The Harborside Program at Washington Elementary is all coming together. It took all summer, but that really is a short amount of time in the big scheme of things. Harborside Program at Washington will start September 4 and be ready to serve Preschool, Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten through Fifth Grade.
I'm going to just ramble on about some of the latest news...
We fully expect to have all the enrichment teachers on board, they are being contacted currently and that is being wrapped up next week: art, spanish, performing arts and PE. Our teachers have jobs, the campus is going to accommodate us with big, full size classrooms (most as big or bigger than our original rooms); there are black top and grass PE areas, a playground, a covered arbor to eat in, a hot lunch program, an auditorium, a library with a certified librarian and computer lab!
The website will be fully functioning by Monday, but you can check it out now at HarborsideProgram.com — we will continue to post news and updates on this blog since it's so easy to add the latest quickly.
The new Principal of this entire school, our program included, is Mr. Nestor Suarez. Several of us have met with him in an effort to coordinate the Enrichment Program and the Foundation and I am so thrilled to tell you that he is energetic, excited, very open and approachable and passionate about teaching the whole child. He really has so many wonderful ideas for the us and for the whole school and I think we are very lucky to have him.
The Foundation is different from the Parent Organization (HpO or PTO)— but it is a money-raising non-profit group made of parents. The Foundation will help fund some of the enrichment teachers, as well as other large-scale projects. We will want volunteers now and ultimately board members for both the PTO and the Foundation. We will have sign up sheets at the Meet and Greet Registration Events, or you can contact Karen Rolfe for the PTO side and Kerry Kawamura on the Foundation side. The Foundation does need your support and for those former-Harborside parents, let me just say that unlike your tuition at the old Harborside, any money given to the Foundation is tax-deductable! The Foundation is in the process of being set up, but certainly you can pledge your money now.
The dress code at Washington Elementary and therefore our own, is Navy and White. (Sadly they don't include red! Perhaps we can petition for next year?) We believe -- although admittedly we are honestly making this assumption from photos in the office and not from any written statement -- that Khaki and Navy pants, shorts, skirts and dresses are acceptable as well as white or navy polos, tees, shirts and sweatshirts. In all honesty, the school as a whole is not strict about this, but when we were there when school was in session last May, the kids were all following this code. This does not apply to preschool or pre-kindergarten, they can wear whatever they want, just like the old school. The PTO / Foundation will be making branded Washington and Harborside shirts to purchase in the first months of school, and those will include Preschool sizes. They're especially great for field trips!
Preschool: This is still coming together in the last few weeks, but Kristen Bernert and Suanne Pearson have been offered jobs. We know school is set to start September 4th, and the calendar will be the same as the K-5, the hours will be 9:00 AM - 3:00 and they will also have before and after care. They expect to have a summer program, as there is one already in place. There will be two classes, one for the 3 year olds (Preschool) and one for the 4 year olds (Pre-Kindergarten). Costs are being finalized next week and we should also have a special enrollment date then too. If you've put in an enrollment sheet to the District this will hold your spot, but you will still need to come down and fully register. The program will be run through the CDC (Child Development Center - the preschool arm of the District). However, it will be the Harborside Program, with its philosophies and teachers. It will feed into the Harborside Program at Washington.
We really want to pump up our enrollment, especially in the upper grades, so we can warrant bringing Lori Korovec on board. The District is prepared to offer her a job if we have enough kids in those upper classes to avoid a combo. So, if you know of any great parents of great kids who are disappointed by the options, who didn't get into the school of their choice, who are unhappy with their current school -- SEND THEM OUR WAY. Direct them to the website, to this blog, to any of the teachers or to me! We will post a PDF you can email to your friends about the program later today. Our school offers Spanish, Art, PE, a wonderful philosophy, a great facility and AMAZING teachers. For free...
Every single work day Mr. Suarez and Dr. Aleman have meetings regarding this school and program and more information is coming out daily. I'm sure I'm forgetting plenty, but we will cover it in the next couple of weeks.
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Everyone is aware that a large part of what makes a good school great, is the amount of support given by parents/caregivers and the community at large. Fundraising and volunteering allows us to provide the much needed extras that give students a wonderful and fulfilling learning experience and supply teachers with the tools required to enrich these experiences. Assisting the Foundation with fundraising, providing our teachers with assistance, making our classrooms inviting and exciting, providing fun times for our students, providing a comfortable experience for prospective families are among the myriad of functions the parent, teacher organization performs.
At the meet and greet sessions, there will be sign up sheets for a number of volunteer groups. Please take some time over the next week to think about the time you may be able to give. We are a wonderful, intelligent group with great ideas. Once the school season has settled in, the more formal nominations and elections for a PTO board will occur but, we need to know who is interested to begin with. Please email me if you have any questions, ideas. Karen Rolfe.
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