The Army Corp also constructing an enclosure that connects the new school to an existing gymnasium, so the students won’t have to walk outside to get to their physical education classes. Most recently, the old elementary school was demolished, and the space used to create space for a main access drive, bus drop-off, parent drop-off, and 123 parking spaces. While all these school features were being constructed, theArmy Corps got the students involved, as a way for them to learn about STEAM careers. Since before the Army Corps even broke ground on the project, the students have been highly anticipating their new school and playing an active role in its creation. Throughout the construction, students looked out their windows at the construction and made daily entries in journals about the changes they observed week to week. One thing they observed in the beginning, were trees being removed to make space for the new school. The students were concerned that this would harm wildlife. The teachers saw this as a real-life learn- ing opportunity and arranged for a wildlife expert to speak with them. Together they came up with solutions to safeguard wildlife. Not only did the students interact with wildlife specialists, but also with Army Corps engineers and architects who performed studies with them and showed them maps and print outs of the project. This experience has made many students extremely interested in architecture and planning. The Army Corps also arranged to have speakers for the students. Civil engineers, architects, and environmental specialists spoke with the students and explained what’s involved with planning and constructing a new school. One of the speakers explained how soil is removed to prepare for the building. From this the students learned about slopes and the differences between different soils and terrains. As construction progressed on the project and the school’s interior was being worked on, the students wanted to play a role in the designing of their Learning Neighborhoods. They selected the color schemes, the furniture for the center Hub area, and they voted on an animal mascot to represent each Learning Neighborhood. They chose animals indigenous to this region including the Snow Owl, turtle, Black Bear, and raccoon. When students enter their Learning Neighborhood, they see a mural of their mascot displayed at the entrance. Now that the school is completed, it continues to educate the students about STEAM careers. When students enter the building, the floor in the main foyer displays the granite that was removed to make way for their new school and to show them what was there before.
Eight thousand cubic yards of granite was blasted, excavated, and re - cycled. Some of the rock was used as fill in the construction and some was used by the academy. As they continue to walk throughout the building, students see colored concrete on the floor with contoured lines, showing them the original foundations or grades. “Students will be able to use these grades to create topographical maps,” said Pillsworth. In the hallways, the students will be able to see and learn about the building’s internal operating systems. “There are glass windows on the hallway walls, displaying the guts of the building, such as the heating pipes inside the walls,” said Pillsworth. On the hallway ceiling, students can look inside a 20-foot-long win- dow, exposing the school’s internal mechanical piping, wiring, and cabling systems at work. “There are signs stating, ‘This is your chill water pipe where your air conditioning comes from’ and ‘This is a fire sprinkler pipe for fire pro- tection,” said Pillsworth. On the roof, where additional energy is being generated from solar panels and a wind turbine, the students can monitor the weather and learn about renewable energy. “The students have an energy dash- board that tells them, 'Hey today is a sunny day or a windy day. We will be generating this much electrical power,’” said Pillsworth. Outside, there is a walking path around a storm-water detention pond. Pillsworth said, “Classes can walk around this system and see the veg- etation and animals, and how the system works to protect the environ - ment. It’s also a way for students to see how local plants and grasses can be integrated into construction projects.” Just as the students were involved during the construction of their new school, they were just as involved in the ribbon cutting. Students at - tended the ceremony from their Learning Neighborhoods using their new video conferencing system as a COVID-19 safety precaution. Besides Posner’s speech, Sarah-Jane and other students spoke to the audience and took groups on tours of the Learning Neighborhoods. Their involvement in their school will continue because of the tools it provides that will prepare them for the 21st Century. It already has for Sarah-Jane. The new school already has her thinking of the future. She said, “I want to be a marine biologist when I grow up. I see my dad taking care of people every day. I want to do the same thing, except with animals that live in the ocean. The science classes and labs in the new school are fun. We are just starting to use them."
DR. JOANNE CASTAGNA is a Public Affairs Specialist and Writer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District. She can be reached at joanne.castagna@usace.army.mil.
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csengineermag.com
November 2021
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