Parkwood Elementary dedicated Nov 19

Photos courtesy Shoreline Schools except as noted

Parkwood Elementary opened their doors to the community and celebrated their new school’s dedication on November 19, 2019.

 

The school, which opened to students and staff in September, was completely rebuilt thanks to a 2017 school construction bond that was overwhelmingly approved by 73 percent of Shoreline School District voters.

That bond also included funding to construct the Edwin Pratt Early Learning Center and rebuild Einstein and Kellogg Middle Schools.

The new Parkwood Elementary features a bright and open two-story design. Its 64,800 square feet of space is home to classrooms and flexible learning spaces designed to support diverse learning experiences, styles and needs.

Parkwood Principal Ann Torres noted that the school was collaboratively designed to reflect their core mission, vision and values. 

“A 15-member design team worked for nearly a year to think and develop a physical building that will take our children into the future,” said Torres. 

“We worked to create a building that was inclusive, adaptive, flexible, fit within the neighborhood and prioritized a sense of community and teamwork.”

Its classrooms are grouped into learning pods that have a common shared space that is used for shared learning, projects, independent work, team teaching and creative activities.

The school’s overall layout maximizes instructional time by facilitating efficient movement and streamlined access to instructional resources.

The school’s spaces allow for large and small-scale performances, celebrations and community events. It also has centralized access to shared staff spaces while simultaneously provides quiet spaces for private activities and work.

Before attendees were led on tours of the building, Superintendent Rebecca Miner recognized the work of many in helping make the new Parkwood a reality. 

“Countless people and organizations contributed their time, effort and resources to build this school and provide many future generations of Shoreline’s youngest learners with a learning environment and experience that will set them on a path to become lifelong learners,” said Miner. 

“Today, we celebrate the many hands that helped build this school, both literally and figuratively.”

Photo by s cho