Summer 2013 is an exciting time for the Robbinsville school district.
By the end of August, we should have Phase I of our facility upgrades completed and will have broken ground on Phase II. In addition, we will have a new roof on Pond Road School thanks to dollars available through energy savings, along with improved heating, ventilation and air-conditioning controls and systems installed without increasing taxes.
It was somewhat nostalgic to see the 1958 paneling and basketball hoops come off the walls when the multipurpose room at Sharon School was gutted for refurbishing. As the dust rose, I could not help but think fondly of the countless children, teachers and parents who sat in that room through the years to watch or participate in the annual Patriotic Show, Poetry Festival or Snowflake Spectacular.
It was not hard to envision the many Back to School night programs where hot and sticky volunteers displayed the year’s calendar of events or newest Blue Jay active wear. And of course it is easy to reminisce about Colonial Day celebrations where the boys convert baseball pants into the garb of the day while girls puff out their skirts in the finest colonial fashion.
Thinking about the activities of the past brings exciting thoughts about the future. As we approach September, we do so anticipating the use of a refreshed space designed for many more years of Robbinsville students.
Phase I also includes the addition of three classrooms in the media center at Pond Road School, which will be used to house the fourth grade until they move to Sharon School in 2014. While these classrooms will be initially used as full-size, homeroom style classrooms, their unique design will lend to a stronger future of leveraging technology to enhance learning.
Using an open floor plan complete with wireless capability and presentation systems, each of the three rooms is integrated into the media center making them ideal for group brainstorming, presentations and exploration. As we continue to discover the power of tablets, net tops and presentation systems, we look forward to the day when the media center fulfills its primary function as a space where learning and discovery are central. As we build, we do so mindful of how to best leverage technological shifts in education.
The second phase of projects, awarded to contractors in late July, will add 27 classrooms and a new gymnasium to Sharon School, and an expanded cafeteria at Pond Road School. We are targeting the beginning of the 2014 school year for completion.
The most exciting thing about completing these projects is the creation of a sound educational facilities plan for all of our district students. With Pre-K through fourth grade at Sharon, 5-8 at Pond, and 9-12 at RHS, we have a clear and compelling plan for students that should serve the community well into the future.
Shifting fourth grade to Sharon will permit those students to serve as mentors for younger students, and it will also permit Pond Road to operate with a more traditional middle grades program. In addition, a three school system will help ensure continuity of instruction throughout the grades.
Addressing facility needs is important because our children need appropriate space in which to learn. More important, however, will be our ability to shift our strategic energy from being creative with how we use space to being fully focused on teaching and learning. Robbinsville graduates are already achieving at the highest levels nationally, and seeing the construction projects come to fruition sparks excitement that our best days still lay ahead.
Be on the lookout for Ribbon Cutting and Groundbreaking events to be held in August and early September.
Steve Mayer is superintendent of Robbinsville schools.
