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About PCFC construction progress:
If you drive by the school in the next three days, you will see work
being coordinated with the school district and the Sammamish Plateau Water and
Sewer District to complete the sewer connections. Starting today, over the
weekend, and possibly into Monday, that line is being bored beneath the
street.
The Porta Potties on site now are for
construction crews and staff working in the building before sewer hookup is
completed. The school will open with functioning bathrooms.
You will notice landscaping work around the
school; as happened last year when Newcastle Elementary opened, some landscaping
work will continue after the school opens.
Most of the furniture is already in the
classrooms and set up in readiness for teachers who are slated to begin moving
in on Sunday this weekend. They’ll have a crew of district support staff
to help them heft and haul. (In 1991, when Discovery opened, teachers and
parents moved furniture and equipment into the school over Labor Day weekend –
just 3 days before that school opened.)
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About PCFC enrollment and portables:
Approximately 950 students will be attending PCFC this year – some of
them attending classes in 2 double portables now being moved from IHS to
PCFC.
Portable classrooms have the advantage of
cost-saving flexibility for growing school districts. Districts use them
to avoid more costly brick-and-mortar construction that cannot be moved as
needed or disposed of when not needed. The portables now at PCFC were originally
on the IHS campus which will open this year without freshman and thus with 25%
fewer students.
This year’s PCFC 9th graders are
coming from three district middle schools – IMS, BLMS, and PLMS. Today
(August 26) about 20 more students are enrolled as PCFC 9th graders
than there were 8th graders at those three middle schools. Some
new parents are bringing 9th graders back from private schools or
other districts, specifically because they value the opportunities of a campus
devoted exclusively to 9th graders. Other extra
9th graders are from families new to the district this
year.
Because more than 200 PCFC students tested
out of the technology class requirement last spring, the school is able to offer
more elective classes for those students. The need for that elective
classroom space is another reason portables are being used on
site.
·
About student activity funding:
Because all of
their 9th graders will now be attending the 9th grade
school, both IHS and SHS will have one-fourth fewer students. Associated
Student Body (ASB) funds follow students. ASB funding for 10, 11, and
12th grade programs will remain at SHS and IHS. ASB funding for
9th graders will fund 9th grade programs at
PCFC.
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About PCFC staff:
o
The school’s more than 50 certificated staff (those with
teaching degrees) include two who have Ph.D’s and 25 with masters degrees.
o
Twenty two of the school’s teachers are new to this
district. They come from near and far to work here –
o
Seven of them are new to the profession or have taught for
less than a year. The other two thirds come with experience that ranges
from two years to over 30.
o
Together, the new group has 103 years of experience as
teachers.
·
Comment from Superintendent Barry:
“Construction of
Pacific Cascade Freshman Campus is an example of what happens when well-intended
professionals work toward the same goal. City, county, construction
contractors, and district staff have brought to life in 13 months a project that
under other circumstances and with other partners would have taken 17 months to
complete. The Board and I and the students and staff at Pacific Cascade
are gratified and thankful for the team who have helped make this school
possible.”
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Reminder! Tuesday, September 6,
Driving
directions to Pacific Cascade Freshman Campus. PCFC website.