This fall Jing Mei Elementary School welcomed students to the school’s new location in the Newport Hills neighborhood of Bellevue.
The newly renovated campus was formerly home to Newport Heights Elementary and features enhanced classrooms along with other spaces that support collaborative learning.
Jing Mei teacher Chen-Ju Chen said that the structure of the campus allows students to be grouped by grade levels and fosters community and teamwork.
“I am looking forward to the open spaces and making my classroom my own,” Chen said.
The new site for the school was redesigned and remodeled specifically with the Jing Mei community in mind.
“The additional bonus of this new campus is being able to put our school’s unique character into the architecture and design of the buildings, combining Eastern and Western architectural environments,” Jing Mei teacher Julie Jarvis said.
Each building on the campus is themed to a different one of the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.
“I love how this campus reflects the beauty of the Chinese culture,” Jarvis said.
The move to the new site was celebrated with a grand opening ceremony at the school on Sept. 25.
“We are thrilled as a school district to have this new site for Jing Mei Elementary School,” said Superintendent Tim Mills at the ceremony. “We look forward to seeing this school continue to grow and thrive.”
Other remarks were made by School Board member My-Linh Thai, Principal Vivian Tam, Facility Director Jack McLeod, PTSA President Jennifer Yen, teachers, and students.
“I am so happy to see this gym full of people,” Thai said. “Welcome to this brand new facility!”
The voices of students, parents, teachers, and community members filled the gym with a singing of “When We Are All Together” in both Chinese and English.
当我们同在一起，在一起，在一起,
当我们同在一起，其快乐无比。
你对着我笑嘻嘻，
我对着你笑哈哈，
当我们同在一起，其快乐无比.
When we are all together, together, together
When we are all together, so happy are we
You look at me, you’re smiling
I look at you, I’m laughing
When we are all together, so happy are we
“It has been great to take the vision that people had and make it a reality,” McLeod said.
The ceremony concluded with a ribbon cutting ceremony in which students as well as members of school and district leadership cut the ribbon together, marking the exciting next phase of learning and growth for Jing Mei.
