From Paula Montgomery, the JAMS Planning Principal:
_________________________
While it is early in the process (we have not hired team leaders), I know that parents have many, many questions, want to meet me, and want to start to give input.
The agenda is the same for both meetings. And we will have monthly meetings after the school year, including a day time option.
Jane Addams Middle School Community Meeting
Jane Addams Middle School Library
(Same agenda both dates)
Wednesday, December 11 6:30-8:00
Wednesday, December 18 6:30-8:00
Agenda:
Overview of timeline , teacher hiring, and spring processes
Review of facility work
Q & A
Opportunity for parents and community to give first input into the educational design
Brief school tour
_______________________
EDITED TO ADD: Paula Montgomery, asked about bringing kids to the December meetings, responded: "I think that it's fine to bring current middle school students to the December meetings; however, I am thinking that the bulk of the time at the meeting will be to answer questions about programming." She added that there are plans to involve current 6th and 7th graders in the planning -- please see the next post.
Also, in response to questions about touring the JA building, she reminded us: "We will absolutely provide tours of the school, but they will need to be during the evening when school is not in session. And yes, no one should enter a school without permission from the current principal."
Friday, December 6, 2013
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Information from Paula Montgomery on JAMS Programming
Thank you all for your comments and questions on the last post. We asked Paula Montgomery, the JAMS Planning Principal, for information on planned meetings with families. We also sent her the link to the last post so she could see what some families are thinking about.
Ms. Montgomery is working on a master calendar of currently scheduled meetings with families and will get it to us at the beginning of next week to post. We know from a meeting she had with a group of Sacajawea families last week that she is planning multiple appearances at PTA meetings and with kids at Eckstein and Hamilton who will be geo-split away to JAMS to get their perspectives. Definitely watch for that master calendar and take advantage of the chance to get to know her and ask her questions.
Here are Ms. Montgomery's "quick big answers" to questions posed on the blog.
-----------------
Ms. Montgomery is working on a master calendar of currently scheduled meetings with families and will get it to us at the beginning of next week to post. We know from a meeting she had with a group of Sacajawea families last week that she is planning multiple appearances at PTA meetings and with kids at Eckstein and Hamilton who will be geo-split away to JAMS to get their perspectives. Definitely watch for that master calendar and take advantage of the chance to get to know her and ask her questions.
Here are Ms. Montgomery's "quick big answers" to questions posed on the blog.
-----------------
1. Yes, JAMS will have Algebra 2 next year. It looks as if we may have enough qualified students for two sections.
If you're interested in providing some design help, Ms. Montgomery can be reached at p l mont gomery at seattle schools dot org. [remove all spaces, replace words with symbols.]
2. Geometry and Algebra 1, no problem. Plenty of sections.
3. Yes, for band and orchestra program. Just added a second music room to the plans for Phase 2 (summer 2014). The number of sections/levels will be driven by student needs. Both Hamilton and Eckstein band directors are involved in planning.
4. Working on initial instrument and library inventory with district.
5. Yes to foreign languages, starting for 6th graders. At this point, I can say absolutely Spanish and Japanese due in large part to preparing students for high school. I will need to see the number of current 6th graders in French before making a decision.
6. Spent day at Garfield, learning what needs to happen in APP at the middle level for students to be successful in 9th grade. Plan to visit Ingraham as well.
7. Yes to biology. Hoping to pull off science electives as well. Our school site is an amazing resource for environmental sciences. In conversation with science leaders in the district to develop possibilities.
8. Teacher leader positions are now posted! An all Seattle district email should be sent out next week, alerting teachers about the opportunity. Hope to have interviews in late December. May have to interview in early January given how busy December is . These leaders should be on board by mid-January.
9. Other programming decisions are waiting for 1) student data review, 2) teacher leader input, 3) student input, and 4) parent input.
And now I have a BIG ask. If anyone out there is able/willing to do pro-bono work on logo design. I would love to connect. Our BEX levy is really covering academic spaces and curriculum and this is an area that has not been addressed. Would love to use the expertise of a professional to start designing logo/mascot possibilities and have our future JAMS students select the mascot/colors/etc prior to February. The architect for the project then can include these elements into finishes for our school.
---------------------
3. Yes, for band and orchestra program. Just added a second music room to the plans for Phase 2 (summer 2014). The number of sections/levels will be driven by student needs. Both Hamilton and Eckstein band directors are involved in planning.
4. Working on initial instrument and library inventory with district.
5. Yes to foreign languages, starting for 6th graders. At this point, I can say absolutely Spanish and Japanese due in large part to preparing students for high school. I will need to see the number of current 6th graders in French before making a decision.
6. Spent day at Garfield, learning what needs to happen in APP at the middle level for students to be successful in 9th grade. Plan to visit Ingraham as well.
7. Yes to biology. Hoping to pull off science electives as well. Our school site is an amazing resource for environmental sciences. In conversation with science leaders in the district to develop possibilities.
8. Teacher leader positions are now posted! An all Seattle district email should be sent out next week, alerting teachers about the opportunity. Hope to have interviews in late December. May have to interview in early January given how busy December is . These leaders should be on board by mid-January.
9. Other programming decisions are waiting for 1) student data review, 2) teacher leader input, 3) student input, and 4) parent input.
And now I have a BIG ask. If anyone out there is able/willing to do pro-bono work on logo design. I would love to connect. Our BEX levy is really covering academic spaces and curriculum and this is an area that has not been addressed. Would love to use the expertise of a professional to start designing logo/mascot possibilities and have our future JAMS students select the mascot/colors/etc prior to February. The architect for the project then can include these elements into finishes for our school.
---------------------
If you're interested in providing some design help, Ms. Montgomery can be reached at p l mont gomery at seattle schools dot org. [remove all spaces, replace words with symbols.]
Also, information that Ms. Montgomery passed on from Tracy Libros in response to the questions raised by maps of the JAMS, Eckstein and Hamilton attendance areas: they are working on "enlarged (and therefore more detailed) maps of the middle school attendance areas for JAMS, Eckstein, and Hamilton." Dr. Libros provides this info for families: "For specific information on where your child will be assigned for next year (2014-15), please go to the Address Lookup Tool on the district’s web site. We are in the process of updating that information for 2014-15 to reflect changes approved by the School Board. We expect to have the updated information posted the week after the Thanksgiving break."
Now a request from us to you: please share the address of this blog with people you know. The more community involvement, the better it will be. Thanks.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone!
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Now let's get planning!
Welcome! We have an amazing opportunity here to plan our kids' middle school. Please comment below about what you most want to see in programming, culture, etc. Or email us at janeaddamsmsblog@gmail.com. We will put up regular posts bringing in your suggestions, for the community to discuss.
Each post here will have one or more tags that help us sort out what we all think is most important for JAMS. The more times a tag is used, the bigger the tag label appears in the tag cloud. Visual voting, essentially!
Please also watch this space for updates on JAMS and information on community engagement.
Edited to add: You're welcome to comment anonymously, but please sign your comment with a posting name of some kind (e.g., initials or alias) to facilitate conversation within the threads, and also so we can begin to build a feeling of community here.
Each post here will have one or more tags that help us sort out what we all think is most important for JAMS. The more times a tag is used, the bigger the tag label appears in the tag cloud. Visual voting, essentially!
Please also watch this space for updates on JAMS and information on community engagement.
Edited to add: You're welcome to comment anonymously, but please sign your comment with a posting name of some kind (e.g., initials or alias) to facilitate conversation within the threads, and also so we can begin to build a feeling of community here.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Open Thread: Feel Free to Post Your Thoughts!
Feel free to post your comments, questions, and thoughts in the comment section here. Please keep your comments civil. We reserve the right to delete uncivil or abusive comments without warning or comment. Thanks.
Jane Addams Repurposing Project: Meet our new Planning Principal & View the Building Design!
SAVE THIS DATE!
November 7, 2013, 6:00-7:30 PM
November 7, 2013, 6:00-7:30 PM
Invitation From SPS:
Seattle Public Schools invites you to a Community Meeting on the
Jane Addams Building BEX IV Construction Project
Jane Addams Building BEX IV Construction Project
Date: Thursday, November 7, 2013
Time: 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Location: Jane Addams Building, 11051 34 Ave NE
Room: Cafeteria
Dear Jane Addams area communities,
Because you live in the greater Jane Addams building area, you are receiving this letter.
Seattle voters approved the Seattle Public Schools Building Excellence IV (BEX IV) Capital Levy in February 2013, which includes the construction project to repurpose the Jane Addams building to become an attendance area Middle School.
The meeting will be presented by representatives of Seattle Public Schools BEX IV Capital Projects Team, the Jane Addams Middle School planning principal and Hutteball & Oremus Architecture, who will provide information about the project’s early construction design progress. You will be able to learn more about the construction project’s scope, schedule and design exploration. You will be able to ask questions and give us input and feedback. We hope that you will be able to join us!
This meeting is not related to boundaries issues, but only to the construction project to repurpose the building to become a Middle School. As you may know, boundary changes have not been made: the Board is scheduled to vote on any possible changes at its November 20 Board meeting.
For more information, please visit http://bex.seattleschools.org
Sincerely,
Seattle Public Schools Capital Projects Team
Seattle Public Schools Capital Projects Team
October 17 Work Session Staff- Proposal: "Full Grade Assignment in Year One"
Hi all! We found that someone shared this blog's address on the Save Seattle Schools blog. Everyone is welcome! Please respect, however, that this blog is for the purpose of planning JAMS (the curriculum and school, not the student body makeup) and please keep your discussion civil. Thanks!
October 17th School Board Work Session – Staff-recommended proposal:
“North Middle Schools: Full Grade Assignment in Year One”
As part of the October 17th Work Session, SPS Staff presented an alternative to the Oct 16th JAMS implementation proposal, in which students are assigned to JAMS for grades 6-8, instead of opting in at grades 7 and 8.
Here is a link to the presentation from the October 17th Growth Boundaries work session.
A synopsis of the Staff-recommended proposal for starting JAMS as a full comprehensive middle school, grades 6-8, in Year One.
Beginning 2014-15:
a. JA K-8 to John Marshall (two years interim)*.
b. JAMS AA** students (APP, GenEd, SpEd), grades 6-8, assigned to JAMS in the JA building (Geo-split from Eckstein).
c. APP students living in Eckstein AA, grades 6-8), assigned to JAMS in the JA building (Geo-split from Hamilton APP).***
*JA-K-8 students may chose to go to JAMS, but this choice MUST be made during the Open Enrollment period.
**The JAMS Attendance Area is not explicitly defined in the proposal (the previous proposal had John Rogers, Olympic Hills, and Cedar Park feeding into JAMS).
***APP students have a dual assignment to Eckstein, and may opt out of APP to attend Eckstein.
FYI: The Growth Boundaries feedback survey closed 10/25/13. All comments should be directed to the School Board Directors andgrowthboundaries@
October 16 SPS Proposals for Interim Period & Growth Boundaries
Info on the October 16 proposals. A post on the other proposals will follow.
Comments are open, but please remember that this place is really to plan JAMS (the curriculum, not the student body makeup). Uncivil or abusive comments will be deleted without warning or comment. Thanks.
Comments are open, but please remember that this place is really to plan JAMS (the curriculum, not the student body makeup). Uncivil or abusive comments will be deleted without warning or comment. Thanks.
October 16th Recommendations:
Attachment A: Recommended Growth Boundaries, Feeder Patterns, and Option School Geozones
Attachment B: Reference Materials
Attachment C: Summary Information on Public Input
Attachment B: Reference Materials
Attachment C: Summary Information on Public Input
In the Oct. 16th proposal, John Rogers, Cedar Park, and Olympic Hills will feed into JAMS, along with APP kids living within the JAMS and Eckstein service areas. Implementation would be as a 6th grade roll-up with optional entrance at 7th and 8th grade.
From Attachment B:
· Relocate Jane Addams K
· Open JAMS with grades
· Assign JAMS GenEd/
· Give rising 6th‐8th
· Give rising 7th and
· Give rising 6th‐8th
· Start roll‐up of
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
SPS Recommends Establishing APP at Jane Addams, Changing JAMS Feeder Schools, Co-Location
SPS Staff recommendations on Growth Boundaries were presented to the School Board tonight, and the documents have been posted to the SPS website. The Seattle Times has published an article about the growth boundaries proposals.
Two options given for housing programs in the Jane Addams building during the interim period (2014-2016).
Two options given for housing programs in the Jane Addams building during the interim period (2014-2016).
Option 1: Co‐house JAMS attendance area students and Jane Addams K‐8 at Jane Addams 2014‐2016.
Transition north end middle school APP initially to John Marshall in 2014-15 and 2015-16; start two pathways in 2016-17 school year.
2014-15 projected JAMS enrollment: 200 (preliminary)
Interim portable need: 9-10 + quad modular core space
2015-16 projected JAMS enrollment: 380 (preliminary)
2015-16 interim portable need: 15-16 + quad modular core space
Option 2: Co-house JAMS attendance area, transitioning middle school APP pathway students,
and Jane Addams K‐8 students at Jane Addams 2014-2016.
2014-15 projected JAMS enrollment: 300 (preliminary)
2014-15 interim portable need: 12-13 + quad modular core space
2015-16 projected JAMS enrollment: 600 (preliminary)
2015-16 interim portable need: 22-23 + quad modular core space
[Staff Presentation, Slides 37-38]
One of two new APP middle school pathways to be located at Jane Addams.
To address capacity issues in APP services, staff recommended two new North End pathways with guaranteed assignment:
1. Wilson Pacific Elementary --> Wilson Pacific MS -->Garfield (or to optional APP/IB at Ingraham)
2. Olympic Hills --> Jane Addams MS --> Garfield (or to optional APP/IB at Ingraham)
[Staff Presentation, Slide 15]
As described above, there were two options given for housing this new APP location in the interim period.
1. Wilson Pacific Elementary --> Wilson Pacific MS -->Garfield (or to optional APP/IB at Ingraham)
2. Olympic Hills --> Jane Addams MS --> Garfield (or to optional APP/IB at Ingraham)
[Staff Presentation, Slide 15]
As described above, there were two options given for housing this new APP location in the interim period.
Elementary school feeder pattern recommendation has been changed.
Staff recommended that the following elementary school reference areas feed to JAMS: Cedar Park, John Rogers, Olympic Hills, and Olympic View. Sacajawea would not feed to JAMS as proposed last year, but to Eckstein. Elementary reference area boundaries have been revised. Staff presented proposed maps, which are part of the handout posted to the SPS website.
Remember, these are only recommendations! Make your opinion heard at the community meeting to discuss these recommendations at Nathan Hale High School Commons, September 24 from 6:30-8:00 PM. Please join us in supporting JAMS at this meeting!
Staff recommended that the following elementary school reference areas feed to JAMS: Cedar Park, John Rogers, Olympic Hills, and Olympic View. Sacajawea would not feed to JAMS as proposed last year, but to Eckstein. Elementary reference area boundaries have been revised. Staff presented proposed maps, which are part of the handout posted to the SPS website.
Remember, these are only recommendations! Make your opinion heard at the community meeting to discuss these recommendations at Nathan Hale High School Commons, September 24 from 6:30-8:00 PM. Please join us in supporting JAMS at this meeting!
Tonight's School Board Work Session Will Impact JAMS
This evening, from 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. at the John Stanford Center, SPS staff will be presenting recommendations to the School Board on the Growth Boundaries process. This meeting is open to the public, though the public will not have a chance to comment during the session itself. Here is a link to the meeting agenda in PDF.
How does this process affect JAMS? Depending on what SPS staff are hoping to do with programs such as APP (it is possible that NE middle school APP will be assigned to JAMS), and where it decides to place the Jane Addams K-8 (E-STEM) option school until its new building is ready for occupancy, the attendance boundaries for the Jane Addams Middle School may need to be adjusted because the building can only hold so many kids. A smaller JAMS may translate to an insufficient budget for comprehensive programming. Another possibility is that JAMS may be located at an interim site until the E-STEM K-8 program has vacated the Jane Addams building.
We will post links to the Growth Boundaries Map and supporting documents, as soon as they become available. Information is also available on the SPS Growth Boundaries webpage (http://bit.ly/GrowthBoundaries).
The community meeting to discuss these Growth Boundaries recommendations will be held at Nathan Hale High School Commons, September 24 from 6:30-8:00 PM. Please join us in supporting JAMS at this meeting!
How does this process affect JAMS? Depending on what SPS staff are hoping to do with programs such as APP (it is possible that NE middle school APP will be assigned to JAMS), and where it decides to place the Jane Addams K-8 (E-STEM) option school until its new building is ready for occupancy, the attendance boundaries for the Jane Addams Middle School may need to be adjusted because the building can only hold so many kids. A smaller JAMS may translate to an insufficient budget for comprehensive programming. Another possibility is that JAMS may be located at an interim site until the E-STEM K-8 program has vacated the Jane Addams building.
We will post links to the Growth Boundaries Map and supporting documents, as soon as they become available. Information is also available on the SPS Growth Boundaries webpage (http://bit.ly/GrowthBoundaries).
The community meeting to discuss these Growth Boundaries recommendations will be held at Nathan Hale High School Commons, September 24 from 6:30-8:00 PM. Please join us in supporting JAMS at this meeting!
Monday, September 9, 2013
Back-to-School Update
Happy back-to-school, everyone! Here's a brief update, with more details to come soon.
Communicate Your Needs for the JAMS Interim Plan -- ASAP!
The JAMS Interim Plan, covering school years 2014-15 and 2015-16, will be developed as part of the Growth Boundaries Revision Process going on right now. SPS is seeking input from the community for the Growth Boundaries process. The data collected and decisions made will determine, among other things, whether, how, and for how long JAMS and the K-8 will share space in the Jane Addams building.
It's so important for potential JAMS families to communicate what they expect from their kids' middle school experience, particularly during the interim years (2014-16). Please share your thoughts and your family's needs with SPS by sending an email to growthboundaries@seattleschools.org and to the School Board Directors*. If you are the parent of a current 6th grader who chose the K-8 for your child's 6th grade year, it would be good to give the district feedback about whether you intend for your child to remain at the Jane Addams building with JAMS or move with the K-8 if they are moved to an interim location.
There is a School Board work session on Growth Boundaries scheduled for Thursday, September 17th, just a week away. It's best to get your comments in to SPS staff and the Board Members well before this work session.
Communicate Your Needs for the JAMS Interim Plan -- ASAP!
The JAMS Interim Plan, covering school years 2014-15 and 2015-16, will be developed as part of the Growth Boundaries Revision Process going on right now. SPS is seeking input from the community for the Growth Boundaries process. The data collected and decisions made will determine, among other things, whether, how, and for how long JAMS and the K-8 will share space in the Jane Addams building.
It's so important for potential JAMS families to communicate what they expect from their kids' middle school experience, particularly during the interim years (2014-16). Please share your thoughts and your family's needs with SPS by sending an email to growthboundaries@seattleschools.org and to the School Board Directors*. If you are the parent of a current 6th grader who chose the K-8 for your child's 6th grade year, it would be good to give the district feedback about whether you intend for your child to remain at the Jane Addams building with JAMS or move with the K-8 if they are moved to an interim location.
There is a School Board work session on Growth Boundaries scheduled for Thursday, September 17th, just a week away. It's best to get your comments in to SPS staff and the Board Members well before this work session.
Our local Growth Boundaries meeting will be September 24, from 6 to 8:30 p.m., at Nathan Hale High School Commons. Please come and participate!
* Email addresses of Seattle School Board Directors:
sharon.peaslee@seattleschools.org, sherry.carr@seattleschools.org,
harium.martin-morris@seattleschools.org, michael.debell@seattleschools.org,
kay.smithblum@seattleschools.org, martha.mclaren@seattleschools.org, betty.patu@seattleschools.org
Planning Principal Chosen to Lead JAMS
Over the summer, Paula Montgomery was chosen as the new Planning Principal for JAMS. In this position, she will be instrumental in planning JAMS and will be the school's principal for at least the 2014-2015 school year. We look forward to getting to know Ms. Montgomery and hope to help you get to know her, too.
The Design Team is Working on JAMS
The Jane Addams Middle School Design Team (JAMS SDAT) was formed and got to work this summer. The Design Team includes JAMS Planning Principal Paula Montgomery, parents from potential JAMS feeder schools, Eckstein Middle School staff, Nathan Hale High School staff, Executive Director of Schools (NE) Kim Whitworth, Matt Christensen from Hutteball and Oremus Architecture, and SPS Project Manager Scott Hogman. There should be a public meeting sometime this fall.
Architectural Design is Under Way
The school district has chosen the architecture firm of Hutteball and Oremus to repurpose the Jane Addams building to house JAMS, and it appears a contract was executed over the summer. More details to come!
* Email addresses of Seattle School Board Directors:
sharon.peaslee@seattleschools.org, sherry.carr@seattleschools.org,
harium.martin-morris@seattleschools.org, michael.debell@seattleschools.org,
kay.smithblum@seattleschools.org, martha.mclaren@seattleschools.org, betty.patu@seattleschools.org
Planning Principal Chosen to Lead JAMS
Over the summer, Paula Montgomery was chosen as the new Planning Principal for JAMS. In this position, she will be instrumental in planning JAMS and will be the school's principal for at least the 2014-2015 school year. We look forward to getting to know Ms. Montgomery and hope to help you get to know her, too.
The Design Team is Working on JAMS
The Jane Addams Middle School Design Team (JAMS SDAT) was formed and got to work this summer. The Design Team includes JAMS Planning Principal Paula Montgomery, parents from potential JAMS feeder schools, Eckstein Middle School staff, Nathan Hale High School staff, Executive Director of Schools (NE) Kim Whitworth, Matt Christensen from Hutteball and Oremus Architecture, and SPS Project Manager Scott Hogman. There should be a public meeting sometime this fall.
Architectural Design is Under Way
The school district has chosen the architecture firm of Hutteball and Oremus to repurpose the Jane Addams building to house JAMS, and it appears a contract was executed over the summer. More details to come!
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