Gleaner Online: Washington - BHAG from and for BHAG

BHAG from and for BHAG

Buena Vista Celebrates Expansion

Have you ever heard of a BHAG? The faculty, staff, parents, students, and constituent church members of Buena Vista School in Auburn have. It stands for Big Hairy Audacious Goal.

Buena Vista recently completed the construction phase of a BHAG with a major addition to its physical plant. Due to increasing enrollment over the past several years, some grades were nearing, or even exceeding, the maximum number of students established by the school board.

It was clear that smaller class sizes were critical to maintaining the excellent learning environment for which Buena Vista is known. As a result, additional teachers had been hired to staff two multi-grade classrooms. The problem was where to put the new teachers. In addition, the music teacher had been sharing space in a modular building with the after-school care program. This arrangement required setup and takedown each day. Also, the kitchen was too small, and not well-designed for the hot lunch program it now supports.

Much of the school’s schedule revolved around the availability of the gym. When it rained, the demand for gym time was exacerbated by the large number of students needing to use it. A new classroom, dedicated music classroom, larger kitchen, new bathrooms, and second gym were completed over the summer.

In celebration, an open house was held on Oct. 16 to allow church members, family and friends to see what their support had accomplished. A short service was held to recount and give thanks for God’s goodness throughout the project.

Gregg Wahlstrom, principal, was honored by the school board and parents for his countless 10–12 hour days and six-day weeks during the construction. His servant leadership has been an inspiration to many.

Special thanks was also given to Alice and Don Kirkman for their years of supporting many expansion projects, including this one.

Yes, it is a BHAG. The project is achievable because of an even greater BHAG—our Benevolent Heavenly Awesome God.

If any alumni or supporters would like more information about the project, contact Gregg Wahlstrom at (253) 833-0718.

Stuart Rich, Buena Vista School Board chairman