In addition to being frightening and confusing, the pandemic posed so many restrictions on freedoms, limiting where we could go and what we could do. In the beginning, I wasn't sure how I would survive being stuck in such a small world, but as time went by, I began to open my eyes to the what was around me. To things I had looked at, but not fully seen.
Sunnyside School is a K-8 school that uses community and hands-on learning as its primary education method. It is rated one of Oregon's top schools because this teaching method is so effective, and teaches awareness and compassion.
The school itself is very pretty on the outside (not being a parent I have never actually been inside).
It has a chicken coop.
And chickens.
It has a beautiful covered seating area.
With plants growing on the roof.
My dog likes to hang out here.
And we feed a friendly crow family here, too. They currently have a nest in a pine tree over the chicken coop.
In spring and summer there is usually chalk laying around for anyone to use.
And they do.
People really love the Sunnyside Environmental School.
I have a friend who is a teacher there, as well as friends who have children that have attended this school. I have heard nothing but wonderful things. Unfortunately, because admission to this school is generally filled by neighborhood children first, there is concern that not enough people are getting a chance to attend. There is some talk about a lottery system for admissions so that more lower income children can go to SES, since the Sunnyside neighborhood is very affluent.
The school also has a community garden, filled with flowers and vegetables.
The garden has been around since the 1990s, as has this sign, from the looks of it.
The school has been around longer, although I'm not sure that it has always had the same educational program.
A cool thing about Portland is that many of the public schools are also public parks when school is not in session. For the last year, this school has been a refuge for the neighborhood.
There is art all over the school.
On this door...
On this little free library...
Along garden walls...
There's poetry.
And all over the ground are mosaic tiles.
There is a wishing tree.
And so many, many wishes for an end to Covid-19.
Because Portland is a big city, even its quaint and beautiful areas have evidence of the more troubled side of humanity, but the city tries to keep it safe for everyone.
For months there was a large homeless encampment on the street surrounding the school's field. Portland is generally very lenient when it comes to houseless populations, but with times being so hard, it was difficult to keep the camps manageable and clean. People did try, though, doing regular collections of waste, erecting portable toilets nearby, and providing food and water. A lot of people who were already impoverished were thrown into the homeless life when the pandemic hit. I think that the sympathy and empathy levels were high, and thus so were the tolerance levels. Sadly, though, there was a death in the camp.
With schools reopening, the camp was swept, and the houseless have moved on to a new block. For me it's equally as difficult to see the devastation and the filth as it is to see these people lose their tents and belongings and have to start over with nothing yet again. But it is nice to have the streets be clean again.
I hope you have enjoyed this tour of this unique school. Happy e-traveling!
