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Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Denise Juneau is embarking on a comprehensive Listening and Learning Tour to gather an understanding of the district's strengths, challenges, and what is most important for her to consider as plans are developed for the district's future.
Seattle Public Schools invites all seniors to attend one of the many upcoming college application and financial aid events.
This is an update on transportation services contracted with First Student. Anytime there is a late bus, students, families and schools are impacted. We apologize for this disruption. Getting students safely to and from school on time is a top priority.
Seattle teachers and staff recently came together plan and share how they create welcoming classroom environments that offer high-quality education and inclusive school communties through the whole-child framework—MTSS (multi-tiered system of support)
This year's window for parent referrals for K-8 students currently enrolled at Seattle Public Schools is May 15, 2018 through September 24, 2018 to determine eligibility for school year 2019-20. Applications for students in grades 9-12 will be available in January.
Families in Seattle Public Schools can now pay student fees and other school-related bills online with the district's SchoolPay system. Beginning Fall 2018, all schools will now have access to SchoolPay.
Last year, six Seattle educators were recognized for excellence in teaching as part of a Symetra Heroes in the Classroom awards! Now it is time to nominate 2018-19 educators for this award.
Seattle Public Schools will begin evaluating instructional materials for 9-12 science. An adoption committee comprised of teachers, students, families, and community members from across the district will be formed. Their work will begin in October. Interested individuals are invited to apply.
At a recent School Board meeting, Gail Morris, Native American Education program manager and Stacia Hawkinson, Native Education consulting teacher, debuted the short film, which showcases Native Seattle Public School high school students and staff sharing their stories, hopes, and dreams for their future.
We are excited to share that the Seattle Education Association membership approved the 1-year contract for 2018-19!
All across the district, open doors and smiling faces awaited students and their families. Sept. 5 marked the first day of school for students in grades 1-12.
The 2018-19 school year form is available Sept. 5 through Sept. 30, 2018.
The College and Career Readiness team is holding five regional information meetings to give parents and community members an opportunity to talk directly with staff about the benefits of Naviance, the district's college and career planning tool.
Seattle Public Schools is hosting community meetings in September to share information about our upcoming Operations Levy and our Building Excellence V (BEX V) Capital Levy, both to be submitted to Seattle voters in February 2019.
Welcome to the 2018-19 school year. I'm excited to kick off the school year as your superintendent. It's going to be a great year!
Jessica Monfils, family and consumer sciences teacher at Ingraham High School was recently announced as the 2018 Nancy Johnson New Professional Teacher of the Year.
We are excited to share that the Seattle Education Association and district have reached a tentative contract agreement. School will begin on Wed., Sept. 5 for 1st through 12 grade students and Mon., Sept. 10 for kindergarten students. The SEA general membership assembly will vote on the proposed contract on Sat., Sept. 8.
Currently, an evaluation and selection process is underway to determine what construction and facilities projects should be recommended to the School Board for inclusion in BEX V. This summer, the Facilities Master Plan Task Force convened to support the School Board's oversight of capital planning by reviewing elements of the district's Facilities Master Plan update.
Available to next year's 8th through 12th graders, Naviance will help students identify their strengths, interests and goals, and link them to potential college and career pathways; providing a deeper knowledge about options for the future.
Tracy Gill, a 6th grade social studies teacher at Denny International Middle School, has been awarded the Regional Teacher of the Year; representing Puget Sound Educational Service District 121.
Each year, the district welcomes incoming kindergarten students and their families to experience their school early through Jump Start, a free, week-long immersive experience.
Wed., Sept. 5 is the first day of school for grades 1-12; Mon., Sept. 10 is the first day of kindergarten and Seattle Preschool Program. Read all key dates for the 2018-19 school year.
The start of the school year is a great time to reinforce the importance of attendance with students. The first 20 days of school are particularly important for establishing good attendance habits.
Over 200 Seattle Public Schools leaders and district staff gathered at West Seattle High School for the annual Summer Leadership Institute (SLI) in preparation for the upcoming 2018-19 academic year.
Dates and locations for Seattle Public Schools high schools graduation ceremonies June 2019.
The air quality forecast has improved, but is still unhealthy for sensitive groups.
It has come to our attention that some district ground crews have used Roundup which contains glyphosate a potential carcinogenic. We have halted our use of this product. We will review grounds maintenance practices to ensure we follow policy and procedure.
As part of the 24-credit graduation requirements that affects all Seattle Public Schools students beginning with the Class of 2021, students must earn at least one credit in Career and Technical Education.
Students taking career-technical education (CTE) summer courses through the Seattle Skills Center had an opportunity to meet with local chefs and employees in the restaurant industry at an event sponsored by Tom Douglas.
As we prepare for the 2018-19 school year, our district has spent time this summer looking ahead at our overall finances.
Despite our projected funding gap starting in the 2019-20 school year, Seattle Public Schools is committed to ensuring our students have the access and opportunities they need to succeed. This includes balancing paying our amazing educators a fair and competitive wage with providing the programming our students and families need and expect.
Jump Start takes place each morning Mon-Fri., Aug. 20-24.
Important Dates for Kindergarten Families
Keep your student engaged with learning throughout the summer.
Seattle Public Schools welcomes students from nearly 150 countries of origin; our diversity is our strength. On Tues., June 26, 2018, the Supreme Court upheld the travel ban in its entirety. The ban limits travel from seven counties: Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen. As stated in an open letter after the November 2016 elections, and in a response to previous executive orders, the district remains steadfast in our commitment to serve and support every student in our care.
Pathfinder K-8 eigth-graders spearheaded a student service project that modernized a school mural and helped create a welcoming school environment that support the identity safety of every student.
On June 3, Sand Point Elementary schoolwide musical production "Salmon Boy" retold a legend of Pacific Northwest native tribes and highlighted the school's and district's commitment to positive, inclusive learning environments that support belonging and identity safety for all students.
In 2019-20, new high school boundaries will be implemented with the opening of Lincoln High School in north Seattle. Watch a video that highlights the changes.
The school year has ended but Seattle Public Schools will be hard at work to prepare for a great 2018-19 school year. Below is a collection of resources and helpful links that families may need during the summer
We caught up with seven of the 10 members of Franklin High mock trail team who recently won the 2018 Mock Trial National Championship to talk mock trial, the "magic of Franklin High" and the power of positive adult-student relationships.
As Jessia Sua sang, "I'll rise up, I'll rise like the day, I'll rise up, I'll rise unafraid. I'll rise up, and I'll do it a thousand times again," her peers and teachers joined her. On June 21, Jessica and her classmates walked across the Memorial Stadium stage to receive their diplomas at the Interagency Academy graduation.
Tenth-grade students at Chief Sealth International High School had cause for celebration after their first gradewide student film festival. Student filmmakers worked with Chief Sealth staff, mentor teaching artists from Arts Corps, Writers in the Schools and the Seattle International Film Festival, to write, film, produce and direct each of the short documentary films that were shown to audiences.
Three of the 26 Seattle School Scholarship Fund recipients share stories and advice.
When school lets out for summer, work ramps up for projects funded through voter approved capital levies. While school construction and addition projects take multiple years, smaller projects are completed over the summer months to avoid disrupting teaching and learning activities.
Seattle Public Schools is anticipating increased demand for world language courses in response to new graduation requirements and student and family interest. In addition to world language classes in all middle and high schools, our district offers dual language immersion program in five international elementary schools.
I am excited to be serving the families, students and staff of Seattle Public Schools. I truly believe that together we can make Seattle Public Schools the best public education system in the nation - providing every student the education and future they deserve.
Join Seattle Public Schools staff and families at June 24 Seattle Pride Parade. Meet us at the school bus before 11 a.m. on 4th Ave. between University and Seneca.
Click the Student Portal blue icon at the top of all Seattle Public Schools websites for quick links to The Source, Schoology and other online tools to support students.
The Seattle Skills Center, in partnership with R3 Community Services, hosted a "Try-A-Trade" event on June 5, to help students gain a hands-on experience with construction trade opportunities.
On June 8, 2018, Franklin students welcomed community members, sister schools, alumni, city officials and staff to join a youth-led demonstration centered on the seriousness of gun violence and need for greater safety in the south end in honor of classmate Ryan Dela Cruz.
Help us improve district communications with a quick online survey. Your anonymous responses will help us identify the most effective communications tools and strategies to ensure our entire community receives the news and information it needs from schools and the district.
In April, five regional community meetings were held to share the planning process for the Operations Levy and the Building Excellence V (BEX V) Capital Levy. District staff members shared information about the district's budget and funding and the BEX V planning process.
Transitions are exciting times. With each move, comes a level of hope for the future, the anxiety of what's to come and a chance to reflect on what has been accomplished thus far. Serving the students, staff and families of Seattle Public Schools for the past four years has been one of my greatest professional opportunities and a profound joy.
When Cleveland High School's football team suit's up next year, they will be doing so with new equipment thanks in part to a $20,000 donation from the Seattle Seahawks.
This spring, Seattle Public Schools Research & Evaluation department has produced its first public newsletter. The newsletter provides families, community partners and the public with information about the reports and analyses the R&E department produces during the year, as well as synthesis of national reports that mention Seattle Public Schools. Read the Research & Evaluation Spring 2018 newsletter.
U.S. News and World Report has recognized several Seattle Public Schools high schools as top high schools in Washington state in their annual report.
The Seattle Public Schools School Board and Facilities and Operations Department are establishing a Facilities Master Plan task force. You are invited to apply. Applications are due by Thurs., June 7.
The Visual and Performing Arts Program offered a professional development session on May 2 in partnership with the Family Partnerships and the Center for Arab and Islamic Resources (CAIR).
Student chefs at Franklin High, Rainier Beach Skill Center, Roosevelt High, Ingraham High and West Seattle High School have been hard at work in the kitchen for the past month, learning new techniques and employing their creativity to whip up delicious dishes for professional review.
Now in its 19th year, Chief Sealth's mariachi is one of the only programs of its kind in the nation. The program encourages cross-cultural understanding through music, celebrates the culture and heritage of Latino students and provides a way for parents to actively participate in their children's education.
On April 27, South Lake High School hosted a Multicultural Night for families and community. The projects featured at the event celebrated the many heritages of the school. South Lake is a small option school that ensures a personalized high school environment where student's stories are celebrated.
Thanks to Leschi Elementary librarian, Kevin McNew for applying to several local grants to help update texts in the school library, Leschi has been the recipient of two grants this month.
At the May 9, 2018, School Board meeting, the School Board Directors adopted guiding principles for the Building Excellence V (BEX V) Capital Levy. These principles provide direction as staff continues work to develop a list of recommendations on what should be included in BEX V, which is a replacement for the BEX IV Capital Levy expiring in 2019.
Summer vacation is just around the corner, but the work to improve systems at the district level continues. We are committed to gathering input from families and communities during several opportunities for involvement in the coming months.
Deputy Superintendent Stephen Nielsen was recently recognized by the Washington Association of School Business Officials (WASBO) with the John Jenft Outstanding Service to K-12 Education Award.
National Endowment for the Arts "Art Works" grant of $100,000 awarded Seattle Public Schools will support implementation of The Creative Advantage, a citywide initiative to establish equitable access to arts education.
The district is piloting ethnic studies curriculum in six schools aimed at engaging students in perspectives of historically marginalized groups.
All guardians with a K-12 student should receive an email link to the Family Survey on Tues., April 17. If your family does not have an email on file, you will receive a mailed survey.
The Vietnamese Friendship Association and Confucius Institute of the State of Washington were recognized on May 9 as premier partners by the Seattle School Board for their work in schools and positive impact in the lives of Seattle Public Schools students.
The community is invited to attend the Seattle Public Schools Scholarship Fund Awards Ceremony on May 10 at 7 p.m. in the John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence Auditorium.
At the awards event, graduating seniors from each high school will be recognized for their personal tenacity, contribution to their community, and academic accomplishments.
Please join us in thanking a teacher who has had an impact on your life, and sharing appreciation for the educators of our district.
Roosevelt and Ballard High Schools' jazz bands have been chosen out of 109 high school bands across the nation as two of 15 finalists at the 2018 Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival.
Seattle Public Schools is accepting School Choice applications until May 31. In addition, families who already participated in school choice during Open Enrollment may submit a new choice form until May 31 to change the waitlist that their student is currently on or be added to a waitlist.
Orca K8 and Dearborn Park International schools were visited on May 3 by Jewell Parker Rhodes, author of the book, "Ghost Boys."
Help Seattle Public Schools rethink and re-examine our practices to ensure each and every student receives the high-quality instruction necessary to grow and achieve.
Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors honored AAMAC at the board's April 25 meeting for AAMAC's partnership with the district, specifically for their focus on eliminating opportunity gaps.
At the April 25 regular school board meeting, the board voted unanimously to approve the contract with Denise Juneau to become the next superintendent, her start date is July 1, 2018.
On the evening of April 3, Phillipa Dugaw, North Beach PTA president and Brooke Walker, North Beach auction chair, presented a $10,000 check to Northgate Elementary. Principal Dedy Fauntleroy, Family Support Worker, Guillermo Carval, and Librarian Kate Eads were present at the PTA meeting to receive the donation on behalf of Northgate.
Join us for the Naramore Art Show at Seattle Art Museum to celebrate the success of many of our highest achieving art students.
The show runs through May 27 and the awards ceremony and teen night out will be May 4, 6 until 7 p.m.
This summer, Seattle will host the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games, which will highlight the abilities of athletes with intellectual disabilities in a variety of sports as well as inclusive games of Unified Sports, which include athletes with and without intellectual disabilities training and competing together.
Thanks to a partnership with Seattle Housing Authority and Seattle Public Schools, more than 100 SHA students from Aki Kurose and Asa Mercer International middle schools either had perfect or improved attendance during the month of March.
Members of Cleveland STEM and Ballard High School Journalism Programs attended the National High School Journalism Convention April 12-14 in San Francisco, California. Sponsored by National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA), the semi-annual convention was the gathering place for over 5000 high school journalists from across the country.
Nationally, April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. During the month of April, conversations are taking place across the country to raise awareness about child abuse and sexual assault prevention. We encourage families to talk with kids about these important topics as well.
On April 18, elementary and middle school physical education specialists used their professional development time for an exciting training opportunity at Safeco Field with members of the Seattle Mariners and USA Baseball through the Fun At Bat program.
After having a school-wide read-aloud of Katherine Applegate's book "Wishtree," a story about how a community responds with love after an act of aggression toward a new neighbor, the Thurgood Marshall community came together to promote peace and hope through written messages displayed around the school.
With Loyal Heights Elementary nearing completion for opening in September 2018, nearly all of the 17 major construction projects included in the Building Excellence IV (BEX IV) Capital Levy have been opened and welcomed students and staff.
Starting with the class of 2021, students will need to earn 24 credits to graduate, an increase from 21. Most high schools in our district currently offer 24 credits over the course of four years. Traditionally, SPS has offered students more courses than required by the state to provide flexibility for students to explore new electives or to recover missing credits. We are currently working with a variety of stakeholders to increase credit-earning opportunities for our students.
Seattle Public Schools is currently testing an interim assessment tool for mathematics and English language arts (ELA) for students in grades 3- 11 and is seeking board approval for interim assessments districtwide.
Use our Assignment Lookup Tool to check your student's school assignment for next year.
Your student's school assignment may have changed due to new schools opening in Fall 2017 and new school boundaries approved by the School Board. In addition, some program locations have changed through updates to the Student Assignment Plan. Information on the school boundary changes is available on the Growth Boundaries webpage.
Student learning and success are at the core of the work we commit to every day. Our mission is to ensure that each student is prepared for college, career and life. We are a high-performing urban district leading the way in this effort. Seattle Public Schools was recently recognized as No. 3 out of 200 urban districts for student gains between 3rd and 8th grade, and our graduation rates continue to increase – most notably for our students of color.
Planning is underway for two school funding levies to be submitted to Seattle voters in February 2019 and Seattle Public Schools requests input and feedback on possible projects.