Viewlands School meeting updates

Hello Viewlands Community Members!

I wanted to touch base following our first community meeting on March 3. I’d first like to thank everyone who could make it out – we had a great range of perspectives and connections to the school, which made for strong conversation. We talked through members’ vision for the new Viewlands Elementary and what attributes they would like to see in the school’s principal.

If you were not able to make the meeting, the most important thing for you to know about is the Viewlands Design Team. The Design Team will be a group of 5-8 volunteers who offer to meet twice a month to work with the principal around issues relevant to school planning and design. It will also communicate its work to the broader Viewlands community and coordinate any subcommittees or side projects that you all as a group choose to take on.

 We will use an application process to select a Design Team that represents diverse perspectives and connections to Viewlands (parents, teachers, neighbors, etc.). Even if you are not on the Design Team, there will be ample opportunities to be involved in the planning work via subcommittees and broader community meetings that the Design Team plans.

 If you are interested in applying for the Design Team, I have attached the application here. Please return it to me by this Friday, March 11, by email or fax. Please also forward this message along to anyone I may have missed. I am so glad to be working with all of you, and thanks again for a fantastic first gathering last week!

Yours,

 Bree Dusseault

email: bndusseault@seattleschools.org

Application for Viewlands Elementary Design Team

Notes from our Brainstrom meeting March 3rd:

What do you want to see in the new Viewlands Elementary? 

• Connections to the community
  • Carkeek Park
  • Use resources from beginning (partnerships)
  • Blog
  • Garden groups
  • Audubon program
• Integrated academic curriculum to build bridges across grades and disciplines
  • Alternative ways to build programs
  • Artist-in-residence
  • Project based learning
  • Technology  –  media, smartboards
  • Thematic learning
  • Buddies programs – cross-peer programs
• “Green focus”
  • Recycling, green program
  • Curriculum could have an environmental focus – developed with Carkeek Park
  • Gardening, pea patch
  • Composting in school – get resources from outside groups (Seattle Public Utilities)
  • Outdoor classrooms (Carkeek?)
• Teach the whole child
  • Teaching tolerance and respect, character education programs
  • Individual IEPs for all
  • Nurse/counselor needed
• Use cutting edge technology
• Second language program event as option to pay for – afterschool
  • French connection? (partnership)
• Better food? Health and fitness
• On-site day care
• Safety (right on 3^rd Ave)
  • Bus access can be difficult