Dear Families,

The dates of the parent and alumni panels and of the admissions open houses are close to being finalized and will be announced soon. I am also excited to announce the search for the Seattle School Director is well under way. I have begun interviewing candidates, and finalists will soon meet our board committee. 

The director will be spending a great deal of the upcoming year on the campus in Los Angeles integrating into the life and rhythms of the academic and social environment. The new director will also be handling the administrative startup tasks, including the all-important responsibility of developing the pool of amazing teachers.  

If you need anything in the meantime, feel free to contact any of the committee members.

Best,

Carl Sabatino
Head of Schools
Bridges Education Group

Site Committee
As mentioned in previous newsletters, we have identified various types of buildings that could be transformed into a great school environment. While we have narrowed it down to a few sites and see the road ahead, we have not yet made a final decision.

In anticipation of a decision, Bridges has contracted with a local architect to guide us through the requirements, costs, and processes of building out various types of possible spaces for school use. They will be advising us on zoning, conditional use permits, sprinklers, fire-life-safety requirements, and build-out costs to help us get creative and meet our needs. As always, if you have any leads on amazing spaces, contact Peter.Godwin@bridges.edu.
Check out the Summer Issue of Variations2e!
The current issue of Variations2e magazine is now available and free to Bridges Seattle families! This summer 2021 issue examines the relationships amongst culture, ethnicity, and twice-exceptionality, an intersection also known as 3e. While being both gifted and having learning differences poses unique and formidable challenges, cultural factors add additional layers of complexity for students. 

Our primary goal for this issue is to give voice to the scholars and educators whose important contributions and continuing work explore the intersections of race, culture, giftedness, and twice-exceptionality.


Also, the print magazine is available for purchase. Click here for the purchase link.
Attention 2e Writers & Artists
If you're a 2e student (or know someone who is), Variations2e wants to hear your story. We provide a platform for neurodiverse people to share experiences, challenges, victories, perspectives, opinions, and passions. This next issue of our magazine is all about you, by you, and for you!
 
The issue will feature stories from young 2e people and their unique experiences and perspectives of the world, exploring advantages and challenges in the academic world, family life, socialization, gender identity, and career.

We're looking for:
 
  • Personal Narratives/Perspectives — Share your experience being 2e.
  • Journalism — Explore and report on topics related to twice-exceptionality.
  • Essays — Declare your passions about the 2e world.
  • Visual media — Share photos, paintings, or multimedia that capture your experience.
  • Lists/Memes — Have fun with new media.
  • Futurism — Brainstorm ideas to better accommodate the 2e population.
  • Creative writing — Submit prose, poetry, or something in between.

Accepted submissions may be used wholly or in part.

Please feel free to reach out to chris.wiebe@bridges.edu with any questions you have. For specific writing prompts, target word counts, and other submission guidelines, please visit our submission page on 2enews.com.
Admissions
Open Houses and Enrollment Plans
The dates for the fall admissions grade meetings will be announced in early August. Meetings will be held by division (Grades 4-6, 7-8, and 9-12) so that we can go more into depth. At the moment we are planning both Zoom and in-person meetings in Seattle. Watch this space and future emails for more information.

There might have been a bit of a miscommunication with regard to our opening enrollment plans. The number of 30 students was mentioned in different contexts. However, that number was meant as a minimum for various planning scenarios, not as a goal. In fact, we are all very clear about the need for a 2e school and excited by the enthusiasm in the Seattle area for Bridges. We anticipate creating an initial school community larger than 30 students.  

As we finalize space and explore the availability of faculty, we will have a better idea of the enrollment that we can accommodate. Our model requires sufficient enrollment for dynamic social interactions and peer-to-peer intellectual stimulation, but also smaller class sizes and a unique set of teachers. Significant attention to parent education is equally important. We have found our program is most successful for the students when the school’s educational philosophy and priorities align with those of our parents.
Meet the Team
Many of you have heard of Bridges Academy High School Online and are aware that the Seattle on-site high school program will include some online elements. The online team of Chris Wiebe and David Wildkress will be working closely with the on-site teachers and director to create an amazing educational program. In addition to their work in twice-exceptional education, both Chris and David have extensive backgrounds and experience in educational technology and are excited about the Seattle high school experience.
Chris Wiebe, Ed.D. spent several years as the high school division director at Bridges Academy before moving into the role of assistant head of school and director of coordinated programs for the Bridges Education Group. In this multifaceted role, he manages 2eNews.com and Variations2e magazine, as well as steers the Bridges 2e Center for Research and Professional Development. Chris is also closely involved with program development for Bridges Seattle as well as Bridges Academy Online, which launches its inaugural cohort this fall.

In addition to his work in twice-exceptional education, Chris's professional experience also reaches into educational technology policy and implementation. His doctoral dissertation focused on the role of educational technology in the classroom, he spearheaded development of the Bridges Academy Online High School, and, with a co-author, wrote a chapter about institutional programming for twice-exceptional students, which was published by Oxford University Press.

Chris is looking forward to spending time in Seattle working with on-site and online staff to integrate curriculum. He will also be spearheading the residency program for Seattle students to spend time in Los Angeles.
David Wildkress holds a master’s degree in education and a certificate in educational therapy. With more than 16 years of experience in education, David joined Bridges Academy in 2013 as a learning specialist, first working one-on-one with students before advancing into a role as director of student support and program development. In this capacity, he collaborates with teachers to enhance their ability to support students’ complex learning profiles in the classroom. Toward this end, he leverages educational technology to innovate learning and instruction, as both supportive and generative tools. He also deploys the power of technology to bolster faculty collaboration in their alignment of learning profiles and curriculum across all academic subjects. 

David is also a driving force behind the development and implementation of the Young Expert Program, which has seen students through hundreds of interest-based projects and minted 10 Young Experts since 2016. David became the Bridges high school director in June 2020.

As director of the Studio City-based high school, David will collaborate closely with Chris to manage the hybridized Seattle-based high school program.
Directory
Head of Schools
Director of Admissions
Assistant Head, Director Bridges H.S. Online
Seattle Parent Coordinator
Site Committee Chair
Admissions Liaison