September Students of the Month

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

Our New Home

What exciting days we have experienced in the opening of our new facility! While we would have liked construction to be completely done before moving in, we are delighted with our school, a fitting reward after last year. A heartfelt thanks to all who helped make the dedication program a great success.

Following this opening day celebration, teachers and students quickly got down to the business of teaching and learning. As you may know, last year’s 10th graders did well on the state achievement test (WASL), a validation of our academic program. Because we are a standards-based school, however, we won’t be satisfied until all of our students achieve mastery of the core knowledge as exemplified in district and state standards.

As a member of the Seattle Center community now, we have many advantages not available to other schools, especially in the academic and arts arenas. Coupled with these advantages, however, are added responsibilities for students and staff.

First is the Seattle Center requirement that all students and staff wear ID badges during the school day. They may display their badges on a lanyard or clip them to their jackets or belts. (Make-up pictures and pictures of students who enrolled after Sept. 5 will be taken on Oct. 4.) So when your student leaves for school in the morning, be sure to remind him or her to put on their ID badge.

Second, Center House does not allow smoking anywhere within the building, and for underage students it is illegal to smoke anywhere on the campus. We will strictly enforce this no-smoking rule.

All in all, the school year has gotten off to a good beginning, considering the issues related to the construction project and sorting out all our belongings. We look forward to a great year in which students benefit from an expanded academic and activity program.

On the first day of school, The Center School held a formal dedication of the beautiful new facility in the Center House. It was attended by the students, many of their parents, staff, the architects and builders of the school, many dignitaries, and the media.

The program was moderated by Peter Donnelly, president of the Corporate Council for the Arts. Other speakers included Seattle Center Director Virginia Anderson, Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Joseph Olchefske, Seattle School Board Past President Don Nielsen, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, Doug Eglington representing King County Executive Ron Sims, and Principal Judith Peterson.

A musical interlude was performed by violinists Marjorie and Ilkka Talvi, and a poem written by Anna Talvi was read by Anna, Krista Coleman, and Peter Stone. The featured speaker was internationally renowned playwright August Wilson. He has written many plays and won awards, including the Pulitzer Prize, for virtually all of them. All present were rapt as he spoke.

The ceremony ended with a formal ribbon-cutting, with more than 30 ribbon-cutters. The students counted down from 10, and when they reached zero the ribbon fluttered in pieces to the floor. Then the students streamed to class.

The event was organized by Dick Lee, a school events and fundraising consultant hired by the school and the CSCA. The success of this event is evidence of what a help he has been. When school let out on Sept. 4, the students had their own dedication

celebration, during which they consumed 60 dozen cookies. They played games, including Chubby Bunny and Weakest Link, and eight students performed a dance that they had choreographed to music by OutKast. The performers included Chloe Ameh, Alexandria Cain, Krista Coleman, Jacqi Jordan, Sarah Kogan, Marissa McCaffery, Ashley Spillane, and Kira Walmsley.

TEACHER PROFILE

Molly Pritchard, Humanities

Molly Pritchard grew up in this neighborhood, right on Queen Anne Hill. She even attended the old West Queen Anne Elementary School. She received her B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY, and her M.A. from the Shakespeare Institute in Stratford-Upon-Avon, England. So she knows "Romeo and Juliet" and "The Tempest" well!

Before she came to The Center School, Ms. Pritchard taught humanities for two years at The Northwest School, and after that she taught drama, language arts and social studies in the Mercer Island School District for six years. Last year, she heard about The Center School.

"I had written a personal mission statement," she said, "detailing the qualities I sought in a teaching position. The Center School’s mission statement matched mine almost exactly. That told me that this was where I wanted to be." So when two more humanities positions became available here, she applied.

"This job is demanding, but it’s also very exciting to be here. It’s fun being (almost) in on the ground floor of a new school. It requires a lot of work, but it also gives us the opportunity to shape the program."

Ms. Pritchard’s interests outside of teaching include social justice issues, music, travel, gardening, and (surprise) theater and literature. She lives with her husband, Simon.

COUNSELOR’S COLUMN

Welcome to the new school year. We are looking forward to an exciting year full of new faces and fresh ideas. As we move toward having a graduating class, I know that many students and parents are anxious about being prepared for high school graduation and college admissions. Here are some of the things we are doing to help you prepare for this major part of many students’ lives.

This year we are fortunate to have some extra help in the counseling

office. Erin Byrnes has joined us for the school year as a counseling intern. Erin is in her final year of a master’s program in school counseling at the University of Washington. She has a wealth of experience working with students, and wants to help us develop and implement our post-high school planning activities, whether they be for college or a career. In addition, Erin will help facilitate and co-lead counseling support groups throughout the year. Erin’s hours at the school are Mondays and Wednesdays, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., and Thursdays 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Welcome, Erin!

We will be offering the PSAT on Tuesday, Oct. 15. The test will be given during the regular school day. We encourage all Juniors to take the PSAT as part of their preparation for future SAT tests. Even if students are unsure about their post-high school plans, they should take the PSAT as it is offered only once a year and is not available for seniors. Sophomores also may take the PSAT, but it is only junior-year scores that are used for National Merit Scholarship opportunities. The cost of the test is $15 (checks should be made out to The Center School). If you want to take the test but are in financial hardship, please contact me.

We will host an information night on Wednesday, Oct. 16, from 6-8 p.m. This program is designed for juniors and their parents, but it is open to all. We will discuss what students need to do and think about during their junior year in order to prepare for life after high school. Emphasis will be on the college admissions process and preparation for graduation.

Erin Byrnes and I are in the process of organizing a career/college

information room at The Center School. We hope to unveil this resource prior to the Post-High School Planning Night. This room will contain college bulletins and brochures, job postings, service learning opportunities, and computers dedicated to colleges searches and career exploration. We are looking for a couple of volunteers to help with the set-up and organization of this space. Please contact me if you are interested in helping out with this project.

OUR COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION

The Center School Community Association (CSCA) is the umbrella organization that includes both the PSTA and the site council. Its mission is to support and supplement the educational program at The Center School in every possible way. Last year the CSCA got started officially. In February we joined the PTSA, in March we were incorporated by the State of Washington, and in June the IRS granted us tax-exempt status.

There are five School Improvement Committees, which do much of the work of the CSCA: Budget, Community Relations, Development, Instructional (composed entirely of teachers), and School Culture. These committees got off to a good start. The Community Relations Committee produced a brochure for the school and planned several open houses; the Development Committee raised $16,600 for the CSCA; and the School Culture Committee sponsored the initiation of several after-school clubs.

The Budget Committee is busy only part of the year, in early spring. This committee reviews the annual discretionary budget proposed by the Seattle School District. (The budget is for the school, not be confused with the CSCA budget.)

If you would be interested in joining any of the committees, please let us know. More help is always needed!

Individuals serving on the CSCA board this year are parents Teru Lundsten (President), Carol Hepburn (Vice President), Wendy Graff (Secretary), Andrea Edwards (Treasurer) and Blair Butterworth; counselor Brian Vance; teachers Jon Greenberg, Denise Sobieralski and Ben Wheeler; and Laurel Minter, a member of the larger Seattle Center community. We also hope to have two students participate in the CSCA.

You are welcome to attend our board meetings. They are conducted the first Monday of each month of the school year, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the school. Minutes of our meetings will be available in the office. Highlights will appear in this space.

Last year, our very first year, the Center School Community Association (CSCA) had no budget. Nonetheless, the Development Committee raised $16,600 for our fledgling organization, and the ski/snowboard program and the yoga class brought in an additional $11,200, for a total of $27,800. Including the costs of the ski/snowboard program, total expenses last year were $21,800. This left us $6,000 with which to begin this year. For budget purposes, the Development Committee has set a fundraising goal of $37,000 this year (though they hope to exceed that and raise $50,000). The CSCA plans to accomplish much more this year, and that translates into spending more. So please, join the PTSA, and give generously to our fall campaign. You’ll be receiving a letter from us soon. As well as making donations to the CSCA directly, you also may designate our non-profit organization as the recipient of any donation you make to the United Way. Thanks very much.

The student government at The Center School is called the Advisory

Senate. Each senator represents his or her advisory group. This year’s senators are Anne Marie Talmadge and Anna Hofstetter/alternate (representing Ms. Aguilar’s Advisory), David Krom and Chloe Ameh/alternate (Mr. Greenberg), Chris Hunter and Adam Zawitkowski/alternate (Ms. Mullen), Miles Franzoni (Mr. Drajem), Molly Anderson and Elisabeth Brose/alternate (Mr. Murphy), Sara Medlicott and Emma Epstein (Ms. Peterson), Erik Moen and Maddie Stevenson/alternate (Ms. Pritchard), Celia Reed and Steve Needham/alternate (Ms. Reeder), Ben Leichman and Isaac Estep/alternate (Ms. Reynaud), Rasun Hargett and Katie Edwards/alternate (Ms. Sobieralski), Mollie Price and Lauren Overman (Ms. Spinler), Ramsey Fulton (Mr. Vance) and Emily Alli and Blake Wilton/alternate (Mr. Wheeler).

Look for student-written reports starting in our next issue.

The Center School’s second-ever dance will be on Friday, Oct. 25, from 8-11 p.m., in the Seattle Center Pavilion, Room B. We need at least 10 chaperones. If you can help, please call the school at 252-9850. Start designing your costumes, students. Prizes will be awarded for especially creative costumes. Boo!

ARCHIVIST NEEDED

History is being made at The Center School, and we would like to have a record of it in one place. Would you be interested in collecting articles, photographs, and any other documentation which might be of interest in the future? If so, please contact principal Judith Peterson at 252-9850.

PROGRESS REPORTS

Detailed progress reports will be issued halfway through first quarter,

the week of Oct. 7. Please review them with your student, sign them and have your student return them to class. Progress reports are a valuable tool for both you and your student to monitor how they are doing in school.

JUST CURIOUS...

Q: What is the racial composition of the freshman class?

Center School Staff

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