History

Pine Run Elementary School > About Pine Run > History

The History of Pine Run
The Plan: In the late 1960's the Central Bucks Joint Building Authority approved the building of the sixty thousand square foot facility on sixteen acres of land that was bordered to the west by a branch of the Neshaminy called Pine Run Creek. The facility would take its name from the Pine Run Creek, and it opened on schedule in September of 1971. The architects Stephen B. Hazzard and Richard Warmkessel consulted with then Superintendent Dr. H. Ronald Huber, Assistant Superintendent Dr. William Hingston and Principal Carolyn Klein to design a unique building that incorporated the physical concept of open space and a philosophy of education that was committed to the future. This was the beginning of Pine Run Elementary School.	Pine Run 1971

The architects called it "open space." The educators called it "open education. " Both terms soon became buzzwords in the community In 1971 Pine Run Elementary opened its doors with a clear determination to combine the best of both worlds. This "open school" would blend both the architectural and educational concepts of "classrooms without walls." The idea then and now is to allow students more freedom of movement, more choices and more opportunities to work in small groups, as well as to promote more collaboration among students and staff. The traditional "egg crate" classroom focusing on one teacher isolated with twenty - thirty students gave way to an innovative design featuring a forward thinking educational philosophy. Classrooms without walls and an open philosophy to education continued to evolve and flourish.	Mr. Casey's class 1972

The Design: ....excerpt from "Open House" program April 30, 1972: A bird's eye view would find the physical plant of the school shaped like a "plus sign." Four areas of the school radiate from the center of the "plus sign." That center is the "hub of the school"… the library. This library/media area is called the Instructional Resource Center and is strategically located to literally and figuratively stand at the heart of the school's educational program. This vital area is accessible from all the "Instructional Centers" in the school and is connected to a courtyard which is used as an outdoor classroom. The children receive instruction in three learning centers called "houses"… a take off on the popular British Primary system of education. These houses physically make up three sides of the plus sign. Primary House is home to first and second grade students. Middle House is the learning area for grades three and four. Intermediate House is the instruction area for grades five and six. The learning areas of the houses are open with no wall dividers. Areas of different sizes are created by movable furniture. These areas centered around an LGI (Large Group Instruction) area which is enclosed by movable partitions. Each house has direct and unimpeded access to the library and media resource center as well as to the outside of the building. A "wet area" is located in the center of each individual house to serve as space for activities involving "wet medium." All of the houses are carpeted with heavy duty indoor-outdoor carpet. A teacher's workroom is located at the far end of each house to be utilized as a teacher's office and quiet reading and/or work area for the children. The lower part of the "plus sign" design is home to the gymnasium, music platform, cafeteria, special education facilities, kindergarten areas, administrative offices and maintenance.	Aerial View 1971 Staff 1972

The Philosophy: ....excerpts from the dedication address May 15, 1972: Basically, the educational program will rest on the premise that "a child is a child, questing to be himself, an individual, in the society of man." Each child is to be respected as a person unique in himself. The child's instructional program is to be adjusted to meet the child's rate of growth, ability to work, particular interests, personality, and other personal characteristics. To achieve this "individualization," the curriculum, physical design, and faculty are to be very flexible. Each teacher will be dedicated to utilizing the flexibility within the school program to guide each child's educational and social growth in a direction that will be stimulating, enriching and self-gratifying to the child. The abilities of decision-making, independent work, social communication and interaction, and research skills will be integrated into each child's course of study. Pine Run School will strive to create an environment for learning that will enable its students to successfully function and at the same time be happy in our "fast paced and ever-changing world."	1979

The Program: Carolyn Klein was Pine Run's first principal and the school grew under her leadership from 1971 to 1978. During these early years, Pine Run was dedicated to educating its children through the concept of informal education. The staff formed a professional relationship with a group of British educators who visited the school several times over the course of two years. Their philosophy was based on children having the ability and the right to make responsible decisions concerning their own learning including selection of materials and activities. It didn't take the Pine Run staff long to implement the ideas that made educational sense to them. One was that when a child is learning something important to him, he will often collaborate and share his experience with others. Soon student and teacher designed learning centers were in every hallway and classroom. Subjects were integrated and students found that there was a connection between science and math...and math and social studies, etc. Integration of subjects and thematic learning were key elements of the program. The use of projects and manipulative materials became an integral part of the learning process. The concept of cross grading was implemented to enable children of several ages to work, share and assist each other in academic and social activities. School-wide thematic units were designed to facilitate exploration of broader topics by various age levels. An open-library policy was implemented to allow children unrestricted access to the library. Research and reference skills were acquired through teacher/student designed research projects. VIP lectures were part of the library experience. Mini-courses were designed around curriculum and students had a choice of selecting ones that interested them. Believing that student self-confidence was essential to student success, the program emphasized the student's role in making choices that affected his/her learning.	School Store 1991 Walkway Entrance 2006

Recent Events: In the year 2000, plans were underway for major renovations to the library. Still the "heart" of the school, the library underwent changes that brightened and opened the space, with new carpet, shelving, ceiling, furniture and a new design that allowed technology to fully integrate into the library and learning programs. In 2005 a committee of teachers, administrators and district facilities personnel met with an architect to begin planning for renovation of each of the houses. The committee was determined to keep the philosophy of open space while integrating the need for wiring that would allow Pine Run to fully embrace new technologies and opportunities for student learning. The "new" design incorporated the LGI (Large Group Instruction) and "wet areas" with updated classroom areas, additional classroom storage, and new technologies.	The Library 2005