March 18, 2020
Message to current and incoming students
Thank you all so much for your understanding and patience as we work to address the rapidly changing conditions and challenges in these unprecedented times. We realize that these changes and developments have raised many questions and concerns.
For students, we understand how disruptive this experience is and that you have many questions regarding everything from your academic progress and financial aid to your living situations. Please know that our faculty and staff are working around the clock to prepare for your return to the Boat School – in whatever evolving form that experience takes – and that your education and community experience is our paramount concern.
We can offer a few answers to some of questions we’ve been asked:
Can I pick up mail during the school closure?
Yes. We have designated Mondays between 10am – 12pm as a time that students may come in to collect mail. We encourage you to use the online form from the USPS to set up mail forwarding if this does not work for you. Visit www.usps.com/manage/forward for more details.
When is spring quarter
tuition due?
We want to offer flexibility during this time. Therefore spring quarter tuition payments are not due until Monday, April 20th, based on a start date of Monday, April 27th. If the start date changes, we will adjust the tuition due date. We will send out a reminder before the tuition is due.
What does the proposed
school calendar look like if classes resume on Monday, April 27th?
Please click this LINK for the updated school calendar – assuming classes resume on Monday, April 27th. Below are some bullets to help you navigate the calendar.
- The grey-shaded area shows the current NWSWB closure due to the state closure order from Governor Inslee.
- In-service days originally scheduled for these Fridays: April 17, May 8, June 12, July 24, and August 14 will be regular class days.
- The originally scheduled 2-week summer break will be amended to a 1-week summer break. The new summer break dates would be June 29 – July 3, with classes resuming July 6th.
- Four-day holiday weekends for Labor Day and Memorial Day will not change.
- The 4th quarter will be extended by one week. Therefore the graduation date will be on Friday, September 25th.
This information, as well as all our messaging about the current situation, can be found on the school’s website at www.nwswb.edu/news.
I continue to be uplifted by the essential kindnesses I see happening in our community. So much goodness is rooted in the extraordinary abilities and dedication that our community is bringing to this endeavor. Thank you all and keep taking care of each other.
Best,
Heidi
Heidi Blehm
Admissions and Student Services Manager
Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding
(360) 385-4948 ext. 305
heidi.blehm@nwswb.edu
March 18, 2020
Update to our community
Dear Boat School Community,
On March 17th, following the directive of Washington State Governor Jay Inslee, the school has closed until at least April 27th. During the closure staff members are “re-tooling” how we stay in touch with current and incoming students, how we work collaboratively while social distancing and working remotely, and how we continue to build our curriculum and campus within the context of uncertainty. We are prepared to re-open April 27th if the Governor declares that it is safe to do so.
The school campus is now closed to students and visitors. We are not offering individual tours at this time and have cancelled our First Friday public tours until the Governor has determined the school can re-open (although we do invite visitors to explore the school’s website at www.nwswb.edu or on the social media accounts listed below). Administrative staff are working in isolated offices or remotely and instructors are working in individual shops or remotely. To follow our progress navigating these waters you can find current information at www.nwswb.edu/news.
And yet… we are extremely focused on ensuring a strong start right out of the gate when the school’s doors are allowed to re-open. The skill sets and confidence that students develop as they learn trades at the Boat School are timeless in value and may become even more valuable for people trying to navigate the uncertain future that lies ahead. We are still actively accepting and reviewing applications for programs beginning in October.
Thank you all for your interest and support of the Boat School during these uncertain times. We *know* that the timeless education established almost 40 years ago with the intention of preserving craftsmanship and hands-on skills is as vital today as it was then, and will serve a uniquely important role as the world re-builds after all the changes we’re currently facing.
Sincerely,
Betsy
Betsy Davis
Executive Director
Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding
(360) 385-4948
betsy@nwswb.edu
March 13, 2020
NWSWB Temporary Closure
Governor Inslee is closing all K-12 Schools in Washington State, effective March 17th through at least April 24th. He is also restricting activities at colleges and universities so that there will be no in-person courses through that date. Here’s the article in the Seattle Times describing this:
The Boat School will be following the Governor’ directive. Here’s what we know so far:
- The Boat School will be open Monday, March 16th as a day of transition.
- All staff and students will meet at 9am in the lower waterfront classroom.
- After the meeting, everyone will work to clean and prepare shops for a long-term closure. For students, this will include removing all your tools, materials, boats, and other belongings from campus by end of day Monday.
- This closure includes all NWSWB Courses, including all workshops.
As a result of this closure, we understand there will be many questions and concerns. We will be fielding those questions on Monday morning in an effort to set up clear communication channels moving forward.
Sean & Betsy
Sean Koomen
Chief Instructor
415-306-3119
sean@nwswb.edu
March 12, 2020
Delayed Spring Marine Systems Program start
Today, Washington’s Governor Jay Inslee announced a closure of all K-12 Schools in Washington State effective March 17th through at least April 24th. He has also restricted activities at colleges and universities, therefore there will be no in-person courses through that date. Here is a link to the article in the Seattle Times describing this:
As a result, the in-person start date of our new Marine Systems program has been delayed to April 27, 2020.
We at the school are still excited to begin the new session, and our lead instructor Kevin Ritz has already identified ways he’s going to take advantage of time during the closure to enhance the curriculum. While this is a “first” for all of us, Boat School staff is committed to keeping in touch with each of you individually over this time. We’re also identifying any “pre-reading” or other information we can send your direction ahead of the in-person start date.
We are committed to supporting all the individuals in our Boat School community, which you are part of. We intend to bring flexibility, support and clear communication as we all navigate these challenging times together.
Have a safe weekend and we’ll send you more information early next week.
Sincerely,
Betsy
Betsy Davis
Executive Director
(360) 385-4948
betsy@nwswb.edu
www.nwswb.edu
March 12, 2020
Message to incoming Marine Systems students around COVID-19
We are look forward to welcoming you to the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding for the upcoming 6-month Marine Systems program. I am reaching out to share an update on the school’s response to the evolving COVID-19 (coronavirus) situation. We are monitoring Local, State and Federal updates and recommendations related to COVID-19 and will strive to give you as much advance notice as possible if we need to delay the start of the program.
Our top priority is the health and safety of current and incoming students and others that make up the Boat School community. We are working to balance two goals: ensuring that we take precautions to protect our community and communities beyond our campus, while sustaining our educational mission in ways that are appropriate under the circumstances.
We hope to minimize disruptions, and we pledge to stay in touch with you as we make further decisions based on the best public health guidance. In the meantime, please contact us if you have any additional questions, concerns or input.
Sincerely,
Betsy
Betsy Davis
Executive Director
Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding
(360) 385-4948
betsy@nwswb.edu
http://www.nwswb.edu
March 11, 2020
Message to current students around COVID-19
As information about COVID-19 evolves we will continue to provide updates from the Boat School. Our top priority is the health and safety of the students, staff, volunteers and board members that make up the Boat School Community. In addition, we intend to follow the guidance of elected officials who are guiding our nation’s, state’s and county’s response to what we now understand to be a worldwide pandemic as defined by the World Health Organization.
As a framework for decision-making we are using the document “Actions for Protecting Communities from COVID-19” that the CDC posted yesterday afternoon. We recommend that folks read this document, as we’re using it to structure our own organizational response and plan.
In the short term, the Boat School has postponed or canceled the following events:
- March 20th-Marine Systems Graduation-RESCHEDULED for Monday, March 16th.
- March 23rd-27th-Marine Corrosion Intensive-CANCELLED.
- April 2nd-Program Advisory Meeting-POSTPONED. Future date TBD. (still need to send the email)
- April 18th– 6th Annual Gala-POSTPONED until June 20th.
For the longer term we are following Governor Inslee’s directive for all schools to create contingency plans in the event the Boat School is either voluntarily or involuntarily forced to close for some stretch of time. Our planning includes various scenarios, including a 2-week closure, a 1-month closure, and a 1-month or longer closure.
Governor Inslee has also issued recommendations to employers to enable working remotely where possible and encouraging social distancing wherever possible. We will work with each staff member to explore options for them, including setting up remote desktop access for administrative staff.
Moving forward, *EMAIL* will remain our default communication method and we will use our free conference call number when using conference calls to communicate. Starting this Monday, we will move our weekly staff meeting to a larger room to enable more space between people.
We will continue to monitor Local, State and Federal updates and recommendations related to COVID-19. And in the meantime, please contact us if you have any additional questions, concerns or input.
Be safe,
Betsy and Sean
Sean Koomen
Chief Instructor
415-306-3119
sean@nwswb.edu
March 11, 2020
Marine Systems Corrosion Intensive Cancelled
The school has cancelled the Marine Systems Corrosion Intensive scheduled for March 23-27, 2020. The school is keeping a close eye on the evolving situation with COVID-19. Given the many uncertainties in the current situation, we have decided to cancel this Intensive as the situation seems to be changing so rapidly. We will reschedule the Intensive following the guidance of our local health authority.
We are of course happy to refund tuition. Heidi Blehm, Admissions Manager, will back in the office Monday, March 16th and will be available to chat with you about the next steps for refunds. She can be reached at heidi.blehm@nwswb.edu or (360) 385-4948 ext. 305. We also have an Electrical Intensive scheduled for June 22-26, 2020 if there is interest in attending this course instead. If you would like to join the Electrical Intensive course, please contact Heidi as it is not yet available to register for online.
We appreciate your patience and understanding as we all navigate this situation a day at the time.
March 11, 2020
Hull Raiser Gala & Fundraiser Postponed
Dear Friends and Community,
Organizations and individuals around the world are taking steps to protect their communities from the COVID-19 virus. As a precautionary measure, and in keeping with state recommendations to cancel large gatherings, the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding decided on Wednesday that we will be postponing our annual gala from April 18, 2020 to June 20, 2020.
The Hull Raiser! Gala & Fundraiser is so much more than a fundraiser. We are keeping it on the calendar and look forward to getting together for an evening of fun, inspiration (student stories), great food and libations (Ajax Cafe, Heritage Distilling Company, Inc), fierce competition (dessert dash), and celebration of craftsmanship.
We will host the rescheduled fundraiser on Saturday, June 20, 2020. While the date of the event has changed, the time and location will remain the same – beginning at 5:00 pm at the Northwest Maritime Center.
For attendees who have already purchased tickets, your registration will automatically be rolled over and applied to the rescheduled event. If you are unable to attend our rescheduled event and would like a refund of your ticket(s), please contact Christina Ruben at christina@nwswb.edu or call (360) 385-4948 ext. 307. We are happy to provide individuals with a refund, no questions asked. If you are unable to attend the new event date but would still like to help us achieve our fundraising goal of $130,000 – the amount we hope to raise at Hull Raiser! Gala & Fundraiser – you can donate at www.nwswb.edu/donatonline.
A big thank you to the steadfast support of our event sponsors: Patagonia, SAFE Boats International, Carl’s Building Supply Inc, First Federal, Northwest Maritime Center, Admiral Ship Supply, Edward Jones- Financial Advisor: Stephen Sklar, AGMarine, Inc., Radio Distpatched Marine Surveyors, Pegasus Aeromarine, Dentistry Northwest, Leading Edge Composities, Heritage Distilling Company, Inc
