It was a busy summer here," Susan McCloskey, principal of B.F. Day Elementary School, recently announced.
With the wide, wooden halls teeming with excited children, it looks to be a busy fall as well. "[The kids] just bring a positive energy," Susan said, as she anticipates another school year.
We all have good reasons to anticipate a future for Fremont's only public school and the oldest, continuously operating school in the beleaguered Seattle School District.
It's "always in the back of my mind," Susan said about school closures, but "I'm pretty confident that B.F. Day won't close."
Currently, the school has 260 kids, which Susan admits is below capacity. The building could accommodate 400, but it would mean a tight squeeze: "We're not so low."
She believes some schools must close, that Seattle doesn't have the population of students needed to fill the number of schools currently operating, but "I don't feel any danger here," she said.
Major remodel
The Fremont community already fought a successful battle to keep the school open, back in the ancient history of the late 1980s.
When the school district agreed to keep the school open, they did a major remodel of the more than 100-year-old building. Susan still praises the work done and assured me the building is in fine shape and very secure.
This past summer, the school district put a new roof on. Lloyd A. Lynch General Contractor Inc. did the work, on schedule, and were "really friendly to deal with," according to Susan. They did a complete tear-off of the old roof, some minor replacement of the wood frame and installation of a shingle roof with a 35-year guarantee.
Construction began the Monday after the kids left for summer vacation and continued until the end of August. Scaffolding covered the building, and fencing enclosed the grounds, giving passers-by the impression a more extensive project was happening, but all of it only served as safety measures.
Before Labor Day, the contractor did a major cleanup, including the use of magnets to collect construction debris from the landscaping.
New programs
With the facility secure, the school can accommodate even more ambitious programs. This year, B.F. Day inherited the Behavioral Intervention program.
Operated in a self-contained classroom, this program serves eight special-needs kindergarten students and was once housed at Martin Luther King Jr. in Madison Valley until that school merged with T.T. Minor in the Central Area. Primary- and secondary-grade versions of the program exist, but so far B.F. Day doesn't have them.
Second-graders will learn about organics, thanks to the Fremont Rotary Club. Walt's Organic Fertilizer, located in Ballard, will see to building raised garden beds, as well as providing some supplies. The Rotary Club will raise funds to cover other costs, estimated at $15,000; the group kicked off this effort at the Fremont chamber's Oktoberfest. Space for the garden came easily on the extensive grounds around B.F. Day.
Several community groups work with the school through any given year. The Fremont Baptist Church recently raised funds for the Family Support Worker program.
"Our school is very diverse," Susan reported. "It's unusual for a North End school."
B.F. Day serves many immigrant and poor families ("40 percent of our kids live in poverty," Susan explained), and the Family Support Worker helps find services for these families to keep their children in school.
Other changes
New programs blend in with successful programs already in place.
Family Dinners welcome students, their families and community members for fun and fraternity, with the first one taking place on Nov. 3.
The Village project takes place on May 18, 2007.
After-school tutoring continues to help students excel. Second-graders get chess instruction, and the third- and fourth-graders who graduated from this program will be given opportunities to hone their skills.
"We're always in need of funding," Susan admitted.
Most recently the School District cut a half-time primary reading teacher position, and last year, the school had a fourth-grade teacher cut from the staff. Only with community support, and fund-raising by the PTSA annual auction, have they maintained a half-time art teacher, a part-time music person and an after-school tech person who keeps the computers running.
When schools lose staff, "it's heartbreaking. We're a tight-knit group," Susan said.
"We were devastated," Susan said of last year's WASL math scores. "We had a banner year the year before," but one less fourth-grade teacher caused a jump in class sizes.
The kids change each year, which also means a change in test scores. Susan expected a drop, but the results were "just incredible to me." She expects better scores this year, but "we are putting too much pressure on our kids. There's too much emphasis put on the WASL," she said.
A new energy
If anything, though, closures and test controversy might contribute to energy among parents. Immediately after the school year started, the school held a Back-to-School Night, and Susan saw their biggest turnout ever. One class of 18 students had 15 students' families in attendance.
"There's an enthusiasm out there right now," Susan feels - for B.F. Day, for education and for the children. Whatever the cause, it all bodes well for a great school year to come.
Kirby Lindsay lives and works (but never studied) in Fremont. She invites your comments at fremont@oz.net.
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