NBOA will give attendees the opportunity to visit local independent schools on Tuesday afternoon, February 28. Five schools will be opening their doors and providing tours to attendees. Participants will only be able to attend one school tour. Sign up sheets will be available onsite.
This 28-year-old academy has transformed a 1920s Cadillac dealership and former auto repair shops and warehouses of the same vintage into a fabulous campus! See how the school used imaginative design to re-purpose its urban spaces into arts studios, performance spaces, and classrooms with an industrial/commercial flair. An award winning gymnasium was designed to please the residential neighbors on a parking lot. This impressive learning environment, in the center of one of Seattle's most urban settings, serves 650 students in grades six through 12. Yet don't be fooled by the "city-dweller" aesthetic—the roof boasts a beehive, whose honey serves a most unique revenue stream for the school's student clubs!
Located in the heart of a residential neighborhood just east of downtown, The Bush School is the only K-12 independent school in Seattle, serving 565 students on its beautiful lower and upper campuses. Visit a classroom housed in a former mansion, circa 1910, then take in the view of Lake Washington from a student-built "outdoor classroom." Looking for interesting "town and gown" relationship lessons? Learn how Bush has developed a successful working relationship with neighbors, including parking and traffic management.
At first you may think you're visiting a small college, but don't let the Colonial architecture fool you. These 40 acres are home to 787 students in grades 5 through 12. Walk inside the red brick walls and find state-of-the-art classrooms, complete with interactive whiteboards, LCD projectors, and energy-efficient lights that automatically adjust to ambient conditions. Learn how the school works with Seattle's public transit system to bus its students all around the Seattle metro area. Don't leave without stopping by the exhibit about the first school computer, which launched the career of Bill Gates!
If you would like to visit a school that is taking the "LEED" in environmental stewardship, experience the only Living Building in Washington state—a truly "off the grid" experience. Bertschi models sustainability for its students (235 in grades Pre-K through Five), both in curriculum and campus, through a variety of efforts including rainwater harvesting, solar energy, and passive ventilation. Tour the Bertschi Center, the first LEED-Gold-certified building on an independent school campus in the Pacific Northwest, and the Living Building Science Wing to see how Bertschi truly brings learning to life.
The Northwest School's brilliant use of space has allowed it to build an exceptional facility that serves over 470 students (grades six through 12) on less than an acre of ground! (Hint: look up...and down.) Explore the myriad floors of the single "school house"—an historic landmark—both above and below ground, and visit the nearby, newly renovated dormitory that for 20 years has housed Northwest's international student body. You'll enjoy the tour and love learning about Northwest's unique school culture, where all 115 staff and teachers serve as "faculty."