COLUMBIA CITY - The last two weeks of school at Orca Elementary School were a blur of sorting and purging, packing and labeling, as teachers and parents prepared to leave Columbia School. In September Orca will open its doors at Whitworth, half a mile south. The school will also welcome two classes of sixth-graders, the initial grade of a new middle school program that will eventually make Orca a K-8 school.
September felt a long way off last week, though, as stacked boxes filled the halls, strange items emerged from the backs of closets, and everyone had the slightly dazed look of move-induced fatigue. Everything and everyone at Orca had to be out of the building by Tuesday, June 28. (Not just Orca, either - Whitworth and the New School also scrambled to pack up this week.)
But all the stress of moving was put aside on Thursday at Orca's end of the year celebration. Along with the usual potluck dinner, volunteer thank yous, flowers for retiring teachers, and memorable student performances, the Orca community enjoyed a special treat. Jack Osborne, who attended Columbia in the 1950s, came to share a little historical perspective and inspiration from an upcoming memoir called "Makers of Mischief." It was Orca's way of honoring both its own history and that of Columbia School, the building Orca has called home for nearly two decades.
OLD SCHOOL
Built in 1892 by Columbia City's founders, Columbia School joined the Seattle School District in 1907. In 1922 the original wooden building was torn down and replaced with the Spanish Mission building that still stands today. By the time Osborne arrived in 1950, the school had more than 600 students, and an average class size of 40 - a fact that elicited gasps from the Orca crowd. Osborne's family lived at nearby Rainier Vista, in wartime housing that became low-income "projects" after World War II ended.
By his own admission, Osborne was not exactly a model student - the book isn't called "Makers of Mischief" for nothing. He recalls frequent trips to the principal's office for various misdemeanors involving chewing gum, percussive pencils, and the classic inkwell mishap. (As an adult he marvels at "the fact that supposedly smart people in the educational systems of America actually conceived of and implemented an idea where boys were given a well of ink in front of them, all day long.")
The longhaired girls who sat in front of Osborne and his inkwell might disagree, but Jack's childhood mischief was never mean-spirited. It stemmed from a constant desire for adventure, fueled by a rich imagination. As he told the Orca kids on Thursday, "I majored in play!" Through that play, he and his friends learned valuable lessons about how to make their dreams come true despite the adversity they faced.
After he spoke, Osborne handed out his signature "dream cards," encouraging everyone to write their dreams down and keep them handy.
"If you casually wish something and then forget about it, it has less chance of coming true," Osborne asserted. "But if it is important enough for you to write it down, that dream will stay active in your mind. And you will be subconsciously working on ways to make it happen. I believe it, and it has worked for me."
Columbia School survived Jack and his fellow mischief-makers. But in the 1970s and '80s, a combination of economic recession and difficult racial issues sent both Columbia City and its neighborhood school into decline. In 1989 the school district decided to close Columbia School.
ENTER ORCA
The Orca Alternative Program had started in 1972 as the Allen Free School. After a shaky first year during which "freedom" often meant "chaos," the program was adopted by Marletta Iwasyk, an idealistic single mom who had been teaching first grade and feeling out of step with the rigid educational approach of her peers.
Iwasyk introduced the concept of "freedom with responsibility," which remains a central tenet of Orca's philosophy. She also made sure her students learned to read, because "that's what empowers you. If you can read, you can do anything." Thirty-three years later, Iwasyk still teaches kindergarten at Orca, and her gentle, generous spirit has given generations of students a solid academic and spiritual grounding.
Gary Burge, who joined the program in 1974 and retired in 2004, emphasized creativity and community in his teaching. As part of his legendary dance program, students produced a "Whale Dance" about the plight of the orcas in Puget Sound. The experience was so powerful the kids decided to rename the school "Orca" in 1977. In 1981 Orca moved to B.F. Day in Fremont, where it remained for eight years.
Then in 1989, Orca moved to the Columbia building, absorbing the few students left at Columbia at that time. The transition was intense, but Orca staff and families were excited to bring their progressive program to a diverse community. The opportunity to create the Orca Garden was also a draw. The Garden has become an integral part of the Orca's program in the last decade, and a new one will be built at Whitworth next year.
The school's creative energy and strong commitment to social justice helped shape Columbia City's revitalization in the 1990s. The neighborhood's rich multicultural heritage and active business community have shaped Orca as well, providing fodder for unique student projects and experiences.
Now, after 18 years together, Orca and Columbia's paths diverge once again. Orca is embarking on a new adventure, moving to Whitworth and adding a middle school program. Columbia School will serve as an interim site for the New School while their new building is constructed at South Shore. After that, the future of the historic Columbia City site is uncertain - Condos? Parking? A community arts center? A home for the farmers market? It's anyone's guess.
South End writer Mikala Woodward may be reached via editor@sdistrictjournal.com.
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