Los Altos students return to renovated schools
By Sara Ballenger, Town Crier Staff Writer
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After spending last school year in the Egan and Covington camp schools, Almond and Springer students were anxious to return to their newly renovated campuses on Monday.
What began with the approval of a $94.7 million bond measure in 1998 has materialized in phase one renovation of Blach, Egan, Covington, Almond and Springer schools. The district has spent $82 million on phase one construction thus far, which meant renovating all permanent structures at each campus. Phase two of the plan, which would require the passage of another bond measure, would involve the replacement of portables at all the schools with permanent structures.
Renovation on Santa Rita and Loyola schools begins this year, and Oak Avenue school renovation is scheduled to begin in the 2004-05 school year.
Every permanent classroom has gotten a face lift, with new paint, windows, heating and cooling systems, lighting, cabinets, teaching walls — which include white boards and storage for teachers — floors and other improvements.
Each room is equipped with phone and DSL Internet access. All buildings have a fresh coat of paint and have also been brought up to current building codes.
The portable classrooms have gotten new carpeting and paint. The bathrooms on each campus have also been redone.
Natural light is a central part of architect Lisa Gelfand of Gelfand RNP’s design for Springer and Almond, in partnership with PG&E. There are windows in each classroom, and lights get brighter or dimmer depending on the level of natural light. The lights are equipped with motion and infrared sensors so they will turn off or on as students leave or enter a room. Gelfand also designed Blach and Egan schools and has drawn the plans for Loyola, Santa Rita and Oak.
Almond School
With a reconfigured entryway, complete with almond trees, and a new administration building, Almond feels like a new school.
“The reconfiguration of the front of the school makes it such an open, warm and inviting place now, with a real entrance,” Principal Jeff Baier said. In the entrance plaza are bricks engraved with the names of family, friends and staff of the Almond community, as well as tiles listing the 16 life skills taught in each grade, such as “friendship, perseverance, cooperation and patience,”engraved on them.
“The school feels so light, airy and open. The teachers and students are going to be stunned. The library is the most unbelievable space on campus, and the multi. Those are both buildings that all 570 students will get to enjoy,” Baier said.
The Almond library, which was outdated, is now completely new on the inside. Students get to enjoy not only new shelves and reading tables, but two new rooms — a reading room, complete with its own window seat and reading nook; and a picture book room, which also has teaching space for younger students or groups. A room off the library, which once held speech classrooms, is now a workstation for teachers as well as a reconfigured staff room.
Another addition to the campus is the completely remodeled multiuse room, with new floors, walls and ceiling, a reoriented indoor stage and an outdoor stage.
“This is my 20th year at Almond, and this renovation is by far the most exciting change for the students and the staff,” said third-grade teacher MaryEllen Lynch. “Whenever you are in an environment that is as calm, peaceful and aesthetically pleasing as this is, it’s very inviting to come and do your best.”
Lynch, who moved into her room with over 120 boxes of materials, complimented district parents, the district’s movers and the community for helping the school get organized and packing, and the district’s moving consultants for getting everything moved to its proper place.
The district hired Laurie Abate, a professional moving consultant for school districts, and Marlene Shafran from the district to coordinate the sequence of moves.
“It’s really a community effort,” Lynch said. “Everyone takes so much pride and there is so much involvement, it really makes it a special place.”
Springer School
With four portable classrooms noticeably missing from Springer’s campus, and brand-new fields thanks to a joint project with the city of Mountain View, the school feels much more open and spacious.
The portables have been replaced with picnic tables for students to eat their lunch and trees to provide shade. There are also new play structures.
Springer, like Almond, has a new administration building. The buildings at both schools boast new principal’s offices, plenty of windows and natural lighting, and a health room with its own bathroom.
“To have the fields done the same time as the school is great,” Principal Bob Celeste said. “Springer is a state-of-the-art school. It’s very exciting. Even the toilets flush on their own. It’s neat to see after all of these years that it’s finally come together.”
Part of the design for both schools is a kitchen “servery” area, or cafeteria counter area, where students can get their lunch. Celeste said the servery allows for all of the students at Springer to eat lunch together.
Another noticeable element of Springer’s face lift is the new, lighter color of the school.
“The color really blends into the community and the environment,” Celeste said. “It’s earthy and blends in, yet it’s enough color to be kid friendly.”
Outside each classroom at both Almond and Springer is a raised garden plot, which teachers can plant with their classes.
“We are all very excited to be back at Springer,” said first-grade teacher Shauna Fulcher. “It’s very exciting to be in a clean new space.” Fulcher had her daughters Becca and Emma helping her unpack her room.
“I think it’s a big improvement from the old Springer,” said Becca, a student at Springer. “Everything is a lot newer than it used to be, and I like it a lot.”
Due to the redrawing of attendance boundaries with the closure of Bullis-Purissima School, Springer now has 455 students, down from 650 last year. Some Springer students now attend Covington School. Springer School moved to the Covington campus temporarily last year, while Springer was being renovated.
Covington School
HMC architect firm designed Covington School. This is Covington’s first year as its own separate school, with its own student body comprising children from throughout the district.
Former Bullis-Purissima Principal Dave McNulty is looking forward to the challenge of building a new school and community at Covington; even to picking out the new school colors and a new mascot with the students.
Students and staff of the new Covington School will move into a state-of-the-art facility, with a new library and media center, art center complete with a kiln room and a mutiuse room with a stage.
Kindergarten classrooms at Covington each have their own bathroom, kitchen and side study area.
“The kids are going to love it,” McNulty said.
Santa Rita at Egan Camp
Santa Rita School has moved to the Egan Camp School. The camp school is a temporary campus of portable classrooms, adjacent to Egan, which will house Santa Rita students for one year while its facilities are renovated.
Having the two schools next to each other has meant staggering start times for the school day. Egan will begin its day at 8:30 a.m., while Santa Rita’s first bell will ring at 8:37 a.m.
Principal Steve Peck is grateful for the camp school experience, so students can concentrate on learning rather than be distracted by construction.
“Watching other school districts try to live through the reconstruction of a school site confirms just how valuable it is to be off site,” Peck said. “I couldn’t be more pleased with our camp facilities. They are clean, safe, quiet, and comfortable. What a blessing compared to the noise, dirt, danger and confusion of a construction site.”
Just like the other schools who have spent time at “camp,” Peck and his staff have given a theme to the camp school, “The S.S. Santa Rita.”
“We look forward to our one year on the S.S. Santa Rita before returning to a ‘new’ Santa Rita,” Peck added.
Loyola at Blach Camp
Like Santa Rita, Loyola or “Camp Safari,” as it will be known during its stint at the Blach Camp School, is looking forward to an adventure.
“I am looking forward to starting the first day of school,” said Principal Linda Eckols. “So many people have worked very hard to make this move to the camp school a smooth one and fun for the students.”
Blach Camp was unused as a camp school last year and needed a few touch ups before students arrived. Loyola parents helped plant trees, flowers and transport wood bark underneath the new playground structure.
“We are hoping as children enter campus on first day of school, they find it to be a real pleasant place to be,” Eckols said. “Obviously we are very excited to move back into a brand new school in a year. This move could have never happened without the support of the district and the Loyola parents. We have proven that we have a high quality educational program and it will be nice to have facilites that match.”
