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Post by southsidesignmaker on Oct 27, 2008 17:27:27 GMT -5
Gatordog, Excellent post. Thanks for sharing a part of the past that newcomers (like myself) were not aware of.
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Post by WeNeed3 on Oct 27, 2008 19:46:48 GMT -5
I think many of us do have empathy. There just seems to be so much to complain about over on the blue board and its very negative over there. Sometimes when I read it, I get frustrated and bring my frustrations over here since I don't post over there. What I was trying to do with the 4 months construction time frame is to look on the bright side and state that things could be worse....we could be looking at three years of construction like Central. Apparently my trying to be positive doesn't meet with much enthusiasm either. It seems like if you "got what you want" no one wants to hear anything from you.
IMO this board has been very proactive in trying to take someone's complaints and "run with them". We tried to re-examine boundaries, and we empathized with those that were not getting transition information. We even discussed the people that want exceptions made so they can stay at their current school. The problem is that after some discussion, a lot of what we say ends up agreeing with what the school board has already put in place. So that automatically gets labeled "sit down and shut up" when it really means we as a board don't think there is a much better solution out there than the current one. Doesn't mean we don't empathize. And yes, most of us here are looking forward to the future, but it seems like when we are happy, we are forced to feel guilty about it.
I understand that everyone heals differently. I have met many people from affected areas that don't think the world has come to an end. They are trying to make the most out of the situation. So this gives me hope.
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Post by southsidesignmaker on Oct 27, 2008 20:33:09 GMT -5
WeNeed3,
Sometimes I get the sinking feeling that when I post on both boards I unintentionally "strike a lot of nerves". Most of the time this is not intended to be directed at anyone rather viewed in a general way. The reason to bring up the term Empathy was not to aggravate anyone on this board or favor anyone blue.
My personal opinion is that I am happy that our district will finally be able to address the overcrowding at the high school level. Weneed3 I am with you when it comes to stating all the good that MVHS will bring. At the same time I want to point out that there will be many families that will be making significant adjustments for the benefit of the whole district.
These adjustments that some will make, (ie: higher travel times, adjusting to a different high school, etc) will benefit my family directly as my child who will not change schools will enjoy a less crowded high school.
Maybe bringing up the word empathy was not a correct choice. A more accurate statement would be: Thank you to the families that are going to change schools and keep our district moving forward with the best education possible. I appreciate your sacrifice so that all kids can have the best education available. Rather than use the term empathy maybe the idea of acknowledging the situation at hand, is a better way of explaining it.
Weneed3 the idea of "you got what you want" is probably not directed at you personally, rather it may be the anger and disappointment some may feel with the situation at hand. Sometimes I have found that rather than "trying to explain the benefits of a situation" it is better to listen to the concerns, while at the same time realizing there may be little, one person can do. After the point is made, many times a simple " I see your point" is all that can be said. But with acknowledgment comes healing sometimes on both sides of the fence.
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Post by momto4 on Oct 27, 2008 20:42:57 GMT -5
southsidesignmaker,
I appreciate your thoughts and I really believe that most of us here have done all these things over and over for a long period of time and there is nothing more we can do to help with the healing or moving forward.
I am coming from this as one who will have one child at WVHS in its most crowded year of the decade, and another child starting at the new HS on opening day (who had always planned on attending WV).
I think the healing will not come until sometime after next school year starts. Until then there are likely some hoping to force some change that will impact themselves and/or their neighbors, and others hoping such a change will not happen.
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Post by eb204 on Oct 27, 2008 21:51:53 GMT -5
I have tried to be empathetic, but there comes a time when misery doesn't just want company - they want to suck the life right out of you.
I'm from an area that if MVHS had been built at BB, my kids could have walked. We already have the longest commute to ES, with over 8 schools much closer to us. My overwhelming concern when BB was off the table was that there might not be a 3rd HS at all. Then came the hopes of the MidWest Gen land and then that was dashed with the lawsuit by 9 individuals that I feel were only looking out for themselves, not the district. Then when the church sold the SD the land, there was hope again. For me and my family, it has always been about relieving the overcrowding and gaining a 3rd HS, wherever its location. Now that the HS is being built at Eola, and our area was assigned to MVHS, we will once again have one of the longest commutes. However, I'm OK with that, as it means many of our kids won't be in overcrowded schools and eating lunch at 9:30 in the morning.
There are many of us that have been through an emotional roller coaster even if "we got what we wanted". I'd much rather have gotten the school at BB, so I'm not one of those that really "got what they wanted" in the terms of location. However, I did "get what I wanted" in terms of how I voted for a 3rd HS.
So, it's hard to continue to be empathetic anymore when there are those that discount others' sacrifices as well. My area has had to move ES's at least 3 times in the last 10 years, eachtime a little further away, but I've not heard a lot of complaining. Now that we are going to endure another commute to a HS that we thought we'd be walking to, again, I don't hear a lot of complaints from our area, but do hear much excitement despite our dissappointment in not having the HS practically in our backyards.
Negativity breeds more negativity and that is why I don't even like to hear/see what is discussed on blue much anymore. Im sure many of us can predict what will be said, and by whom, because it's the same story. Some of us are moving on and yet, we realize it will be more difficult for some to move at the same pace. But that's no reason for us to be dragged down as well. I'm happy that the HS is being built and that it will be a reality. There as a time when that was being threatened to be taken away (build at BB or not at all - remember that?), so I'm very happy right now, but not because of anyone else's dissappointment.
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Post by southsidesignmaker on Oct 27, 2008 23:02:45 GMT -5
eb204, I appreciate your post.
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Post by WeNeed3 on Oct 27, 2008 23:07:22 GMT -5
SSSM,
You have a great attitude and I do enjoy reading your posts both here and on blue. I wish when I write things, it would have the same effect as when you write things as you do seem very empathetic.
You hit the nail on the head with my frustrations. I would like to change things so everyone is happy, but that is just impossible. There really is little one can do about many of these people's situations. And this situation has been going on for years so everyone is very emotional about it. Hence the frustrations and maybe the verbage which some read as "let's move on." Perhaps a simple "I see your point" would be more beneficial. I don't know if that would end the negativity or not.
I agree a big thank you is in order to the people that have to move or make any kind of a sacrifice. No one said it would be easy and I hope that eventually, they will see the benefits of three high schools.
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Post by WeNeed3 on Nov 9, 2008 21:37:20 GMT -5
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Post by WeNeed3 on Nov 15, 2008 19:39:27 GMT -5
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Post by rj on Nov 16, 2008 1:20:40 GMT -5
What would you rather see, the stone in the parking lot? How about the water main in the trench? Or some steel beams being set? There isn't much to look at if you are wanting finished product, so I guess the library HVAC ducts will have to do. Besides, without them the kids feet would get cold in the winter.
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Post by WeNeed3 on Nov 16, 2008 10:13:13 GMT -5
Well, when you live in the south and don't drive up there alot, I would rather see some far away pics like the last one to give me a better idea of how far they've come. Maybe they could have raised the camera up a couple of feet to have shown an inside picture of the beams and the second floor instead of a bunch of ducts on the floor. It's hard to capture things in pictures and they don't even do justice to the real thing but pictures with a lot of information in them help those of us that don't drive by it every day.
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Post by eb204 on Dec 16, 2008 19:07:45 GMT -5
We drove by the school (yes, it's starting to look like a high school now!) this weekend and were surprised to see another part of the building up. Is that the gymnasium?? A lot of progress has been made. It's quite impressive! My kids were very excited.
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Post by warriorpride on Dec 16, 2008 20:02:24 GMT -5
We drove by the school (yes, it's starting to look like a high school now!) this weekend and were surprised to see another part of the building up. Is that the gymnasium?? A lot of progress has been made. It's quite impressive! My kids were very excited. As you look at it from Eola, the frontmost section is the Auditorium and music practice rooms. The most recent construction update (http://www.ipsd.org/Uploads/news_21094_3.pdf ) contains a clear layout
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Post by WeNeed3 on Jan 9, 2009 20:37:37 GMT -5
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Post by title1parent on Jan 11, 2009 8:11:10 GMT -5
www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/1371618,na11_metea_s1.article Burglars sack Metea Valley site againJanuary 10, 2009 By BILL BIRD wbird@scn1.com For the second time in four months, burglars have plundered the site where Metea Valley High School is being built in Aurora, this time making off with more than $40,000 worth of tools. Employees of three companies doing work at the school reported having their tool storage areas broken into sometime between 4 p.m. Thursday and 5:30 a.m. Friday, said Dan Ferrelli, the Aurora Police Department’s media relations director. They told police dozens of tools with a total estimated value in excess of $40,000 were stolen during that timeframe, Ferrelli said. The school is being built at 1801 N. Eola Road, near the intersection of Molitor and Eola roads. It is scheduled to open this fall. Ferrelli said police are continuing to investigate the burglary. He asked witnesses or others who believe they have information about the case to call the police investigations division at 630-801-6655, or Aurora Area Crime Stoppers at 630-892-1000. Crime Stoppers offers rewards of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrests and convictions of suspected criminals. The construction site was also targeted by burglars and vandals during the late night to early morning hours of Sept. 15 and 16. The intruders severed a padlock and cut through part of a security fence before stealing two welders and a quantity of copper piping, police said in September. Two construction trucks were also damaged during the break-in. Police estimated the total damage and property loss in that case at $9,900. The 460,000-square-foot school will accommodate 3,000 Indian Prairie School District 204 students upon completion.
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