Seattle Schools Community Forum

Where we are today? There have been two of the district's four School Bell Times Community discussion events.  (Anyone go to New Holly on Tuesday night or Garfield on Thursday night?)  I reported back on what I saw and heard at Hamilton. The district has chosen to NOT go with the Taskforce's top picks, citing the Taskforce's agreement with the district on transportation costs.  I would like anyone on the Taskforce who might be reading this to contact me (sss.westbrook@gmail.com) and let me know if this is completely accurate.  This is only what I heard from the district. The last discussion event is on Tuesday, May 12th at Chief Sealth at 7:00 pm  I'll just state a couple of things that I believe.

Press Release from the Lunch and Recess Matter group: Parents of students in Seattle Public Schools will attend the school board meeting this afternoon to express their frustration that the district has failed to act on their requests that the district provide their children with enough time to eat lunch and play at recess. They are asking the district to quickly ensure that kids get more to eat and play at school. Parents also pointed to a new study from the University of Washington that found students in Seattle Public Schools get only 12 minutes to eat their lunch, resulting in most of the fruits and vegetables going uneaten and putting students’ academic achievement at risk. “We came to the board in November telling them there is a serious issue affecting most of the kids in Seattle Public Schools, and very little has been done since then to fix it,” said Sascha Demerjian, a parent at Whittier Elementary School. “The district is currently finalizing schedule...

You may recall the district's press release on this subject said this: Lunch/Recess Times -          We understand the concerns of parents regarding lunch and recess times. This is an issue we are taking seriously and are working to address. -          A Wellness task force has begun looking into the concerns and issues surrounding lunch times throughout the district. The purpose of this 18-month long task force is to examine nutrition, physical education and physical activity. -          The task force will provide recommendations to the superintendent at the end of this time period. -          Creating daily school schedules has become increasingly complex, due to multiple factors and requirements. This includes: o   State Board of Instruction require...

Seattle parents to protest lack of sufficient lunch and recess time in school Parent observations will show school district out of compliance with local and state policies Students in Seattle Public Schools are coming home hungry and with full lunch boxes each day as a result of new cuts by the district to lunch and recess times, Seattle parents have discovered, with children participating in the Free & Reduced Meal program or who have disabilities suffering the most. Parents and concerned community members from across Seattle will hold a rally at the Seattle Public Schools headquarters in SoDo on Wednesday afternoon at 4:00 pm before presenting their initial findings to the district’s board. They will demand the district take action to restore appropriate lunch and recess times. WHERE: John Stanford Center, 2445 3rd Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98134 (parents will gather on the lawn at the corner of 3rd and Lander) WHEN : Wednesday, November 5, 2014, at 4:...