Press Release:

Christy Rowe is one of those parents you always wanted in your school. She started volunteering in the Seattle Public Schools even before her first child walked through the door, and she’s still at it as her last child is about to graduate from college. If one of her schools needed volunteers, she was there.

If it needed money, she raised it. Last year, as President of the West Seattle High School Foundation, she welcomed attendees to the auction at which the first Community Partner Awards were presented. This year, the school honors her.

West Seattle High School Community Partner Awards are presented to individuals and groups in recognition of their generous sharing of their time, talent and treasure with West Seattle High School. Christy was a natural choice. A West Seattle graduate herself, married to another, her commitment to the school has already won her a Washington State PTSA Golden Acorn Award. In 2002, she was part of the team that brought a PTSA to West Seattle in the first place, after many years in which the school had only a Parent Group to support it. She then co-created the first West Seattle High School PTSA Auction.

Christy has served West Seattle High School on the Building Leadership Team, the Budget Committee, the Small Learning Communities Grant team, and the Principal Hiring Committee. Every year she volunteers to listen to Senior Project presentations; she is always fascinated to hear the subjects to which the students have devoted four or five months of research. Christy is also currently President of the West Seattle High School Foundation and Class Co-Representative for the class of 1972.

But although West Seattle High School is honoring Christy with its award, her contributions have touched the entire West Seattle community – and beyond. Her two children both attended Schmitz Park Elementary School and Madison Middle School. Christy won her first Golden Acorn at Schmitz Park, and her second at Madison.
At Schmitz Park, Christy served as a PTSA officer numerous times, including as President, Vice President, and newsletter editor. She started and co-chaired (for five years) the first Schmitz Park Craft Fair. She chaired and co-wrote a grant to install playground equipment at the school. With a friend, she obtained funding for and conducted an all-school Artist in Residence art project, designing, coordinating and creating a student art tile project that is mounted on the brick wall of Schmitz Park facing the parking lot. And again, she served on committees for budgets and hiring, and helped run the school auction.

Christy’s greatest contribution at Schmitz Park may be as one of the five parents who worked with the Schmitz Park Principal to pilot a reading program called “Read Naturally.” Read Naturally has now been an integral part of the curriculum for 14 years. And Christy, having been one of the first tutors, is now again a Schmitz Park Read Naturally Tutor.

At Madison Middle School, Christy expanded her involvement to acting as Volunteer Coordinator for three years. She also continued her habit of serving on budget and hiring committees and running auctions – and added a role on the Building Leadership Team. Her PTSA activities included a stint as President.
When her children moved on from Madison Middle School, Christy moved with them. Her daughter went to Garfield, and Christy spent a year volunteering one day a week in the Counseling Office at Garfield High School and several years supporting student activities .Her son went to West Seattle High School, Christy’s own school, and she has never left.

Christy’s PTSA activities over the years have won her recognition in addition to her three Golden Acorn Awards. She has been a delegate to the PTSA Convention several times. Her involvement took her to the Bronze level of the Washington State PTSA’s Leadership Academy in 1995, and has multiplied since.

But Christy’s main emphasis was and still is on West Seattle and West Seattle High School. As President of the West Seattle High School Foundation, she is currently working on preparations for this year’s auction on February 17. She said that West Seattle always makes her feel appreciated. The school and the community have great reason to appreciate her, and they will demonstrate that appreciation on February 17 by presenting Christy Rowe with the 2011 Community Partner Award.