1. The beginning ...
Some families and teachers reminisced about the active, vital courtyard
at the center of WM school before the remodel. They began to envision
what the new enclosed area could become; replacing the existing, forgotten
wasteland.
2. The vision grew...
A small cross-section of the school community came together to join
in conversations about their dream. The group's question focused on:
"What if we created an environment in which our children could:
1) explore nature, 2) find a quiet alternative to recess, and 3) become
involved in community service?"
3. The plan ...
A committee formed to enlist the expertise of Keith R. Geller,
landscape architect, to create a preliminary sketch of a natural
courtyard. Keith created a schematic design using Washington State
as a focal point with landmark areas for student exploration.
4. Making it a reality...
We received the green light from the school board, superintendent,
and WM site council. Now we are able to bring the dream to the
larger school community. It will be your generous support that
will allow us to move forward.
Please join us in this exciting project!
To find out how you can help: contact Anne Fox (206) 232-3862, .email:
annewfox@aol.com
Courtyard Project Committee Members: Parents: Holly Dillon, Regina
Feinberg, Lisa Kittilsby, Nancy Larusso, Wendy Rosen, Debbie Schatzman,
Carol Stockton, Sarah Waller. Teachers: Casey Alin, Marilyn O'Neill, Ingrid
Stipes. Committee Chairperson: Anne Fox.
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Updates
5/14/04- Wolf Watch Notices
On behalf of the West Mercer Courtyard Committee I would like to extend
a BIG Thank You to the Student Council and all those
who participated in and attended the Talent Show last week. The organizers
of the Talent Show used it as a fundraiser for the Courtyard Maintenance
Fund. They raised over $860 for the Fund! That is fabulous and will go
a long way in helping to keep the courtyard maintained to a high standard.
We are very grateful for your support. (Anne Fox, Project Chair)
I am looking to collect trinkets from all or most of
the children at W. Mercer Elementary for the donor recognition
wall in the new courtyard. This is NOT mandatory and is meant
to be fun. The items or trinkets can be something that is meaningful and
represents the school or community, or can just be something fun and colorful.
i.e. marbles, beach glass, matchbox car, pen, pencil, rubber dinosaur,
something they have made out of clay, pennies...The items will be placed
in concrete and must be able to withstand the outdoor elements and be
small enough to fit in a sandwich size baggie. There is a chance that
not all of the objects will be used due to limited space or inappropriateness.
I will do my best to use everything I can. I will put a box in the main
office labeled "Courtyard Project Trinkets." Let's create something
amazing! Thank you. (Heather Ramseyer)
Seeking Volunteer to be Courtyard Celebration Chair:
We are working to complete the courtyard installation this summer. Assuming
we meet that goal we are now looking ahead to celebrate the completion
of the project. To recognize the completion and the wonderful support
we've had from the West Mercer & Mercer Island communities, we'd like
to have an official "Ribbon Cutting" ceremony in the fall, sometime
in late September or in October. I am looking for an interested volunteer
(Or volunteers -- it's an easy job to share with a friend!) to organize
that effort. It should be relatively easy to do. Mostly we need to set
a date and be sure the date is advertised so those who have supported
the Courtyard Project are included in the celebration. Please contact
Anne Fox (232.3862/annewfow@aol.com) if you'd like to help with this effort.
1/14/04 - WM Courtyard Project Fundraising
Campaign is Complete!
We are very pleased to announce that the The WM Courtyard Project Fundraising
Campaign has successfully met its goal. Thanks to a recent grant from
the MI Schools Foundation we are now able to finalize our campaign efforts.
Thank you MISF! Since the start of the Courtyard Project in the fall of
200l we have raised over $83,000 in cash donations, grants and In-Kind
Gifts. We are so grateful to the WM school community and the greater Mercer
Island business and foundation community for the all of the support you
have given to the Courtyard Project. THANK YOU!
The installation of the Courtyard Project will continue during January
and February. Don Costa, chairperson for Volunteer Coordination, is working
with Avalon NW, the landscape contractor, to manage the volunteer portion
of the installation. Volunteers will work Saturdays, January 24 and potentially
January 31 and February 7, to prepare the courtyard for the Avalon installation
during the week of winter break, February 16-20. During that week Avalon
will complete a number of tasks, the main piece being the installation
of the concrete and river rock path that will wind its way through the
courtyard. Look for changes to start happening!
1/9/04 - Things are cooking with the WM Courtyard Project!
As of this writing, we are within $1000 of reaching our campaign goal.
That means we have raised almost $68,000, including the $30,000 matching
grant from the Rotary Club of Mercer Island. WOW! THANK YOU West Mercer
families and friends for all your support. Because we are confident that
we will find the resources to complete our fundraising campaign, we have
moved ahead to plan the implementation schedule for The Project. This
year our students will begin, finally, to see changes happen in the Courtyard.
In fact, you may already have noticed some changes in the Courtyard. Tom
Otto, the MISD Grounds Maintenance Manager, and his crew removed the bricks
from the courtyard over the December holiday break. He plans to use the
bricks at another site within the District.
We have a new batch of Courtyard Committee members who have graciously
agreed to help with the Installation Phase of the Courtyard Project. They
are: Don & Susan Costa, Volunteer Coordinators Co-Chairs; John Frazier,
Rotary Club Liaison who will also help with volunteer coordination; Margie
Ogawa & Kenlyn Emerson, Donor Recognition Co-Chairs; and Heather Ramseyer
and Robin Lorenzini who will use their creative energies to plan and recommend
donor recognition plaques. Heather will also help make signs to post at
the school as a way of letting people know how the project is progressing.
Thank you.
Below is our tentative proposal for implementation:
- The Project will be installed when school is not in session: weekends
& holidays.
- The landscape contractor, Avalon NW, will do the major installations
during the school vacation weeks in February and April, completing the
project in June, after the end of the school year. The contractor installation
phases will be: February: Break up concrete & install river rock
path; April: Install irrigation system & build deck. June: Complete
installation.
- Prior to each of the contractor, our installation phases volunteers
will be needed to work some number of Saturdays to ready the Courtyard
for that installation work. Volunteer help will be needed to: remove
and clear the plants bring river rock into the Courtyard, wheelbarrow
in 42 yards of soil (about 400 wheelbarrows worth (that's 800 trips!)
and help with plant installation.
Volunteers will be supervised by Keith Jellerson of Avalon NW. Keith
has offered to volunteer his time for supervising volunteers on weekends.
Thank you Keith & Avalon! Don Costa, as the Volunteer Coordinator,
will assist Keith. I would also like to offer a big THANK YOU to those
on the committee who have offered so much help with fundraising, thank
you notes and committee organization: Thank you Holly Dillon, Lisa Kittilsby,
Nancy Lorusso, Marilyn O'Neill, Charlene Steinhauer, Coleen Schneider,
Ingrid Stipes, and Carol Stockton. The success of this project is due
to all of the wonderful support we have received from within the WM Community
and the greater Mercer Island community. Thank you. Anne Fox
11/17/03 Update
It's time to celebrate! Over $30,000 has been raised and the Mercer Island
Rotary Challenge Grant has been met! This means we'll be breaking ground
soon so... keep your eyes open for volunteer opportunities! Thank you
to all who have brought this project from a vision to a (near) reality!
6/12/03 Update
We are so pleased to announce that the Mercer Island Rotary Club has approved
a grant of $30,000 towards the improvement of our inner courtyard! The
grant gift is fabulous and puts us well on the way to undertaking a successful
fundraising campaign. The grant stipulates we must raise the difference
($30,000 to $35,000) before we receive the funds. Let's make it happen!
We are also happy to announce that we have selected our landscape contractor
for the project: Avalon Northwest: Keith Jelleson, one of Avalon's owners,
will work with us on the project. We are counting on volunteer labor to
haul dirt, move stones and hard surface debris, etc.
If you would like to help, please contact Anne Fox at 232-3862 (annewfox@aol.com).
We are specifically looking for: 1) a co-chair to work with Anne; 2) an
in-school communications coordinator; 3) one or two volunteer coordinators;
4) a fundraising co-chair, a person to manage donor recognition, and a
creative arts coordinator to work with the Fundraising Committee. The
work will be fun, rewarding, and, we anticipate, short-lived.
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