UPDATE on the Construction March 29th, 2005

The new building is reaching to the sky! Today, installation of the vertical steel beams began. This process will take approximately six to seven weeks as the metal structure is put in place. Once completed, the framework for walls, floors, ceilings and roof will allow interior work to start.

If you have not seen the selections of materials for the interior of the new high school and gymnasium, please visit the meeting room on the second floor of the administration building where “finish boards” showing all the materials selected are on display. A very special thank you is extended to Charlotte Kreitmann, Stephan Detchow along with Mme. for their help on the committee that selected the finishes for the interior and exterior of the new building. The selection process involved a few trips to the architects’ offices to review the various choices presented for paint colors, wall and floor tiles, cabinet finishes etc. Their thoughtful insights helped to guide the selection process. We are pleased with the results and have received very positive comments.

We also thank Mr. Canton for creating a needed list of chemicals used in the chemistry lab in order to clarify for the County inspectors what type of fire rating should be required for the new labs. Mr. Canton did an excellent job of specifying type, amount and weight of each item on a complex grid required by the County. The second floor of the building will house a new Science Center consisting of three new science labs: chemistry, physics and biology, a greenhouse room and prep rooms.

Schedule:
As one can see at the site, the concrete walls are in place and despite the poor weather the concrete schedule has been on track. A very large crane was put in place on Saturday, March 26 to begin the erection of steel beams. Once the steel begins to be set the upper floors will be built; in the original plan it was anticipated for the steel to take 11 weeks but in an effort to tighten the schedule Coakley Williams will push it to 7 to 8 weeks. Steel should be in place during the month of April; May and June will bring many subcontractors onto campus. This means more workman and perhaps tighter parking. We appreciate your continued cooperation. We are pursuing a request for partial occupancy from the County for September.
A group of teachers (M &M: Dinel, Ferrot, M Roux,, A Bres, Bagnato, Ciccone, Le Ber, Krespach) ) went to see a presentation of the Smart Boards that are being considered for use in the new high school. They witnessed a demonstration of how the Boards can be used in classrooms for instruction. They returned with very positive comments and encouraged the acquisition of the Smart Boards for general use in the new building.

Middle School:
The three labs now in Middle School will be rebuilt in the new high school leaving the opportunity to create new rooms in Middle School for music, art and a study hall.
There was no delay at all in getting the permit for the renovations of the Middle School; this was a relief after the extended delay earlier in the year for the original permits.

There is a problem currently of water infiltration in the middle school that is being taken care of through combined efforts of FIS maintenance and the builders, Coakley Williams. This work is underway now and will continue into the spring to end the water in the cafeteria and prep room.

Safety:
In the next few months, safety will be number one priority as more building activities will be taking place. This means more workmen, and trucks will be on the construction site. The Middle School students should use the area near the high school and toward the South area of the Middle School, away from the building site and administration parking. Thank you to those students who are acting responsibly as they move from building to building. A big thank you to the Vie Scolaires who have assisted in creating a very safe environment.