Posted 3:35 pm Monday, December 14, 2009
New Clarkston Elementary Ahead Of Schedule
By MEGAN MIDDLETON
Staff Writer
Editor's Note: This is the first in a series of stories looking at the construction progress of the schools being built in the $124.9 million 2008 Tyler ISD bond program.
Staff Writer
Editor's Note: This is the first in a series of stories looking at the construction progress of the schools being built in the $124.9 million 2008 Tyler ISD bond program.
Work continues at the new Clarkston Elementary School Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 2.
The end is in sight for the construction of the new Clarkston Elementary School in Tyler ISD, officials said.
Cabinets, bulletin boards and whiteboards are hanging in classrooms. Tiles line hallway walls. Ceiling grids are in place. They're all signals that construction is getting closer to being finished.
“I can see the end,” Tim Loper, director of facilities for TISD, said during a tour of the school earlier this month. “When I start seeing the ceiling grids go in, I know we're close. You just know the next thing is flooring.”
Clarkston Elementary School is the farthest along of the five new schools Tyler ISD is constructing as part of the $124.9 million bond program approved in November 2008.
“I can see the end,” Tim Loper, director of facilities for TISD, said during a tour of the school earlier this month. “When I start seeing the ceiling grids go in, I know we're close. You just know the next thing is flooring.”
Clarkston Elementary School is the farthest along of the five new schools Tyler ISD is constructing as part of the $124.9 million bond program approved in November 2008.
Work continues on the portico at the new Clarkston Elementary School Dec. 2.
The new Clarkston replaces the 50-year-old existing facility, which is next to it.
For Clarkston staff and students, it's been a special experience to watch their new school come to life.
“They've seen every step of the way — the beams go up, the bricks going on the building …,” Clarkston Principal Kathryn Letsinger said. “They watch the progress, and they talk about the changes. It's been so wonderful that our children have been able to watch it all happen.”
TISD is constructing five new re-placement elementary schools as part of the Phase 2 bond program: Clarkston, Griffin, Orr, Woods as well as Jones/ Boshears, which combines Jones Elem-entary and the St. Louis School-Wayne D. Boshears Center for Exceptional Programs, which is a school for special needs students.
The Clarkston project began in early April and could be complete by mid-March, Loper said.
“I'm very pleased with the progress at this school and with RPR Construc-tion and the design team we have here,” he said. “I'm just pleasantly surprised and pleased that it's gone this fast.”
Officials said they are considering moving into the new Clarkston facility earlier than previously planned, although the final decision has not yet been made.
Construction was scheduled to be complete in June and open in August, along with several of the other new facilities.
Loper said a combination of reasons that contributed to Clarkston being ahead of schedule, including the decision early on to tear down the existing Clarkston gym to make way for a permanent, rather than temporary, retaining wall.
Alternative space was created within the school for physical education to take place. That change saved about six to eight weeks of work on the project.
Loper credited the Clarkston staff's cooperation and RPR's work, including their bid process and quality subcontractors.
Earlier this month, Loper said that the brick work at the school was finalizing. Concrete will be laid for the courtyard soon, and furniture will need to be moved in as well.
“Basically the hard part's done,” Loper said Dec. 2 of the progress. “We're in to the finishes, such as ceramic tile. We're dropping in ceilings now. We're putting final coats of paint on. Kitchen equipment has arrived and is now being installed.”
A portion of the work that has not yet been completed is to demolish the existing buildings at the current Clarkston facility and level the ground that is there to make way for teacher parking and other outside features such as playgrounds.
The district is preserving a portion of the existing raised courtyard at Clarkston to incorporate into the new playground areas at the school. It was a request of the staff as a way to keep some of the heritage of the existing school. Special honorary benches in the courtyard will be preserved as well.
Other outside work such as sidewalks, grading and landscaping also needs to be completed.
For Clarkston staff and students, it's been a special experience to watch their new school come to life.
“They've seen every step of the way — the beams go up, the bricks going on the building …,” Clarkston Principal Kathryn Letsinger said. “They watch the progress, and they talk about the changes. It's been so wonderful that our children have been able to watch it all happen.”
TISD is constructing five new re-placement elementary schools as part of the Phase 2 bond program: Clarkston, Griffin, Orr, Woods as well as Jones/ Boshears, which combines Jones Elem-entary and the St. Louis School-Wayne D. Boshears Center for Exceptional Programs, which is a school for special needs students.
The Clarkston project began in early April and could be complete by mid-March, Loper said.
“I'm very pleased with the progress at this school and with RPR Construc-tion and the design team we have here,” he said. “I'm just pleasantly surprised and pleased that it's gone this fast.”
Officials said they are considering moving into the new Clarkston facility earlier than previously planned, although the final decision has not yet been made.
Construction was scheduled to be complete in June and open in August, along with several of the other new facilities.
Loper said a combination of reasons that contributed to Clarkston being ahead of schedule, including the decision early on to tear down the existing Clarkston gym to make way for a permanent, rather than temporary, retaining wall.
Alternative space was created within the school for physical education to take place. That change saved about six to eight weeks of work on the project.
Loper credited the Clarkston staff's cooperation and RPR's work, including their bid process and quality subcontractors.
Earlier this month, Loper said that the brick work at the school was finalizing. Concrete will be laid for the courtyard soon, and furniture will need to be moved in as well.
“Basically the hard part's done,” Loper said Dec. 2 of the progress. “We're in to the finishes, such as ceramic tile. We're dropping in ceilings now. We're putting final coats of paint on. Kitchen equipment has arrived and is now being installed.”
A portion of the work that has not yet been completed is to demolish the existing buildings at the current Clarkston facility and level the ground that is there to make way for teacher parking and other outside features such as playgrounds.
The district is preserving a portion of the existing raised courtyard at Clarkston to incorporate into the new playground areas at the school. It was a request of the staff as a way to keep some of the heritage of the existing school. Special honorary benches in the courtyard will be preserved as well.
Other outside work such as sidewalks, grading and landscaping also needs to be completed.
“UNIQUE” CAMPUS
Clarkston, which is being constructed as a 600-student campus, has a split-level design.
A bridge that runs over the school's courtyard connects the school to the gym, cafetorium and music room, although there also is access to those from within the school as well.
“We don't have another school like this in this district,” Loper said. “It really has its own identity.”
Clarkston also is a regional school for deaf education and special sound field systems are installed in classrooms because of that, although the systems will help all students, the principal said.
The school's double courtyard is a special feature built around the theme of the solar system. The bridge that runs over and through the courtyard allows those who cross over it to catch an aerial view of the solar system theme.
The theme will be depicted with planets in the sidewalk, using different colors of concrete, Ms. Letsinger said. The sidewalk continues under the bridge and ends in a spiraling galaxy.
At the end of the spirals are benches with trees. There also is an outside amphitheater area in the courtyard.
“We want it to be engaging and to let (students') imaginations soar,” the principal said. “I think it will just get students excited about learning.”
With a new campus, students will feel safer and more comfortable with enclosed hallways, Ms. Letsinger said.
“A student said, ‘Ms. Letsinger, do you know this is the last winter we're going to have to freeze every time we step outside the classroom door?'” Ms. Letsinger said. “When the temperature drops … that's a real reminder of what's to come.”
With the new school, she said, “We can actually go to the cafeteria, to the office, to the library without stepping outside into the cold or the dampness of the rain or the heat.”
But a new school also will provide a larger library and updated technology such as SMART boards in every classroom.
“We're excited standing up here thinking of the possibilities,” Ms. Letsinger said. “When (the students) actually walk through the door for the first time and their eyes get huge, like half dollars, I just want to be there to see that.”
Updated Monday, Dec. 14, 2009 at 2:59 p.m. CST
A bridge that runs over the school's courtyard connects the school to the gym, cafetorium and music room, although there also is access to those from within the school as well.
“We don't have another school like this in this district,” Loper said. “It really has its own identity.”
Clarkston also is a regional school for deaf education and special sound field systems are installed in classrooms because of that, although the systems will help all students, the principal said.
The school's double courtyard is a special feature built around the theme of the solar system. The bridge that runs over and through the courtyard allows those who cross over it to catch an aerial view of the solar system theme.
The theme will be depicted with planets in the sidewalk, using different colors of concrete, Ms. Letsinger said. The sidewalk continues under the bridge and ends in a spiraling galaxy.
At the end of the spirals are benches with trees. There also is an outside amphitheater area in the courtyard.
“We want it to be engaging and to let (students') imaginations soar,” the principal said. “I think it will just get students excited about learning.”
With a new campus, students will feel safer and more comfortable with enclosed hallways, Ms. Letsinger said.
“A student said, ‘Ms. Letsinger, do you know this is the last winter we're going to have to freeze every time we step outside the classroom door?'” Ms. Letsinger said. “When the temperature drops … that's a real reminder of what's to come.”
With the new school, she said, “We can actually go to the cafeteria, to the office, to the library without stepping outside into the cold or the dampness of the rain or the heat.”
But a new school also will provide a larger library and updated technology such as SMART boards in every classroom.
“We're excited standing up here thinking of the possibilities,” Ms. Letsinger said. “When (the students) actually walk through the door for the first time and their eyes get huge, like half dollars, I just want to be there to see that.”
Updated Monday, Dec. 14, 2009 at 2:59 p.m. CST
