(John Chapman sent along this announcement of a new Wallingford-based public option school.)
There is a New Option Public School in Wallingford. Pinehurst K-8 in Partnership with Native Heritage AS-1, will be moving from their current location in the Pinehurst neighborhood to the South Wing of Lincoln for 3 years, starting in the fall of 2014.
Pinehurst K-8, formerly known as Alternative School 1, is Seattle’s first and oldest alternative school, providing an experiential, project-based, social-justice curriculum since 1969. In the fall of 2013, Pinehurst came together with activists and educators in the Native American community to build a partnership that combines a Native-centered curriculum with our existing curriculum. We will be located at the Lincoln building from 2014-2017 and then move into a permanent home on the Wilson Pacific site in the fall of 2017.
We use an alternative method of teaching that emphasizes hands-on learning, culturally responsive curriculum, and community engagement. We emphasize Native experience, culture, and history while serving a diverse, multicultural student community, and connect learning in the classroom to real-world context.
We have free all-day Kindergarten.
Our Curriculum includes:
- A Focus on Native Heritage, honoring Northwest tribes as well as the diversity of Native people throughout the America’s
- Tribal Sovereignty and Place-based curriculum
- Social Justice education at all grades
- Individualized approach that serves different types of learners in the same classroom
- Frequent field trips and community speakers
- A model of shared decision making
- Multi-age classrooms.
Primary (K-4)
- Nurturing and respectful classroom environment
- Free all-day Kindergarten
- Active environment for kinesthetic learners.
- Teaching through story, with an emphasis on Native stories.
- Hands-on Science and Environmental Education – for example, the 3rd-4th grade class raises Coho Salmon from eggs to release in the wild, learning about Salmon habitat, environment, and life-cycle through first hand experience..
- Enrichment activities include cultural studies, performing, and visual arts
Intermediate and Middle School (5 – 8)
- Project-based learning – much of our curriculum in the older grades takes the form of large interdisciplinary projects that allow students to engage deeply with a subject that personally interests them. Students do extensive research and writing, and then must present their work to the entire school and parent community. Some examples include:
Family History project, where students interview an older family member about their life and then do a history project based on the family members experience.
Product Research Project where students must research a product made outside the US and trace its origin through the global economy.
- Native history, art and literature
- Story and Art based curriculum
- Hands-on real life math and science
- Theater, Film Studies, and Discover Dance partnership with the Pacific Northwest Ballet (which culminates in a performance at McCaw Hall where 7th and 8th grade)
- A comprehensive social justice education that includes discussions of racism, civil rights movement, Holocaust studies, labor history, environmental issues, Native American experience, and justice for indigenous people worldwide.
- Rites of Passage – a transformative outdoor education and service experience for the 8th grade, that culminates in a week-long wilderness back-packing and canoeing experience at the end of the school year.
We hope to add classes in the Lushootseed language at all grade levels in the future.
Pinehurst K–8 is accepting new students in all grades. For enrollment information please contact Enrollment Services at 206-252-0760 or at the Seattle Schools Open Enrollment Page. Contact the school directly at 206-252-4600 if you have any questions or run into any challenged with enrollment. We are here to help!
PLEASE VISIT! Tours will be held at our current site at 11530 12th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98125. Come learn about the wonderful experience we offer! No reservations are required, parents and students are welcome, and student shadowing is available by appointment. We also offer individual tours that can be arranged with the office if you cannot make our scheduled tours.
- Tuesday, Feb 25 & Thursday, Feb 27, 9:30-10:30am
- Tuesday, Mar 4 & Thursday, Mar 6, 9:30-10:30am
More info at the Official School District site for Pinehurst K-8 web site and the Pinehurst K-8 Parent and Community Site.