Head of School's Blogs
5,000 Square Meters
by Dr. GERRITZ 1 April, 2010
Last week, we purchased 5,000 square meters of land adjacent to the road and our track field. Why would we do this when we have no plans to increase enrollment capacity? It is a bit of story.
Some people are highly coordinated, competitive athletes. They love soccer, tennis, basketball and so on. Others, like me prefer 1,000 mile bicycle rides and backpacking in the wilderness. But when I was in middle and high school, I belonged in the first group. Although clumsy, I loved competitive sports. Now, after school and on weekends I witness the intensity and perseverance our students display in our many sports activities. I want more students to participate and I want the associated learning to be as good as it can be.
In order to achieve that aim, we have two efforts underway. The first, guided by the Board's Strategic Improvement and Learning Committee's chair Pat Toomey, is a searching examination of our current, athletic co-curricular programs. A group of parents and staff members have been thinking about all our efforts from varsity teams to parent-led community programs. As a result we are developing a new vision for what sports at ISB can and should be. We also have a number of program improvement ideas that I expect to see implemented in the near future.
The second effort involves facilities and here is why we need the additional land. Starting this week, Field A in the middle of the track will be resurfaced and drainage improved. The track itself will be resurfaced. Also in the summer, the grassy areas between the track and ES building will be redone to make a better play area for our younger students. Field D is located between MS/HS cafeteria and the tennis courts. This summer it will be resurfaced with artificial turf and the drainage improved.
In the more distant future, we expect to move the tennis courts to the land we purchased last week. In place of the tennis courts, we will likely be building a new swimming pool, a new gym and an outdoor education area. The exact specifications of this new construction will require substantial planning but we expect the new facilities to improve learning at ISB. What do you think?
Read more post from the Head of School's BlogsAbout the Author
Bill received his Ph.D. at UC Berkeley. He has written over 20 journal articles and has an abiding interest in learning improvement. Prior to ISB, Bill headed schools in Holland and South America. He and his wife Marcia have 3 sons.
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