Greenwood Elementary School is one of six Seattle Public Schools named 2012 Schools of Distinction for academic improvements in math and reading. The six schools are in the top 5 percent of the highest-improving schools in the state.
Besides Greenwood, the other five schools are Hamilton International Middle School, Jane Addams K-8, McClure Middle School, Mercer Middle School and Wing Luke Elementary School.
The schools will receive their awards at a ceremony on Jan. 24.
“We are honored to have our six schools recognized with this prestigious award,” Seattle Public Schools Superintendent José Banda said in a press release. “It reflects the ongoing achievement of our students in math and reading, thanks to our strong teachers and instructional leaders.”
Schools of Distinction are chosen by the Center for Educational Effectiveness, the Association of Educational Service Districts, the Association of Washington School Principals, Phi Delta Kappa-Washington Chapter, Washington Association of School Administrators, Washington State ASCD and Washington State School Directors’ Association.
Local author Katherine Pryor brought her little red wagon spinach garden to Greenwood Elementary last Friday to encourage children to try new foods. Pryor also read from her new book, “Sylvia’s Spinach,” to the students, then took them outside to plant spinach seeds in their school garden.
(Photo courtesy Greenwood Elementary)
The author encouraged students to try new food and give it a second, third or fourth try even if you don’t like it for the first time.
Earlier this month, the school had another local author, Rick Swann of “Our School Garden,” to read his book as part of the launch of the garden.
Sylvia’s Spinach is based on a true story in a school in Washington and about kids’ eating (or not eating) spinach and then learning to grow it in school gardens and how that might change kids’ minds.
A team of 4th- and 5th-graders from Greenwood Elementary will compete at the city-wide finals of the 2012 Global Reading Challenge on March 27 at the Central Library downtown. “The Jokers” team is one of the top 10 teams in the city.
More than 2,500 4th- and 5th- graders from more than 40 Seattle Public Schools studied 10 books to prepare for the Global Reading Challenge.
According to Global Reading Challenge rules, questions are read and repeated once. Teams have 30 seconds to write down the answer to a question.
“The purpose of the Global Reading Challenge is to promote the love of reading and to have fun,” Palmer said. “This program introduces children to a wide variety of literature and multicultural reading materials and provides a recreational outlet for readers. It makes it possible for students of all reading levels to participate in a public library activity that promotes reading as a pleasurable lifelong experience.”
The winning team from the city final will go on to face the top teams from Fraser Valley, British Columbia and Coquitlam, British Columbia at 10 a.m. Friday, April 13 in the Video Conference Final at the John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence, 2445 Third Ave. S. in Seattle.
The Global Reading Challenge is at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 27, at the Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., Level 1, Microsoft Auditorium. It’s free, and the public is invited.
Asha wrote, illustrated and narrated a three-minute video about a pink castle in the sky with hallways covered in beautiful artwork, fairy teachers that fly around the classroom, and a cafeteria that serves clouds instead of real food (purple clouds are the healthiest).
And congratulations to 9-year-old Hannah Zizza of nearby Whittier Elementary, for being chosen for one of the People’s Choice Awards, for her stop-motion video depicting toy figures participating in school activities. (Voting for People’s Choice ends on Feb. 20 online.)
Hundreds of people are getting ready to do the sixth annual Gumshoe scavenger hunt, looking for clues along a 5 kilometer walk throughout the neighborhood.
Purchase an entry form for $20 at the Phinney Ridge Starbucks, Ken’s Market, Couth Buzzard Books Espresso Buono Café, or Phinney Neighborhood Association. Then follow the clues to see interesting sights, yards and buildings. Turn in your entry form by 6 p.m. Aug. 14 for a chance to win a $250, $150 or $100 Fred Meyer gift card, breakfast at Mae’s Cafe or a day at Woodland Park Zoo.
Volunteers Kelly Walker and Judy Mirante assign GPS coordinates to one of the clues.
Many local stores are also participating in “MiniGumshoes” — find three special stickers inside those businesses, write down the words associated with each sticker on your entry form, and be entered to win other prizes.
The popular Eatsy Street game, also on the entry form, provides nine photographic clues of local restaurants. Correctly identify all nine and be entered to win $225 in gift certificates to neighborhood restaurants.
Annie’s Homegrown organic food company is sponsoring a nationwide contest to get kids eating their veggies, and the school with the most people pledging to eat and plant veggies could win a school garden. PhinneyWood reader Julie tells us that Greenwood Elementary School is currently in fourth place.
Enter the name of the school you’d like to see win the grand prize in the designated “School Name” field. While you’re at it, tell us how many kids you commit to helping dig or plant a new veggie this year (e.g. two of your own kids, a classroom of 30 kids, or a school of 800).
Note: Each unique form submitted (not number of kids entered) counts as one sign up for the designated school.
Already signed up for Root 4 Kids, but want to participate in the contest?
You can still help your school win simply by committing to help even MORE kids in your life dig or plant new veggies. Visit this link, enter your additional number and the name of the school you’d like to see win the grand prize.
Greenwood Elementary celebrated the diversity of the school at its first annual “Planet Greenwood” last week. Here’s a write-up from Diane Dieterich:
Over 200 people enjoyed the night of festivities at our first annual Planet Greenwood celebration at Greenwood Elementary last week. Planet Greenwood was a celebration of the diversity at our school and in our neighborhood through art, books, and food. Kids received stamps in their personal passports as they traveled around the school tasting foods from other countries, looking at art inspired by cultures across the world, locating their family’s heritage on our “Where in the World are You From” map, and browsing the bookfair.
The school would like to give a special thanks to these neighborhood ethnic restaurants that donated food for our “Taste of Greenwood.”
Gainsbourg Lounge
Greenwood Mandarin
Greenwood Market
Kabab House
King Falafel
Luisa’s
Zuma Groceries
Mori Japanese Restaurant
Olive & Grape
Pad Thai Plaka Estiatoria
Families also contributed an incredible array of food for our international potluck. Thanks for sharing your special food and their stories with your community.
We also would like to thank Santoros book store for sponsoring the book fair that evening, and providing our kids with an incredible array of books to choose from. Our thanks also to Top Ten Toys for their donations to the event.
We plan to make this an annual event. Please contact the PTA at Greenwood Elementary at pta_board@greenwoodpta.org if your business or group would like to be involved in this or other multicultural events in the future.
Greenwood Elementary School’s Parent-Teacher Association is looking for corporate sponsors for its annual Jogathan fundraiser, set for Oct. 22.
Sponsorship levels are:
$250 Silver Sponsorship Level
- Acknowledgement on Greenwood PTA website for 2010/11 with link to your business
- Your company logo printed on Jogathon materials including Weekly Bulletin
- Your company logo printed on large banners displayed at school (80th & 3rd NW)
$375 Gold Sponsorship Level – benefits above PLUS:
- Your logo on Jogathon t-shirts distributed to participants
$500 Platinum Sponsorship Level – benefits above PLUS:
- Your company coupon, flyer or marketing item distributed to approx 375 participants and their families via a goodie/treat bag
- Write-up/column about your business in Weekly Bulletin
