Community Invited to Participate in Creating Virtual Photo Album at Bonney Lake Elementary

The Sumner School District’s first elementary school is turning 50 this year and  officials are hoping people in the community will gift its students and staff with glimpses of ’s history.

 “To commemorate the school’s 50th birthday, the school is creating a digital photo album,” said Principal Sandy Miller.

Miller is in inviting community members to bring photos that document the school’s past to . The event starts at 4 p.m. with a ribbon cutting and open house. A dedication ceremony featuring a performance by the Viking choir is set for 5:30.

Those who bring pictures will not need to part with them. Instead, the pictures will be scanned and placed on the school’s web page. 

District Communications director Ann Cook said there is little photo documentation for the school.

Louisa Smith, 70, said she hopes people in the community participate in building the virtual photo album.

“It’s important to have physical records because the people who have lived around here for a long time either move away or pass away and the history is gone,” said Smith, 70, who has lived in Bonney Lake since 1963. Both of Smith’s children attended Bonney Lake Elementary.

The school’s first principal was Wayne Bettinger.Other past principals are Bob Calvert, Paul Chaplik, John Sullivan, Mike Healy, Don Mayor, Doug Gall and Sandy Anderson.

The school has changed substantially since it Bettinger was at its helm. The school opened in 1961 with just 12 rooms. Bonney Lake Elementary is now 41,304 square feet, has a capacity of 500 and resides on 12.5 acres.

The original school plans called for a campus with five buildings and a series of covered walkways to connect those buildings. The elementary was expanded in 1968 when seven classrooms were added and again in 1984 when the district added a library. The original school building was modernized in 1987.

The district added a commons area to the school in 1998 and reconstructed its playfield in 1999.

The district began modernizing the school again in 2010, with a projected completion date of 2011. The new upgrades to Bonney Lake Elementary School are part of the 2007 capital projects bond passed by voters. While the elementary will still be recognizable to former students, buildings are taller, allow more light to enter and are decorated with a nautical theme reflective of the school’s Vikings mascot.  

Less noticeable to school visitors are the building upgrades required so the school meets current electrical, plumbing, energy, seismic and fire codes. Student safety improvements such as improved parking lots and bus loops also are part of the upgrade.

If You Go:

Bonney Lake Elementary is located at 18715 80th Street in Bonney Lake.