STARTING FRESH
Students attend first day at new East Vincent Elementary School
Student Council President Rori Booth, grade 6, along with OJR School Board member Melissa Booth, who chairs the board’s buildings and grounds committee, officially opened the doors of the new East Vincent Elementary School building to students and staff this week.
EAST VINCENT >> The first steps into a new school are always both nerve-wracking and exciting.
Hundreds of students got to experience that feeling this week as they made the transition into their first day at the brand new East Vincent Elementary School.
After much anticipation, students shuffled into the new school at around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday. Student council president Rori Booth, a 6th grader at the school, and Owen J. Roberts School Board member Melissa Booth officially opened the doors as teachers helped direct students through the unfamiliar halls.
“It went great,” Booth said of the students’ first day at the school. “It was an exciting day for me. It was a great day and the kids were really excited.”
In weeks leading up to the opening, teachers spent time setting up their classrooms and getting the school ready in preparation for the students.
But teachers weren’t the only ones prepping for the big move. The school has been years in the making, according to OJR officials. The district had been eyeing the need for renovated schools since 2004 and after feasibility studies and some saving by the district, the new East Vincent Elementary and the new East Coventry Elementary were both approved for construction in 2014.
As students were ushered into East Vincent Elementary, staff undertook several welcoming activities including guided tours, instructions on exiting the building and familiarizing students with the locations of rest rooms, stairwells and other areas.
The new building features a variety of new and innovative facilities including a science lab and STEAM room. Additionally, the new innovation center allows students to use provided iMac desktops for projects in conjunction with classroom iPads. The school is equipped with continuous Wi-Fi connectivity so that students are able to connect as they move freely throughout the building. The new school also features a media center for group reading, a study area and a courtyard. Guidance offices, a gymnasium, music classroom and art classroom can be found in the north wing of the building.
Although students are able to enjoy these brand new features, there is still some construction underway. Work on a permanent parking lot and play areas is still being done and the district expects those areas to be ready by late August. At that time, the district plans to have an official ribbon cutting and dedication. Open houses for the new school are also being scheduled for undetermined dates in May.
“East Vincent closed the door to history when they left for spring break last week and came in to the future in the new school on a bright sunny Tuesday,” said Booth.
Meanwhile, the new East Coventry Elementary School is also being working on and is in its early stages of construction. The school will feature a media center as its focal point as well as the latest in educational technology. The 85,800 square foot building will also include two floors of classroom space, a science lab, a large gymnasium and a cafeteria.
The district plans to have the new East Coventry Elementary School open for the 2018-2019 school year.