Tribute planned for Washington Elementary

Talk about it

The Washington Elementary School building will be retired at the end of this school year, and Alexandria School District 206 will be hosting an old-fashioned ice cream social and open house in its honor.

The event, which will take place at the school on Sunday, May 3 from 2 to 5 p.m., will commemorate the school’s history.

Built in 1935 at its present location on 5th Avenue and Jefferson Street, Washington Elementary School (WES) has served more than seven decades of students and families.

The ice cream social will also provide school staff with a chance to say “thank you” to District 206 voters for their support of the Phase I building referendum that was passed in the fall of 2007.

The referendum has provided funds for the construction of a new K-6 elementary school, Woodland Elementary School, which will open this fall for the start of the 2009-2010 school year.

The district is asking the public to join in the celebration as it:

•Celebrates Washington’s proud history.

•Sees how the building will be redeveloped into the Village Cooperative of Alexandria, a housing facility for people 55 and older.

•Views Woodland Elementary design plans and learns more about green building strategies used in its construction.

Students, families, staff and community members are invited to help tell the school’s story by sharing their own stories. Stories can be submitted by completing a “Share Your Washington Memories” form on the School District 206 website at www.alexandria.k12. mn.us/memoriesofwes. The form is also available at the Washington School office.

In the coming weeks, some of these stories may appear in feature articles about the school’s history in the Echo Press, and will be displayed at the open house event on May 3.

If you have memorabilia from former school days at Washington that you would like to share for display at the event, please drop those items off at the school office, 515 Jefferson Street, by Friday, April 24. Items will be returned the week of May 4.

Tags: washington elementary school, news, local