White Center Now: The blog about White Center

From Maggie Anderson at the King County Food and Fitness Initiative:

This morning a student (a young boy) was struck by a hit and run driver as he was attempting to cross the street to get to school today in white center. The boy is a student at White Center Heights Elementary School. According to the school office manager, the school has been waiting (since it was built a few years ago) for crosswalks to be painted and flashing lights to be installed so that children and families can cross safely. The young boy has leg injuries (possibly a broken leg).

The King County Food & Fitness Initiative (KCFFI) recently received funding from the WK Kellogg foundation to create opportunities for healthy eating and active living at White Center Heights Elementary School and 5 others between 2010-2012. Activities include leading focused efforts in two specific limited income public schools each year over the three year implementation period (totaling six schools over three years) as they relate to school wellness policies, improving meal and snack quality, farm to school, school gardening, safe routes to schools, physical activity and education, and school wellness advisory councils. The KCFFI plans on beginning that work in fall 2010.

What do safe walking and bicycling environments include?

* Neighborhood schools that are within walking and bicycling distance from homes
* Sidewalks or bike-paths that connect homes with schools
* Improved opportunities to cross streets (such as the presence of adult crossing guards, raised medians or traffic and pedestrian signals)
* Slow vehicle speeds accomplished through roadway safety measures (traffic calming) and/or police enforcement where needed

Safety education includes working with:

* Children – to provide them with basic safety education, such as how to cross streets, obey crossing guards and be visible to drivers.
* Parents – to create awareness of the need for pedestrian and bicyclist safety education and opportunities to walk and bike and by practicing safety skills with their children.
* Drivers – to alert all drivers to the presence of walkers and bicyclists and the need to slow down.
* Law enforcement – to enhance pedestrian and bicyclist safety with school zone enforcement.
* Local officials – to identify changes needed to improve walking and bicycling conditions around schools.

The folks at Cascade Middle School e-mailed to ask if we’d share their invitation to parents of 6th graders in the White Center area, getting ready for 7th grade – You’re all invited to Cascade’s parent-night meeting May 25, 6:30-8:30 pm, where you’ll find out about the school’s transformation and get to meet the new principal. Here’s the official flyer.

Two notes: First, it’s the start of the Highline Public Schools weeklong spring break; second, tonight’s Burien City Council meeting will be preceded by a reception for new North Burien residents (aka the former North Highline South annexation zone) at 6:30 pm – the full council agenda is here.

From Highline Public Schools:

Angelica Alvarez, the first Latino/a elected to the Highline School board, begins her first full month in office in January. Alvarez was elected in November and sworn into office in December.

Alvarez says she brings a passion for academic success for all children, regardless of the ethnic and social backgrounds. She is also interested in improving the transition from early childhood education to school, and in building collaborative, inclusive partnerships with parents.

Angelica works for the non-profit organization Child Care Resources where she promotes equity for children, building community stability, and encouraging school readiness. Her work often brings her into contact with King County’s low-income families in an effort to serve the basic needs of children. She says it is her goal is to bring these same values and skills to her work with Highline Public Schools.

The board’s next meeting is this Wednesday – more information here.

If your student’s in Seattle Public Schools, they’re out an hour early today; if Highline Public Schools, they’re out 90 minutes early like most Fridays. Happy vacation!

White Center’s Cascade Middle School is getting a boost from a new grant, along with other middle schools in Highline Public Schools. Here’s the official announcement made today:

Highline Public Schools has been awarded a grant to expand community schools programs at Chinook and Cascade middle schools and establish programs at Sylvester and Pacific middle schools. The initial $200,000 award is part of a five-year $1 million grant funded by The Seattle Foundation and the Raikes Foundation.

Highline partners with the non-profit Community Schools Collaboration to provide academic and enrichment programs to students after school, as well as other support services to student and their families. The partnership will use the grant funds to create a support system that will help students achieve their maximum potential in school, work and life, including programs that ease the elementary school-to-middle school and middle school-to-high school transitions.

“This initiative helps schools connect to nonprofits and other neighborhood resources in ways that really make a difference for middle-schoolers in our community,” Michael Brown, vice president of community leadership at The Seattle Foundation.

“We are grateful for the Seattle Foundation’s investment in Highline and the prospect of a long-term partnership,” said John Welch, superintendent of Highline Public Schools. “Thanks to the Foundation’s funding, many of our students will benefit from academic support and enrichment programs that will effectively extend their school day and their opportunities for learning.”

The Seattle Foundation is the oldest and largest community foundation in the region. It’s mission is create a healthy community through engaged philanthropy, community knowledge and leadership.

The Raikes Foundation is a private family foundation focused on support for young adolescents so that they can grow up to be healthy, contributing members of society.

Jeni at Cascade Middle School shares word of this event and is hoping that as many community members as possible will show up to pitch in (and enjoy a free lunch!):

Cascade is honored that RESA Seattle, an organization of professional stagers, has chosen our school for their first service project. They will be redesigning several areas at our school, helping to improve functionality and beautify our surroundings.

Stagers will be joined by the staff of Cascade and the community to make improvements to the Main Office, Cafeteria/Gym Foyer, hallways, Staff Lounge and exterior of the grounds.

Many hands make light work – Join our Community Service Day!

Date:
Saturday, September 19th

Time:
9 a.m. until the work is done

Place:
Cascade Middle School – 11212 10th Ave SW

Meet in front of the Main Office

Bring your garden gloves, dress to paint, and work outside.
Barbecue lunch will be served courtesy of Cascade Middle School

If you want to call or e-mail the school for more info on this, contact info is on its website.

Evergreen’s Alfred Johnson e-mailed to say:

The 2009 season starts for the Wolverines this Friday night against Mt Rainier High School (the Rams), 7:00 pm @ Highline Stadium and we want to get the community out to support and cheer the team on for our first game.

And he also sent word about a fundraiser tomorrow with Millennium Ford of Burien. Here’s the official flyer. He explains:

For each person who comes for a 5 min. test drive, Ford will donate $20 to Evergreen High School to use for the football team. There will be EHS players and Cheerleaders on hand to sign folks up for test drives. sell EHS Football Gear and Gold Cards and promote the fund raiser. Head Coach Lewis, his coaching staff and I will be there to help out and answer questions about the EHS Football Program.

Their website’s also up and running at ehswolverinefootball.com. Go Wolverines!

EARLY SATURDAY UPDATE: Final score, Mount Rainier 44, Evergreen 0. Get out to the fundraiser today! Next week they play Kennedy – 1:30 pm Saturday 9/19 at Highline.

Although Seattle’s schools don’t start until next week, Holy Family on Roxbury Avenue at 20th SW has already started.  There is a crosswalk, right in front of the school, on the very busy Roxbury Avenue.  Problem is, that most days, drivers are whizzing along well above the speed limit, never mind the cross-walk limit.  Be warned that this crosswalk is ALWAYS, and I mean always, manned by police.  And the cross-walk is at the crest of a hill, making it less noticeable.  Our advice, slow down at all crosswalks, since SPD and other law enforcement are going to be vigorously enforcing the speed limit at school crossings.  Besides, kids are using these crosswalks and need I say more.  Be safe and be smart.

From Frank Cantwell, principal of Holy Family Parish School in White Center:

I would like to invite you to “El Carnaval” that we are holding on August 29 (10 a.m. to 10 p.m.) and August 30 (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) 2009. We are planning to close 20th Street from Roxbury for one block between the Parish and the School, and open this area to the entire community for an opportunity to meet our neighbors. We plan to have bands, a variety of food, and a beer garden. We will have our school open to everyone. We are also planning to have lots of fun and games for the children.

Holy Family Parish School has a rich history having served the White Center community for over 80 years. We are a very diverse community and we are welcoming everyone to come together to have a lot of fun.

Click pic to play video

That’s some of our video from last October, as U.S. Sen. Patty Murray helped break ground for the new Educare Learning Center at Greenbridge. Construction’s going well, according to Linda Carr at Educare/Highline Head Start, who asked if we would share this with you:

The construction of our new Educare Learning Center at Greenbridge is on schedule – we hope to move in the last week of December and welcome Head Start students on January 4, 2010!

We are recruiting children to fill our 9 part day classes, our 1 extended day class and our full day child care classroom. We encourage every low-income family with a 3 or 4 year olds to apply. We give priority to homeless children, children with a disability and 4 year olds. If we are not full by late August, we will invite some eligible 3 year olds to join us. We have great bi-lingual staff and a large pool of interpreters to help parents who ELL to apply and enroll.

Families can call us at 206/762-6070 to get an application in a variety of languages. Alternately, they can stop by our current locations: 501 SW 110th Place in Park Lake II Homes or 10014 Sixth Ave SW to pick up an application.

Our staff are busy getting training and finishing degrees as we become an Educare Center.

Our Park Lake II center will close for 2 years starting this August. We will have classrooms temporarily at Burien Community Center and at Coronado Springs Apartments until our new building opens.

Boogie Wonderland

Put on those dancing shoes
Come one, come all
to the
Community School of West Seattle auction

Bid on a no-host stay in an English house,
a flight to Friday Harbor,
a song written just for you by a Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter,
mountain getaways, kids’ amusements, theater, yoga, dance, baby sitting, beach outings, adopt-a-wolf, art from local artists and students.

Disco attire is encouraged.
Free food.
Cold drinks.
English auctioneer.
Bring a nice bottle of wine for the “wine cellar” we will be auctioning off.

Love is in the air!

for complete catalog see: http://www.landkammer.net/csws_auction

Saturday, June 6 6:30 p.m.
Community School of West Seattle
9450 22nd Ave SW
Seattle, WA 98106

This announcement is from the Technology Access Foundation, which has a big event coming up next month:

On June 13, 2009 Technology Access Foundation (TAF) will host our Robotics competition for TechStart, our after school program. Six classes will be participating: five from Highline (grades 4th-6th) and one from Seattle. (Grades 6th-8th) The event will take place at the White Center Boys and Girls Club, 9800 8th Ave. SW, Suite 105, from 9 AM to 1 PM. The students will be required to build robots that compete in four events:

1. Tug of War (head to head) (30 minutes)

2. Archery – 2:30 for each run w/ 5 min between rounds (35 minutes)

3. Basket Bot (16 minutes)

4. Drag Race (7 minutes)

Two more upcoming events to share with you!

Once again, it is time for the White Center for the Arts Open Studio Tour
This coming Saturday, May 16th, 2009 5 PM until 10 PM

Please join us as we present eight artists’ new work.
A wine and cheese event.

White Center for the Arts Building
9639 16th Ave SW
White Center, WA

206-306-6230 for additional information

www.whitecenterforthearts.org

And looking further down the road —

Evergreen High School’s Class of 79
30 year reunion
Saturday, August 8th, 7 pm
Rainier Golf and Country Club
$60 per person

RSVP by July 1st.
email: evergreenclassof79@yahoo.com for details.

Heard from Debra with the White Center Heights Elementary PTO, who wanted to share this information:

We are having family night spaghetti dinner and dessert auction fundraiser on May 15th. The cost is $3 for adults and $2 for children, we will have the dessert auction going on during the dinner, also there will be some entertainment from one of our students.

We have White Center Heights’ annual carnival on June 13th from 11:30 til 4 pm. Bring your family and friends, there will be lots of games, prizes, food, our famous cake walk, and raffle. So come and have fun.

In case you hadn’t heard, here’s the announcement:

Holy Family Parish School’s 21st REACH Auction is scheduled for Saturday, May 2, 2009. Our doors open at 5 p.m. for the Silent Auction; the Live Auction begins at 7 p.m.. Our physical address is 9615 20th Avenue SW, Seattle. Proceeds from the auction will allow us to continue our mission of providing an excellent, quality Catholic education to all those in the community, regardless of their ability to pay.

Dinner reservations are still being accepted. Please contact Sandy at (206) 248-2728 if you would like to purchase tickets; each ticket is $50. This year’s Auction theme is “Mexican Fiesta.”

To find Holy Family online, go here.

From the Highline Public Schools eHighlights: If you’re a parent or teacher in the district, you’ll be asked within the next few weeks to answer a survey about whether you’d prefer late starts or early departures for those days of the year when teachers have extra training or review time.

If you’re in the Seattle district, tomorrow (Monday 1/26) there’s no school (“day between semesters”). In the Highline district, Friday 2/6 is the next no-classes day (“waiver day”). Today, by the way, is College Goal Sunday at all 4 high school campuses in the Highline district, 2-5 pm – read more about it here.