Thinking about the site

Last week, Mitch, Mohammad, Randy and I met to iron out the process for managing regular site issues that arise. This was a very useful, and needed, discussion, and a clear process and protocol for responding to immediate site issues was developed during the meeting; Mitch and I work directly with the faculty to determine what needs to happen to make the site and environment most effective for student learning experiences, and then give concrete tasks to be executed to the Business Office, who manage the implementation. This is a scaled-down version of what has already been in place in our approach to major capital expenditures, and it's great to have both the intentionality and the clarity as we deal with emergent site needs.

Following this meeting, I met on Friday with the K/1 team to discuss how we can improve the playscape space behind building 3. We generated a sizable list of actions, from the mundane - establishing a schedule to regularly sweep the sand into the sandbox, purchasing two new hoses, and buying some new storage systems - to the remarkable; waterproofing the awnings above the back doors, replacing the hay bales with a real fence, moving the apple tree, relocating the water spigot, and finding a better solution for the pump. We didn't finish the conversation, either, so I know more ideas are coming about how to improve that space!

Another example of an issue needing immediate attention is the windows in the Depot. In the first few weeks of school, students have been very distracted by cars, people, and life passing by on the street outside of the North Gallery, which is now our Spanish classroom. As a result of the meeting last week, I've written to the site committee to ask if anyone has an immediate, effective, and appropriate solution for curtains in the Depot. The trick is two-fold; we want to get the "right" curtains the first time, and we want to make it uniform for the North Gallery, the EGG office, and the library. My sense, having gotten two responses in the the first 24 hours since my query, is that arriving at the "right" solution will take some time, and so we need to put up a temporary (2-4 week) solution while the design process works itself out. I've just communicated this to Mitch and Mohammad; my hope is to have that temporary solution up and in place before school begins on Tuesday.

Speaking of the library, I want to give a HUGE appreciation to TBS K-5 Curriculum Coordinator Laurie Schoeffler, who has been donating countless hours towards getting the library set up. Laurie was instrumental in positioning the shelving units, creating a good space for the curriculum resources and leveled library that are shared by the classroom, and supporting our great parent volunteers Jean Marstens and Jenny Scholten, who are steadily unpacking and shelving all of the books. Our goal is to have the library open by the end of next week, and I think we'll be able to pull it off! Jean and Jenny put incredible effort into all aspects of the library last year, from creating a mission and determining a collections policy to hosting an author visit, and I'm looking forward to seeing kids once again finding books to support their pleasure and growth in our library.