Renovations

New entry doors

The building renovations are moving forward.  During vacation these new windows and doors were installed in the front lobby and cafeteria.  Many visitors commented on how attractive the brown and tan colors look. When the trim and caulking are completed they will be much more energy efficient than those they replaced.

Inside cafe

At the beginning of this week, we expect the window crew to be working on the OT/PT motor room and Title One math room.  Mrs. Grimes will relocate her math groups to the room across from the library for the remainder of the year.  Her large classroom will then be available for use as a 'swing room.'  Desks and other materials will be set up there to temporarily house each first grade class when it is their turn for renovations. Special educators and other specialists will work out of the computer room and other spaces when their areas are under construction.  If the weather is good, and everything goes smoothly, the workers expect to begin rooms 11 and 9 later in the week.

Construction Update

Wonderful news regarding the construction!  According to the April 19, 2012 letter from the Merrimac Board of Selectmen, the air and wipe samples taken from the Sweetsir School building came back with no hazardous material found.  Parents were notified via the list serv and a blackboard connect call that school will reopen as planned on Monday, April 23rd.  (It has not been decided yet if FNS students will need to make up the missed day.  The School Committee sets the calendar, so that question will be on the agenda for one of their future meetings.).  


I would like to thank the Merrimac Selectmen and Building Inspector for their efforts in taking the extra precautions to test the building.   They have been expending considerable time and energy to oversee this project.  As someone who has worked in the building, I assure you the window, roof and heating/ventilation renovations were much needed.   The children of Merrimac are fortunate the town has put so much effort in to improving their school!  


Update:  A crew of window workers have been on site during vacation week installing new windows and doors to the front part of the cafeteria.  These windows are very large so it was a complicated, time consuming task.  The cafeteria windows were scheduled for when students were off to avoid interrupting lunchtime.  PRSD custodians have also been working hard to give the overall building a deep cleaning.  This spring cleaning included four custodians vacuuming lights, cleaning vents and burnishing the floors.  

April 13th School Cancellation

Wow, I was just as surprised as parents on Thursday afternoon when I was handed the Merrimac Selectmen's letter informing staff and students the building would be closed the following day due to construction related issues.  Just like everyone else, I am still waiting to hear more information.

When schools and children are involved, there are extra precautions and more guidelines to be followed.  The Merrimac Board of Health and Merrimac Building Inspector are closely monitoring the situation.  I have been told specialists will be doing testing inside the building during vacation week.  They should know more information very soon.  I am optimistic everything will be resolved in time for school to re-open after vacation.  Information will most likely be forwarded to parents via email, so make sure you have signed up for the list serv: Sweetsir Website

Merrimac Town Officials can notify the community of emergency situations using a Code Red alert system.  Some parents received word that school was canceled via this automated phone system because they had signed up in advance.  (Note: Code Red use is authorized by the town, not through the school system).  Anyone can sign up by going to the Merrimac Fire Department website.   Or follow this link and look for Code Red on the left side: CODE RED.

Window Renovations

We are entering into the last phase of  building renovations!  Window replacements are scheduled to begin this week.  I have been told to anticipate they will take until the end of the school year to complete.  I'll try to keep parents informed with updates on this blog.  However, please keep in mind I am not supervising the project, so postings are based just on my observations or the information I am given. (The building is owned by the Town of Merrimac so the construction projects are under the jurisdiction of Merrimac Town Officials. The Building Inspector, Health Inspector and other experts come on-site to review the work). 


The plan is to begin construction on the side of the building near the dumpsters, and then proceed toward the first grade wing on the playground side. The first few rooms to be done are storage areas and teacher work rooms, so it will take awhile before reaching classrooms. Workers have said they will give notice, so teachers have time to prepare students before it is their turn. Custodians will help relocate essential teaching materials so classes can move to other spaces while the work is completed. To keep children out of workers way, recess will be held either indoors or near the front entrance while the windows facing the playground are replaced.**


Please be assured, the staff and I have spent considerable time planning out details to minimize any impact on learning.  For example, we have easels, calendars and new area rugs ready for designated 'swing rooms' so students can continue with daily routines such as Morning Meeting and Reader's Workshop.  Unlike the roof and heating/ventilation projects, which impacted the entire building all at once, this project should be localized to one area of the school at a time. I like to remind folks, we did managed to successfully house an additional 110 students without notice when the Donaghue School unexpectedly closed for repairs last year.  Staff members rose to the occasion and children responded really well.  We have a great team here at Sweetsir and our top priority is always children's safety.  I feel confident this project will go smoothly and am looking forward to a draft free, drip free school next year :)


**  I normally encourage families to use the play equipment and grounds when school is not in session, but advise against it during construction.  During the last project, I witness children playing in Jervey Loop after school as unsuspecting delivery trucks came around the corner.  It makes it very difficult for workers, if children are skateboarding or playing ball nearby.

Heating Units and Bucket Fillers

The Sweetsir School is a bucket filling school!  (For more information about where this saying comes from, follow the tab above for the page with more detail).  Not only do we fill buckets with kindness; we also filled them with rain drops today.

The rain has been a great way to test out our new roof.  A number of buckets adorned our hallways today.  Not to worry... if you look closely at the picture, you will notice in the spot directly above the bucket there is partial duct work.  The rain trickled in the holes made in preparation for where pipes will be installed to connect our heating system to units on the roof.  This was not surprising since we are in the midst of construction.  Otherwise, the new roof held up great! 

Construction Update:  Good news, I saw several very large heating units being placed on the roof today.  Based on the information I am receiving, the heating project appears to be nearing completion.  In the past, the heat was not distributed well and temperatures varied from room to room.  I anticipate things will be much better.  However, as a mom who has worked in several different school buildings, my advice is to always dress children in layers.  I have one child who prefers teeshirts and another who wraps herself in a blanket.  Everyone has their own comfort level, so layers help adjust to individual needs.  Removable sweatshirts and sweaters are great during the winter months.  Thicker layers are especially helpful after weekends and vacations when it can take awhile for large buildlings to heat up. 

High Five:  Next time you go shopping for winter clothes.... remember the high five rule.  Students in grades k-2 go outside all winter long for recess.  If children have the following five articles they can play in the snow:  1) winter coat 2) snowpants 3) hat 4) boots 5) gloves.  It is a blast watching a playground full of children slide down snowbanks during recess.  I look forward to snapping photos and blogging about it in the near future.

Construction Update

(Based on Mrs. Shea's observations, see 9/23/11 posting):

The crane is no longer in our back lot and the building was much quieter today!!  This morning a truck came by to pick up supplies to take over to Donaghue.  I have been told the Sweetsir roof is nearing completion.  Most of the roof work is done!  The roofers will be returning periodically to add finishing touches and seal around the heating units as they are installed.

The heating and ventilation work will continue for a few more weeks.  They are preparing to install the heating units on the roof and connect duct work throughout the building.  To meet the expected deadline of October 15th, workers have been here all different shifts.  Last Friday night, they stayed until around midnight to perform welding work when the building was unoccupied.  It must be difficult for the construction workers to work on a school building while it is in session.  All the workers I have interacted with have been polite and accommodating.  It is strenuous work to demolish and rebuild a roof.  I've noticed the men working hard as a team lifting and moving materials.  They have an amazing work ethic!

Leading and Learning Under Construction

Several parents have asked me to blog about the construction as a way to help them stay informed. While I am willing to share my personal observations, please keep in mind that I am not involved in planning or overseeing the renovations.  (I am happy to leave those decisions to the experts!).  My role is as an educational leader; my focus is on ensuring Merrimac children receive a solid educational experience.  

Since the construction projects are under the jurisdiction of the town, it has been reassuring to see the Town Building Inspector and Health Inspector spending significant time on-site to check the progress.  With the nice weather at the start of this week, the roofers were able to tackle areas above both the first and second grade wing.  The heating/ventilation crew also continued to work on installing duct work in the ceiling.  To work around each other, and take advantage of the daylight, the crews have worked both day and evening shifts.  I have never lived in a home while it was being remodeled, but several teachers who have mentioned this has a very similar feeling.  The secret is to stay flexible and keep reminding ourselves that this work is needed to create a safe, warm, dry school for these and future students.

I have been truly impressed with the response from Sweetsir Staff!  Despite the increased activity, teachers and paraprofessionals are doing an amazing job keeping the focus on children and on learning.  Classroom norms and routines have begun to settle in and the students are delving into the curriculum.  They appear happy and their behavior has been stellar.  The beginning of the year math assessments and DIBELS (reading) scores have already been completed and are being reviewed.  On the first early release day, teachers met in small groups, also known as 'Professional Learning Communities', to outline thier goals for the year.  The topics included: co-creating focus lessons for Reader's Workshop, examining students' work to drive instruction in Writer's Workshop, designing social stories and other differentiated activities to meet the needs of all learners, and using smart board technology to enhance math instruction.  All goals have the common element of using collaboration to create powerful learning environments for children.

Early Wednesday morning, a crane arrived to lift ventilation units off the roof before school began.  These first graders were fascinated!  Once they hung up their backpacks, they were allowed to spend a few minutes peeking outside the classroom window.  

Hmmm... perhaps these students will be future architects, structural engineers or building inspectors?

My understanding is that the roofing project is well underway.  The Building Inspector, Clerk of the Works and our PRSD Facility Manager have been closely monitoring the progress.  Those piles of large, white rectangles on the roof are styrofoam insulation. Initially, I thought only the older section of the building would be renovated, I was delighted to learn the project will include new roof and windows throughout the building.  Merrimac children for years to come will benefit from this project!

Construction Update: Friday Night

The second day of school, students in grades 1 & 2 attended a school-wide assembly.  Along with the usual beginning of the year overview of recess rules and cafeteria manners, they were given information about the building renovations.  Students were instructed to keep away from the area behind the school, which will serve as a staging area for construction trucks and materials.  PE classes and the after school program will be held indoors or relocated to the front lawn for the first half of the year.

New pipes waiting to be installed.

This is what the building looked like on Friday Night at 6:00 pm.  As you can see in the picture, construction crews have been working second shift to minimize disruption during the school day. The halls were filled with ladders, equipment and workmen as soon as the children departed

Ceiling in middle wing.

We have become very creative in finding ways to work around the renovations!  Our stage is currently serving as a holding area for building materials.

If you look closely at the picture to the left, you will see duct work that has already been installed.  Also in the upper left corner is the bucket we placed there mid-week to catch raindrops.  This spot frequently leaks during rainstorms.  Fortunately, replacing the roof on this section of the building is also on the list of upcoming repairs.

Because this first phase of the project has taken place after hours, the impact on students has been minimal.

A Toasty Warm Building...

Sweetsir Students who love trucks are in for a real treat this year!  Three building renovation projects will be taking place on-site this fall.  The oldest part of the building (first grade & preschool wings) will be getting new windows, a new roof and an improved heating ventilation system.  We are so fortunate our district applied for this Greens Project funding!  Although it may be inconvenient for a few months, we can look forward to a much warmer building and a roof that does not leak.

Yesterday, I met with the gentlemen who will be our construction site supervisor.   He has experience doing these types of projects while schools are in session.  He recommended we use two of our empty rooms as 'swing rooms'. This will allow two classes at a time to relocate for a few days when the windows are installed. The back of the building will be a staging area for the trucks and equipment.  This spot will allow easy access to the roof.  Equipment will be moved out of the way during arrival and dismissal time, and safety barriers will be placed on Jervey Loop during recess time.  The workers will have an outdoor Porto-potty and school bathrooms will be off limits.  Since the other four elementary schools are also having building projects take place, the contractors will have weekly meetings will school officials to discuss any concerns and provide progress updates.

I am planning to have a school-wide assembly at the beginning of the year to fill students in on what to expect.  I am confident the teaching staff will find creative ways to incorporate the renovation projects into a learning experience.  Right outside our doors, will be real life examples of careers that use math, science and engineering!