February 21, 2020

Dear members of The Joseph Sears School community,

As we begin our Master Facilities planning for the Joseph Sears School community, The Board and Administration are working with DLA architects and Cambridge-based New Vision Design to conduct several Visioning sessions for the community on Thursday, March 12, and Friday, March 13. The objective of the strategic visioning process is to capture the best thinking about Sears School’s current and future educational goals and priorities and connect these to best practices in innovative school facility design.

The sessions include:
  • Two-day Community Visioning Workshop: Comprised of faculty, staff, Board members, parents, community members, village partners (police, park district, and village government).
  • Two-hour Community Visioning Conversation: All are welcome.
  • After-school Student Conversation: Comprised of junior high students and recent graduates. Teachers and current administrators will identify participants for this session.
The Board and administrative team will look to the larger Sears community to provide input throughout the Master Facilities Plan development and believe that starting with a strategic vision is critical. DLA and New Vista will be building off of the educational and architectural priorities first established in similar meetings held in November 2018. The feedback from the workshop and community conversations will result in a revised and updated set of goals, priorities, and desired design elements that will inform and guide all aspects of the Sears School renovation and redesign process.

Here are opportunities for community participation:
Visioning Educational Workshop
Thursday, March 12 & Friday, March 13, 2020
11:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
4.5-hour commitment on both days required.
Lunch will be provided.
The Joseph Sears School, LTC
  • Priority Setting
  • Learning Goals Development
  • Strengths, Challenges, Opportunities and Goals
  • Design Pattern Overview and Prioritization
  • Guiding Principles Overview and Prioritization 
  • Blue Sky Ideas Development
  • Bubble Diagramming and Plan Development 
If you would like to be considered for the Visioning Educational Workshop you must commit to both sessions. If we receive interest from multiple individuals to fill these positions, we will conduct a random drawing to select individuals. 
Community Visioning Conversation
Thursday, March 12, 2020
7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
The Joseph Sears School, LTC

We value your input.
  • Priority Setting
  • Design Pattern Overview and Prioritization
  • Blue Sky Ideas Development
Join Us, Everyone Welcome!
Registration requested, drop-ins welcome.
In the spirit of trust and collaboration,

Kenilworth School District No. 38 Board of Education


All messages are sent to the Board of Education members, Superintendent/CSBO, and the Board of Education Secretary and are subject to the Freedom of Information Act.
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