Goodbye Pioneer
How do you say goodbye to a school?
I frequently pondered this question, when I visited Pioneer Elementary last year. The school was in a state of physical and mental transition. A black fence was erected around the playground. The 1st-5th grade classes shrunk by half creating dead space in classrooms. The school building was divided into two in order to accommodate the new preschool and soon-to-be-leaving elementary students.
Why was this happening?
In the winter of 2023, District 33 notified families that Pioneer Elementary would close and become the new building for West Chicago’s preschool. At the time, the preschool was split into three locations across West Chicago and Winfield, a neighboring town. Several factors influenced this decision. First, the lease renewal for each building was coming up, which pushed District 33 to consider a new location. Additionally, recent population data showed that West Chicago had a declining replacement rate. Lower birth rates meant District 33 would have fewer new students at all schools.
According to District 33, Pioneer was picked as the new preschool location because it had the lowest number of new enrollments and the smallest graduating class. In other words, the school’s student body was shrinking the fastest.
What was Pioneer Elementary?
Pioneer Elementary was one of the most accessible elementary schools in District 33. Nestled among the houses of its students, it was a convenient distance for walking or biking. After school, families frequented the playground and baseball fields for outdoor activities. West Chicago’s annual summer festival, Railroad Days, was hosted next to the school in Pioneer Park. This school was an integral part of the neighborhood.
What was the transition like for CAPE?
During the CAPE program at Pioneer, which ran from Spring 2021-Spring 2024, the mental toll of preparing for the unknown became palpable in this last year. There was an increase in the number of outbursts at all grade levels. Teachers and teaching artists reported difficulty getting students to listen and focus on artmaking activities. Even though this made CAPE classes more challenging, everyone was sympathetic towards the students’ reactions given the circumstances.
While CAPE couldn’t wave a magic wand to erase the growing pains of change, I knew we could do something to help the students process their feelings. After consulting the CAPE teachers and teaching artists, I decided a goodbye video would be the best project. It would be easy to share with families and act like a time capsule.
How did the students feel about the project?
When students saw me bring in my video, lighting, and sound equipment, they were immediately excited.
“Am I going to go viral?!” asked Fernando.
During filming, I gave the students a lot of options to make them feel comfortable. They could film alone or with a friend. Their answer could be in English, Spanish, or both. If they didn’t want to answer a question they could skip. Lastly, they could say anything they wanted. The result was the video below “Goodbye Pioneer.”
