I finally had my kids’ elementary school t-shirts made into a blanket. I love this school and the community it created in my neighborhood and for my family. So many of the friendships built way back then, are still strong today…between the kids and between the parents and teachers and administrators. Maybe I’m looking back with rose colored glasses. I know it wasn’t all perfect and ideal for all – that seems like an impossibility. But…there is just something about GVH and GVHE….

Reflecting……

I learned a lot about advocacy, equity, and celebrating diversity and varied cultures when my kids were in elementary school. I was so excited when we learned an elementary school was going to open at the front of our little neighborhood just in time for my oldest son to start kindergarten. Little did we know the adventures to come!

Advocating, Speaking Up, Fighting to Exist

Our little neighborhood school was going into a renovated space that had previously been home to a R&D facility. It was overly tested by environmental engineering firms, given clean bills of health from the state environmental agencies, and yet was the center of quite the controversy as chemicals (regardless of quantity, type, safety, etc.) scare people. I spoke to state legislature aids, news media, neighbors, engineering faculty with expertise in indoor air quality, environmental engineering contractors, school board members and more to advocate for the safe opening of our school. I wrote letters, I researched, and I advocated for the district to press on and open our school. It was safe (unless your child stuck a straw deep into the slab and sucked on it for days…which then I’d say your child and our school had a whole other host of things for you to be concerned about) and a vast majority of the community was ready for it to open its doors for our children. I think this may have unleashed the advocate within me!

Growing Stronger in an Unwelcome Space

Our school ended up opening as a “school within a school” as the environmental studies and construction delays shifted the opening of our school building by a year. It opened within another newly opening elementary school nearby and our school took over one wing of the building. A “school within a school” sounds easy enough…and yet it was like we never quite belonged. We were intruders. We were outsiders. We tiptoed around. It wasn’t overt by the educators or parents from the other school. It wasn’t necessarily spoken out loud (or maybe it was and I’ve let them memory go). But you know that feeling you have when you are not wanted, embraced, welcomed. You know it when you offer up collaborations and you are shut down. You know it when you try to break down artificial barriers and they stay up, rigid and unbending. And yet…this strengthened our school’s community and purpose and mindset. It made us all the more determined to create an inclusive and welcoming community for our school and our families. When you feel excluded, sometimes it creates all the more power and energy to drive change and do something drastically different…and that is what it felt like we did.

Celebrating Diversity and the Cultures of the Community

The early leaders, educators, families, and parent leaders and volunteers in the PTA embraced the IB attitudes. And thus our students embraced them….and my kids still seem to embrace them today. Multicultural nights with celebrations hosted by families sharing their foods, traditions, customs were regular occurrences. World explorations were included in daily lessons in core subjects. Kindness was embedded in all aspects of the school and acts of kindness were recognized publicly for all to celebrate. We all learned…about each other, about our community, and about our world.

And our kids have taken all of this forward into the rest of their education and lives. Those of us with “Grandview Kids” know it. We have seen it. They are just a little bit different in their approach to the world and with other people and it’s hard to explain. It just is.

IB Attitudes:

Appreciation – appreciating the wonder and beauty of the world and its people.

Commitment – being committed to the learning, persevering and showing self-discipline and responsibility.

Confidence – feeling confident in their ability as learners, having the courage to take risks, applying what they have learned and making appropriate decisions and choices.

Cooperation – cooperating, collaborating, and leading or following as the situation demands.

Creativity – being creative and imaginative in their thinking and in their approach to problems and dilemmas.

Curiosity – being curious about the nature of learning and of the world, its people and cultures.

Empathy – imaginatively projecting themselves into another’s situation, in order to understand his/her thoughts, reasoning and emotions.

Enthusiasm – enjoying learning.

Independence – thinking and acting independently, making their own judgements based on reasoned principles and being able to defend their judgements.

Integrity – having integrity and a firm sense of fairness and honesty.

Respect – respecting themselves, others and the world around them.

Tolerance – feeling sensitively towards differences and diversity in the world and being responsive to the needs of others.

Advancing Equity

Our elementary school worked hard to advance equity and to role model equitable practices. Creating “grade level” experiences became the norm so that one class didn’t have a blow-out with catered craziness with another class having (perfectly fine and the preferred option from this parent) store-bought cookies with just enough for one per kid. Fundraisers or service projects that served a greater good in our community or world were embedded into the school year. It felt like there were intentional efforts to include…to be sure that all could fully participate, voices were heard and included, and all had access. We may not have always gotten it right, but there was intention and passion to do our best at all levels.

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I learned and grew tremendously along with my kids throughout our time with GVHE. I am thankful for those early administrators, teachers, and families who created such an amazing school, community for learning, and experience for all who had the privilege to be a part of GVHE in some way.

And now, each day, I can wrap myself up in GVHE memories. To all my GVHE friends, thank you!