Posted 1:20 am Thursday, March 19, 2009
Orr Elementary Students Celebrate Groundbreaking
By MEGAN MIDDLETON
Staff Writer
Third-graders at Orr Elementary School say they are anxious for the doors to open to their brand new school.
That day isn't expected to come until August 2010 when they'll be new fifth-graders, but in the meantime, visions of a "very big" school, free of portables, with new lockers and maybe even a new playground are dancing in their heads.
"I hope we get a big building so we can all fit in there," Adam Palacios, a third-grader at Orr, said Wednesday.
Adam was among the students, staff and community members at Orr Elementary School who celebrated the start of construction for their new school Wednesday morning with a ceremonial groundbreaking and balloon release.
"This is a memorable occasion that we are embarking upon," Tyler ISD Deputy Superintendent Cecil McDaniel told the crowd. "We're getting ready to build a brand new elementary school for Orr Elementary, and this is going to be such a wonderful thing, not only for the community but for the children who are here today."
Orr Elementary is one of five replacement schools that TISD is building as part of the $124.9 million bond program that voters approved in November.
The bond program replaces Clarkston, Griffin, Jones, Orr and Woods elementary schools, as well as the St. Louis School-Wayne D. Boshears Center for Exceptional Programs. Jones and the Boshears school, a school for special needs students, will be constructed as one facility. The district hopes to open all of the schools in August 2010.
Orr will be built as an 800-student campus and similar in design to the Jack Elementary model, with some slight modifications. Jack was one of seven schools built as part of the previous, 2004 bond program.
The school board recently approved a guaranteed maximum price for construction of Orr of $15,790,297 from Denson Construction Company.
School Board President Ron Vickery told the crowd that he was proud to stand with other TISD board members and congratulate Orr Elementary "on what is going to be a great new school."
While it's hard to see now, Vickery said, "In just about 18 months, I'm going to have the honor of walking in with you and opening up a brand new school, and it is going to be really, really exciting."
Vickery thanked the community for supporting the bond issue. He said he was "overwhelmed" by the community's support showed in the 2008 bond election.
"What that affirms in me is that our community puts children first, puts education first and puts the future of this city first," he said.
Orr Principal Vernora Jones also said after the ceremony that she appreciated the community for allowing the construction to happen.
"I'm really excited for the children," Ms. Jones said. "I know as I look at the buildings that we've already built (from the 2004 bond) what it's going to do for (the children's) self-esteem and just pushing the academics even higher than we're already expecting it to be."
There are adjustments that the school has to make during construction, but the staff is looking forward to the end result, the principal said.
"I just really feel like it will increase that high level of ownership that's already there and that sense of pride," she said. "I know that (the students) already love the school, but just to have that new building, there's something about it mentally that will even increase that."
"I know as it goes up and we start to see that framework go up, it's just going to be really exciting," Ms. Jones said. "It's exciting to me now."
Hub Coleman, a community member and former teacher for TISD, attended the groundbreaking ceremony.
Coleman was a part of the first group of students to attend Orr when it was built in the early 1960s.
Coleman said he came out to the event because he had to go see his old stomping grounds.
"I know those kids are in for a pretty good treat with a brand new school," he said. "Our students are our future and there's no reason that a community shouldn't be able to provide good schools like that. Nobody needs to have to stay in a portable, in my opinion. I think the pride they'll have in a new school will be awesome for the students."
Students said it's hard to wait for that new building and for a time when they won't have to be outside in one of the portables anymore.
"I'm glad when we get a new school, we won't have to be in portables," Justin Webb, a third-grader at Orr, said. "I'm glad we won't have to walk outside if it's cold and raining. (With a new school) you'll just have to walk inside the building."
Staff Writer
Third-graders at Orr Elementary School say they are anxious for the doors to open to their brand new school.
That day isn't expected to come until August 2010 when they'll be new fifth-graders, but in the meantime, visions of a "very big" school, free of portables, with new lockers and maybe even a new playground are dancing in their heads.
"I hope we get a big building so we can all fit in there," Adam Palacios, a third-grader at Orr, said Wednesday.
Adam was among the students, staff and community members at Orr Elementary School who celebrated the start of construction for their new school Wednesday morning with a ceremonial groundbreaking and balloon release.
"This is a memorable occasion that we are embarking upon," Tyler ISD Deputy Superintendent Cecil McDaniel told the crowd. "We're getting ready to build a brand new elementary school for Orr Elementary, and this is going to be such a wonderful thing, not only for the community but for the children who are here today."
Orr Elementary is one of five replacement schools that TISD is building as part of the $124.9 million bond program that voters approved in November.
The bond program replaces Clarkston, Griffin, Jones, Orr and Woods elementary schools, as well as the St. Louis School-Wayne D. Boshears Center for Exceptional Programs. Jones and the Boshears school, a school for special needs students, will be constructed as one facility. The district hopes to open all of the schools in August 2010.
Orr will be built as an 800-student campus and similar in design to the Jack Elementary model, with some slight modifications. Jack was one of seven schools built as part of the previous, 2004 bond program.
The school board recently approved a guaranteed maximum price for construction of Orr of $15,790,297 from Denson Construction Company.
School Board President Ron Vickery told the crowd that he was proud to stand with other TISD board members and congratulate Orr Elementary "on what is going to be a great new school."
While it's hard to see now, Vickery said, "In just about 18 months, I'm going to have the honor of walking in with you and opening up a brand new school, and it is going to be really, really exciting."
Vickery thanked the community for supporting the bond issue. He said he was "overwhelmed" by the community's support showed in the 2008 bond election.
"What that affirms in me is that our community puts children first, puts education first and puts the future of this city first," he said.
Orr Principal Vernora Jones also said after the ceremony that she appreciated the community for allowing the construction to happen.
"I'm really excited for the children," Ms. Jones said. "I know as I look at the buildings that we've already built (from the 2004 bond) what it's going to do for (the children's) self-esteem and just pushing the academics even higher than we're already expecting it to be."
There are adjustments that the school has to make during construction, but the staff is looking forward to the end result, the principal said.
"I just really feel like it will increase that high level of ownership that's already there and that sense of pride," she said. "I know that (the students) already love the school, but just to have that new building, there's something about it mentally that will even increase that."
"I know as it goes up and we start to see that framework go up, it's just going to be really exciting," Ms. Jones said. "It's exciting to me now."
Hub Coleman, a community member and former teacher for TISD, attended the groundbreaking ceremony.
Coleman was a part of the first group of students to attend Orr when it was built in the early 1960s.
Coleman said he came out to the event because he had to go see his old stomping grounds.
"I know those kids are in for a pretty good treat with a brand new school," he said. "Our students are our future and there's no reason that a community shouldn't be able to provide good schools like that. Nobody needs to have to stay in a portable, in my opinion. I think the pride they'll have in a new school will be awesome for the students."
Students said it's hard to wait for that new building and for a time when they won't have to be outside in one of the portables anymore.
"I'm glad when we get a new school, we won't have to be in portables," Justin Webb, a third-grader at Orr, said. "I'm glad we won't have to walk outside if it's cold and raining. (With a new school) you'll just have to walk inside the building."
