Friday Memo May 8, 2015 This memo includes 8 attachments Dear Board members, Board Meeting: Thank you for the Board approval of the school calendar for the coming year. Many parents and staff are eager to know this information. School will start on the Wednesday after Labor Day (late this year) and will have two weeks of Winter Break, one week of mid-Winter break and one week for Spring Break. School will end on June 23rd. We are pleased to introduce a donation in the amount of $2.7 million over six years to pay for student participation in athletic programs and equipment for middle and high school athletics. This grant supports our commitment to equity in that it eliminates the “pay for play” concept in our schools. Board members expressed gratitude for the grant and the work of Eric McCurdy in supporting our “student” athletes. Director Patu thanked Eric for a job well done. Director Carr mentioned that Councilman Bruce Harrell had also recognized Eric’s work last fall. Board members complimented staff and students from Cleveland High School for showcasing the video they made highlighting the importance of Cleveland’s STEM program and the impact it has on student progress through a project-based learning model. Board members also had good words for Concie Pedroza, Principal at Seattle World School and the students who came to speak – many of them only recently immigrated to the US – bravely before the large board meeting audience. Director Martin-Morris said The World School stories are amazing – they demonstrate the confidence instilled by the teachers. Recognitions Teachers were recognized for Teacher Appreciation Week and National Teacher Day was Tuesday, May 5. Director McLaren shared her profound appreciation for our teachers. Several board members shared teaching stories from their family. Director Carr’s grandmother taught in a one room school house in the mid-West … until she got married. Director Peters read a letter addressed to her brother, a California teacher, by a local deputy sheriff talking about he had impacted his life and how he was now considering teaching as a second career … that would make a difference in the lives of students. School Nurses were recognized for Nurses Appreciation Week and School Nurses Day. Pegi McEvoy (Assistant Supt) and Katie Johnson (Manager of Student Health Services) also recognized:  Terri Helm-Remund, school nurse for West Seattle Elementary, as Washington School Nurse of the year for 2015-16;  Pat Sander as Washington non-school nurse administrator of the year

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Tina Urso and Helene Mansfield as the districts’ newest Nationally Certified school nurses. Seattle has 80 nurses; 40 of them certificated; many with advanced degrees (masters, PhD, Nurse Practitioner).

People and Events:  Director Martin-Morris congratulated Clover Codd, Executive Director, Strategic Planning and Partnerships, on the completion of her PhD from Teachers’ College Columbia.  Director Blanford thanked the school equity teams that met on Saturday to plan how to advance equity in their schools. (Thank you to Director Blanford for also being a keynote speaker at that event).  Director Peters thanked the scholarship committee for their work in granting so many scholarships to deserving students … and invited all to attend the awards night on Monday, May 11th. Naramore Reception on Friday, May 8 will recognize 150 student artists who entered this year’s Seattle Public Schools Middle and High School Art Show. This event is a time-honored tradition and partnership between Seattle Public Schools and the Seattle Art Museum. Floyd Naramore was prominent architect in Seattle who designed many of our classic school buildings. Current Updates Teacher one-day walkout on May 19  SEA voted on May 4 to join in a statewide action against the legislature to protest the lack of education funding in our state.  SEA selected May 19 as the day for their one-day walkout in order to provide the district a two week notice to work on arrangements in an effort to minimize disruption for students and parents. There will be no school for students on Tuesday, May 19.  Interscholastic activities can occur after the end of the school day.  This means Monday, June 15 will become a full school day and our last day of school will now be June 16. A revised school year calendar will be shared with families.  This action is not directed at Seattle Public School families or community, but is a statement to the legislature about the current lack of adequate state funding for basic education. Legislature has entered into a 30 Day “Special Session”  House and Senate are negotiating on a budget although progress seems to be slow.  The House budget would provide about 90 added teachers and some counselors for SPS.  The Senate budget would provide about 60 added teachers and COLA without catch-up.  Salaries and Levies are also now being considered as part of four new budget proposals. City “Transportation Levy to Move Seattle” Levy  The City announced their $930 million levy over nine years will fund projects in Seattle that improve the walkability and safety in the communities surrounding our neighborhood schools.  The City held the press conference at 14th Avenue South and Beacon Avenue South.

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Beacon Hill has a large population of students that walk to school.

Preschool partnership with the City of Seattle  After many months of discussion and collaboration, the Seattle’s Department of Education and Early Learning and Seattle Public Schools have developed a draft partnership agreement on how to work together for the Seattle Preschool Program.  Both the District and City have worked hard to ensure that the Seattle’s first steps toward a universal preschool system will complement and enhance K-12 education.  The City and district share a goal of closing the readiness and achievement gaps that persist for many of Seattle’s students.  At this Thursday’s Executive Committee, staff from district and the City’s Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL) discussed the draft partnership in support of the Seattle Preschool program. ELL updates  Seattle currently offers ELL services in 65 of our 97 schools. Up to 1500 ELL students have opted out of ELL services in order to attend their local neighborhood school. This practice is no longer appropriate or legal. We will be testing those 1500 students this spring to determine whether they qualify for services. Students who qualify will be served in their neighborhood schools next fall … although those services will look different. Services for five students in a building, for example, will not be the same as services now provided in schools serving large numbers of students. We are not anticipating large changes in ELL enrollments between schools for the coming year. We will be testing all potential ELL students on admission in the future. Listening Opportunities Bell Times  The district has scheduled an additional north end community meeting to gather input on bell times.  The meeting will occur on May 19 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Ballard High School.  An online survey has been launched to gather parent feedback on three options for a possible change in the start and end times of a school day. We’re encouraging parents to take the survey.  An additional survey for staff is underway.  Translations are available in ten languages for all three stakeholder groups (parents, community and staff) and the survey is available in paper form as well. Wilson Pacific naming of two new school buildings  On Monday, May 4th we hosted a community meeting at the Lincoln building auditorium to share information and accept public comment about the naming of the new middle school and elementary school buildings to be constructed on the Wilson-Pacific site.  Nominations for names for the buildings have been received.  I will be making a recommendation to the Board in June. Meetings & Visits

McClure Middle School on Queen Anne welcomed me for an 8:00 a.m. parent coffee. Parents filled the library for Principal Shannon Conner’s quarterly Parent Coffee. Some of the questions…and some of the answers:  What works for socio-emotional help? RULER and PBIS are most common across the district. Both teach positive behavior and give staff and students common vocals for talking about stress, trauma and giving support to each other.  What more can be done to challenge and support and enrich our students especially in math? Lots of parents shared this concern. Common Core requires algebra in 8th grade so rigor/challenge should begin going up. Teachers are doing difficult work learning new standards, adapting and supplementing curriculum - older math materials and working to differentiate.  Principal Conner urged parents to share concerns with her and with teachers. Teachers will be doing lessons together, working with SPU tutoring, talking together about differentiation and enrichment. The PTA offered their assistance in thinking together about what is needed most and how to fund it.  Many parents want a return to tracking and acceleration. They worry that inclusion takes too much time from their child. Separating students by ability is not appropriate or effective. We do need to meet each student where they are and challenge them to help them find that “spark” that many parents mentioned.  Students – all students – do in fact learn better in cooperative/diverse groups both academically and socio-emotionally. Inclusion is mandated by law for SpEd and for ELL and for Spectrum. RTI/MTSS requires us to provide supports in every classroom.  What/when will district do something about curriculum? That is one of the many areas that suffered during years of cuts. We replaced elementary math curriculum last year and will replace K-8 social studies (from 1993) next year. We want teachers to differentiate more.  Principal Conner: I want great teachers in every classroom. Teaching is hard. I want to support them with professional development, watching each other teach, working together on lessons which include challenge and enrichment.  How did we end up with this crazy testing? NCLB mandated testing 15 years ago – to help focus on closing opportunity gaps. This is our first year with 100% computer testing. That is a challenge. It will get better with time and more computers.  Questions about input. Send concerns about gym ceiling to Dr. Herndon in Facilities. Complete the Bell Times Survey to give your opinion. The calendar for 2015-16 is now official and posted. Coe Elementary on Queen Anne built in the early 1900’s has one of the most impressive and awe-inspiring three story entry and atrium. Although now filled to overflowing like most other schools in the district, the building provides an open light-filled welcome including a great eight foot mascot often dressed up for special occasions. The grand craftsman homes in the neighborhood are being purchased by families with children, with new children enrolling weekly. Coe gave up the staff lounge and their tech lab this year to create new classrooms. Principal Virginia Turner has been at Coe four years. She is proud of the staff and the way they work together. As we visit classrooms -

Steven McGregor’s class was working with a small guided reading group. He gave clear instructions for his students before excusing himself to meet me. The rest of the class was working quietly in self-managed tasks. Lindsey Backstrom's classroom had calm background music playing and a welcome ask at the door “say hello to somebody today and SMILE!” Art is a major element of the Coe program with both visual and performing art provided. Krista Carreiro - Room 208 is specifically designed for movement/dance with soundproof walls and a resilient floor. In Room 310, the learning target for students was “I can identify and explain time intervals”. This classroom is one of the new “invented” classrooms with desks in the pod area and an up-close gathering area in a former small office Lauren Caltrider’s class (209) moved into the tech classroom (and tech lab moved into the library). Together with iPads and other computers Coe is able to do testing for one grade per week. Readers/Writers Workshop is supported by the PTSA for materials, professional development training and an on-site modeling and coaching, and classroom libraries, and new updated kits. Jennifer Springhall’s class was writing about different kinds of energy and was being asked to think about adding details to their writing John Brannan’s class was working in self-managed small groups while he met 1:1 to review student’s journal writing. John Hay Elementary, also on Queen Anne, was showcased for me by interim principal Brody LaRock. John Hay is proud of the caliber of teaching and instruction and the “can do” spirit of the faculty. The PTA is proactive as volunteers and funding. Challenges including socioemotional supports and they are hopeful that they can implement RULER next year. They are also hearing about “mindfulness” and perseverance as needed skills for students. They have also been working on math professional development to supplement and differentiate the curriculum. As we visit classrooms: Ashtyn Thomas was doing a shared reading to students gathered up front on the carpet. Stephanie Anderson’s students needed a brain rest. They stood in place while counting by 10's and then got back to work. Emily Hamilton’s 3/4 split classroom was applying math – figuring out what was earned, spent, taxed and left over. Smarter Balanced testing was going on in several classrooms. Joh Hay has enough computers to test all students in one grade at the same time – about one week. Field – one of their facility requests is to have their dirt field turfed. Dirt, mud, rocks and holes make it challenging for adults and children. Tessa Marcovitch was intentionally engaging students by using popsicle sticks to randomly call on students. School Improvement Goal has been around Readers/Writers Workshop. Evidence of student writing was on display in virtually every classroom and hallway. The “3rd Grade Writing Gallery” featured opinion pieces. One classroom featured creative writing book reviews – “check out this super funny book!” Good News

Garfield and Roosevelt Jazz Bands at Essentially Ellington  The award-winning Jazz bands from Garfield and Roosevelt High School are competing in the Essentially Ellington Competition and Festival this week (May 7-9).  This event takes place in New York at Lincoln Center.  Both schools have performed extremely well in past festivals and have brought home numerous individual awards and first-place trophies.  Winners will be posted in the Seattle Times on Saturday night. Good luck to both bands! Special Olympics and Roosevelt High School  Special Olympics and Roosevelt High School are filming students from Roosevelt High School for its international campaign this week (May 5-6)  This filming is for a Public Service Announcement that will be aired on National TV and at the White House to promote the upcoming Special Olympics games.  TV spots will begin airing during the Special Olympics World Games being held in Los Angeles July 25 – August 2 and will run for at least 18 months.  This is a great opportunity for the students to showcase their talents and to raise awareness about how the Special Olympics has the transformative power to break down barriers and bring people of all capabilities together.  Roosevelt is part of the Unified Sports Program, which activates youth to take action and create inclusion and respect in their community. Student photography and film awards  Congratulations to Roosevelt High School senior Claire Nelson, who won first place in this year’s Congressional Art Competition. She won a trip to Washington D.C., where her photo will be on display for a year.  Ballard High School is now the only school to win the top prize twice at the National Film Festival for Talented Youth – the largest youth film festival in the world. Five students from Ballard’s Digital Filmmaking Program won first prize for a mockumentary they created during the festival, and three others won the Audience Award for their short film called “Clipped Wings.” Media Operations  Congratulations to the Media Operations Center for receiving a 2015 Communicator Silver Award of Distinction for the Seattle Cirque & Acrobat Teams (SCATS) YouTube video featuring Dearborn Park Elementary students and staff!  Kudos to producer Michelle Mansfield and SCATS teacher/coach Ed Adams and all of the talented young students from Dearborn Park who participated in this award-winning video. CenturyLink Teachers and technology grants - SPS teachers receive five awards  The CenturyLink Clarke M. Williams Foundation's Teachers and Technology grants are designed to help fund projects that advance student success through the innovative use of technology. Teachers in public or private PreK-12 schools in CenturyLink's Residential service areas were eligible to apply. Congratulations to the following recipients:

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Glen Clisham Katherine Wise Janet Woodward Lori Leberer Susan Jenkins Aimee Mell Svetlana Mamedova Lea Van More Monica Beckman

The Seattle Schools Scholarship Fund Trustees announced the twenty-four recipients of a $2000 scholarship that will be given to the Class of 2015. These deserving students will be honored at an Award Reception on Monday, May 11 in the Auditorium. Everyone is welcome to join family and friends in this evening of celebration. The scholarship winners and his/her respective school are:  Candace Sibal – Ballard  Vaughan Nelson – Ballard  Vy Khanh Nguyen – Franklin  Zeray Admasu – Franklin  Victoria Vong – Garfield  Muse Gidey Asefa – Garfield  Serena Lynn Pollard – Ingraham  Reymond Lee Horne – Ingraham  Manuela Pastor Lorenzo – Middle College  Gabriel John Taylor Uding –Nathan Hale  Danyelle Davidson – Nathan Hale  Marvette Charles – Rainier Beach  Christian Capers – Rainier Beach  Katherine Elizabeth Wight – Roosevelt  Naday Brumer – Roosevelt  Andrea Reboca – Chief Sealth  Kyle Mark Kelley – Chief Sealth  Anh Bach – Seattle World School  Nino Chaboshvili – Seattle World School  Christian Ignatuis Diachuk – Center School  Lena Tran – Cleveland  Malik Wilson – Cleveland  Binbin Zhao – West Seattle  Israel (Rosie) DiViccaro – West Seattle Larry

Assistant Superintendent for Capital Update: Attached please find Assistant Superintendent for Capital, Facilities & Enrollment Planning Flip Herndon's update for this week. Assistant Superintendent for Teaching & Learning Update: Attached please find Assistant Superintendent for Teaching & Learning Michael Tolley's update for this week. Assistant Superintendent for Operations Update: Attached please find Assistant Superintendent for Operations Pegi McEvoy's update for this week. Assistant Superintendent for Business & Finance Update: Attached please find Assistant Superintendent for Business & Finance Ken Gotsch’s update for this week.