Our School in the Community

At The Northwest School we often talk about how important it is to create a vibrant and supportive school community. We also recognize that while we are an independent school, we don’t live in isolation. In fact, our mission and philosophy demand that we be generous neighbors and actively engage the environment around us, not merely coexist with it. One of the fun ways that we do this is by participating in various Capitol Hill events each year.

On Sunday, November 20, I joined more than 200 other members of the NWS community for Holiday in the ’Hood with Elliott Bay Book Co. This annual fall event has been a wonderful NWS tradition for years. (Read more about the history here.) This time around, we added dining at Capitol Hill restaurants—Barrio, Boom Noodle, Oddfellows Café, Samurai Noodle, and Terra Plata—they reserved us seats, we brought in hungry families, and they donated a portion of proceeds from the dinners to the school. My son Gabriel ’15 and I ate at Barrio, and then walked to Elliott Bay Book Co. to mingle with members of the NWS community (including former Head of School Ellen Taussig) and do a little early holiday shopping. As they have every year, the store generously donated 10% of the proceeds from our community’s purchases to the school. So in one evening, we were able to support six neighborhood businesses and raise money for our library and Annual Fund. Click here to see a slideshow of this great event.

Next up is a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the Capitol Hill Ice Rink, which will operate from December 6 through the 24. The rink was conceived of, and constructed by, local community members wanting to provide a fun, family-friendly outdoor activity in Cal Anderson Park. We are helping sponsor the rink because it’s a great way for us to show our neighborhood we care. All proceeds from its operations will support Cal Anderson Park and the surrounding community.

The opening ceremony, hosted by Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn and featuring a performance by the Northwest School’s very own Select A Cappella Choir, will take place Tuesday, December 6, at 4:30 p.m. Please join other members of the community that afternoon in listening to the choir, going for an inaugural skate, and supporting our Capitol Hill neighborhood. More information on the rink can be found at www.capitolhillicerink.com.