THE BLOG » Issaquah School District

Grand Ridge Elementary “Grizzly Patch”

Issaquah Highlands — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 20:34:34 +0000

On Tuesday, June 9th, representatives from the Issaquah Schools Foundation, Port Blakely, and the Grand Ridge PTSA officially dedicated the Grand Ridge “Grizzly Patch”. Student representatives from each classroom performed Grand Ridge’s Garden Rap for our special guests, supportive parents, and fellow students.

Barb Walton, Grand Ridge Principal, officially thanked the representatives from all three organizations whose monetary support made this outdoor educational classroom possible. With the help of volunteer Garden Docents, every student toured the garden with their teacher receiving a “green thumb” and signing their name to the “Grizzly Patch” sign.

Besides the wonderful plantings, one of the highlights of the garden is an amazing irrigation system made possible by the Issaquah School District Maintenance Department and Dan Sheffer. If you are ever up our way, please stop in and visit our wonderful garden.

Issaquah Middle School Leads the Way to GREEN

Issaquah Highlands — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 22:13:47 +0000

Going GREEN is more than just a trend and Issaquah Middle Schooler’s have paved the way to an environmentally hopeful future by owning their part of cause and effect. John McCartney, District Resource Conservation Manager, has spearheaded the King County Green Schools Program, attending many site council meetings and delivering powerful presentations on the cause and effect of waste and how much our environment and economy need conservation practices.

Some of categories of conservation he presented were; waste reduction and recycling, litter reduction, addressing environmental issues in the classroom, water conservation, energy conservation, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, environmental purchasing, and hazardous materials management and reduction.

Issaquah Middle School is a pilot for King County Green Schools Program and it has definitely been a school-community effort. Anna Loftis, 6th grade humanities and Michelle Pickard, 8th grade science, ASB advisor, were the passion behind the effort and it took many to make this happen. Kitchen staff, custodial staff, leadership students, and media production students were at the center of this ripple effect. A surge of education through the “Morning Quah,” a live media broadcast, was implemented to get the student body engaged. Composting and recycling were the target strategies for their conservation plan.

As a result, Issaquah Middle School reduced their waste by 60% and was awarded “Earth Heros at School” by King County. One of the unforeseen benefit is that our middle schoolers actively learned a valuable life-skill. School curriculum and field trips have been built around this conservation concept, not that our middle schoolers would come home and tell us about it, but the word is out now!

In our homes and our communities we can ride the wave of this ripple and prepare for the summer-time mantra of unemployed minds, “I’m bored,” with lots of opportunities to volunteer. Volunteering is a way to pay-it-forward and keeps the state of the economy from being a state of mind.

Issaquah Highlands Churches Host Community Egg Hunt

Issaquah Highlands — Fri, 01 May 2009 22:19:34 +0000

A little drizzle did not keep Issaquah Highlands families from enjoying this year’s Egg Hunt festivities! Hosted at Blakely Hall and the Village Green on April 11, over 1,000 people, (mostly children) scooped up over 7,000 stuffed
plastic eggs over the course of three age specific hunts! The event began at 10am and there was plenty to do while waiting between egg hunts. The Issaquah High School Jazz Band and Icon Church volunteer musicians kept the crowd energy high on the damp and cloudy day with great music. Other activities included a visit and picture with the Easter Bunny, (played for the third year in a row by IHS student and resident, Alec Jacobs), face painting, coloring table, carnival games, and giant inflatable slide and bounce house. The big hit of the day and new this year, was the farm animal petting zoo!

The event was closed by a lovely ballet exhibition inside Blakely Hall. Local MK Ballet Studio dancers performed to a standing room only crowd. Every child was mesmerized by the beauty of the costumes and graceful dances. “I know every little girl was tugging on their daddy’s sleeve and saying ‘I want to do that too daddy!’”, said Pastor Paul Dean of Alathia Community Church. Pastor Barry Odom of Mosaic Church was the emcee for the event. Barry awarded the Annual Coloring Contest winners from three age specific drawings. The winners are: 0-PreK: Miranda Schafer, K-2nd: Ang Pima Chin, 3rd-5th: Anna Gretchen Robertson. Winners can pick up their prize at Blakely Hall during normal business hours by May 15.

Port Blakely Communities, Highlands Council, and local business sponsors, Accent Insurance, and John Thompson Real Estate provided the financial resources to get the event into production. Ticket sales covered the remaining
costs with all proceeds benefiting Eastside Baby Corner (www.babycorner.org). No homeowner dues were applied to the production of this community event and of course, the event was 100% volunteer run!

Alathia Community Church, Icon Church, and Mosaic Church wish to thank everyone for volunteering, including members of the respective congregations, community members, and most importantly, the hardworking students
from Skyline High School, Issaquah High School, Pacific Cascade Freshman Campus, and Issaquah Middle School! “All of the students had a great time while working very hard to keep the event on schedule and maintain a safe environment.” Volunteer and Event Coordinator, Christy Garrard also adds, “Most of the students arrived at 7am to help set up and were the last to leave at the end of the day; we could not have done it without their help!”

The churches are also grateful to the residents who donated candy and toy prizes for the egg hunt and to Clif Bar for donating 1,000 Clif bars for free giveaways. Special thanks to Wyldlife, a middle school branch of Young Life, for hosting the concessions for the event. Everyone enjoyed the Krispy Kreme donuts, hot coffee and hot chocolate.

The Egg Hunt festivities ended at noon for the elementary set but Blakely Hall and Village Green came alive again after sunset when Wyldlife hosted a middle school flashlight egg hunt for over 100 area students! This event was another great example of the success of the urban village development concept. Residents, their friends, and family enjoying the holiday in the park, just steps from their front doors.

New School Boundaries Take Effect in 2010

Issaquah Highlands — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 21:14:30 +0000

Good News from the Issaquah School District! In a final decision on boundary lines affecting elementary school children – all of Issaquah Highlands elementary-age children, including those at West Highlands Park, will remain together at Grand Ridge Elementary. The Issaquah School District recently approved new school boundaries that will impact Issaquah Highlands residents. The revisions, which will come into effect in the 2010-2011 school year, were initiated to address shifting and growing student populations across the district. Other aspects of the revisions included the planned elementary on the Sammamish Plateau and the conversion of the Pacific Cascade Freshman Campus to a middle school.

Grand Ridge Elementary School was included in the revisions, which will affect a total of 16 schools in the District. While no elementary age children from Issaquah Highlands will move schools, children from the Overdale Park community who currently attend Grand Ridge will be moved to Clark Elementary School, and West Highlands children will be moved from Clark to Grand Ridge.

It is anticipated that these changes will ease over-crowding at Grand Ridge, which will likely experience a reduction in attendance from approximately 800 students to approximately 500 students. Traffic issues on Park Drive in the area of Grand Ridge Elementary may also be alleviated as fewer students will be driven by car to the school. No high school boundaries will be changed under the revisions and with one exception, no schools will split student populations when they move from elementary to middle and high school. Older children from Issaquah Highlands are scheduled to go to Pacific Cascade Middle School and then attend Issaquah High School.

All revisions are posted on the District’s Web site where families can input their Zip code to determine which school students will attend.

THE BLOG » Issaquah School District

Grand Ridge Elementary “Grizzly Patch”

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