Tuesday, December 27, 2011

New Classrooms Are Almost Ready

Teachers have been busy over the break moving into classrooms in the new hallway.  Perhaps the most excited and overwhelmed are the third grade teachers.  It worked out that they were able to move in from the portables but it was on short notice.  Great news is that they don't have to deal with the wintery weather. 


Students will be in the new hallway when school starts back in January.  They will most definitely be excited to have so much room and all new furniture.  Even the lighting is enough to make you smile. 

HALLWAY

Workers Justin and Pearce installed the bulletin boards outside each classroom. 



Workers are laying adhesive for the remainder of the hallway tile.  It is not clear how they will travel to the end of the hallway to lay the tile??????

This picture does not do justice to the bright white feeling when you look down the hallway. The accent tiles coordinate with the embellishments above the door (notice the "shadow" of tile under the embellishment) and the cabinetry inside the rooms.  Each hallway will be a different color. 

NEW CLASSROOMS

Each of the new classrooms will be equipped with the same cubbies, cabinets, teacher area, bookshelves, computer desks, and student desks.  The only difference will be the types of student desks for the grade levels.  Primary will use two-student tables while intermediate will use individual student desks.    As teachers move into the rooms, they will take on a personality of their own. 

This is how a primary classroom is laid out in one of the original rooms. 

This is a view from the back corner of the room.  The teaching area of the room is the opposite from the old rooms. 

This is the view from the doorway.  These are primary two-student desks.  Notice the storage area under the desks.

The view from the front of the room. 


This is the teacher area.  Ultimately the teacher computer will be linked to an interactive projector. 

The view from the teacher area.

So Many Changes

There has been a lot going on at CME over the last two weeks.  The workers have been able to get things finished while the building has been empty.  Teachers have been moving into new classrooms while trying to avoid wet wax and paint.

 
This post will have lots of pictures so be sure to scroll all the way down. 


KITCHEN
We are crossing our fingers that the kitchen will be ready to use the second week of January. 



Fayette County has had workers come in to clean the kitchen.  Every inch of shelving, tables, and equipment has a layer of dust that needs to be removed. 

More of the serving line has been installed.
A worker is monitoring the flow for the new toilet in the staff restroom in the kitchen.
Shelving for dry storage has been installed. 
A water sprayer has been installed.  How it will be used is not entirely clear at this time. 

The old cafeteria tables will be removed along with the cabinets that held them when they were folded. 

OUTSIDE
Finishing work continues outside the new hallway. 

New outside lights on the Mary Queen end of the building. 


The first piece of gutter has been installed.

Rain spouts were painted and drying inside the building. 



 EMPTINESS AND DESTRUCTION


As the construction team prepares to work on the front side of the building, there are changes happening. 


The office has been emptied and moved to a new room downstairs.  (Pictures to come.)
Mrs. McKenzie's office is now in a room off the office. 
Mrs. Smith has temporarily moved her office to a new classroom. 
The tiles have been removed in one of the small offices. 
In the book room on the first floor, workers have been installing duct work. 


The temporary wall that was located at the end of the first level hallway has been removed.  The office is now located through the first door on the left. 

The girls' restroom closest to the library has been under demolition.  The restroom is directly above the book room.  In the remodel there will no longer be a restroom in this location since new restrooms are at the end of the new hallway. 
Lonely toilets await their demise in the girls' restroom. 
The first floor hallway has had the tiles removed prior to the beginning of its remodel. 

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Clays Mill Renovation Phase 3

December 17, 2011-Summer 2012

As we wind down the first semester, we are planning on more moving in preparation for the third phase of our renovation. The new hallway that runs parallel to Clays Mill Road will be finished with rooms ready to be used. Ms. Hatfield (Kindergarten), Ms. Turner (Kindergarten), Ms. Sowers (Kindergarten/1st grade), and Ms. Hester (music) will be moving to the new hallway. These classes will begin meeting in their new rooms when we return from winter break.

The opening of this new hallway is particularly exciting because it allows us to once again move our bus riders through the original back doors. Those students walking across Clays Mill Road will also be able to enter through the back door of the new hallway. Our main office will be moving to a temporary location on the first floor. As you walk in our main entrance you will find our new temporary office in the first room on the left (Room 210). This office space will eventually be used as a classroom when the renovation is complete.

We are also excited that our third grade classes will be moving from the portables into our new wing. When third graders return on January 2nd, they will need to report to their portable classrooms as usual. During the day on January 2nd, they will be taken to their new classrooms in the renovated wing so that they will be familiar with the new location. They will report to these classrooms on Tuesday morning, January 3rd.

Hopefully our new kitchen will be fully operational as we begin the second semester. We will be making changes to our arrival and dismissal procedures as we begin the next phase of renovation.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Changes In the Classrooms

As moving day approaches, everyone is in anticipation of what the classrooms will look like.  Here is a peak of what has been completed thus far. 


Are all workers this happy when they install data cables for our comptuers?

This is the inside of the teacher cabinets afer the shelves are installed.  The doors are not curved...a fish-eye lens was used for the photo. 


New shades in the rooms. 

The sinks have been installed. 


Thermostat and alarm controls


Digital clocks that will be in the hallways


One of our new security cameras


Look how nice and bright the classroom looks with the updated lighting fixtures and new ceiling tiles.


Bookshelves and student tables are waiting to be assembled.  Please take note of the shine on the floor.  After the construction team applied wax, Mr. Baker added additional coats in order to keep our floors looking spectacular. 


Workers are being instructed on how to put the new bookcase together. 

A Few Changes Inside

There are a few new things inside that aren't necessarily part of a classroom but are very important. 


Rows of new cafeteria tables await the tops of the stools to be installed. 


This is our electrical/mechanical room in the new portion of the building.  It will house all of our computer and server needs. 


The wainscot has been added to the hallway walls.  The hallway is beginning to clear out in anticipation of tile on the hallway floor and then new residents moving in. 
The temporary wall that was outside the location of the room that will house the office has been removed in anticipation of changes to come. 

Bathroom Update

The bathrooms in the new hallway are referred to as "gang bathrooms".  I am assuming that this means because a whole group of students may use the restroom at the same time.  Work is continuing in the new restrooms as toilets are installed and painting is being done. 





Work is being done on the electrical components in the girls' restroom. 


The boys' restroom is being painted. 


No, it's not a practical joke.  The plastic wrap is keeping paint off the new fixtures until the official "unveiling". 
The dividers in the restrooms are black. 

New sinks


Outside Work

If you happen to pull into our parking lot, you will be able to get a close up view of the work being done to the front entrance of the building.  Since the entry is getting new square footage added to the building, this will be a drastic change to our building. 


There are also changes continuing to happen on the newest part of our building as well. 


This may look like the beginnings of a manger scene in front of a local church but it isn't.  This is a most welcomed shelter for two of our teachers who have bus lane duty each day.  Worker Josh was kind enough to build this shelter to protect Mrs. Dundon, Mrs. Fosson, and Ms. VanDyke from the rain that didn't seem as if it would ever end. 
The workers have begun pouring our new sidewalks on the Mary Queen end of the building. 
The sidewalk continues around to the bus lane. 
Out front the work is continuing on the footers. 


The moldings for the footers are installed. 



Due to the design of our addition, the footers are curved.