This is not the first renovation at a school I have taught in but this is the most ambitious. We left last January with one building torn down and in the process of being rebuilt to bring grades 3-5 out to the campus. During the pandemic or was slowed until no cases and authorization allowed the project to continue. Over the course of the hybrid learning that was spring, there was amazing progress on that building and it was completed in October.
Before those grades come to the Science Park campus, the building will be used to house middle and high school as that building will be torn down. When plans are made here, things are done quickly!
The science department had to move before anyone else as we were moving into temporary new spaces that was the cafeteria. These rooms needed moved in order to build the construction road to be able to demolish the building.
We left for October break with a cafeteria and arrived back to school with 8 new classrooms. They are temporary so there are walls that are easy to put up. A little loud but I am grateful that the school does everything it can to help and to make the classrooms functional and teachers comfortable and supported.
Only 2 of the 8 teachers were here so we worked many hours between teaching to unpack rooms and determine existing storage that could be repurposed for the new rooms. We had ayis (translated as auntie) to pack their rooms but I unpacked to determine what was needed. The shushus (translated as uncle) can move a whole room in under an hour. Our storage space and office space for the technician is in a much smaller space so many items had to be placed in classrooms. Our rooms are also much smaller. It was a pretty stressful month as we were teaching as well and I was coaching cross country and running student council. Here are things waiting to be unpacked.
The place looks great. We are settling in. 4 more teachers returned. Then we watched and stayed as far away from the rest of the teachers moving into the future elementary building. We were able to go through in the end to snag cushioned benches to places in the hallway and rescued student created murals to brighten our space.
The week of Thanksgiving we went back to a normal teaching schedule (all my 36 science 9 students used to be in one 65 minute class and now they are separated into 3 classes of 85 minutes each. My 24 bio are now in two classes). We taught online as many things were being moved around campus and could not happen with students here. That Wednesday there were no classes (time for teachers to get their rooms together) and Thursday was a professional development day. Touring through the old rooms was sad.
After Thanksgiving break all students are now on campus and not staggered by grades as they used to be. This is as close to normal as we have been since the pandemic. This is mostly due to most teachers being such overseas. Now 90% off the teachers are back and more to arrive soon.
And here are the science rooms in various states of being torn apart and demolishing the building after windows were torn out.
Behind the science wing where the construction road was being made.
And views of the new building:
Next November we move into the brand new high school built where the old one stood. It is amazing looking according to the plans and hope I am here to see it completed! I also hope all the school is here to do the move as well! I know it will be smooth nonetheless as this is an amazing and supportive school!
I am tired as I spend more time teaching and talking but exhilarated to forge relationships with students now that there is more time to work with smaller classes. It is also great to be back to a more normal environment. This is an amazing school that cares about how everyone is doing. This holiday will be difficult not being able to go home to see family. It has been a year and a half already.