 2524 16th Ave S. Activities and lunches will be offered every Monday-Friday from 11:30 to 1 p.m. If you have questions about the program, call 1-888-436-6392, text MEALS to 96859 or visit parenthelp123.org.
Enrollment for the program is opening now. All 4-year-olds in the city (regardless of income level) are eligible to apply, as are 3-year-olds from households at 300% and below of the Federal poverty line.
For more information, see the SPP website.
(This article was submitted through The Commons here on the BHB. Thanks, Melissa!)
Ever wished you could print/fax/copy/scan right here on Beacon Hill? Well, you can! The Beacon Hill Branch of The Seattle Public Library has it all–cheaper and faster than any office supply place. Scan your documents for FREE to your USB thumb drive, print (color or B&W), copy, or fax from the checkout desk. Plus free wi-fi, computers & meeting space. Woot!
Speaking of wi-fi–you can take it with you! Check out a “wi fi hotspot” for 21 days. You can reserve one in advance. Bring internet access to your home, for free! Find out more here.
Have you checked out the Summer of Learning program? It features tons of free activities all over the city, for all ages. Bring your kid(s) to the Beacon Hill branch today, grab a booklet (and a free book to jump start the learning) and head out for fun!
Grownups can sign up for Summer Book Bingo. Print a card (or pick one up at the branch) to enter to win fabulous prizes. This isn’t for the faint of heart–filling your bingo card will be a stretch for even the heaviest reader.
If that’s not enough to keep you busy, check out free passes to many of Seattle’s most popular attractions–including the EMP, Seattle Art Museum, Wooden Boat Center and many more! You can reserve by date or by venue at http://www.spl.org/library-collection/museum-pass.
(This post was promoted from The Commons. Thanks, Melissa, for contributing to the BHB in The Commons!)
Seattle Parks will offer free lunches for kids aged 18 and under from noon-1 p.m., Monday through Friday, from now until August 14 at Beacon Hill Playground, 1902 13th Ave. S. Dates and locations are subject to change. Call 206-615-0303 for more information.
The free lunch program is a partnership between Seattle Parks and the Seattle Human Services Department’s Summer Food Services Program, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Find out more here.
by Julie van Arcken
In both their latest boundary maps, Seattle Public Schools wants to kick Mid Beacon Hill out of the official Maple walk zone (an area so close to a school that bus service is not even provided) and instead make our kids bus miles to school every day.
We’ve been working hard to rally the neighborhood to oppose this change, but the majority of our neighborhood are not native English speakers, and none of the boundary materials have been translated into any other language. At the Oct. 16 School Board meeting, we were supported by members of our local Vietnamese, Japanese, and Chinese communities, and we spoke about retaining our Maple walk zone, and also the need for native-language outreach in these important decisions. Together with an East African woman (to whom we donated one of our speaking slots, as she was also speaking out for the need for cultural and native-language outreach), we were the only voices speaking about the lack of racial and linguistic equity in this process. (See this post on the Mid Beacon Hill Blog, containing a bar graph depicting the lack of diversity in feedback the district has received so far.)
If you also feel it’s unjust that SPS is kicking a majority-non-English-speaking community of color out of its local school walk zone without even notifying affected families in the languages they understand, please fill out this two-question SPS survey before Oct. 25 at 6 p.m.:
Choose Zone 36 for the area of concern, and provide a comment like “Let kids in the Maple walk zone walk to Maple. For a racially equitable process, notify affected families in their native languages.”
The event is from 1:30 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, October 27 at the Beacon Hill Library, 2821 Beacon Ave. S. There is no fee, and everyone is welcome.
Even if you don’t have a child in the Seattle Public School system, you are affected by this proposal. When families travel farther from home for school, they have less time to invest in our community. We have fewer eyes on the street and less of the daily interaction that makes our community so strong and interesting. We all benefit from the volunteer efforts and the small businesses started by families with kids. When families are forced to send their kids outside of the neighborhood they’ve invested so much time and money in, they may feel less committed to the community and may even decide to leave. Property values are affected by reference schools. Our homes may be worth less after this proposal is implemented because potential buyers are holding out for a better or more convenient school.
Please sign up now to “Walk the Boundaries.” It’s another important way to share feedback about the proposal. Feedback is due by October 1.
While you’re “Walking the Boundaries,” remember: the City of Seattle has invested millions of dollars in Safe Routes to School and Neighborhood Greenways. The SPS proposal doesn’t take any of that valuable infrastructure into consideration.
“Walk the Boundaries” is only one part of the outreach. Please attend meetings and send letters to our school board representative,
Betty Patu; School Board President, Kay Smith-Blum; Sally Bagshaw, Chair of the City Council committee responsible for the Neighborhood Greenways; and any other elected or appointed officials you believe may be interested in this proposal.
I’m confident we can help Seattle Public Schools find a solution to the problem that works well for communities. I’m confident that Beacon Hill will work with Georgetown, Mt. Baker, Seward Park and other South Seattle neighborhoods to create a plan that meets the needs of students while maintaining strong communities. We must.
Please note: all opinions expressed or implied in this message are Melissa’s own and do not reflect the position of the North Beacon Hill Council or the NBHC Board. This topic is on the council agenda for Tuesday, October 1. Please attend the meeting at 7 p.m. at the Beacon Hill Library and share your ideas. (Melissa adds: “The NBHC does actually agree that Beacon Hill is awesome. That’s an official position.”)
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.
