By Nick Pedley
News Editor 

A new era

With students in new middle school, H-M-S facilities project now complete

 

August 26, 2021

NICK PEDLEY/SENTINEL-NEWS

H-M-S Middle School students stop at their lockers prior to first period on Monday morning. It was the first day of class for the 2021-22 school year and the first day ever for the new 5-8 grade building.

Last week's ribbon cutting ceremony at Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn's new middle school was a bit surreal for Superintendent Patrick Carlin.

"Under construction" is all the administrator has ever known since he joined H-M-S in 2018. With the junior high in Sanborn now open and the district's massive facilities upgrade project complete, he's breathing a sigh of relief.

"It's exciting to have it all come to culmination," he said. "We've been doing it for three years, and to see it all come together has been awesome."

The new 5-8 grade building welcomed students for the first time on Monday, Aug. 23. The facility emphasizes collaborative learning environments focused on engagement and movement. Carlin described it as "interactive and flexible," with the building closely resembling the layout in the district's new elementary school in Hartley.

"There is lightweight furniture that can be moved around easily, removable walls that can create larger or smaller learning spaces, interactive TVs to engage kids, and flexible seating to allow for different presentation of information," he explained. "As far as interactive learning, you can do that in any environment. This setup allows us to do that better."


The interior of the building doesn't resemble a regular school in the traditional sense. Instead of hallways with classrooms off to the side, the aesthetic is much more open.

It's best to think of the building in terms of sections, or pods. Fifth and sixth grades have their own section, as do seventh and eighth grades. Classroom spaces are situated around a centered co-learning space and removable walls allow rooms to transform with ease.


Like the elementary school, the building also features "da Vinci rooms" for hands-on lessons and art projects. Carlin explained the spaces are designed so students can explore and "make a mess."

Carlin loves the new building as a whole, but he does have his favorite parts.

Specifically, the superintendent pointed out the flexibility of the classrooms, which are able to cater to different instructional styles.

"The elementary has that capability, but a lot of the classrooms are very similar," he said. "Here, everything is set up to allow for different styles."

The middle school's biggest room is a decent improvement from its predecessor, too.

"The gym is something everyone mentions, and it's pretty spectacular compared to our previous arrangement," Carlin said.

Students seem to like their new digs so far. Middle school Principal Corey Ramsey said the first day of school was "exciting and anxious all at the same time."

"I think there was a lot of anticipation about what it was going to be like when they went through those doors for the first time," he said. "I had that same anticipation, but it was more anxiousness about that experience going smoothly and positive for them from the start."

Ramsey, who's been in education for 22 years, noticed a few differences among the student body on Monday.

"Considering we just ended their summer and they were coming back to school, I think there was definitely more excitement this year than what I have seen on 'first days,' " he said.

Ramsey's favorite part of the building is the collaborative spaces outside of the classrooms.

"It lends a lot of flexibility to what our teachers are able to do with students," he said. "I really think the students are going to enjoy those areas as well."

Both Carlin and Ramsey acknowledged that walls and upgraded amenities aren't what make a school great.

"The staff and students are what make this building work," Ramsey said. "You can have garage doors that open to collaborative areas, great science labs, beautiful commons areas and a really nice gym, but if you don't have great staff that know how to use the building and students who learn and grow from them, it is just an empty building."

With the facilities project complete, Carlin was ready for the district to hit the ground running and use the new spaces to their fullest potential.

NICK PEDLEY/SENTINEL-NEWS

Students get ready for their first day of class insdie the new H-M-S Middle School on Monday.

"People were just really amazed. Everyone has been excited to go through and see that it is different," Carlin said. "I think they kind of expected a traditional building in new colors, but when they walk through and see that it's a little different setup, it's been very well received."

 
 

Powered by ROAR Online Publication Software from Lions Light Corporation
© Copyright 2024

Rendered 02/15/2024 22:59