March 2012

Nordic Heritage Museum CEO Eric Nelson announced today that Lizette Gradén has been appointed Chief Curator for the Nordic Heritage Museum.

Gradén will be responsible for providing management of the Museum’s curatorial department encompassing education, public programs, exhibitions, and collections staff. The Chief Curator is responsible for leading the department in the planning and implementation of quality exhibitions, educational programs, and publications.

“I am pleased to welcome Lizette Gradén to the museum. Her extensive background in museums in Scandinavia and the US, along with her background in Nordic and Nordic-American folklore, is a great fit for the Nordic Heritage Museum," said Nelson in a statement. "Dr. Gradén’s background will help us to extend our reach not only within our community but internationally as well."

Dr. Gradén has held a position as Director of Graduate Studies at Konstfack/University College of Art, Craft and Design in Sweden since 2007, where she worked to increase cooperation between departments as well as among institutions of higher education in the Nordic countries.

Four babies were born at Swedish's Ballard Family Childbirth Center on February 29.

These four children won't see another birthday until the next Leap Day on February 29, 2016.

The Leap Day babies are among 145 infants born at the center since Jan. 1, 2012.

Learn more about the Ballard Family Childbirth Center on the Swedish/Ballard website.

Press release
Feinstein Challenge Begins March 1, 2012

Today, the 2012 Feinstein Challenge begins and again this year the White Center Food Bank will be participating. For the past 14 years, the Feinstein Foundation (http://www.feinsteinfoundation.org) has divided $1 million each year among over 3,000 hunger fighting agencies nationwide.

Here’s how the challenge works. For every donation the White Center Food Bank receives during March and April, the Feinstein Foundation will help contributions grow by adding to them. All cash and food donations count towards the stretch dollars.

The Highline School Board voted Feb. 29 to hire Dr. Susan Enfield as the district’s superintendent, contingent on a completed contract and background check. Enfield is currently interim superintendent of Seattle Public Schools.
 
Board President Angelica Alvarez announced the board’s selection of Enfield at a press conference Monday morning, saying the board was impressed with Enfield’s leadership and high expectations for students.
 
“This is a decision I am so happy about,” Enfield said at the press conference. “I will not let this community down.”

As part of the selection process, Enfield toured Health Sciences and Human Services High School on the Evergreen campus. She says that visit sold her on Highline.
 
“Some high school seniors there …shared with me their hopes, their dreams, what they wanted in their leader and what they wanted in their school system. And I went home and called my husband and I said, ‘I think this is it,’” said Enfield.
 
Enfield says she is looking forward to leading a smaller school district where she can build relationships in the community. She and her husband plan to relocate to Highline.
 

The plans for the upcoming Highland Park Spraypark and developments for West Seattle Reservoir Park were discussed in a public meeting at the Highland Park Action Committee meeting Feb. 29. Also getting some attention was the upcoming public meeting for the new Westcrest P-Patch garden.

The design revealed a colorful "planetary theme" in terms of layout on the ground with shapes (all proportionally accurate) of the planets (except Pluto) represented on the ground.

The Westcrest off leash dog Park and West Seattle Reservoir Park are located at 9000 8th Ave s.w. and the primary park is the former reservoir which was covered and converted in the last three years, funded by the Parks and Green Spaces Levy. The budget was $3,455,000 for planning, design and construction.

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March 1, 2012

Dear Seattle Public School families,

It has been an honor for me to serve the students, staff and families of Seattle Public Schools as your Interim Superintendent for the past year. I am incredibly proud of the work we have accomplished together. We began the 2011-12 school year showing promising gains in both test scores and graduation rates. Throughout the year during my visits to schools, I have continued to be impressed with the work of our principals, teachers and students.

It is, therefore, with both excitement and sadness that I am writing today to tell you that I have accepted the position of Superintendent for the Highline Public Schools beginning in July. I am grateful to the board, staff and community of Highline and I look forward to working with them to make a difference in the lives of the students in Highline.

I remain committed as ever to Seattle and will spend the next four months working to ensure that we end the school year as strong as we began it. I thank all of you for your hard work and support of our students. We do this work for them and they deserve our very best.

Sincerely,

Susan Enfield

March 1, 2012

Dear Seattle Public School families,

It has been an honor for me to serve the students, staff and families of Seattle Public Schools as your Interim Superintendent for the past year. I am incredibly proud of the work we have accomplished together. We began the 2011-12 school year showing promising gains in both test scores and graduation rates. Throughout the year during my visits to schools, I have continued to be impressed with the work of our principals, teachers and students.

It is, therefore, with both excitement and sadness that I am writing today to tell you that I have accepted the position of Superintendent for the Highline Public Schools beginning in July. I am grateful to the board, staff and community of Highline and I look forward to working with them to make a difference in the lives of the students in Highline.

I remain committed as ever to Seattle and will spend the next four months working to ensure that we end the school year as strong as we began it. I thank all of you for your hard work and support of our students. We do this work for them and they deserve our very best.

Sincerely,

Susan Enfield

press release:
Three free events at the Duwamish Longhouse this weekend.

Duwamish Longhouse 3rd Anniversary Open House

March 3, 11am – 3pm

Celebrate the building of the first longhouse in Seattle in 110 years, the home of Chief Seattle's Duwamish people; programming includes admission to Peter Boome: Salish Connections, screening of "Princess Angeline" at 1 p.m. and more.

March 3, 6pm - 8pm

Native Oral, Visual & Digital Storytelling for Social Justice. Program/Reception, Keeping the Earth Power Coming, Native oral, visual and digital storytelling for Social Justice, hosted by he Inclusion and Justice Committee of Antioch University's PhD in Leadership and Change Program. Includes stories by local Duwamish youth about the Duwamish River. 4705 W. Marginal Way S.W., Seattle, WA 98106

March 4, 2pm - 3pm

Native American Flute. Paul “Cheoketen” Wagner introduces his new album, reception includes performance of selections from "Time of Paradise."

Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center
4705 W. Marginal Way S.W.
Seattle, WA 98106

(206) 431-1582

Dr. Susan Enfield, has been serving as the interim Superintendent for Seattle Public Schools recently sought and got the job as Superintendent for Highline Public Schools. She has shared a letter to the Seattle Public School families announcing her departure. She will start her new job in July.

March 1, 2012

Dear Seattle Public School families,

It has been an honor for me to serve the students, staff and families of Seattle Public Schools as your Interim Superintendent for the past year. I am incredibly proud of the work we have accomplished together. We began the 2011-12 school year showing promising gains in both test scores and graduation rates. Throughout the year during my visits to schools, I have continued to be impressed with the work of our principals, teachers and students.

It is, therefore, with both excitement and sadness that I am writing today to tell you that I have accepted the position of Superintendent for the Highline Public Schools beginning in July. I am grateful to the board, staff and community of Highline and I look forward to working with them to make a difference in the lives of the students in Highline.

press release:
Seattle Parks and Recreation and the Washington State University (WSU) Extension’s 4-H Youth Development Program will offer a three-day training course in low ropes facilitation from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. March 20, 21 and 22 at Parks’ first low ropes course at West Seattle’s Camp Long.

Low ropes challenge courses, catching on nationwide, offer the user the opportunity to develop skills in team building, confidence boosting, leadership, and trust by overcoming a series of real and imaginary obstacles. A course generally contains elements such as poles, platforms, ladders and cables that require thought and teamwork to overcome. The elements are strung between poles 12 to 18 inches above the ground.

The upcoming training is designed for current or former ropes course facilitators. Participants who complete the course will receive 24 clock hours, will be able to host and facilitate group activities at the Camp Long course, and will be able to use the Portable Challenge Kit in a classroom.

The cost of the course is $150. For more details and to register, please call Ken Turner at 206-399-2205 or email him at keno.turner@seattle.gov,