Are these real buildings or trailers?
The complex is made up of five modular buildings, each with its own entrance and exit, totaling 60,000 square feet. There will be concrete walkways in between buildings and a clearly marked main entrance. The buildings are functional classrooms and hallways, which include windows, water fountains, bathrooms, good light, windows, air conditioning and heat.
Is Patriot Village (and the new buildings) handicap accessible?
Patriot Village and the new MS/US building will all be ADA compliant – parking, restrooms, sidewalks, doorways.
Will there be Harkness tables in Patriot Village classrooms?
Each Upper School discipline that currently utilizes the Harkness method will have at least one classroom with a Harkness Table.
Will furniture from the Student Center and other lounge areas of the school be used in Patriot Village or the new buildings?
We are planning on using as much of our current furniture as we can in Patriot Village, including the couches and lounge area seating currently in the Student Center. If we are not able to use the furniture, it will be donated to a school/community center that would benefit from that gift.
Will we be able to donate textbooks that are no longer needed?
Textbooks that will no longer be used will also be donated. We are working on building those partnerships now.
Will there be wireless access?
Yes. There will also be a technology lab in the Library. Additional computers will be set up in other areas of Patriot Village and/or the Arts Center.
Will there be SmartBoards?
SmartBoards are not scheduled to be included in Patriot Village.
Will seniors receive any “privileges” next year?
The US is planning special events and privileges for the Class of 2011, with help from student government. Head of Upper School Mr. Schellhas has asked Becca Boehringer ’11 and Will Black ’12, members of the Transition Team, to work with student government to solicit ideas for next year’s senior class. We have built in a large seniors-only lounge into Patriot Village. There is hope that the seniors will step up and be leaders during this very exciting year. We are also asking faculty to see what they might be able to do to extend curriculum outside the classroom for a year.
What security measures are being implemented?
There will be a security office in Patriot Village and in the Arts Center. Students should leave personal items at home, and use locked spaces for expensive school-related items.
How will construction be managed during finals?
The last day of class for Upper School, the last two days of classes for Middle School and final exams for both divisions will be conducted in Patriot Village. The rooms will be ready to receive students and faculty, and the air conditioning will be turned on! It was clear when choosing a construction company that INTECH is acutely aware of educational settings and work will be scheduled around the students’ needs.
What kind of lockers will there be in Patriot Village?
Middle School students will have cubbies and coat hooks for their daily items inside their homerooms. Upper School students will each have a small locker in their supervised grade-level spaces. There will be hooks and spaces for coats, book bags and other school supplies as well. Security will be more present during the day in the grade-level spaces. Mr. Schellhas will be reviewing the book bag policy to accommodate the lack of space for school-day materials. Mr. Fenerty also stated that all Upper School students have their own gym locker for larger storage.
Will the House System be in place during the transition year?
Yes, the Houses will still meet twice a week. We have mapped out different areas of the school to accommodate those meetings. We will also still have Upper School morning meetings twice per week in the Arts Center. Middle School will use the Arts Center for its assembly periods, and will continue to have grade-specific meetings.
How will drop-off work if we have kids in all three divisions?
(Please see the traffic/parking plan in the PDF of the Transition/Patriot Village Plan). The Lower School Quad should be used for drop-off for parents with children in multiple divisions that include Lower School. The older students will be able to walk to Patriot Village from the Quad.
How will the traffic patterns change on Lafayette Avenue due to the construction?
We are carefully planning circulation on campus for the 2010-2011 school year. We will monitor traffic when construction begins and do our best to accommodate the GA community. As of now the township will not change traffic patterns on Lafayette Avenue.
Where exactly is the walkway from Patriot Village to the Dining Room, Arts Center, etc.
When you leave Patriot Village, there will be outlined walkways along the road, across the parking lot next to the Field House, and through the blacktop of the Lower School. The doors that are accessible to the breezeway that connect the Field House, the Lower School and the athletics wing will always be open. The rest of the campus is connected from there.
Will there be an impact on students who take public transportation?
Students will have a walking path from the train station to Patriot Village. The path between the points is paved, either as sidewalk or asphalt, and an additional crossing guard may be posted. With the staging area for busses remaining in its current location, parallel to Lafayette Avenue behind the Lower School playground, those students taking busses to school will be closer to Patriot Village than they were to the MS/US buildings.
Where will the seniors park?
We have not yet assigned parking spots.
So, students have to walk outside to get to each class?
Patriot Village is made up of five temporary buildings consisting of 60,000 square feet of space. Each building has no more than 30 feet between it and the next one.
Will GA Gear be amended in the transition year due to the fact that students have to walk outside?
GA Gear has so many variations, including sweatshirts with hoods, that no amendment is needed.
Will the nurse stay where she is?
The Health Office will be displaced during construction. It will move just downstairs from where it is now until August 2011. During the transition year, the Admission Office will move into the space currently occupied by Health Services.
Will we be able to access the School Store in Patriot Village?
Yes, there will be a small School Store in Patriot Village for daily needs.
What is your biggest challenge in this whole process as far as construction and project management?
INTECH feels they are saving the best for last! Their work at other schools in the area (Episcopal, Haverford, Penn Charter) has taught them a lot. The company feels that the timeline is achievable to deliver this project as there is a lot of labor ready to work right now. Once we get to the end, the last month has to be concentrated on accepting the end user (the students, faculty and staff). And, once we get into the new building, the project managers will make sure they are ready to answer questions and field concerns from the end users in the fall. INTECH feels that good customer service with the faculty and administration will set the right tone for when the students come into the new buildings.