Donald Holmes Gest

May 14, 2010

Ms. Julie Beers Via Email

Principal
The International School
3000 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44115

Re: International School Prospective Parent Questions & Observations

Julie:

Thank you indeed for your time today at On the Rise to learn about the International School and
the potential fit for our five year old Son, Collin.

Further to our conversation, I believe that the International School is fundamental to the vitality
of Cleveland and its ability to be a 21st Century City for all citizens…making your job one of the
most important jobs in Cleveland.

Moreover, I strongly believe that the International School cannot be successful without (a)
investments in the current building that establish the bar for the new building while ensuring a
world-class learning environment for the students of the NOW; (b) using world-class public and
private schools throughout the country as the role model for the International School; (c) actively
integrating the amazing, world-renowned assets of Cleveland into the curriculum and learning
environment as done successfully in other parts of the country; and (d) the active financial
support of the NGO and private sector thru restricted funds to improve the current building and
ensure professional development of the highest mark.

The International School will be located in the United Methodist Church Building for a minimum
of two years and perhaps as long as four-to-five years. Two years will be required to raise the
$22 million or more for the new building. Site selection and design may take another year,
followed by a minimum of one year for construction and commissioning of the new building to
ensure that all systems are operating in accordance with the design intent and all standards,
particularly if the building is to be LEED-certified. For example, CWRU recently announced a
$20 million gift to build a new student center on a designated site overlooking Wade Lagoon.
The building is not anticipated to be ready for occupancy until the end of 2012 or later.

The existing building will serve no less than three purposes. First, the building will provide the
learning, playing and socialization environment for students, teachers and parents. Second, the
building will provide the ability to showcase the commitment of all parties to the project while
also providing valuable opportunities to experiment with different design decisions over the next
several years. Third, the building will be the “proof of concept” for potential students, parents
and “investors” in the school’s leadership, vision and sustainable future.

Collin, our oldest Son, begins Kindergarten in the 2010-2011 academic year. We believe it’s
important for Collin to enjoy a learning, play and socialization environment equal to US, Ruffing
or Shaker Heights. Each school has varying resources but the common baseline for each school,
public or private, is easy to identify and share with you:

1589 East 118 Street – Cleveland, OH 44106 – dgest@doanbrook.com – (216) 650-6211

 Donald Holmes Gest

Ms. Julie Beers

May 14, 2010
Page 2 of 4

1) Clean, well lit classrooms that are well stocked with books, toys and learning
tools.
2) The opportunity to wash hands when arriving for school, using the bathroom,
before meal time and after any outdoor play.
3) Cubbies, shelves and storage areas for spare clothes, heavy weather gear and
school projects to store for show-and-tell or take home.
4) Outdoor play area with a large variety of activities for group and quiet play.
5) Indoor play area(s) with a large variety of activities for group and quiet play.
6) Special classrooms specific to art, science, music, reading, theater and special
learning opportunities.
7) Bulletin board and/or folders for parents to receive flyers about school activities,
special events, permission slips and so forth.
8) Meal preparation and eating area that’s specific to early childhood students and
clean or cleaner than our own kitchen.
9) Common areas that are clean, well lit and well supervised decorated with student
art, local art and the occasional bench or small sitting area.
10) Landscaped areas, lights and other design features that convey a sense of safety,
security and community.

We believe it’s a mistake if the School and its supporters do not make the level of investment
that’s required for the School to serve as the permanent home for the first several classes of
students, teachers and parents. I cannot overemphasize how important it is that Collin attends a
school that is a school for the now, where the facilities are as current as possible and his
experience is not limited by the promise of better to come for future students. For example, the
United Methodist Church playground can benefit from a complete renovation, particularly if the
equipment is thoughtfully chosen to meet the needs of an urban location, while also providing the
flexibility to be moved and used at a future location.

The burden will be on the Design Team to identify best practices and role models in the country
for schools that have used temporary facilities before or during the construction of new facilities.
For example, several schools come to mind: Piedmont Public Schools in San Francisco, CA;
Ruffing Montessori in Cleveland Heights, OH; University School in San Francisco, CA; Wheeler
School in Providence, RI. Each of the schools provides you with the additional example of how
to best use shared facilities and minimize sunk costs.

Piedmont Public Schools use common, centralized facilities for a variety of classes and ages.
University School shares facilities with the San Francisco Parks Commission, the DeYoung
Museum and others. Ruffing Montessori recently completed a complete, sustainable design
upgrade of its entire campus without disruption to classes or enrollment, while also sharing
athletic facilities with Beaumont School. Wheeler School shares facilities with Brown University
and other organizations within Providence. University School and Wheeler School also provide
examples of reusing old buildings while minimizing any unnecessary sunk costs. The urban
playground and parks at Wheeler School are amongst the best in the country, including the ability

1589 East 118 Street – Cleveland, OH 44106 – dgest@doanbrook.com – (216) 650-6211

 Donald Holmes Gest

for the playground to be moved and expanded, while a neighboring green area and outdoor
basketball court has won several awards for green design.

Ms. Julie Beers

May 14, 2010
Page 3 of 4

The Atlanta International School may also consideration by your team. The school is considered
to be amongst the best in Atlanta. Moreover, the school has proven a large draw for Asian and
Central African immigrants. I’m not familiar with the school’s physical plant. I’m also not
familiar with the partnerships that the school has established with The High Museum or other
cultural, medical or higher education resources such as Emory University. The University School
in San Francisco and its feeder schools appears to lead the charge in this area, particularly the 100
Journals Project, a collaboration between UCSF Children’s Hospital, 1001 Journals Project,
University School, Urban School, Wallenberg School and the San Francisco Arts Commission.

The Cleveland International School enjoys many of the same underlying resources as San
Francisco, Boston, Chicago and other urban cities. I believe it’s critical for your team to consider
reaching out to the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Cleveland Botanical Gardens, the Cuyahoga
Valley National Park and other community assets that can leverage existing programs within their
respective organizations to establish “low hanging fruit” collaborative learning experiences to
advance the IB Curriculum while also reinforcing the importance of the school to Cleveland and
its socioeconomic relevance in the 21st Century. For example, a very easy first step might be to
work with CMA to identity pieces of art in its collection that are relevant to the International
School mission and curriculum. CWRU worked with CMA to identify seven art works that were
representative of the international student body at CWRU. CWRU then centered the design of
seven dormitory lobbies upon a respective work of art. Further to our conversation, I have
already sent an email to the person responsible for the dormitories to arrange a tour for you. The
list is endless and I believe that a minimum of ten opportunities exist that can be implemented
before the new school year.

Corporate sponsorships may be another opportunity for you to explore. For example, Eaton,
NACCO and several other large companies in Cleveland enjoy extensive operations in China,
both manufacturing and distribution. Sandy Cutler and Al Rankin may do back flips when given
the opportunity to participate and perhaps “adopt” a classroom or common area at a school that’s
focused on Mandarin and the global experience. Chris Connor may be another business leader to
bear in mind, especially if there’s a focus on sustainable design and the need for interior and
exterior paints or painting supplies. Of course, all of these people are sophisticated business and
philanthropic leaders that may want to be ensured that any investment by their companies will be
used as effectively and efficiently as possible. They may want to make restricted gifts where the
monies can only be used for the International School and only for direct costs, not overhead.

Student food and service is another important consideration. We have been told that the quality
of the food in the Cleveland Public Schools is not on par with Shaker Public Schools, and
certainly not on par with Ruffing Montessori or University School. Perhaps the opportunity
exists for you to work with the Ohio State Extension, Old Trail School, Alice Waters and others
to create an urban garden or CSA service that provides food specifically to the International
School at the same or lower cost basis as the existing CMSD schools. A roof top garden may be
a great opportunity, too. The Chicago Public Schools recently went to bid to improve their foods

1589 East 118 Street – Cleveland, OH 44106 – dgest@doanbrook.com – (216) 650-6211

 Donald Holmes Gest

while lowering their costs basis. I believe they achieved their goal. It might provide you with the
opportunity to test a different food delivery model for CMSD and provide the proof of concept of
Ms. Julie Beers
May 14, 2010
Page 4 of 4

reducing costs while improving quality. It provides the additional benefit of tying into several
on-going initiatives sponsored by The Cleveland Foundation and the City of Cleveland. And I
assure you that we do not want our Son to eat less well at school than he does at home, while
recognizing that there are many students that eat better at school than they do at home. We take
Collin’s diet and eating habits very seriously. A sound body is a sound mind…taking me back to
our uncompromising interest in being assured that the indoor and outdoor play areas are safe,
secure and second to none relative to inspiring health, curiosity and socialization.

Finally, we spoke today about engaging the diverse Family and student population at the Clinic,
UH and other leading institutions in Cleveland. I have always been led to believe that the rental
apartments near Shaker Square, particularly north of the square, have a large foreign national
population who send their children to the Shaker Public Schools. The Confucius Institute and
other organizations may be able to help you access the diversity of Families living in Cleveland at
the top of Fairhill Boulevard. And I’m confident that there are many other organizations and City
Councilpeople that may have additional thoughts on ensuring the socioeconomic and racial
diversity of The Cleveland International School.

Thank you again for your time today. We look forward to learning more about your work and the
opportunity for the International School to be a realistic option for Collin, provided that your
team agrees the Collin and our Family are a fit for the school.

Sincerely yours,

Donald H. Gest
Ward 8 Resident

1589 East 118 Street – Cleveland, OH 44106 – dgest@doanbrook.com – (216) 650-6211