Dear Friend,
Do you remember starting each day in a circle of friends? Listening for the plans of the day, and sharing aspects of your life or listenting to your kids share theirs? Being ready, eventually, for “questions and comments”? This continues daily at the Open Classroom. We continue to be a community of learners for children, parents and teachers.
There have been many changes as well, which we would like to share with you and your friends and family. We are now a K-8 charter school in the Salt Lake City School District. We have a permanent home, the former Lowell Elementary in the Avenues. We were able to interview and select our own principal. Chris Gesteland seems like he was made for us, and he is as passionate about and dedicated to the Open Classrom as I am. Chris’ younger sister Katie graduated from the Open Classrom in 1981 and both of his parents co-oped in her classoom.
We have really grown over the years! We have about 400 students, 17 classrooms, and 17 teachers. We have a pre-school program, and we have 7th and 8th graders. Imagine a campus with 3 year olds and 14 year olds, learning together! We have a school counselor, a special education department, and our own lunch and custodial staff. Some former students have returned as faculty and some as co-oping parents. The wheel is turning!!
But things at the Open Classroom are also the same. Parents still co-op every week in the classroom, come to parent meetings, and do their committee work. They continue to be real partners in making our school thrive.
The past 33 years of the Open Classroom have brought us here. Those endless steering meetings, parent meetings and faculty meetings gave birth to this amazing accomplishment. We continue to journey on, often making our own way, based on what we have learned together.
I am writing you to keep alive the connections to our past as we move into our future. I hope you will help the OC stay connected to more alumni, friends and family of the Open Classroom. Please add your information to our OC Connections database so we can stay in touch with each other. We would like to invite you to performances, picnic, galas, parties, musical production, and reunions! We may even invite you to come to school lunch! (Our lunch program is unlike any other school’s lunch. It’s all healthy and made with love, right here in our own kitchen.)
Carolyn and Chris
I am still with the Open Classroom, after 33 years. Although I am not a classroom teacher, I spend time in classrooms as I mentor new teachers and parents, and support learning and the OC philosophy. I am renewed daily by working with our principal, faculty, and parents, and especially with our kids.
I look forward to making contact with you and your OC friends soon! Thank you for sending my email on to as many contacts as you can, and for taking the time to reconnect with us. Each student, each family, each friend of the Open Classroom has paved the road to where we are now. The learning community model has been proven to be the deepest, richest, model for educating children. I hope we can stay in touch and keep our community connected over the years to come.
Please come see me if you’re in the neighborhood! My cozy office has my lemon lamp and an empty chair waiting for you.
Carolyn Turkanis
Keeper of the Connections, 1977-2010
Rebecca – class of 1983
Jonathan – class of 1981
