Fred Klein, community organizer of the “Getting to Yes for the schoolchildren of Orcas Island” consensus meetings, announced on March 15 that the dates have been changed “to eliminate conflicts with important weekend events for parents of schoolchildren.”
In addition, child care will be available for parents who wish to attend this event.
Pre-Registration is essential. Call or email (376-5377, fklein@orcasonline.com). With a goal to build a consensus for a way forward to address the Orcas Island School District capital facilities issues, the meetings will now take place on the following dates in the Lundeen Room at the Orcas Senior Center:
First Session: Sat., April 2, 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Second Session: Wed., April 6, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
Third Session: Thurs, April 7, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
Fourth Session: Sat., April 9, 1 to 5 pm
(To see original announcement, orcasissues.com/guest-column-public-school-bonds-what-next and orcasissues.com-for-the-orcas-schoolchildren The dates were originally scheduled for March 19, 23, 24 and 26.
Klein invites all interested islanders, saying:
Here is the opportunity…
Just imagine…Being in a room with 59 other Orcas islanders committed to finding a way to move forward to ensure that the facilities of the OISD are adequate to meet our collective responsibility for the education of our community’s children…
Just imagine…Being in a space where it’s safe to express all your concerns, whether they be fears of increased taxes, loss of opportunity for your children, lack of wisdom or accountability of how school monies are spent, or whatever they may be…
Just imagine…Being part of a process where contentious issues are raised and dealt with in a non-coercive, respectful, and surprisingly gentle manner…
Just imagine…Doing the hard work to reach a consensus-decision, one which everyone may not feel is the best decision, but a decision which everyone can live with, and commit themselves not to undermine…and,
Just imagine…Your sense of satisfaction at rising to meet this longstanding challenge facing our community after four years of failed initiatives and uncertainty…
Imagine your contribution to making this happen…
…by signing up and participating!
…by helping to ensure all segments of our island community are represented!
The venue for this event will be The Lundeen Room, Orcas Senior Center
This is your invitation…
Participation is open to ALL Orcas citizen-taxpayers; pre-registration is required with your commitment to attend ALL FOUR (4) sessions; attendance will be limited to 60 persons.
This event is being organized independent of the Orcas Island School District; school board members and our school superintendent have committed to attend; it has their “grateful and supportive endorsement.”
If you would like to help organize this event, participate in it, or need further information, please contact: Fred Klein at 376-5377 or email at: fklein@orcasonline.com; please use “schools” for subject line of email
I recently had a need to visit our high school. While walking the campus I noticed how tattered and worn everything looked. All the building showed signs of deferred maintenance and required repairs. If the visible condition is so poor, I’m sure the condition of things I couldn’t see is just as poor.
For those who say the bond issue is a waste of money, or too expensive, I would ask “What value do you place on the education of a child?” If we can’t, or won’t, support our school children so that they can be prepared to be competitive in this ever more competitive world, than we had better be prepared to have our country continue to decline and to lose the inovation race to other countries which are more willing to invest in the education of their children.
We do not have children. But we are a member of our community and as a community it is important that the we support our children. It may sound trite, but they are our future.
I’m not advocating that our schools should be spotless and always look new, but what I saw on my visit to the campus depressed me. I can only imagine having to encounter it on a daily basis. Our children should be given a fresh, clean, productive environment in which to learn. After all, we’re not a third world country, yet.
Jim McCorison
West Sound