When Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. penned the words above, he was referring to youths tempered by the fire of the Civil War. I would like us all to turn our thinking to a fire that tempers in a much more positive way - the passionate fire of education, art, and selflessness that make us all better people.
This week brings great news regarding The Music Settlement’s ongoing efforts to expand our educational operations in our community. As detailed in a press release issued jointly early last week, The Cleveland Heights/University Heights City School District has reached an agreement in principle with The Music Settlement for the use of the former Coventry Elementary School site on Washington Boulevard in Cleveland Heights. As many of you know, this conversation has been ongoing since November of 2008, but careful thought and planning has characterized the efforts of both parties from the onset, so you can be sure that we have been moving forward consistently, in good faith and with appropriate patience.
So what does an “agreement in principle” mean? Does it signify a done deal, or immediate transfer of operational authority? Does it mean that our offerings will be available at a second location immediately? The short answer is no, it does not. It means that the District has had an opportunity to examine our Master Plan in detail for their site and find it to be “the best possible solution” for the usage of the property. Our plans call for a comprehensive early learning center, with state of the art facilities that include features for day and preschool programs and Arts for the Young programs for students up to age eight, as well as training elements for future and current teachers and spaces for community partners and events. At this juncture, the focus of our plan is the current building and its footprint, not the public playground or the Peace Park, which we hope will remain public assets for the neighborhood and the region.
What are the next steps? The District and The Music Settlement will begin meeting in earnest to determine the exact footprint, cost, and timeline for the turnover of control of the property. Meanwhile we will continue to fine tune our programming and partnership plans for the site and open up the dialogue to bring in the many voices who have interest in the future of both The Music Settlement and the Coventry site. We are holding the first of a planned series of community dialogues next month on October 13th. This public event will be held at the Coventry Elementary School site and will start at 6:30pm, and all interested parties are invited to attend and join in the dialogue. I can promise you that there will be regular updates in this column regarding our plans for growth. We are very excited about the value we bring to our community, and with expansion the benefit is much, much greater!
On another note - I want to recognize an amazing, unsung hero at The Music Settlement: Drew Rapp. Drew has been involved with our Early Childhood program since he was three years old, when he started in the day school program. He is now 17 and a veteran member of the counseling staff for our terrific summer camp program, Music Builders, but that is only part of the story. Drew, like many young people today, is very skilled in technology and dabbles in video and publishing – but, unlike many folks, he uses those talents to give freely to others.
For the last couple of summers he has given campers additional gifts of “yearbooks” and DVD’s documenting their camp experience. Drew has provided these cherished mementos at no charge to the camper, and passes on little more than material costs to The Music Settlement. For this year’s new Theatre Arts Camp, for which he also worked as a counselor, he created an end-of-camp “playbill” that made the experience extra thrilling for each participant. I can’t say enough about young people like Drew, who are willing to give so much more than they get to an institution that means a lot to them. Drew and his parents, Ed and Helen, deserve the most heartfelt thanks from us all; they are the reason why The Music Settlement is such a great place to be. Drew and many others like him, before and after, have been tempered by a much more positive fire.
Have a great week!
Charlie
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