Thread for Other School Visit Opportunities

It seems there are other school visit opportunities not listed at the district website's page on Open Houses and Visits. Here is one but let me know and I'll update this thread.

Come learn about Sand Point Elementary!
Meet and Greet with Principal Dan Warren
Sand Point Elementary Auditorium
6208 60th Ave NE
Monday Feb. 8
7-8:30 pm
Refreshments will be served

SPE is shaping up to be a great option for families looking for a small school led by a proven leader! To see one review of Dan Warren and his leadership, check Reuven Carlyle's blog, http://reuvencarlyle36.com/, the January 12th entry.

There will be an additional opportunity in March (3/6 9-11 am, children welcome!)
To learn more, please email us at sandpointschoolopening@gmail.com or visit our blog at
sandpointelementary.blogspot.com

Ingraham's IB Information Night
February 10th @ 6:30 p.m.
http://ingrahamhigh.org/

Comments

ARB said…
FYI- these open houses, etc., are SUPPOSED to contain a special ed component, would love to learn if this happens:

Dear PTA/PTSA Presidents,
I am writing this letter to ask you to help our PTSA inform parents about special education services. With Open Enrollment around the corner, many schools will be hosting tours and open houses. However, in too many cases, these events fail to mention the special education services offered at the school and leave families who have children with disabilities out in the cold.
We would like this year to be different, and that is where you and your organization have a role to play. I would like to encourage your PTA/PTSA to work with your principal to arrange a parent information program with a specific emphasis on the special education services offered at your school. Such an program would not only benefit potential incoming families with children who have disabilities, but would also serve your current school community by "demystifying" what special education services are and how they are integrated into your school.
As you may be aware, this year the district instituted a new delivery model for special education services called "Integrated Comprehensive Services" (ICS). The intent of this new model is to provide special education services to children in general education classrooms in schools closer to home. This year, ICS was rolled out in Kindergarten and Grade 1, but eventually it will be the primary model of service delivery throughout all grades in the district, replacing many existing special education "programs." In theory, this means many students served by special education will be participating in general education classrooms to a greater extent, while those students who need particularly specialized services will continue to be served in self-contained classrooms.
The roll-out of ICS this year has been rocky in places -- both for parents of students with disabilities and those with students not served by special education. Our PTSA believes that educating the whole school community regarding how special education services work at your school will produce a more informed parent group that can work together with school staff to make this new model work for all students. And what better time to engage in such a parent education effort than now as families start to consider where their students will attend school next year?
Again, I urge you to work with your principal and teaching staff to put together a program that provides parents with a clear explanation of the special education services offered at your school, how they are administered, and how they impact the general education classrooms. Parent testimonials from both the special ed and general ed perspectives would be particularly useful. Such a program could be a stand-alone event, paired up with an already-scheduled General Meeting, or made an integral part of your school's Open House Night. Invite your current parent community to attend, as well as advertising the event to prospective new parents. The more we understand and the more we include each other, the stronger we become as a community.
Many thanks for your consideration of this request. Please do not hesitate to contact me to discuss how to implement this kind of program.

Warm Regards,
Janet Anderson
President, Seattle Special Ed PTSA
1/28/10, 7:02 AM
Claire said…
I will have a child at Sand Point this Fall and have had the opportunity to meet the new SPE Principal Dan Warren as a part of the Design Team. He is dynamic and I have been impressed with his excitement about the opening of our new school. He seems to know what he is doing and appears to have a great deal of integrity.
I had been underwhelmed with the lack of information about the re-opening (and still am) of SPE. However, after meeting Dan several times and watching him interact with parents and the School District, I am hugely reassured. I think that he will attract fantastic teachers and rally the parents. I am looking forward to the new Sand Point School (despite the many unknowns) and excited to be a part of this new community.
Sincerely,
Claire Spurlock-Cohen
1/28/10, 6:16 PM
Maureen said…
So, I was surprised that South Shore was only offering ONE tour and that it is on FEBRUARY 4th (well before Open Enrollment begins). The other Option Schools are offering multiple tours, well into March. So I checked with Ruth Medsker--just in case there was some mistake. They ARE offering two Open Houses, but those, again, are in February (Sat the 6th and then one with the tour on the 4th). She says that this is similar to the other K-8s (actually not much--even Madrona is doing two tours and all of them offer at least one in March) and that South Shore feels it will 'cover their needs.'

But the point is that South Shore is supposed to be the OPTION School for the SE and Open Enrollment doesn't even start until March 1st. If South Shore is not planning to meet the needs of SE families who want an Option School, the SE should be linked to another service area so SE students can get transportation to an Option School that can meet their needs.
1/29/10, 3:20 PM
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