A Message from Ben Shuldiner

Dear Seattle Public Schools Community,

I hope this newsletter finds you well on this Memorial Day weekend. Oftentimes, we think of this holiday as the unofficial start of summer: sartorially you are “allowed” to wear white, public beaches and pools in many cities open, and there are usually very good mattress sales.

Of course, the reason for the day off is for us to mourn and honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the United States. Started right after the Civil War to commemorate fallen Union soldiers, it was originally known as Decoration Day, because one would visit the cemetery and decorate the graves with flowers. Now, Memorial Day is a day to honor and mourn all American military personnel who died while serving in the armed forces.

This coming week, many people in SPS and across the world will be celebrating Eid al-Adha, considered by many to be the holiest festival (Greater Eid) of the Islamic faith, commemorating the willingness of the Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son the Prophet Isma’il. It also coincides with the conclusion of the Hajj—visiting Mecca—one of the Five Pillars of Islam.

Because the Muslim calendar is based on a lunar year, Eid al-Adha doesn’t always coincide with Memorial Day. But this year, the symbolism is overwhelming: two days commemorating sacrifice; two days that implore you to visit consecrated ground.

Regardless of your personal beliefs about military action or religion, I hope we all can use this weekend to think about sacrifice for the greater good and showing up when we are needed.

For those mourning and commemorating this weekend, my condolences. And to those celebrating Eid al-Adha, I say, “Eid Mubarak.”

This week is also part of Arts Education Month in Washington state. I have been overwhelmed by the incredible arts programming in SPS. On May 14, I had the honor of attending the Second Annual Southeast Pathway Band Concert at Rainier Beach, featuring students from elementary through high school.

Singing along with hundreds of students to the “SpongeBob SquarePants” theme song was the highlight of that week. Huge shoutout to South Shore Pre-K8's Mr. Pavel Spichak and all the wonderful music teachers and educators, students, and families who made that night amazing.

I also want to highlight the Naramore Art Show at Seattle Art Museum which runs through May 31, as well as numerous musicals and music productions (too many to paste here) that are happening in our schools. I hope everyone reading this newsletter can find the time to attend at least one arts event through SPS.

Over the next year, I hope that we can start collating all the great goings-on in SPS so that we can make it easier for families to experience the wealth of talent we have in our district. The more we show up and support the arts, the better we can continue them.

Thank you all for believing in SPS. With your help and hard work, SPS truly will be the best urban public school district in the country.

Ben

Visual & Performing Arts created the Youth Arts Collective (YAC) to celebrate the creativity of youth across the district and to center student voices as part of a high-quality arts education. YAC is comprised of nine students from nine different high schools, representing all five regions of the district, in all arts disciplines—dance, media arts, music, theatre, and visual arts. Watch the video to learn more!

SPS students are helping share Seattle’s voice with the world. Fifth graders from Highland Park Elementary took part in the city’s contribution to the UNESCO Cities of Music International Jazz Relay, celebrating International Day of Jazz.

Working alongside community partners, students created a youth-centered interpretation of “April in Jerusalem” by Samer Rashed. Their original lyrics and vocals were inspired by the book, “We Carry the Sun” by Tae Keller. Seattle was one of just 12 cities around the globe selected to create a music video for the international project.

Our students brought creativity, collaboration, and their own voices to a global celebration of music and storytelling. Watch the video and see their incredible work in action!

Students at Montlake Elementary recently had their art on display at Cannonball Arts in "Mega Super," a collaborative exhibition celebrating creativity, inclusion, and community partnerships. Their music teacher, Joshua Mattson, put together a video highlighting their exhibition night where the school's choir performed.

Puget Sound Educational Service District named Lisa Merlin the 2027 Regional Teacher of the Year, recognizing her exceptional commitment to students, leadership, and community impact. Merlin has taught for more than 24 years, including the last 14 at Green Lake Elementary. She is known for building inclusive classrooms centered on kindness, connection, and student engagement.

Washington’s Teacher of the Year program honors outstanding educators who inspire students, support colleagues, and strengthen their communities. Regional recipients are selected through a nomination and evaluation process and advance to consideration for Washington State Teacher of the Year, with the potential to move on to the National Teacher of the Year program.

Yededeya Assefa, a junior at Franklin High School, has been awarded a 2026 Frank “Sam” and Betty Houston Flight Training Scholarship through the Museum of Flight. The scholarship provides up to $14,000 toward earning a Private Pilot License and supports students pursuing careers in aviation.

Assefa, who participates in the Museum’s Aeronautical Science Pathway program, hopes to attend Central Washington University and major in Professional Pilot studies before pursuing a career as a commercial pilot.

A team of students from Ballard High School’s Academy of Finance earned the top spot in the Washington State Stock Market Game for the 2025–26 school year. Team members Asher Dvorkin, Wesley Manger, Henry Patterson, and Solomon Secor finished first out of 481 teams statewide, demonstrating strong teamwork, strategy, and financial knowledge.

The Ballard team showed impressive depth across the competition, with seven teams finishing in the top 50 statewide. This marks the second time Ballard has captured the state title, highlighting the continued success of the school’s Academy of Finance program and its students’ skills in business, investing, and financial decision-making.

Watch the latest episode of “First Bell,” the district's TV news broadcast! This month, students from Jane Addams Middle School and Nathan Hale High School are representing the Northeast Region! Check out Jaylen, Allyson, Ayaan, and Macy as they chime in with news on Washington Middle School's Family Fun Fest, Cascadia Elementary's Project-Based Learning Showcase, and more!

Hamilton International Middle School student Raven Amrhein is in Washington, D.C. this week competing in the Scripps National Spelling Bee where they will battle 247 participants for the title. Raven is the only student from Washington state in this year's spelling bee.