Three Mile Creek Elementary

Narratives

Project Narrative

The building is a replacement school for a facility located approximately two blocks from the site. Challenges for this facility included a limited budget, an undeveloped site with no roadway access, and a comparatively sloped site. Further, the District wanted a facility that could accommodate future growth as either portable classrooms or actual hard wall expansion. Six classrooms on the north end of the building were planned, bid as an alternate, and ultimately incorporated into the finished building. An additional four to six classrooms could be added to the west wing at a later date.

The planning process was particularly unique in that the bulk of the design committee was made up of the principal, faculty, and staff of the existing building. Over the duration of the design process, the students of the existing school also participated. This entire community became active and enthusiastic participants in the design of the school, most of whom never missed a design meeting. The planning and programming was done as series of open meetings, accompanied by one-on-one meetings with individuals regarding specialty areas including nutrition services, media services, and custodial services. The group as a whole became so enamored with the new concepts of collaboration spaces, transparencies, interior and exterior vistas, dispersed technology, and small learning communities, that an entirely new image was mandatory. The school name, colors and mascot were changed to reflect this new image, and the theme of learning and discovery.

The problem with the unchanging nature of new schools, is that just as young people today are radically different from their predecessors, so too is the educational delivery system. New schools should provide flexible supervisable space adjacent to the classrooms in order to accommodate the multiple learning activities that now take place at school; for example, some students being tutored in the space by volunteer adults or older student mentors, some students working together on a computer project, others playing a math game, for example, or doing an art project. This allows education to be customized to the individual learning needs of each student. There’s also the ability to have two or more classes join together for a presentation from a visiting expert in these spaces.

That is part of what makes this Elementary so outstanding and revolutionary! The school breaks the students into three smaller groups, each clustered around a central open space that incorporates a gathering space, daily access to technology, and space for many different learning activities to take place. The school will create young adults exceptionally prepared not only for their future school years, but lifelong learners with group work skills and problem solving abilities that will make them uniquely successful in the workplace.

Educator Narrative

Prior to deciding on a floor plan for our new school, our faculty and staff met with architects to discuss desired long-range goals for our students. The list included: project-based learning, collaboration and problem solving, healthy life skills, science, music and art integration and parent/community involvement. The unique design of the school accommodates all of these key educational concepts.

Since the official opening of the Elementary Shool, we have hosted special community and school events such as: Meet the Candidates Night, site for official voting, swearing in of the local mayor, Caucus meetings, special school programs, Literacy Night, community and district sponsored assemblies, as well as university and district sponsored workshops. These are new and exciting experiences for members of the City community and school faculty.

One of the greatest features our new school provides is the opportunity to undo outdated concepts. The flexible design recognizes the special needs of art, music and science. The three learning centers, (which we refer to as ‘kivas’) have had a positive impact on academic instruction within our school. Students are being exposed to more hands-on, project-based learning, resulting in more parent/community volunteers. We attribute this increase to the inviting environment and space the kivas provide.

Another benefit has been in the area of healthy life skills. Students have learned the value of exercise through the continuous, year round use of our paved walking trail. This trail is not only enjoyed by students, but also faculty and community members.