Tag Archives: maple elementary school

Education, Volunteering and Giving

Beacon Hill teachers trying to raise funds for needed supplies

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Photo by Lexie Flickinger via Creative Commons/Flickr.

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 Bits

Beacon Bits: El Centro’s parking lot is open

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The new parking lot at El Centro is open on the future site of a new development. Photo by Wendi Dunlap.

Some Bits for you from the last few weeks:

El Centro de la Raza has opened their temporary light rail parking lot to the
public. Parking rates are listed here. The lot is in the south part of the El Centro site, directly adjacent to the Roberto Maestas Festival Street, across the street from Beacon Hill Station. The parking lot is an interim use of the site, limited to three years or less, after which El Centro plans to develop the site. Proceeds from the parking lot benefit El Centro’s human services and community building programs.

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Mayor McGinn recently led a delegation to Chongqing and Beijing, and while there distributed some Seattle souvenirs to local schoolchildren — including a Beacon Rocks! t-shirt.

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Doreen Deaver sent us this notice:

Now that the egg hunts are done, are you wondering what to do with all those plastic eggs? Jefferson Community Center is the place to bring them. We are recycling eggs! Bring them in and give them a good home. We can use them again. Thank you.

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Maple Elementary School art teacher Kate Baker was recently featured in the Seattle Times in an article about arts programs at Seattle schools.

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Blink and you’ll miss it, but Microsoft used a gorgeous photo taken from Beacon Hill in an an ad for the new Internet Explorer. (Thanks to former Beacon Hill neighbor Travis Mayfield at KOMO for noticing the photo!)

Education, Local Events

Take flight at Maple Elementary fundraising auction

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The Maple Elementary School PTSA is holding a fundraising auction on Saturday, May 12 from 6-9 p.m. at Jefferson Community Center, 3801 Beacon Ave. S. The event’s theme is “Take Flight,” and the goal is “to help our school to soar into excellence and maintain its reputation as one of the best elementary schools in Seattle.” The auction will raise funds to help support programs including after-school programs, creative teacher grants, classroom supplies, and the annual 3-day trip to Camp Seymour for 4th and 5th grade students. Community members can help in several ways: attending and buying, contributing items to be sold, or by becoming an event sponsor.

Attending: Advance tickets are $25 and you can buy them online. Tickets will be $35 at the door. Advance tickets will also be sold after school at Maple starting on April 23.

Contributing: Vendors, artists, and others are needed who can contribute gift certificates, unique experiences, or items to be sold. Donated items will be acknowledged in the auction catalog and on the PTSA’s website and Facebook page. The PTSA is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization so donations are tax-deductible.

Sponsoring: Become an event sponsor with a cash donation of $1,000, $500, $250 or $100. Donations are tax-deductible and will be acknowledged at the auction, on the websites, and at the school.

For more information, email Maple PTSA Co-President Jen Moore, jenmoore1969@gmail.com or Auction Chair Erin Brannan, ehbrannan@aol.com.

Education

Maple, Mercer schools honored with Achievement Awards

Photo by Wendi Dunlap.

Two Beacon Hill schools were among 21 Seattle schools honored by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and the State Board of Education with 2011 Washington Achievement Awards.

Maple Elementary School was one of the eight schools recognized for overall excellence at the elementary level.

Asa Mercer Middle School was one of five schools recognized for overall excellence at the K-8, 6-8, or 9-12 levels. Mercer was also recognized for outstanding achievement in mathematics and outstanding achievement in science.

Nearby Franklin High School was also honored, for outstanding improvement.

The Seattle honorees were among 186 Washington schools to be recognized for their performance on the “Achievement Index,” which measures schools’ performance over time. (Find out more about the Index and the Achievement Awards here.) The 21 schools honored for 2011 are up from 13 in 2010 and seven in 2009.

The schools will be recognized during a ceremony on April 25 at Mariner High School in Everett.

Beacon Bits

Beacon Bits: liquor license, Food Forest, and Maple mural

The Bartell Drug Store at Rainier Avenue South and South College Street has applied for a new “Grocery Store – Beer/Wine” liquor license. If you wish to comment on the application, you can email your comments about license number 406481 to customerservice@liq.wa.gov.

Thanks to Shelly Bates!

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The proposed Jefferson Park Food Forest has a new website with information about the Food Forest’s design and mission.

Thanks to Joel Lee!

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Maple Elementary School is working on a mural project. Students, parents, and community members of all races will work together to create a mural for the school gym exterior that reflects the significance of The Maple Creed: “I know that our country was built by people of all races and I know that people of all races keep our country great.”

Community tile creation and tile glazing sessions will be held on the following Mondays from 3:30 – 8:30 pm: May 3, 10, 17, 24; June 7, 14. There will also be sessions on the following Saturdays from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm: May 1, 22.

RSVPs are requested. To find out more about the project and RSVP, contact Terry Virdell at 206-898-5679, or email terryvirdell@gmail.com.

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L to R: Representatives Bob Hasegawa and Zack Hudgins.
Local state Representatives Zack Hudgins and Bob Hasegawa invite residents of the 11th Legislative District to join them for a telephone town hall tonight, April 27, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Hudgins and Hasegawa will discuss the 2010 legislative session, creating jobs, their priorities for the 2010 state budget, and the budget’s impact on local communities. Residents will be invited to stay on the line and join in on the conversation. You can also phone in directly between 6:00 and 7:00 p.m. by dialing (toll-free) 877-229-8493, code 15512.

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Last week, Cienna Madrid at the Stranger wrote about the new Streets for All Seattle Coalition, a group fighting to fund projects for bicycle, transit, and pedestrian improvements. In the article, SASC spokesman David Hiller specifically discusses how a transportation crisis in South Seattle has drawn organizations such as El Centro de la Raza into the coalition.

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Gardeners take note — @VictrolaCoffee posted on Twitter: “Free bags of coffee grounds everyday at Victrola Beacon Hill – 3215 Beacon Ave So. – make your gardens grow!”

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Please be careful with your pets. King County Animal Care and Control sent out a recent notice that there may be an outbreak of canine distemper in area raccoons. This disease is highly contagious among dogs, ferrets, and a variety of wild animals. Cats are not affected.

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Asian Express, Dim Sum House, and Jefferson Community Center all received recent inspection visits from the Health Department. (Click each establishment’s name to see the results.) Congratulations to Jefferson Community Center for a perfect score of zero!

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The Seattle City Council and Mayor will host a joint public meeting about the City’s budget here on Beacon Hill at the New Holly Gathering Hall, tomorrow, April 28, at 5:00 pm. The New Holly Gathering Hall is located at
7054 32nd Avenue South.

Education

Education roundup: Time for levies and open houses

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Photo by Doug Wilson.
School levy ballots should be reaching mailboxes throughout the city this week for an election officially ending on Tuesday, February 9. Two levies are on the ballot this time, a capital levy (Proposition 1) to replace the expiring Buildings, Technology and Academics levy approved by voters in 2004, and an operations levy (Proposition 2) which replaces the expiring three-year levy that voters approved in 2007 and have supported every three years since 1976.

Among other things, the capital levy includes funds for ADA/life safety systems installment at Mercer Middle School, along with renovations districtwide. Beacon Hill schools would also see funds for academic improvement, including Early Learning classrooms at Kimball and the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) option program at Cleveland, and funds for improving athletic fields and making their lighting more energy-efficient.

You can read more about the levies or watch an informational video by Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson at the SPS website.

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It’s open house season at local schools. We posted about a few recently.

Maple Elementary School is having an Open House and Math/Science Night on Thursday, February 11 from 6:30-8:30 pm at the school, 4925 Corson Avenue South. (Hat tip to neighbor JvA for the heads-up!)

Rainier Valley Cooperative Preschool is also holding an open house on Thursday, January 28 from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm at the preschool’s home, Beacon Lutheran Church, 1720 South Forest Street (across Beacon from the library). They say, “Come meet our families and learn about our preschool: We encourage the whole family to come to the open house and check out the space and meet the teachers and community.” For more information, email rvcpinfo@yahoo.com or call 206-723-3115.

Education, Food and Drink

Dining out can help support Maple Elementary

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Orient Express restaurant on an icy night in December. Photo by Wendi.
Orient Express restaurant on an icy night in December. Photo by Wendi.
If you eat at Orient Express (the old Andy’s Diner on Fourth Avenue South) on Thursday, February 12, the restaurant will donate 20% of your food bill to the Maple Elementary School PTSA. The money will be used to help fund fourth and fifth grade camp next fall.

We reviewed the Orient Express in November, and found the food to be excellent. With the economy the way it is now, this probably isn’t the easiest time to be opening a new restaurant, so by visiting the Express on February 12, you can both help a Beacon Hill elementary school and contribute to a new local restaurant’s success.

The Orient Express is located at 2963 4th Ave South in Sodo, and they serve Chinese and Thai food in vintage rail cars, including one once used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Education

Maple school kids sending care packages to troops today

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Kids in Marcia Ventura’s fifth grade class at Maple Elementary School have been working on a project that culminates today with the shipping of about 50 care packages to the First Platoon, Charlie Company, 1-4 Infantry, stationed in Mizan, Afghanistan.

According to Ventura, this is the second year that Maple’s fifth graders have sent treats and morale to troops overseas. Last year, the class “adopted” a Marine, Corporal Paul Craddick, who served in Ramadi, Iraq. The students exchanged letters and phone calls, sent him monthly care packages, and hosted a welcome home party when he returned to the US. Along with students at neighboring Kimball Elementary, Maple’s fifth graders participated in a successful drive for gifts, to be sent to all 175 Marines in Craddick’s unit.

This year’s drive is slightly different, says Ventura, as “the students lack a personal connection
to any of the soldiers in the platoon. However, as the students were studying about the election all fall the issues in which the two presidential candidates differed, students became interested in the two wars in which the United States is engaged.” Locals may have already seen evidence of the class’s interest in politics; earlier this fall, the kids made “VOTE” signs and went out on Election Day to wave their signs and encourage Beacon Hillers to vote.

The students have carefully organized and labeled items which are now in the classroom, ready to be packed up this morning. Five parents, as well as Karen Craddick (Corporal Craddick’s wife) will volunteer their time to help the kids pack, fill out shipping forms, and send a little bit of Beacon Hill to Afghanistan.