Wissahickon Administration Shares What it Means to Have 21st Century Schools

Wissahickon Superintendent Judith Clark and Assistant Superintendent Christopher Marchese presented what it means to have 21^st century schools and 21^st century skills to the on Monday night.

Clark said in a video that 21^st century school educate the whole student. Marchese said the district has to look at how to take 20^th century institutions and tranfrom them into institutions of the 21^st century.

“We have a ways to go,” said Marchese.

District administration looked at the K-12 system globally rather than at specific schools and ranked them in a progression to see where the district stands.

In the elementary schools, natural light is abundant, which is supposed to aid students in learning.

However, large and small group instruction spaces and flexible learning spaces are few and far between in the elementary schools.

In the , the lack of a full size auditorium makes it difficult to expand the fire arts department without having to walk students across the street to the high school.

At the , the multiple cafeterias make the school lunch period inefficient and the multiple doors from multiple expansions lowers the outer safety of the school.

“There is more work that need to be done at the [high school and middle school,” said Marchese.

Marchese said, “We are the leading district in this area regarding technology.”

However, he added that the district needs to look into the future for the technology infrastructure for the next three to five years, but also out to 2025, 2035, etc.

In April the Board will discuss the district’s borrowing capabilities and the educational plan and administration recommendations will be presented in May.

Clark said if the community has any questions about the facilities study, to call the .