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K-8 School; Why Not?
Topic Started: Nov 10 2006, 08:33 PM (1,590 Views)
Administrator
Administrator
I am just going to toss this out for discussion. Dr. Liepa said that it will cost $700,000 to bring Dickenson up to speed if it were to be used as a school again. That does not seem like much money now considering how much we have lost. Why not make that a K-8 school of choice? The worst thing that would happen is that you have 500 hundred or so families begging to get in. Would you rather have them begging to get in, or begging to get out? A simple survey would tell you how much interest there is (one done by a completely unbiased source, of course). I personally do not think there is any interest in doing ANYTHING other than what we have now on the part of the administration and most of the BOE. I believe they are willing to wait it out until the fund equity is gone. Why wait? If you can stop 200 kids from leaving, it more than pays for itself.
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snickers420
2nd Grade
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I would definately stay in Livonia and enroll my 2 kids in a k-8 school. I attended one myself and liked it.
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NFarquharson
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Principal
I would put my kids in a K-8 in a heartbeat. My only concern is that I would prefer them to be in school primarily with kids in our neighborhood, but that is already lost under the LI.
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Administrator
Administrator
So would I. In my perfect world, we would have all K-8 neighborhood schools in Livonia. That would be something that would truly set us apart from all other districts. Something that you could really advertise to attract students. It is something that is far more likely to be the "wave of the future" than what we have now. But I do understand it is not for everyone. But obviously, what we have now isn't either. Start with one, and see what happens. Parents really do not enjoy sending kids off to mega middle schools. I think that is a universal fear. You give people from other districts a way to avoid that.......Build it and they will come..... in my honest opinion.
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mikefromholland
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Principal
The Holland Sentinel recently did a feature story on our K-8 school that was implemented this fall following the recommendations of our Community Advisory Committee.

http://hollandsentinel.com/stories/110206/...061102001.shtml

Copyright © 2006 Holland Sentinel

Thursday, November 2, 2006
School creating spirit of family bonding
East K-8 school stresses continuity, having older students work with younger ones

By ROEL GARCIA Staff writer

STARTING THEIR DAY: Holland East K-8 student Andres Saldivar, right, and his older brother Santiago, a second-grader, eat breakfast before classes earlier last month.

Sentinel/Dan Irving

STUDYING: Sara Giesler helps her daughters Elle, left, and Anna with their homework at their home last month. The Giesler girls attend the Holland East K-8 school.

Sentinel/Dennis R.J. Geppert

After years of a traditional neighborhood school system, as well as a brief experiment with focus schools, Holland school officials decided to create a K-8 building out of the former East Middle School.

With nine grades and 676 students housed in the same building at 373 E. 24th St., and students ranging from 5 to 14 years of age, the atmosphere at the school is like that of a big family. This is something Holland East K-8 building Principal Nery Garcia set to create before school began this year.

"We wanted a sense of family and bonding here with the students and staff and wanted parents to see it," Garcia said.

At the Giesler home in Laketown Township, Sara Giesler and her two daughters looked over the day's homework, with coloring books and worksheets spread out on the kitchen counter.

Giesler stood between her daughters, watching as they did their work.

The Giesler girls -- Anna, an 8-year-old third-grader, and Elle, a 5-year-old kindergartner -- attend the K-8 school.

Giesler liked the idea of having the girls at the same school. Even though they live only minutes from Harrington School, she drives her daughters eight miles to the East K-8 building.

"The kids get to see their (former) teachers for years afterward, so there's continuity for the kids," Giesler said. Also, "the girls will be at the same school, and I can volunteer here for years."

Kurt and Leah Dykstra's daughter Juliana, 8, attended Southside Christian School, part of the Holland Christian Schools system.

Though the Dykstras liked Holland Christian, they wanted to have their older and younger daughters in one building over a period of years.

"It's a unique opportunity," Dykstra said. "After we investigated it this summer, we thought it would be a good idea for our family."

However, parents like Giesler and Dykstra had concerns before school started. They wanted to know how the building was going to be setup so that the younger students wouldn't be roaming the halls with the older middle school students.

Garcia and her staff had it all worked out prior to the start of the school year when they had staff meetings to "create the new school," Garcia said.

The building seemed an obvious choice with only minor remodeling needed.

The grade levels are divided into pods -- or hallways -- with self-contained facilities in each hallway.

"It's like having small schools in one big school. Right now the older kids don't have any contact with the younger elementary students," Garcia said.

There are two grade levels per pod, except for the middle school with three. There are three classes per grade level.

Also, there are different playgrounds for the various age levels and different cafeteria periods for students.

"We even have different bus stops for the students," Garcia said. "There's a stop for the kinder and first grade, another for second- through fifth-graders and another for the middle school kids."

This was by design to have the students start out separately and then eventually get them to mix together.

This would be accomplished through the school families program, an idea the school district got from Zeeland Christian Schools.

The program, which starts in late October, will integrate two students from each grade into a family.

"This will get the older students working with the smaller kids, helping with tutoring and reading to them," Garcia said. "They can care and respect each other."

Lois Mulder, a fifth-grade teacher at East K-8, transferred to be part of the new school and is enjoying teaching there.

"There's a positive feel to this," Mulder said. "You never hear anything negative from students, staff and parents."
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2tots
Principal
Nothing would make me happier than neighborhood K-8 schools. Sign me up.
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cmic
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Principal
I can't imagine coming back after transitioning my children to a new school this year. I think that people that stayed in Livonia are more apt to be willing to try a new school but not necessarily the people that have cut their losses. Any other feelings?
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fyi
Principal
LPS can't really do anything about those that chose to leave. They will "have to do something" to keep more people from leaving the district. A k-8 school would be a step in the right direction.
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livoniamom
Principal
A K-8 school does not interest me. I really would not want my 5 year old in the same school with 13 year olds (or riding the bus with them for that matter).

I much prefer K-5 or back to K-6.
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Administrator
Administrator
I will bet a million that there is no where near the opposition to K-5 as there was in 2003.
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Grant1
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We have just begun to fight!
Jimid
Nov 10 2006, 11:03 PM
I will bet a million that there is no where near the opposition to K-5 as there was in 2003.

Would you bet a 4.4 million loss like I just saw on the news? ;)
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fyi
Principal
livoniamom
Nov 10 2006, 10:53 PM
A K-8 school does not interest me.  I really would not want my 5 year old in the same school with 13 year olds (or riding the bus with them for that matter).

I much prefer K-5 or back to K-6.

Read Mike's post from the Holland Sentinel. If the k-8 was set up right, your child wouldn't have to mix with the older kids.

MikefromHolland
 
However, parents like Giesler and Dykstra had concerns before school started. They wanted to know how the building was going to be setup so that the younger students wouldn't be roaming the halls with the older middle school students.

Garcia and her staff had it all worked out prior to the start of the school year when they had staff meetings to "create the new school," Garcia said.

The building seemed an obvious choice with only minor remodeling needed.

The grade levels are divided into pods -- or hallways -- with self-contained facilities in each hallway.

"It's like having small schools in one big school. Right now the older kids don't have any contact with the younger elementary students," Garcia said.

There are two grade levels per pod, except for the middle school with three. There are three classes per grade level.

Also, there are different playgrounds for the various age levels and different cafeteria periods for students.

"We even have different bus stops for the students," Garcia said. "There's a stop for the kinder and first grade, another for second- through fifth-graders and another for the middle school kids."

This was by design to have the students start out separately and then eventually get them to mix together.
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2tots
Principal
livoniamom
Nov 10 2006, 10:53 PM
A K-8 school does not interest me. I really would not want my 5 year old in the same school with 13 year olds (or riding the bus with them for that matter).


Why do you feel that way?
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Administrator
Administrator
A K-8 school would be a choice, not mandatory. LPS gave us no choices, basically a "my way or the highway" mentality. Far more people chose the highway than they ever imagined. People like choices.
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GrantGrid3
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cmic
Nov 10 2006, 10:12 PM
I can't imagine coming back after transitioning my children to a new school this year.  I think that people that stayed in Livonia are more apt to be willing to try a new school but not necessarily the people that have cut their losses.  Any other feelings?

I agree with you cmic. Not only did I transistion my son from Grant, but also my younger child from her daycare to St. Gen's. I would not come back to LPS for a K-8 school.

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