A group of Islanders is in the throes of deciding how Vashon High School should be set up if it’s remodeled, and they’re taking a non-traditional approach to the process.
The committee, charged with coming up with philosophical plans for a remodel and expansion of Vashon High School, is hoping to craft a plan for the school that would set up classrooms and other areas to best foster student learning for decades into the future.
In the process, the participants have drawn up a list of their hopes and fears for the project, looked at other high schools and even crafted a paper timeline of the construction process, all in an effort to determine the most important components of a new high school.
The community hasn’t yet voted on a bond proposal that would permit a major construction effort at Vashon High, however. The proposal comes before voters in November.
But architects have already begun a conceptual design process, with the help of a committee of teachers, students, parents and other interested Islanders. Together, the group is developing the “educational specifications” that would guide the physical designs for a new high school if the bond proposal passes.
One recent activity members took part in was a “blink exercise,” where they looked at 60 images of educational facilities — for only two seconds apiece — and rated them on a one-to-five scale. The group ranked light-filled, spacious schools best; it ranked images of the current Vashon High the poorest.
“The best images were of schools that had enough space for students to meet in groups, had enough space for science labs, had a commons that was inviting for students to eat and be together, had libraries that looked like media centers for students to research and work,” said Superintendent Michael Soltman. “Visually, they were buildings that had a lot of light — they were connected well to the environment.”
Lead architect Brian Carter of Integrus, who is also an Island parent, said innovative exercises such as the blink exercise help get people’s creativity flowing so they can best think about what a new high school really needs — from the shape and location of its classrooms to the way the spaces can best encourage collaboration and learning.
“The most critical factor in learning is the engagement of the learner with the expert,” Carter said. “That’s the most critical factor in learning, and we’re thinking about how you do that. We believe the physical environment, the facility, can have a positive impact on making that connection.”
The VHS design committee and architects will hold a meeting seeking input about the work they’ve done so far at 7 p.m. tonight, April 28, at the VHS library. Another meeting will be held in June.
