|
|
|
|
|
| |
Frequently Asked Questions
| What will be included in the new facilities? |
|---|
| The new facilities include 50,000 square feet of flexible, indoor, two story space under one roof, an acre of additional outdoor space, including a practice and playing field and an outdoor education classroom. |
| Will all of the divisions benefit from the new facilities? |
|---|
The new addition will become the hub of activity from athletics to the arts, from technology to gathering spaces. We will expand our already rich and extensive programs in visual and performing arts, and technology. Children from all levels will utilize the new spaces, which will be designed to meet the changing needs of our students and faculty over time.
Primary students and their families will benefit from a designated theatre space and gathering hall. All Elementary and Middle School students will enjoy greater access to additional indoor and outdoor spaces. The majority of all visual and performing arts and language classes will be held in the new building. The multi-media center will advance the use of technology across divisions by faculty and students alike. |
| Are we still going to use the park? |
|---|
| Yes. We will continue to use the park so that the new field becomes an additive to our general play and sport practices. |
| What are the design goals for the new facilities? |
|---|
- Additional outdoor space for outdoor play, school gatherings, and athletic practices, and an environmental classroom
- Additional indoor space for a dedicated theatre and community gatherings
- New visual and performing arts spaces, language labs, a multi-media center
- Additional classrooms that are aesthetically pleasing, fluid, and flexible but consistent with the design of the existing building
- Making the building as sustainable as possible within budget constraints
|
| What are we doing to ensure that our building is sustainable? |
|---|
- Designed to maximize daylight
- Energy management of heating and air conditioning system
- Occupancy sensors for lighting and separate circuiting
- Oxygen generating tree groves to assist with quality of air
- Increased exterior ventilation through motorized skylights
- Solar power panels will generate all exterior walkway lighting and power requirements for the outdoor education classroom
- Water use reduction with metered sinks, toilets, etc.
- Water efficient landscaping
- Storm water filtered prior to letting into storm drains
- Use of green and recycled building materials
Display boards will educate students about energy use and utilization of recycled products in the completion of the facility.
|
| What is the Outdoor Environmental Classroom? |
|---|
The Turning Point outdoor environmental classroom will enable children to gain an even deeper understanding of the environment, inspiring them to take personal responsibility for its preservation and restoration. Through direct hands-on contact—plants, animals, air, water, soil—students will become curious, learn and appreciate the world that they live in and the impact that humans have had on the environment.
The outdoor environmental classroom will teach our students to use less energy, to use less water, to use more products that come from the recycling bin and to use natural day lighting and solar energy. Students will be greeted by inviting fragrances, striking colors and shapes, interesting areas for explorations and sustainable practices. There will be built in learning opportunities, including a weather station, a sundial and solar panels.
The outdoor environmental classroom also serves as a visual barrier from the street as required by the Culver City Planning Department.
|
| What will the campus be like during construction? |
|---|
As we construct the new facilities, our guiding principles are:
- Making the safety of our students our highest priority.
- Maintaining the quality of our academic and extracurricular programs during the construction period.
The existing wall will remain up as long as possible to provide barrier between construction and the children. |
| Will class sizes remain the same? |
|---|
| The expansion of our facilities will make it possible for us to accommodate more students at the entry levels, and to further grow our middle school, but we will do so by adding additional sections of Levels over the course of several years-not by increasing class size. We are committed to maintaining small classes. |
| Will the school increase enrollment? |
|---|
| Our original Conditional Use Permit allows us to increase enrollment to a maximum of 480. We will do so gradually, so as not to compromise our mission, ethos and culture. |
| What is the total cost of the project? |
|---|
| The projected cost of the project is $15 million. |
| How will the project be financed? |
|---|
| As a result of the generous support to date and unique opportunities brought on by current economic conditions, the Board of Trustees was able to restructure our financing in order to begin construction in September 2009. The plans rely on a combination of prudent fiscal management and, most importantly, a projection of continued generous financial support from our families |
| I cannot afford to make a major fist. When will the broadbase phase of the campaign be launched? |
|---|
| We will launch the broadbase phase of the campaign in the Spring of 2010. Dana Kitaj, a member of the Campaign Committee, is leading this effort. Donors at the $1,000 to $25,000 level will have an opportunity to purchase bricks and tiles the will be located along the Arbor Path joining our existing building with our new building. |
| Who is chairing the campaign? |
|---|
| Jamie Widdoes and Stephen Plum are Co-Chairing the campaign. Jamie is a former Board Chair and father of three alumni—Charlie, Sam and Maggie. Stephen is a current parent and has a son, Avery, at the school. Jamie and Stephen currently serve on the Board of Trustees. Stephen also serves as Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees' Development Committee. |
| What has the Board of Trustees contributed toward the campaign? |
|---|
| One hundred percent of the Board of Trustees has given to the campaign. Board members reflect the socio-economic diversity of the parent body. |
| What will the increase in operating costs be as a result of these new facilities? |
| Based on our current operations, the first four years facilities ran at approximately $4.50 per square feet. As the building reached 5 to 6 years old, the costs per sq ft increased by $1.00. Based on these numbers, the new facilities could run approximately $225,000 annually on the onset. |
| How will the increase in operating costs be covered? |
|---|
| Increased operating costs will be covered by increasing enrollment, continuing to grow the annual giving and through increasing tuition when appropriate. |
| What is the difference between the campaign for Turning Point School and the annual fund? |
The Campaign for Turning Point is an intensive, multi-year fundraising program designed to raise $15 million to build out the long-term leased property on the west side of the campus. Gifts to the Campaign for Turning Point School will be significantly larger than those given to the Annual Fund and will be pledged over three to five years.
A gift to the capital campaign is considered an investment in the future Turning Point and does not replace the need for on-going support for the day-to-day operations provided by the Annual Fund and by special events sponsored by the PSA.
Donors are asked to sustain, and if possible, increase their support to the annual fund during the campaign. Donors who do not believe that they can make a commitment to the annual fund and to the Campaign will be encouraged to sustain their annual support. |
| Are gifts to the school tax deductible? |
| Yes. Turning Point School is a non-profit, charitable corporation. Charitable contributions to the school are fully deductible for federal and California income, gift, and estate tax purposes. Donors are encouraged to consult with their own tax advisors on the deductibility of their gifts.
|
| Is Turning Point School eligible for corporate matching gifts? |
|---|
| Yes. Please check with your company to determine if they match your gift to our school. A list of 600 employers who match gifts to our school is available from the business office. |
| Can I make my gift over a period of time? |
|---|
| Yes. Donors may complete their pledges over a three-year to five year period. |
| Are there naming opportunities? |
|---|
| Yes. There are naming opportunities available to recognize gifts of $75,000 and above. |
| Can I give real estate to the campaign? |
|---|
| Yes. If you are interested in donating a piece of real estate to the campaign, we can sit down with you and your financial advisor to discuss please this vehicle of making a generous gift. The real property must be marketable and be able to be sold in a short period of time. |
| Can I give securities? |
|---|
| Yes. If you are interested in donating stocks, please contact the School’s Business Office to arrange the gift |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
