Our Clairemont community will be divided into two schools. As for me, I am grateful to have been a part of Clairemont during these years when most of the families on the northern side of town were combined into one school. My future third grader could end up at Glennwood or Clairemont and our family will be happy with either. We have spent the last 5 years becoming friends with children and families who live in both of the new districts. It’s been great and things will be fine either way. Some families from Winnona will certainly be going toGlennwood. Oakhurst cannot house all of the children in their district this year. We have 16 Oakhurst district students at Clairemont and Winnona has children from the Oakhurst district as well. I can’t imagine a scenario where the Oakhurst district will not be made smaller.

As we enter the redistricting process, I hope everyone will get involved, but also be open to the changes it will produce. Some of us may not end up where we think we need to be. BUT the good news is that we have three, soon to be four, great elementary schools. Everyone will end up at a great school. And remember, children are far more adaptable than we cranky adults are. They’ll be fine.

[ DM- :0) !!! ]

My little nieces (4th graders) went through redistricting changes that sent them to new schools after 1st & 2nd grades. Being able to settle in & call a school home made a HUGE difference in their outlooks. Before, it was just something you go & do. Having a real sense of “school” community has totally changed things. Now, they’re fully energized to do the schoolwork & the activities because they “belong.”

The bonds good teachers build with their students carry on far past the year spent together. My nieces’ school accountings so far have focused as much on last year’s teachers as their new ones. They’re confounded by losing their 3rd grade teachers to new schools. It’s a very real loss that’s on their minds quite a bit. They’d counted on them always being there- like “family.”

I would assume that the parts of the current Clairemont and Winnona Park districts that used to go Glennwood prior to 2004 would do so once again, although the old lines were always a bit odd and jagged and might get cleaned up. That is logical and will probably be well accepted because it brings back a neighborhood school although it will still be an adjustment for those kids who have been part of one school community and now will need to go to another. But at least it’s a brand new school community, not some kids having to break into an established school the way it was back in 2004. I hope CSD does a better job of preparing the kids this time. Last time, there was little, if any, effort to reach out to the kids ahead of time, explain what was happening and why, and make the transition easier for them, other than the usual back to school events. It’s not too early to start now.

I don’t know if the departure of kids from Clairemont and Winnona Park will leave an imbalance that will require kids from Oakhurst to be moved about. It may be that things are fine at that point. Perhaps parts of Oakhurst north of the tracks will go back to Clairemont? I would suspect that the current line between Winnona Park and Oakhurst would remain.

The movement of teachers and staff is a biggie. Hopefully SLTs will have a big say in this since it clearly has a big impact on their individual schools. The new Glennwood Elementary needs to form an SLT now vs. later so it can have a say. I suspect that principals will not choose to be moved around like before the way most did in 2004. There has to be a lot of discussion going on about this right now in Central Office since decisions will have to be announced within 9 months. SLTs should make sure they are part of it.