West Side Public Education Coalition hosts community event.
Community rallies to support school transition
West side group hosts community soccer games, information sessions on Messer Elementary
Providence, Rhode Island – July 21, 2011 – Parents and residents of Federal Hill and the West End are holding a free soccer tournament and information sharing event this Saturday and next, July 23 and 30, to help prepare families and students of Asa Messer Elementary School and over a hundred incoming students from West Broadway Elementary School for their relocation to the former Bridgham Middle School building.
The two events feature an adult soccer game, activities for kids, light snacks and beverages, and the opportunity to ask questions and share concerns about the new Asa Messer Elementary at Bridgham. This Saturday Carleton Jones, Chief Operating Officer of Providence Public Schools, and Angela Romans, Education Advisor for Mayor Angel Taveras, will be on hand to answer questions. Representatives from Asa Messer will also participate.
“These weekend gatherings provide a chance to learn about the transition and transformation of one of our community’s elementary schools, and about the scale of the renovation to the school’s new home at Bridgham,” said event organizer Judi Jeroslow. “I think parents and residents will be encouraged by the scope of work being done to the Bridgham building right now in preparation for Messer’s relocation there.”
The Asa Messer Elementary School and Annex buildings as well West Broadway Elementary School were closed at the end of the school year along with three other schools at the urging of Mayor Taveras. Messer’s staff and students, however, will be relocated as a whole to the Bridgham site shortly before the new school year begins. Well over a hundred students from the closed West Broadway Elementary will also join the Messer community in the fall.
After the closings in late April, representatives from WSPEC joined with Messer Principal Denise Missry, Messer parents, the school department, construction company Gilbane, and architectural firm Studio Jaed, to form a building committee. The committee’s sole purpose was to advocate for stakeholder concerns regarding the health, safety and aesthetics of Asa Messer’s forthcoming new home at Westminster and Barton Streets.
After an extremely fast-paced series of planning and sharing sessions, it is apparent that the committee has had an impact on the design, layout and many other features of the new Asa Messer at Bridgham.
“While this is not a full scale renovation of Bridgham, we are pleased that the community’s concerns about air quality and ventilation, access to natural daylight in every classroom, and making the building otherwise friendly to small children, are being addressed in this round of improvements to the school,” said WSPEC member Matt Gabor. “It is remarkable what is being done on a limited budget and short time frame, but we also look forward to a continued collaboration with the school department to address our long range goals and concerns at the school.”
The soccer tournaments are the first in a series of community events designed by WSPEC to inform west side residents about the transition and transformation of Asa Messer Elementary School, and are being held from 2 to 6 p.m. at Mansion Field next to the fire station at Messer and Union Streets.
This event is made possible by the Parks Department, Mayor Angel Taveras, Providence Public Schools, the faculty and staff of Asa Messer Elementary, West Broadway Neighborhood Association, and Messer Street Fire Station.
The West Side Public Education Coalition is dedicated to ensuring high quality public education opportunities for all students on the west side of Providence regardless of background, economic class, race, or ethnicity. Through an unprecedented collaboration between families, educators, students, community residents, local businesses, and public officials, we advocate for outstanding public schools, effective education policies, and 21st century learning environments. We believe that a commitment to fostering high achieving, innovative, neighborhood schools will guarantee the health and vitality of our community.