The five choices of names for Port Townsend School District’s new elementary school are to be presented next week.

Lisa Condran, principal of Grant Street Elementary School, said the all-volunteer School Naming Committee has winnowed through nominations from students and adults to name the school, which is planned to open Sept. 4, 2018.

There were about 200 nominations from students and 61 online responses. The majority of nominated names fit the “geographic features” category, while others were in the “individual” category. Condran won’t disclose the finalists until she presents the list at the school board meeting at 6 p.m., Monday, Jan. 23.

“It’s interesting what people came up with,” Condran said of the nominations.

Port Townsend School Board policy and procedure state that schools are to be named after geographic characteristics or notable individuals.

SOME SUGGESTIONS

Geographic characteristics are defined as related to the community, the region, geographic industries, geology, mountains, plants, trees, water and other natural characteristics.

A notable individual is defined as a person of local or national prominence who has qualities that represent our place, people and community values. This individual should not be a living person or a person who has died within the past 10 years.

“The committee as a group is more interested in geographic name features, because they think it will be more enduring,” Condran said.

The geographic place nominations include Castle Hill, Cedar, Cedar Rim, Discovery, Eagle’s Nest, Evergreen, Kah Tai, New Discovery, Salish Sea, Salish Trails, Tall Cedars, Rainier, Douglas Fir, Quimper, Mount Olympus and New Horizons.

Individuals who could be honored by name include Chetzemoka, the famed S’Klallam chief; Marvin Shields, Port Townsend High School Class of 1959 and U.S. Navy Medal of Honor recipient for heroism during the Vietnam War; former school superintendent Margaret Berry; the late community leader James “Bonzo” DeLeo; and explorers Juan de Fuca and George Vancouver. DeLeo died about eight years ago.

The name Grant Street was also nominated. Grant Street Elementary opened in 1956 and has always housed a combination of pre-K, kindergarten and elementary students. It is named for the city street at its front door, one of many in town named after famous government and/or military leaders, in this case, Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, who became the 18th president (1869-1877) after Port Townsend was platted.

REPORT TO BOARD

Condran’s report to the board is to include an alphabetical list of all the nominated names, the scoring process the committee used and a descriptive narrative of why the five finalists were selected. Superintendent John Polm has previously indicated the school board would make the choice of name in March.

The School Naming Committee was appointed by the superintendent based on nominations. Committee members are Peter Braden, Grant Street teacher and parent of a PTHS student; Melody Skye Eisler, the city’s public library director; Kassandra Swindler, Grant Street PTA; Amy Wilson, teacher at Blue Heron School and a PTHS parent; Jess Winsheimer, Grant Street secretary and parent of a Blue Heron student; Lisa Condran, Grant Street principal; Ann Healy-Raymond, director of instruction and technology for PT schools; Jason Lynch, Grant Street teacher, district Title 1 director and Grant Street parent; Arran Stark, executive chef at Jefferson Healthcare and Grant Street parent; and Erica Delma, a preschool director.

“The committee has been real dynamic and effective and efficient,” Condran said.

SCHOOL SYMBOL

Grant Street Elementary also has a symbol/image. “Golden Eagles” was the initial symbol, which in the 1990s evolved into the artwork of a “Salish Eagle” to honor Native Americans.

Condran said it makes sense to retain the school symbol, which is something to which students readily identify. That decision, however, rests with the school board and how the image fits with whatever name is chosen, she noted.

CLASSROOM DESIGN

While the naming process is underway, even more important planning work is being done. Before the school’s winter break, Condran said that Integrus Architecture met with Grant Street staff who teach students ranging from newborns to fifth graders.

Four versions of a classroom “learning environment” were presented with an emphasis on collaborative teaching in a shared space with movable furniture and in some cases, walls. Design revisions, based on staff input, include more flexibility in terms of the number of teachers sharing space for collaborative teaching. Designs are intended for 17 students and one teacher in each classroom for grades K-3, and 25 students and one teacher in grades 4-5.

The visioning, collaboration and transition process continues with meetings set for Jan. 18, March 8 and May 17.

The district’s Facilities Committee has been working on the premise that a school is a community hub. Creativity is important; the district’s Maritime Discovery Schools curriculum should be incorporated; walkability and livability are desirable features; maintenance is essential; and schools need to be inspirational places.

An underlying theme for the new school is to create it with a vision, lest it simply become a generic facility.

Grant Street Elementary (which has about 350 students, grades K-3, and is home to the OPEPO and OCEAN programs) operates in the current building through June 2018. Thanks to a $40.9 million construction bond that drew 73 percent voter approval in 2015, a new school is to be built on the play field behind the existing school and when it is completed, the old school is to be removed.

The new school’s physical address would be on Discovery Road, not Grant Street, Condran noted.