Community meetings to set direction of Rice Elementary
By Gary Raham
Wellington Correspondent
Karen Koehn, newly appointed principal of Rice Elementary, met with parents
in January to discuss the future direction of Wellington's newest school.
Koehn talked a little about her 27-year history with the district, then
mentioned that one of the questions on her application for the new principal's
position asked about her vision for the school.
"One person can't determine the character of a school," she said. "It needs
to be a collaborative effort. The staff, the community and the parents
have to work together."
About 30 parents began the process of becoming part of that effort on Jan.
23 by splitting into groups to address five issues:
- What have you liked about your child's education to date?
- What things would you change about that education?
- What sort of curriculum would you like to see at Rice?
- Would you like to see any special emphasis at the school--like art,
music, science or physical education?
- As a group, describe your vision for Rice Elementary.
Koehn is looking for common themes among parents that the district can
use to craft the basic approach Rice will take for its students. Curricula,
for example, can take at least three forms: the basic Poudre School District
curriculum uses a variety of teacher strategies to meet a set of district
educational standards. A Core Knowledge curriculum fulfills the standards
by treating some books and subject areas as material that every student
should know. An IB program covers the same educational ground, but attempts
to emphasize techniques that require students to go an extra step by using
knowledge to address problems at somewhat higher levels.
"If parents want to hear a specialist talk more about a certain kind of
curriculum," Koehn said, "the district will set up those meetings later
in February."
The goal is to pull out common themes that arise among all the parents
who contribute to the discussion. The parents at the meeting on Jan. 23
had plenty of questions to begin the process: What is a magnet school?
Can my student go to another school if he or she wishes? If Rice has a
different curriculum than Eyestone Elementary, will students have a hard
time making the transition? Koehn circulated among the five subgroups to
address issues and answer questions.
Schools may also choose to filter the curriculum through a particular area
of emphasis. Koehn last served as principal at Putnam, for example, which
has a special focus on science.
Rice will start out with about 225 students, enough for two classes at
every grade level (a two-track school). And at least through next year,
it will be K-6. (The district is discussing other possible grade configurations
for the district as a whole.)
When full, the school will be a three-track school, like Eyestone. So far,
according to Bill Franzen, executive director of operations, the building
schedule is on target for substantial completion by June 14. Rice is patterned
after Zach and Bacon elementary schools in Fort Collins with an energy-efficient
design and lots of natural lighting. The building encompasses 65,000 square
feet at a cost of $11,750,000.
While parents struggled with what to teach, students in the library tackled
the all-important question of what critter will be the school's mascot.
Will Rice students cheer for bison, foxes, marmots, mammoths or what?
For more information call Koehn at 488-8703.
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