Fall Break Allows Time for Many Changes

Students and many of the staff had an extra two days off this past week for our fall break.  The workers took advantage of this time and have caused some major changes to our building. 

If you happened to come by on Friday you would have been able to watch the demolition of our front awnings and landscaping.  Workers were able to tear down all of the trees and the middle section of the awning.  The piece of awning closest to the bus lane will remain for our use. 

The backhoe tore down the trees and a worker came behind and started sawing it into small pieces. 

This is the view of the demolition from the office.

It looks very bare.  The final large tree didn't make it through the day before it was also cut down. 

The brick work was completed outside the classroom that will temporarily house our office. 

As the masons complete sections of our building, you can begin to see the embellishments on the outside walls. 

The new hallway by Mary Queen how has an inset doorway and doors. 

Tile is going down quickly in the kitchen. 

In the cafeteria, workers were sweeping and cleaning while others were replacing brick .  Another worker went down the joints of the block to to make the area smooth and even. 

The water pipes for the fire system in the kitchen are installed in the new hallway. 

The HVAC worker shared that we have a very 'top of the line' HVAC system.  It is similar to what you would have in your home.  The copper pipes that they are installing are for the hot gas, return, and suction (I hope that is correct).  The pipes lead to a BS box inside each room.  The pipes are kept sealed to prevent any moisture or debris from entering.  They will be opened when needed. 



Dry wallers were covering the decorative embellishments over the doors. 



Front Entrance

During our fall break, the construction team will begin working on the front entrance area. 

We will lose our canopy, sidewalk, and a few parking places. This is all prep for the next big phase of our renovation which includes the new office area and new library.

After the fall break we will no longer use the current front door.  Our main entrance will become the door at the end of the parking lot closest to the bus lane.  The office will be moved into what used to be the art room and most recently, Mrs. Pickard's rooom.  We thank you in advance for your patience as we have to adjust our routines to accommodate the renovation. 



Landscaping in our front area was up for auction to CME staff.  Proceeds from the auction will go to the PTA so that they can add to our new landscaping when the building is finished. 



Classroom Work

The front hallway has a projected completion date of early December.  The embellishments are being built and installed above the doorways.  Brick is being sanded in preparation for the painters.  Ductwork has been hung and cable racks are being installed so that wiring can be run.  Hopefully we will begin to see new flooring laid within the next two weeks or so.

Electrician Paul is installing circuit breaker boxes in the mechanical room in the new hallway. 

This cage-like item is actually a cable tray. It will hold things like the phone and cable lines. 

This is the fan unit that is located in the center of the ceiling in each classroom.  It will replace the unit that was in front of the windows in the old rooms. 

The black piping is a water return line and the silver is duct work. 

Attention to details is important.  This worker is patching any imperfections in the block wall. 

This worker comes in and sands the walls so that when it is painted there will be a nice smooth surface. 

The embellishments that will go above the door are lying along the hallway.

The embellishments will be installed in this space above the doorways. 

And they will look like this.  Well, not really, this is the form for the artistic embellishment.  They will cover and paint it. 

The doorway on the end of the hallway by Mary Queen now has an inset doorway. 

Kitchen Update

It seems that every day there is something major happening in the kitchen.  Our cafeteria manager is eagerly awaiting the completion of the kitchen. We now have two integral parts of the kitchen installed. 



This is the cafeteria manager's office.  It is on the opposite side of the kitchen than before.  The dry storage room is to the immediate right. 



Workers have begun painting primer on the walls.  One person sprays it and the other goes over it with the roller.  

This is one of the air filters that will be over the cooking area. 

The copper piping is for water. 

This vent is in the dish room.  It will go over the dishwasheer. 

They have put primer on all of the brick walls.  This is the view of the doorway that the students enter to get to the serving line. 

This is the new refrigerator.  The white is just the protective plastic to keep the stainless from being scratched. 

This is the new sub-zero freezer. 

Roofers have been busy completing the roof above the kitchen and new hallway area.  The item that looks like a sledgehammer is actually for putting nails down on the roof. 

Brick by Brick

The front hallway seems to be changing by the minute.  The most visible change is the exterior walls.  Window frames and windows were installed.  Black sealant was then painted on the walls followed by new brick. 

The front exterior and back exterior walls have had the window openings framed in. 

The window frames are installed. 

Scaffolding is being installed so that the rest of the wall can be painted with black sealant. 

The sealant layer is applied and the window glass is now in the frames.



Masonry workers are busy bricking the front wall. 
FYI:  For those who have asked, the top to bottom "crack" that you see at intervals down the wall is for expansion.  One masonry worker stated, "If you didn't have that space, then the ground would settle and the whole wall would hit the ground."



The masons use scaffolding to reach the walls.  Notice that the area they walk on is very narrow. 

This is the inside of what used to be Mrs. Pickard's room and will soon temporarily house our office. 



Masons are also bricking the wall facing the parking lot. 



Major Changes

This post is skipping some steps of the renovation process due to a battery issue with my camera.  I will post them later.  According to the site superintendent, they are on schedule to complete the front hallway in December.  Over fall break the landscaping by the front entrance will be removed.  In the mean time, there has been a lot of work completed that is exciting to see.  

This is the old brick facade on the outer kitchen walls.  The concrete block filled in the windows and doors as they built new interior walls. 

This is the same wall but it now has new brick.  Since the layout of the kitchen is completely different the doors and windows are now in a different location. 

Workers are completing the new roof on the kitchen. 

New duct work has been installed in the kitchen. 

This is the entrance to the end of the new hallway closest to Mary Queen.  All of the rooms are now covered as they complete the roofing process. 

This is the view from the end of the new hallway. 

The new window frames are being installed.  They are tan vinyl. 

This is a view of the front of the building.  About half of the front window frames were installed. 

This is the back wall that faces the gazebo area.  The solid wall (formerly the tertiary exit that was by the wrought iron fence) is where the restrooms and mechanical rooms are located. 

New Updates

Due to a technical issue with my camera battery, I am unable to upload the most recent pictures of the work on our building.  Please check back at the end of the week and I should have everything loaded. 

Thank you