|
|
Windham High School Highlights Club
The future of Windham is changing with the building of the high school. As with all projects of this size, there are varying opinions as to what that high school should include to benefit the community. As the months have progressed, the students have heard many different plans for the high school but until now we did not have direct access to the site. This made it hard for us to visualize what actual progress has been made and what our future may at the new school. As students of the first class to venture all the way through the high school (class of 2013) we realize the great potential for growth not only in the study body but in the community as well. One vital tool for this growth is clear communication. The creation of the High School Highlights Club presents students with a distinct line of communication between the Project Engineer and students that will enhance the entire process.
This is the first in what we hope will be interesting and informative High School updates as seen through the eyes of students who will make history by being the first class to attend all four years at the new school – the class of 2013
On March 25, 2008, Kate Farrell, Olivia Goodale , and Meghan Cole had the opportunity to visit the high school construction site. When we reached the construction site, the Project Engineer gave us hard hats and kindly answered our questions. Then, we were off on a tour of the grand high school. It is absolutely amazing- the whole school is planned down to the last detail, and all of the perimeter walls are already built! It really looks like a school! Off we went on the tour, taking pictures and notes as we gasped at the progress that had been made and the progress that was being made as a group of workers staged for siding. We had the trip of a lifetime.
We saw a vast portion of the 138 acres devoted to the construction, and we walked the ½ mile around the building. We saw jolly construction workers making stone walls as they talked, hummed, and sang. Their enjoyment and pride in their work was obvious at every turn. We passed rooms that have already been completed and look spectacular. We saw the entire main floor, which is the second floor. The project engineer informed us of the new technology that will be inserted into our school, including wireless throughout the school, the possibility of SmartBoards, which will save notes and work off of the television and the DVD player, and possibly even electronic textbooks! These tools and innovations will be an exceptional benefit to all of us. We listened to all of the information and tried to absorb the fact that this school will be a major part of our daily lives in only a few years. In addition to technology, the builder has provided many items that are also important to students such as spots in the hallway where benches will be put for students to sit down and chat in between classes. We also heard that lockers will be deep in the classroom walls so that they are spacey yet leave the hallways open. These items may not be as important as classrooms and teaching tools but they do add to the overall student experience and students will be thrilled to hear about all of these things. Classrooms are another exciting area that we heard about. There will be 12 standard-sized classrooms, 10 double, soundproof classrooms, 6 science/tech classrooms, 5 small academic rooms for groups of fewer people, and much more! On every floor the classes will be set up in the same way. We also passed the huge auditorium, where workers were busy spreading the sturdy floor. The classrooms and hallways are well lit by natural light that streams in through the myriads of windows. Sadly, our visit to the school had to end and we returned to the Middle School with wonderful memories to share with our fellow students and the community. We wanted to thank the Project Engineer and the teachers for allowing us to glimpse our future and to share it with others. The high school really amazed all of us, and we are highly anticipating future news about the high school. There is no doubt that it will be the nicest school in New Hampshire once it is complete.
Written By Kate Farrell, 7th grader at Windham Middle School
|
