Parent Letter

I just received this letter and attached picture from a former Arbor Heights parent. She sent it to Director Sundquist, and I share it here, with her permission. I taught both the young men in the front of the river raft below, when they were third graders at Arbor Heights:

Dear Director Sundquist,

I am writing to provide input on the proposed Arbor Heights Program Closure. I have lived in the Arbor Heights community since 1987. I can tell you that the Arbor Heights Program is not just a school program. It is an integral part of our neighborhood community.

At the time we moved here, my son was 3 years old. He attended Arbor Heights Elementary, then Madison Middle School, and finally Chief Sealth High.

In Kindergarten, my son Tony planted grass seeds in a Styrofoam cup in Ms. Broome's class. That grass is still being tenderly nurtured by me in a special pot on the back porch, 18 years later.

Mr. Dorr's class walked up to our house and had a fun picnic lunch during the last week of first grade. I helped water the young trees during the summer when they were planted on the hillside when Tony was in 4th grade. Tony won the All School Mile Run in 5th grade. I, along with my girlfriend down the street, whose boy also attended, have journals from the Young Author's Conference up in our attics in "Memory Lane."

As we take our dogs for walks around the neighborhood, we see our neighbors children walking home from school and visit. We're still in touch with the neighborhood kids that have attended that school. At 25 years old, Tony had his best Arbor Heights buddy fly up from North Carolina this past summer to go river rafting with him in Montana.

I could go on and on for hours, and don't want to bore you. I know everyone's neighborhood schools are important, but I feel especially that Arbor Heights Elementary Program is an important life-force to this community. It takes so long to get to know your neighbors these days. I can't imagine how it would be if the children that lived locally had to be relocated a distance away. Please don't end our neighborhood school program.

Sincerely,

Sabra Snow

Tony Zwink's Mom

Technorati tag: savearborheights