Volume 1, Issue 2
PO Box 13261
Des Moines, WA 98198-1004
|
Second Quarter 2003 Volume 1, Issue 2 PO Box 13261 Des Moines, WA 98198-1004 |
| News for Alumni, Parents, Teachers and Community | |
| Sponsored by the Mt. Rainier High School Foundation | http://www.mrhs.info/ |
by MRHS Foundation Representative John Petterson Class of '69
This is the first of what we hope will be a series of updates regarding the progress of the Planning Committee, a process that will result in the design and construction of a new Mt. Rainier High School scheduled for completion in summer of 2007. As many of you are aware through the recent community meetings, Tacoma Architect BLRB with principals Jerry Lawrence and Tom Bates have been selected for this project. The planning process, led by the architectural firm, has had several sessions to date.
The mission statement for this committee is as follows: "To provide guidance and direction for the planning, reinvention, and design of Mt. Rainier High School through a collaborative and interactive process involving community, staff, and students." In addition to the architects, the committee is comprised of approximately 30 individuals, including teachers, staff, students, members of the community (the MRHS Foundation is in this category) and school district representatives.
During this five-month planning and programming phase, the primary goals of the committee will be to create the educational specification and architectural program for the design of the school-the road map for the architects that will identify not only the quantities, sizes and components of all rooms for the building, but also the teaching and learning values and goals that may be unique to the Mt. Rainier High School culture. Initial meetings have included interactive presentations by the architect's educational consultant, "Architects of Achievement", addressing educational philosophies (how students learn and brain rules), the "small school" approach and other organizational concepts. During the latter part of the planning phase, the architect will lead an all-day concept design "charrette", with hands-on design participation by committee members, where concept diagram options will be generated addressing room adjacencies, building massing, and site planning. A follow-up critique session will lead to a preferred scheme, allowing the architect to determine a preliminary cost model for the project.
The initial planning phase for any project is crucial, in that it will set the parameters for the project and have a direct impact on the future design phases and ultimately the construction of the building. It is gratifying to see the enthusiasm that exists within this committee and the leadership exhibited by Principal Toni Pace. That, with the very essential and methodical process established by the school district and supported by the architects, BLRB, makes certain a very exciting future for Mt. Rainier High School.
Three days of activities are scheduled July 25-27, with a kick-off at Sea-Tac Double Tree Friday evening Saturday festivities start at 7 p.m. at Emerald Downs. A family picnic at the Des Moines Field House closes out your reunion weekend on Sunday. More details are available at the Reunions with Class web site.
Our 20-year reunion is fast approaching! We have scheduled three days of events the first weekend of August, and we hope to see you there. We will be gathering at Jillian's on Lake Union on Friday evening Aug. 1. On Saturday we will enjoy dinner and a program at the Museum of Flight. The weekend will finish with a family picnic at Steel Lake Park Sunday Aug. 3.
If you haven't already been contacted by phone or mail, you may be on our "missing list". Please call our reunion planners Reunions with Class at 800-954-1044 or classmate Diane Lamon Dorsey at 425-885-1804. More details are available at the Reunions with Class web site.
We hope to see you Friday night Aug 22 at Mr. Lucky's Bar and Grill across from Key Arena at 8pm.
A more formal reunion celebration is being planned for Saturday evening; location to be announced. For more information call classmate Charles LaBenz 206-229-6837.
A date has been set for the upcoming MRHS Charity Auction; please mark your calendars now for March 27, 2004. Funds raised will support the mission of the MRHS Foundation as outlined above. The evening will include several silent auctions, a sit-down dinner, a live auction and much more. This is a huge undertaking and we are looking for volunteers with energy and enthusiasm to fill a host of positions:
Specific expertise and/or auction experience is helpful but not required. If you are a Mt. Rainier student, parent, teacher, or staff (past, present, or future), we welcome you! To get involved in this fun community event, contact Auction Co-ordinator Petrina Nicholas Lance (Class of '76) by phone 206-763-0249 or via e-mail. Thank you in advance for extending a helping hand.
In June 2001 at our first MRHS Charity Dinner Auction, retired teacher and coach, Bob Kelly, entertained us with his "Mountain Memories" in non other than rhymed meter. For anyone who missed that special treat, we print the following excerpt:
So in 1964 I came to Mt. Rainier, thirty years young,
With crew cut and red hair, awaiting my educational fate.Indeed, I matured as a teacher and as a person:
Each year was great and I remained twenty-eight.After a few years of traveling from building to building,
I finally found my residence: Room 807.'Tis true I am a bit of an Irishman, so I painted my door green
And discovered a "lil bit o" heaven.Decorations and momentoes adorned the walls and windows,
Accompanied by some Irish inspiration: it was our place to learn.English 10 was the focus; I pranced about like a leprechaun, demanding that students learn . . .
In an environment that Jim English, the custodian, cheerfully dubbed, Kelly's Tavern.He stopped by on many occasions when checking his custodial sites,
Claiming what I truly needed was blinking neon lights.When not cavorting in the classroom, I wore another hat, green,
Of course, revealing I was a coach.My teaching station now was a football field;
However, I continually kept a steadfast approach,
On the field, I enjoyed myself, relishing the interaction;
Observing young people in an altered venue.Applauding vigorously, the less-skilled athlete, who knew no quit,
And relentlessly, did the best he could do.What about the scoreboard, losses vs. wins?
No one disputes the importance of winning, but I do contend,
The scoreboard never registers one vital stat: the number of boys who become men.Irrefutably, the same is true for the young, ardent lady athletes,
I have observed their verve and praised their determined desire to compete.Fortunate I was to arrive at Mt. Rainier and be affiliated with a faculty
That truly cared about its students and did so with substantial integrity.Absolutely, the Mt Rainier staff provided students knowledge and stability.
Moreover, strongly I assert students and faculty were, indeed, a family.
| Mt. Rainier High School Foundation | |
|---|---|
| Vision: | A foundation to advance the educational aspirations of all Mt. Rainier High School students. |
| Mission: | Strengthen our community by fostering, encouraging, and promoting the achievement of excellence at Mt. Rainier. |
| Goals: | To provide leadership in gathering resources for the adademic, artistic, athletic, extracurricular, and enrichment needs of students at Mt. Rainier High School. |
| To enlist support from a broad coalition within our community - alumni, students, parents, teachers; business, civic and service organizations; local city, county, and state government. | |
| To develop an endowment sufficiently large to make a difference. | |
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