Tolt Middle School ~ Riverview School District ~ Community Exegesis

By Ann K. Gilcrease

Upon first glance, the community that comprises Tolt Middle School looks vast.
When you get closer, however, you see that it is quite spread out and that there are
pocket communities that filter down into the classroom. This exegesis takes a look
at three regions within the district boundaries. As Tolt is the sole Middle School for
the entirety of Riverview School District, it is important to see the variation within
the borders to best understand how they might converge in the microcosm of the
school.
As I explored the three sectors that make up Riverview School District, I noticed that
there was quite a disparity between the rural and the urban profiles. They both
have a combination of new and old construction, with the majority of newer
business gravitating towards the downtown of both Carnation and Duvall. On the
other hand, they both have a large farming community that feeds their markets and
groceries, with an ever-present migrant community. All three areas appear well
taken-care of, and although there are small pockets of ramshackled homes, they
are the exception, not the rule.
There is a large white population in town, and a relatively large Lainx population.
There are small pockets of African, Indian, and Asian populations, but they make up
a very small percentage of the local populations even though they are growing.
With regards to the needs of the community, I noticed a need for more diversity in
the leadership positions in the Snoqualmie Valley Board of Directors and local
Mayoral and City Council delegates. There is almost no representation for the Latinx
community, and they have lived and worked in the area as long as the white
population. There is also a need for more diversity in religious institutions, as
Christianity is the only one represented currently. This would help ensure that all
voices are at the table when essential decisions are being made regarding those
communities as they continue to grow in the communities.
Luckily, Tolt is in town, and that means we are close to a lot of local leadership. We
could reach out to have the mayor, or other community leaders, talk to the teachers
about potential partnerships for community services that we could provide. We
could use the park to expand the students understanding of what the classroom
experience could be like within the context of field studies, poetic hikes or survival
studies. We could look for local issues that are dividing communities and see if we
can solve them as a societal study and then use the results that provided the most
promise as a tool for the community to enhance communication and collaboration in
the real world.
I think something that really stood out to me was the location of some of the
religious institutions. As the daughter of a pastor, I was always very aware that the
church and the state should be separate. That never excused us from not bringing
all of our skills and connections to the community to lift it up, but we should never
proselytize. Coming from the UCC tradition, I was surprised by how close it was to
Carnation Elementary School. It was right across the street! That really sparked my
curiosity about how the church and school relationship manifests itself.
Therefore, the first community leader I would like to meet would be the pastor of
the UCC Congregational church in Carnation. I would like to see what connections
they had already made with the community, as well as potential areas for growth
they had identified. Oftentimes, an involved church leader can point you in
directions you previously wouldn’t have thought to go, and towards people who
would never have stood out initially as essential to sparking positive change. I can
see a lot of potential in both Carnation and Duvall for making community
connections, and it is exciting that my journey will begin in their shared middle
school.