Special Projects

Fall 2008 Tree Planting

Portland Parks & Recreation will provide several trees and an educational experience for King School during the month of December. Classes will participate in tree plantings in several locations around the property. Thank you PP&R!!

Playground Artwork
King School PTA coordinated and staffed an art activity at this year's festival on June 28. Members of the community mounted this artwork on the playground fence during the Community Clean Up Day on August 23.

Courtyard

The Children's Cultural Center located within Martin Luther King School, is in the process of requesting a grant of $75,000, from the Parent Family and Community School Foundation to develop and implement a creative arts program for the students and community that attend and support Martin Luther King School. Students in grades six, seven and eight will be the target of the program, with elementary school students being integrated into the center as they enter middle school.

The grant will be used to transform the garden square within the school grounds of Martin Luther King School to an art/performance center to be utilized during the school day, after school, and as a focus area for the community at large. The Children's Cultural Center will become a gateway to the Alberta Arts District; creating a space for use by the Martin Luther King community; stimulating students in the values of a performing and creative arts curriculum and providing an opportunity for student productions to be integrated into already existing programs in the Portland community.

Introduction: The Children's Cultural Center is a newly created project that is seeking initial funding to take an existing space and transforming it into a cultural center. The funds will be utilized for logistical support, curriculum development, and outreach assistance and as the catalyst for an ongoing connection between Martin Luther King School and its community.  

Park Improvements

Portland Parks and Recreation have completed their playground and park improvements. The tennis courts are repaired and new striping and bark chips have been applied in the playground  Portland Parks and Recreation has removed the old trees and shrubs to the west and north of the tennis courts and replanted the area with beautiful new plants. Thank you to Peggy and her team at PP&R!! Check out their great work on the playground and park.

We now have a site plan for the playground improvement project. Click here to view this PDF.

Playground Improvements

Staff and parents have identified some critical needs to benefit the school children and community. The principal, staff and volunteers have identified the highest priority for this grant cycle. This priority is to fund and build a covered play area. The school needs a covered play area because:

• There is currently no covered outdoor play space. When it rains, there are few options - Due to staff limitations, children do not consistently get physical activity on rainy days when they must stay inside the school building.
• A covered play area would accommodate parents escorting their younger children to school. Doors to the school do not open until 8:40; parents and kids must stand outside uncovered until the doors open.
• King School hosts an after school SUN (Schools Uniting Neighborhoods) school program. SUN schools provide activities and classes for children after normal school hours. The SUN school program could use the play area after regularly scheduled school hours.
• This priority is in line with Portland Public School’s Health and Wellness Policy which encourages physical activity among Portland’s school age children.

The covered play area is the school's first priority. The school community would like to complete additional projects (in phases):          

• Improve the appearance of the playground’s chain link fence with artwork
• Add landscaping between the sidewalk and building (currently tarred)
• Add a tree to the missing "space" near the front door
• Add to and improve the "striping" in the play area (adding hopscotch and activities for older kids)
• Work with Parks to improve the tennis courts
• Install a "reader board" to NE 7th Avenue to better connect with surrounding neighborhood and residents

For more information about this project contact Marlys Mock at marlys at bentonic dot com or ESL teacher Beth Essex.