Superintendent's Message

October 2008

Dear Shoreline Schools Community,

It is with pride that we welcome all of you back to the 2008-09 school year! 

In July the Shoreline community was recognized by Seattle Magazine as the best neighborhood of 110 urban and suburban communities. The reasons given for the ranking were many, but most notable was the excellence of our schools. One factor not mentioned, but undoubtedly responsible for the recognition, is the unwavering community support of our schools and the generosity of our citizens.

The annual Back-to-School event was held by the Shoreline Back-to-School Consortium on Aug. 23 at Ridgecrest Elementary. The event is sponsored by the Center for Human Services; City of Lake Forest Park; City of Shoreline; Shoreline Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services; The Works of Shoreline PTA Council; Shoreline School District and the Readiness to Learn Program; YMCA, Turning Point; and The Vineyard.  

The event supported nearly 300 Shoreline families in need with not only 660 backpacks filled with school supplies, but clothing assistance from The Works of the Shoreline PTA Council, haircuts by James Alan Salon, food prepared by the Lake Forest Park Rotary and a resource fair. As a result of this collective effort, many of our students were well-prepared to return to school and excited to begin a new year.

The Opening Day Celebration for returning school district teachers and staff on Aug. 26 included a wonderful continental breakfast provided by the efforts and generosity of the Shoreline Breakfast Rotary Club, the Shoreline Public Schools Foundation and Shoreline Top Foods. By all accounts, the morning was filled with a sense of pride in our community, mutual appreciation and an opportunity to catch up with friends and colleagues. Our staff was extremely appreciative.

The United Way Day of Caring on Sept. 12 found volunteers once again from Microsoft and other companies working on a series of outdoor projects at the Shoreline Children’s Center. They built a community garden, completed a new gateway, and planted trees and flowers. The City of Shoreline provided financial support of the projects at the Children’s Center. 

On the same day, volunteers from Microsoft were participating in a math carnival and reading marathon with students at Meridian Park Elementary, while volunteers from AT&T worked on landscaping projects. Volunteers from Nordstrom worked at Briarcrest doing similar activities during the day.

The second Embrace Shoreline Schools Day was held across the District on Sept. 27. The event is a joint effort between local churches, the school district, neighborhood associations, community members and the PTA to beautify our Shoreline schools by weeding, planting and landscaping the grounds.

During the first event in May, dozens of volunteers gathered on a rainy Saturday at the district’s nine elementary schools and two middle schools to weed, mulch and clean up the grounds.

On behalf of the Shoreline School District, I would like to express our sincere appreciation and gratitude to the volunteers and organizations that have invested time and resources in support of our schools, students and staff. Great communities are at the foundation of great schools. Nowhere is that more evident than in Shoreline and Lake Forest Park.

Sincerely, Sue Walker