Step Inside a Model Classroom

There is one classroom that has been set up as a prototype, a model classroom that is staging area for the various components that will accompany each classroom.
Each room has an alcove or foyer outside the door way. The doors are an attractive and warm red oak with a window in each classroom door.
Follow the entrance into this class room to see the student desks we have chosen for the new school.
Along one wall is a white board, there are no chalkboards in the new school. Chalk boards are not healthy in our environmental air because of the particulate distribution (dust ;-).
This classroom has 28 desks arranged as single stations with ample walking space between the rows. Most room are 750 square feet or larger.
Windows and tack boards are features in nearly all rooms.
The new student desks are triangular shaped, three legs, ambidextrous accommodating right handed and left handed students. They are ergonomically designed to fit all body types.
A single desk can be paired with another to create a work station for two students.
Or combined with a third desk for small team work and grouping.
And finally, they fit together to create a single workspace for a small group of four students sitting at a table setting.
Clever and clean design for the modern classroom.
The chairs are a molded resin type plastic .
All of our furniture was chosen to meet many expectations, versatility, comfort, equity, and most important, "green furniture" standards.
This is a view from the back of the classroom to the front.
Classrooms will have two vertical lockable storage cabinets. No technology has been installed, though all rooms are adequately supplied with distribution feeds and remote access points for wireless connectivity.

Classroom Wings ~ 3 wings, 3 floors, 3 colors

The classroom wings are receiving the final touches. I found the flooring choice for the halls to be very interesting. The design consists of geometric shapes and parallel sections.
The colors vary and are interestingly soothing combinations of earth tones, greys, and low intensity blue.
When looking down the halls the patterning is inviting and the brilliance of the blue lockers is an interesting contrast.
At the end of the halls is an open clerestory type window. Floor to ceiling this provides a refreshing sense of bringing the outside in.
The lockers are mounted in the walls and do not intrude into the line of vision or walking.
This shot shows a good sense of scale to the elements of the hallway. the rooms, doors, flooring, lockers, and windows are all an integrated design.
The low profile of the lockers can bee seen in this and the next shot.
Flush mounted, they extend only the depth of the locker door into the hallway. this should help with sound absorption and durability of the lockers.
Our new lockers are classic in style, heritage, and familiarity to our students in the old high school. Instead of being banked together in large groupings, in the new school the lockers are distributed throughout the classroom wings in all three sections on all three floors.

Visual Art Rooms taking shape

There are four rooms dedicated to the Visual arts, Studio Crafts, and 3D Art. The sinks and cabinets are in place in a couple of the rooms.
Each room is different in orientation and design so the configurations are varied.
A support area between two of the rooms has begun to have cabinetry installed.
The flat paper storage shelves and cabinets will hold art supplies and equipment.
One of the second floor art rooms has three north windows, perfect lighting for natural color work.
One of the ground floor art rooms will have an access door out to a sculpture area.
The 3D Art and Studio Crafts room has ceiling mounted drop cables for powering equipment.

Cosmetology Studio

A glimpse into the Cosmetology room reveals a few of the features developing therein.
These dividers will be work stations for students working the chairs. Mirrors, counters, and chairs have yet to be installed.
Sinks will be added to this bank of cabinets to provide wash and rinse stations.
The cosmetology students will keep uniforms and their gear in these lockers.

Welding and Construction Trades

A feature in some of the CTE shops is a power supply grid that hangs from the ceiling. There are many power sources along these tracks for the variety of equipment they use in these shops.
Secure storage areas for tools and equipment may be monitored through window.
The welding booths are well placed and adequately powered and ventilated.
This quality of equipment will insure success for our welding and machining classes.
In this shop you can see the roll up door, windows, and equipment power grid.
Ventilation of indoor air to the outside is provided.
and a fully powered dust collection system is in place.

Health Occupations Laboratory and Classroom

Some of the features of the Health Occupations classroom and laboratory are beginning to be installed.
This room is one with three windows on the south side!
Cabinetry with sinks have been installed on the north wall.
One of these sinks will be handicapped accessible for students and for learning to care for and assist the mobility impaired or wheel chair patients.
There is also a private toilet area for learning rehab and nursing assistant skills.

Restrooms on each Wing

Each of the floors of the classroom wings have male and female restrooms.
Adjacent to each student restroom is a faculty and staff toilet. I find the design created in the floor tiles to be an attractive graphic element in the foyer.
Full length wall mount mirrors and ample lavatories are on this wall.
As seen in this restroom there are more stalls than the norm for the women.That is one request the core team advocated for on behalf of our female population to address the age old problem of not enough stalls!
The floor tile graphics are repeated within the stall and sink areas.

2010 Aerials ~ the Last Snow????

These aerials are fun!

Click on them to enlarge

and see wonderful details!

Then back arrow to return to blog.... The photo above is an approach from the East, our main parking lot and tennis courts are at the bottom of the photo.
From the North the approach we will use by vehicles. Our main driveway is at the bottom right in this photo. The proposed Recreation Center will go where the trailers are at the bottom right corner.

This is the opposite view, from the south. A zoom in on this will show the stadium detail.
Again from the South looking North, the lower practice field is seen at the bottom.
This photo shows the classroom wings on the West side of the main building.
This is a great birds eye view of the main building featuring the entrance, and clearly showing the gyms, commons, and classroom wings.

Notice the brick and block design work on the wings and the auxiliary gym.

A close up view of the classroom wings.

Upper left following a diagonal to lower right you will see the south most classroom wing adjacent to the kitchen and cafeteria/commons area, which is just above the auxiliary gym, wrestling room and Main gym at center right.

That little pebble in the bottom right corner is our Spirit Rock!

This view is our main entrance. The vertical columns mark the entrance at the end of the covered walk. The main parking lot is in front of that and the drop off pick up rotation will be counter clockwise in front of the school and around the parking lot to exit. Enlarge this picture and enjoy the details.

All aerial photos are taken by SKYSITE AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Skysite Aerial Link

Thanks!