Tag Archives: children

Education, News

Denise Louie preschool wins $126K grant

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denise_louieDenise Louie Education Center at 3327 Beacon Ave. S. is one of three Seattle preschools who will share $470,000 in funding from the 2011 Families and Education Levy as part of the City of Seattle’s Step Ahead preschool program. (The school also has branches in the International District and Rainier Beach.)

The funding will increase slots at Denise Louie for 20 children to attend part-time, for a total grant of $126,240. Denise Louie was one of nine preschools applying for the funds, which were intended to serve low- and moderate-income families of three- and four-year-old children who live in the attendance areas of Seattle elementary schools that are eligible for Families and Education Levy funding.

Slots are available at Denise Louie and the other Step Ahead preschools for the coming school year. To be eligible, children must be three or four years old by August 31, 2013, must live in Seattle city limits, and their family must meet the income guidelines based on family size. See the web page for more information.

Education, Meetings

Orca Reading Club welcomes Beacon Hill kids

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Neighborhood kids are invited to take part in the Orca Reading Club at the Beacon Hill and Columbia City libraries. All kids are welcome; it’s not limited to Orca students. Books will be provided, and students will work toward prices including books and entries into a raffle for lunch with Mayor McGinn.

Upcoming reading club meetings are scheduled for:

  • July 19, 10-11:30 a.m., Beacon Hill Library
  • July 30, 6-7:30 p.m., Columbia City Library
  • August 16, 10-11:30 a.m., Beacon Hill Library
  • August 27, 6-7:30 p.m., Columbia City Library
Education

Kids’ summer reading club starts 6/18

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Children’s books photo by Svadilfari via Creative Commons/Flickr.
Kids need something to do this summer? Neighbor Dayna writes to tell us about a summer reading club that kicks off tomorrow, June 18:

A few Orca K8 parents have started a summer reading club that will meet in both the Beacon Hill and Columbia City Libraries over the summer. Schedule is below. Meeting times will be in both the morning and evening, 2 times a month. Our primary goal is to provide a space for friends — old and new — to gather and read together!! Our secondary goal is to provide a place for Orca parents to read with kids who may be struggling and will benefit from extra summer reading help. The Reading Club is not officially sponsored by Orca K-8 or by the Seattle Public Library. We are just a few moms of Orca kids who love reading, and love our children. Many of us have spent time in the classroom reading with our kids’ classmates, and we want to continue supporting them throughout the summer. We also want to keep up the culture of reading that our fabulous Orca educators have instilled in our kids!

What will we do?

Since the moms starting the reading club are moms of incoming 2nd graders, many of the readers will be that age. However, older and younger siblings will also be there, all reading together. Students will be reading together in groups or by themselves, and Orca parents will be there to help emerging readers. We will keep track of the books we read on the SPL Summer Reading program chart, and after 10 books the library will give us a prize! Prizes from SPL will include a book and entries into a raffle for a lunch with the mayor! All kids are welcome, from all schools and all grades. Please join us, and spread the word!

The reading club meeting schedule is:

  • June 18th, 6-7:30 pm, Columbia City Library
  • June 28th, 10-11:30 am, Beacon Hill Library
  • July 19th, 10-11:30 am, Beacon Hill Library
  • July 30th, 6-7:30 pm, Columbia City Library
  • August 16th, 10-11:30 am, Beacon Hill Library
  • August 27th 6-7:30 pm, Columbia City Library

Questions? Email Dayna (mom of an incoming Orca Kindergartener and 2nd grader) at readingclub@ross154.net
Also, see our blog.

Recreation

Beacon Mountain to reopen soon

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Families enjoyed the Beacon Mountain playground when it was open last summer.
With the recent fine weather, a few neighbors have been wondering what’s up with the Beacon Mountain playground at Jefferson Park, and when it will reopen.

Andy Sheffer at Seattle Parks and Recreation says:

I have the fencing scheduled to be removed next Tuesday, May 14th. At that point the entire park will be open and the spray park will be in operation starting Memorial Day, 5/27/13 (Date when all spray parks open). The following work has been performed:

  1. Slope fortification
  2. Installation of curbs along pathways to prevent mulch from entering spray park system.
  3. Replacement of portions of concrete surfacing to enhance amt. of water re-circulated in the spray park.
  4. Mechanical enhancements to ensure smooth operation of spray park.
  5. Replacement of long open slide with a tubular slide.
  6. Installation of additional site furnishings.
  7. Installation of additional stepping stones in areas where desire paths appeared.

The following work is getting wrapped up this week.

  1. Installation of replacement safety surfacing associated with the installation of the new slide.
  2. Planting.
  3. General clean-up.

Please feel free to call me anytime at 206.423.1917 with any additional questions or concerns.

Arts, Neighborhood Pride

Beacon Hill kids to perform in Swan Lake

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The Pacific Northwest Ballet production of Swan Lake starts tonight and runs through April 21 at McCaw Hall. It features 24 students from the Pacific Northwest Ballet School, including three young performers from the Beacon Hill area.

Beacon Hill kids performing in the production include:

Amanda Allen, a fifth-grader from Maple Elementary School, will play the role of Waltz Girl.
Alexis Calonge, a fifth-grader at Dearborn Park, will play a Persian Attendant.
Lucas Galvan, a fourth-grader at Dearborn Park, will play a Page.

Congratulations and best wishes to these talented Beacon Hill dancers!

Arts, Local Business, Local Events

See, hear, walk and create at Kimball Art Walk 4/11

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Kimball Art Walk 2013This Thursday afternoon, April 11, is a great time to take a walk on Beacon Avenue for the Second Annual Kimball Elementary School Art Walk. From 3:30 to 5 p.m., businesses on Beacon Avenue between Tippe and Drague (3315 Beacon Avenue South) and Beacon Hill Dental Associates (3051 Beacon Avenue South) will display art by Kimball students. Businesses participating will be marked with bright, colorful flags.

The street will also be lined with booths featuring art activities, and the school choir and ukulele band will perform. All neighbors are invited to see, hear and make some art with the Kimball community and friends.


View Kimball Art Walk 2013 in a larger map

Arts, Education, Life on the Hill

Beacon Hill teens: Street Stories application deadline is today!

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Screen Shot 2013-03-29 at 2.55.56 AMBeacon Hill 6th – 12th graders, this is your chance to participate in a free 5-week after-school digital video storytelling program, but you’ll need to work fast — the deadline to apply is today!

In the Street Stories program, Beacon Hill youths will create video stories of their experiences living and walking in the neighborhood, using provided iPod Touch devices to create and edit the videos. Students will also receive training including video technology and storytelling techniques. The finished videos will be shown at community events, displayed on local websites, and used to build a new kind of walking map for the Beacon Hill neighborhood.

Eligible students are:

  • 6th-12th graders living or going to school on Beacon Hill
  • Able to participate at Jefferson Community Center on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4-6 p.m. from April 2 though May 9.
  • Able to do a minimum of four hours of independent research

The program is limited to 20 students, and the deadline to apply is today, March 29. To apply, fill out this application form along with this E-13 Participant Information and Authorization Form and drop both forms off today at the front desk of Jefferson Community Center, marked “attention: Jean Lee.”

Selected students will be notified on Monday, April 1 (no fooling) before the first workshop on Tuesday.

Local Events

Hoppity-hop to the Jefferson Community Center Egg Hunt and Pancake Breakfast

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Photo by makelessnoise via Creative Commons/Flickr.
Easter is coming soon and so is the annual Jefferson Community Center Spring Egg Hunt and Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, March 30. The egg hunt will start at 10 a.m. sharp. The pancake breakfast will be served from 9 to 11 a.m.

Pancakes are $4, pancakes and sausage are $5, and the deluxe breakfast with pancakes, sausage and eggs will be $6. The egg hunt is free.

Jefferson Community Center is located at 3801 Beacon Ave. S. For more information, call 206-684-7481.

City Services, Education, Local Business

Preschool, yoga and tax prep available at El Centro de la Raza

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El Centro de la Raza from the south. Photo by Wendi Dunlap/Beacon Hill Blog.
Kids, yoga fans and taxpayers are part of some of the upcoming and current activities at El Centro de la Raza, 2524 16th Ave S. Read on for more information:

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Jonna Bracken is teaching yoga classes at Skin Deep Dance studio on the second floor of El Centro on Thursday evenings, from 7:00-8:15 p.m. The class is open to all levels of practitioners and is an alignment-based class. The fee is four classes for $55 or eight classes for $100, but you can try your first class for free. Questions? Contact Jonna via email at jonnayoga@gmail.com.

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The José Martí Child Development Center is currently enrolling children aged 18 months to four years old for preschool programs with a focus on dual-language education in Spanish and English and a rich multicultural program featuring age-appropriate developmental goals to prepare kids for later success in kindergarten.

Classes for kids aged 18 months through three years start on April 1. Classes for four-year-olds start on June 1.

Assistance is available to fill out applications for subsidies from the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) or the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Slots are also available for private pay families. For more information or to enroll, call 206-957-4619 or email jmcdc@elcentrodelaraza.org.

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As mentioned on this site last month, there is a free tax preparation clinic currently operating at El Centro. In addition to tax preparation, help is available for completing the FAFSA (application for student loans for college), applying for food stamps, utility assistance, free credit reports and more.

The United Way Tax Preparation program is free for anyone making under $51,000. Bring photo ID and Social Security cards or Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers, along with all wage and earnings statements and any other documents needed for tax filing.

Tax prep sessions are open at El Centro on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 to 9 p.m. (English/Spanish) and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (English/Spanish/Tagalog).

Local Events

Green Eggs and Ham Friday at Jefferson Community Center

Green eggs and ham? Photo by Ben Husmann via Creative Commons/Flickr.
Do you like Green Eggs and Ham? Perhaps you don’t know because you’ve never tried them. This Friday is your chance at the Jefferson Community Center (3801 Beacon Ave. S.) as they celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday with a special event featuring actual Green Eggs and Ham for all to enjoy.

Other activities planned include making hats, coloring, making “oobleck,” watching The Lorax, playing games, and more fun family activities.

The event starts at 6 p.m. on Friday, and admission is $2 per person.