Wilkes supports district school bond | LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Published 10:01 am Monday, February 1, 2016
To the editor:
Students, staff and parents of the Wilkes Elementary neighborhood have the larger Bainbridge Island community to thank for the building and grounds we call “our school.”
Many of us worked in the old Wilkes school; a building characterized by the delivery of education popular after World War II.
Today, at Wilkes Elementary, the open shared learning areas are filled with natural light and invite the outdoors into the rooms. Throughout the school, small groups of children and staff are learning in areas designed to give them light, age-appropriate furniture and built-in technology. Teachers are able to see (monitor) the various learning spaces through large windows, creating a feeling of “shared” space, not shut away in a windowless room.
Our wings have science stations with sinks and counters; each wing has technology carts for ease of access for little people or tall people. Our air quality is excellent and the quiet, efficient heating and cooling system works with the geo-dynamics of the earth, saving the district precious dollars that the older boiler system gobbled up.
Children in the Wilkes hallways have observation windows to music, art, PE and the library, creating yet another feeling of inclusiveness. No long, dark hallways here! Our students eat lunch in our large multi-purpose room, and various grades sit at tables together, not segregated in their classrooms. The multi-purpose room is filled with natural light for assemblies and programs. The gym is a gem for students and the community. It’s always booked for rec leagues and practice!
And the staff of Wilkes Elementary? At their fingertips they have current, built-in technology, enabling them to enhance learning for today’s youth. Spacious storage for manipulative and hands-on materials allows teachers to maximize learning space in the classrooms.
Outside each classroom wing is another outdoor learning space with tables and areas for buddy class activities. The playground was designed for multiple uses and serves the neighborhood as a local park. Every day, families come to the Wilkes playground to play, talk to each other and socialize. Wilkes is truly a community environment.
Hopefully the Blakely community will have the same opportunities for their school.
AMII PRATT, SIGNE PIERCE, MARY MADISON, NOEL STRAND, KRISTIN COLLINS, JILL BEERMANN, LYNNE UKICH, JILL QUEEN, TAMRA HAUGE, INGRID RYAN, STACIE BOYD, IAN EISENHOOD, LAURA SPARKS, SUZANNE DARLING, AMY JERNIGAN, CAROLE COTTLE, SHARON PRATT, AMY NORDSTROM, RICHARD PEARSALL, VICKI MILANDER, MARIA KUFFEL, COLEEN TURNER, CATHERINE WHITING, ELIZABETH POTTER, ABBY HOAG AND CAROL BAKER
The staff of Wilkes Elementary
