Press Release Aug 21
Palouse Prairie School has received a grant of $100,000 from the J.A. and
Kathryn Albertson Foundation as part of the Foundation’s program to support
educational choice.
“We are very thankful. This is an important gift, it allows us to get the
project moving in advance of receiving state funds,” said Nils Peterson,
chair of the Palouse Prairie Board.
This fall, an Expeditionary Learning (elschools.org) school designer will
facilitate a three-hour “Day in the life of an EL class” for parents. This
will be a hands-on simulation of key EL activities and an in-depth way for
families to learn more about the EL model. Also this fall there will be a
trip to visit Summit School, an EL school in Spokane Valley.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Palouse Prairie to Collaborate with U of I Design Students
Originally published in the Sept 2008 Moscow Food COOP News
Written by Donna Mills, volunteer writer
This fall an Interior Design class at the University of Idaho will take on the project of designing the remodel of the Now and Then Antiques building for the Palouse Prairie School of Expeditionary Learning (PPSEL). Palouse Prairie plans to open as a K-5 charter school in August 2009. The project requires UI students to learn about Expeditionary Learning (EL) and how space impacts the ways teaching can occur. The students will treat this class project as a job. They will create different designs for the school in group projects and then choose the one they feel is best and refine it.
This partnership between the PPSEL and the UI students exemplifies one of the ten design principles of an expeditionary school. #6 Collaboration and Competition says: “Individual development and group development are integrated so that the value of friendship, trust, and group action is clear. Students are encouraged to compete not against each other, but with their own personal best and with rigorous standards of excellence.” It will be exciting to follow the progress of the UI students as they design, redesign and eventually produce a project that rises to a rigorous standard of excellence.
Its great to see the principles of EL developing during the processes of opening the school. As the school develops and grows toward it’s opening in the fall of 2009, there will be many opportunities to witness the other nine design principles.
Watch for opportunities to learn more about Palouse Prairie and Expeditionary Learning this fall. A “Day in the life of an EL class” is being planned for parents. There will also be a trip to visit Summit School, an EL school in Spokane Valley. The PalousePrairieSchool.org web site has opportunities to volunteer, links to EL resources and more information about the school. Contact nilspete@gmail.com
Written by Donna Mills, volunteer writer
This fall an Interior Design class at the University of Idaho will take on the project of designing the remodel of the Now and Then Antiques building for the Palouse Prairie School of Expeditionary Learning (PPSEL). Palouse Prairie plans to open as a K-5 charter school in August 2009. The project requires UI students to learn about Expeditionary Learning (EL) and how space impacts the ways teaching can occur. The students will treat this class project as a job. They will create different designs for the school in group projects and then choose the one they feel is best and refine it.
This partnership between the PPSEL and the UI students exemplifies one of the ten design principles of an expeditionary school. #6 Collaboration and Competition says: “Individual development and group development are integrated so that the value of friendship, trust, and group action is clear. Students are encouraged to compete not against each other, but with their own personal best and with rigorous standards of excellence.” It will be exciting to follow the progress of the UI students as they design, redesign and eventually produce a project that rises to a rigorous standard of excellence.
Its great to see the principles of EL developing during the processes of opening the school. As the school develops and grows toward it’s opening in the fall of 2009, there will be many opportunities to witness the other nine design principles.
Watch for opportunities to learn more about Palouse Prairie and Expeditionary Learning this fall. A “Day in the life of an EL class” is being planned for parents. There will also be a trip to visit Summit School, an EL school in Spokane Valley. The PalousePrairieSchool.org web site has opportunities to volunteer, links to EL resources and more information about the school. Contact nilspete@gmail.com
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Celebrating the Summer 08 Expedition
Our two-week summer camp ended with a celebration on Aug 2 out on the PCEI campus. It was not really an "Expedition" in the full ELS sense, more a 'taste of an expedition.' Like an expedition each camp day was structured like an ELS school day and the children were engaged in an integrated curriculum related to sustainable agriculture, learning a range of things, from growing "FAST plants" to doing some work in the community gardens. The celebration Morris country harvest dancing.
The Celebration was also a chance to mark the approval of the Charter and a shift to the next phase of the task -- opening a school.
Dancers take a bow.
The Celebration was also a chance to mark the approval of the Charter and a shift to the next phase of the task -- opening a school.
Dancers take a bow.
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