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Liam Education

Seattle Schools Family Survey and Feedback on Instructional Materials

Seattle Public Schools will be asking families for feedback on their schools, with questions ranging from effective communication to school safety on the annual email survey.

The District will email or call all families the week of January 13th and do a second round the week of January 20th. The calls and e-mails will be in the home-language spoken. The family survey on our schools will be administered through School Messenger.

The annual climate surveys are administered to all school staff, students and families. In the past, these surveys were conducted in the spring. Seattle Public Schools has moved up the date in order to collect the data at the mid-point of the school year, which will make the survey more formative for our schools. The student and staff survey are paper based and will occur between January 6th and 17th.

Also,  Seattle Public Schools is adopting new instructional materials for the math program in grades K-5. They are currently evaluating eight potential math programs and we would like your input.

All program materials – textbooks, workbooks, teacher manuals, etc. – are on display for members of the community to review and provide feedback on. The materials are available for viewing at:

John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence
In the professional library
2445 Third Ave S., Seattle, WA 98134.
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

The JSCEE building will be open during winter break, with the exceptions of Dec. 24, 25, 31 and Jan. 1. You will have until January 8th to submit your comments on all of the different K-5 math programs under review (list below). Those comments will help the adoption committee identify three finalist programs for comprehensive review.

Starting in early March the three finalist programs will be on public display at five different locations across the city. (Sites to be announced)  The final program will be selected by the Math Adoption Committee in early April and submitted to the school board for approval in May.  Following approval, the materials will be delivered to schools in time for start of classes in the fall.

For more information, please visit the adoption webpage: http://bit.ly/MathAdoptionSPS14

Liam Events

Holiday Blues & Bingo December 17th

The BCC is pleased to join Emmaus Road Church in sponsoring Holiday Blues & Bingo, from 6-9 PM on Tuesday, December 17th at Street Bean Espresso, 2702 3rd Avenue.

There will be music (not the major key festive songs we hear enough of around town), snacks, beverages, BINGO, and prizes. A barista will be working late to sell espressos (Street Bean is a non-profit; your caffeine $ go to a good cause). Plus Keith “Mr. Belltown” Kentop will be our bingo caller!

Please join us!

Liam Events

Seawall Open House Tomorrow

The Seattle Department of Transportation has begun construction on the Elliott Bay Seawall project. Learn how the new seawall will be built and what to expect during construction at this open house.

Wednesday, December 11
4-6 PM
Bell Harbor Conference Center, Pier 66

Postcard [PDF]

Liam News

Daffodil Planting Saturday

Join the Belltown Community Council, Belltown Business Association, Seattle Parks & Recreation and the Friends of Bell Street Park for a Daffodil Planting Party this Saturday from 10 AM – 1 PM. We will meet on the corner of 2nd and Bell. Tools and light refreshments will be provided. Bring a friend!

Liam News

BCC Meeting Wednesday, November 13

Join us for our November meeting on Wednesday. This month we welcome Lt. Mike Magee, the new Operations Lieutenant for the West Precinct. Lt. Magee recently took over that post from Capt. Deanna Nollette, who was promoted to head the Narcotics Section.

We will also have a presentation on our 911 Dispatch Center. Seattle’s 911 response times are among the best in the nation – come learn what makes that possible.

Wednesday, November 13
6:30 PM
Belltown Community Center, 415 Bell Street

Liam News

Sound Transit looking for feedback on Long Range Plan

Sound Transit needs your help deciding where regional transit services could expand after current voter-approved projects are complete in 2023. An important process getting underway today to update the region’s Long-Range Plan will provide the vision for transit expansions many years into the future.

What is the regional Long-Range Plan? 
Voters in Central Puget Sound approved the formation of Sound Transit to develop a high-capacity transportation system for the region, where about 40 percent of the state’s residents live. Updating the plan will address how to respond to rising demand and congestion as our population grows approximately 30 percent by 2035.

The Long-Range Plan serves as the blueprint for how the region can use mass transit expansions to protect and promote its mobility, economy and environment. Future ballot measures will be shaped by the plan.

Shape the future of regional mass transit – get involved
Sound Transit will prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) to update the Long-Range Plan. The first step in the process, called scoping, will determine which alternatives will be studied in the SEIS. Between Oct. 25 and Nov. 25 this important process will give you, local jurisdictions and public agencies a chance to learn more about the project, provide comments, and help Sound Transit identify and consider potential alternatives and effects on the environment.

There are several great ways to make sure the Sound Transit Board hears your input:

Public meetings
Evening events are from 5:30 to 8 p.m. with a presentation at 6:15 p.m.

Seattle – Tuesday, Nov. 12
Seattle University Campion Ballroom
914 E. Jefferson St.

Federal Way—Wednesday, Nov. 13
Federal Way Community Center
876 S. 333rd St.

Redmond—Thursday, Nov. 14 
Redmond Marriott
7401 164th Ave. N.E.

Tacoma—Monday, Nov. 18
Tacoma Convention Center
1500 Broadway

Everett—Tuesday, Nov. 19
Eisenhower Middle School
10200 25th Ave. S.E.

Daytime event: Seattle—Thursday, Nov. 21
11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Union Station, 401 S. Jackson St.

Today, Sound Transit trains and buses serve approximately 100,000 riders each weekday. The starting point for considering future expansions is this existing system and currently funded projects. By 2023, the Link light rail system is on track to grow to nearly 50 miles, expanding north to Lynnwood, east to Bellevue and Redmond’s Overlake area, and south to Kent/Des Moines. These voter-approved extensions are projected to increase Sound Transit daily ridership to about 350,000 in 2030.

The region will face major challenges maintaining an effective transportation system in the coming decades as more and more people call the more than 50 cities that Sound Transit serves home. You can play an important role in deciding where expanded services go.

More information:

Liam News

Linking Belltown to Seattle’s New Waterfront – Thank You!

Thank you to everyone who attended the Let’s Connect: Linking Belltown to Seattle’s New Waterfront event on October 17. Your ideas, questions and enthusiasm for the future of Belltown will continue to shape the design going forward.We also wanted to send out a big thank you to the Belltown Community Council, Belltown Business Association and Downtown Seattle Association for their help in making the event a success.

Missed the meeting? 
For those that could not attend or who want more information, check out our website or view the Belltown presentation here. Let us know what you think!
Liam News

Seattle Public Schools seeking feedback on latest draft of revised attendance area boundaries

The Seattle Public Schools have released a new draft of revised attendance area boundaries. No children who live west of I-5 will attend Bailey Gatzert under this plan. Instead, Lowell Elementary on Capitol Hill will serve Capitol Hill, First Hill, South Lake Union, Belltown, Denny Triangle, Downtown, and Pioneer Square. Children in these neighborhoods will continue on to Meany Middle School on Capitol Hill.

Members of the public are invited to submit comments through a survey by October 25. Revised boundaries will be presented at the School Board meeting on November 6 and likely adopted at the meeting on November 20.