JULY 15, 2011
We are in the final stretch of completing the new US/MS building! The exterior work is underway as the new parking, curbs, sidewalks, rain gardens, and green spaces are being graded and prepped. The stone on the exterior of the building is progressing nicely, and the paving for the parking lots has begun! The connection between the Middle School Auditorium and the Common Room hallway has been formed in masonry block and will be completed over the next few weeks. Roofing and windows have all been installed and final detailing is underway. Finishes are going down throughout the insides the building floor and final painting is happening throughout. Installation of the lockers, science lab equipment, recycling centers, display cases and classroom cabinets is complete. Millwork and lightfixtures are being installed throughout the building. Interior doors and windows and lay-in ceilings are being installed. We are nearing completion of the tele/data, HVAC, electrical, plumbing and mechanical infrastructure systems as well. The architects have started their punchlist review and we are on target to get our substantial completion in August.
FIRST LOOK - Middle and Upper School students are invited to get their first look of the new buildings with tours by the Division Heads on Thursday, September 1 (MS, 8-9am; US 4-5pm) and Friday, September 2 (US 8-9am; MS 3-4pm). More opportunities will be available throughout the fall for parents and community members.
JUNE 1, 2011
A special thank you to Head of Upper School Rich Schellhas and Head of Middle School Ken Rogers for the great tours they gave last week after school to the more than 200 students, faculty and parents who toured the Alter Middle School and McNeil Upper School buildings. The excitement about the new facilities was contagious, and the tour groups doubled after the first day! Don't miss your last chance of the school year to see the inside of the buildings - Saturday, June 4 at 11am. RSVP to Julie Moore today (please remember that no child under 10 is allowed on the construction site).
The construction projects continue to be on schedule. The stone is being installed on the exterior and the glass curtain wall is being completed. Lockers, casework, cabinets, millwork, flooring and ceilings continue to be installed. Smartboards have been delivered and installation will begin in the next couple of weeks. Doors have been delivered and installation has begun. Work continues on the parking lot and new slip road.
GA had a wonderful day of weather at the new Carey Stadium for Lower School Field Day on May 27! Many of the asphalt paths have been paved and the landscaping has been completed. The new well irrigation has been fired up and watering the fields. The only work remaining is the asphalt paths around the baseball field and the final coat to the new parking lots. Natural grasses are also beginning to grow around the cells near the Class of 1888 Bridge.
May 17, 2011
We are pleased to report that the baseball field has opened and several games have been played already. The track has been coated and stripped, and a neighbor and 30-year runner on the old track, commented yesterday that the new track was like “glass” (he said that was good!). The bleachers have been installed on the stadium and the stadium field has re-opened for use. All grading and plantings below the baseball field have been completed as well. There is some work to be done still as required by the Montgomery County Conservation District in The Preserve’s wet meadow area. Up on the top, Field #9 has been planted and Field #8 is starting to grow. There are a few more asphalt paths to install and final touch ups on the new athletic field complex will complete the project shortly.
The Alter Middle School and McNeil Upper School project is proceeding on schedule. Currently some site work is being completed to include the drainage, top soil and planting in the academic courtyard, which is on the other side of the Pavilion. The final grades around the Morris Road side of the building are being cut and fine graded. The stone continues to be installed on the exterior of the building and the green roof will be installed soon on the roof of the Pavilion (first floor) and Library and Technology Center (second floor). On the interior, ceiling tile and carpet is being installed in classrooms and casework is being installed throughout the buildings. The curtain wall continues to be installed, now on the 2nd Floor between the Library and Technology Center and each of the Schools. The link from the Alter Middle School to the Dining and Common Rooms is also being constructed.
There are several ways to see the new buildings in the next few weeks. On Wednesday, May 25 and Thursday, May 26, all 5th Grade, Middle School and Upper School students and their parents are invited to take a guided tour of the construction site at 3:15pm with the Division Heads. Please ask your child to sign up on the sheets in their respective Division Office. The tour will last approximately 50 minutes, and students who are not accompanied by a parent can be picked up in the Quad. 5th GRADE PARENTS – please note that you MUST fill out a Blue Note to change your pick-up routine. More information will be sent shortly. There is also a construction tour for the entire GA community on Saturday, June 4 at 11am. RSVP to Julie.Moore@germantownacademy.org if you are interested in attending. Please remember that NO child under the age of 10 may be on the site.
APRIL 25, 2011
The natives are beginning to get restless! Students and faculty who have been through the new buildings are truly excited for the future. The new Alter Middle School and McNeil Upper School construction continues to be on time and on schedule. The stone is now going up on the outside of the building beginning with the Upper School and moving around to the Middle School. The stone installation has allowed a new use of technology which includes cutting much of the stone off-site, making the installation faster, cleaner and technically consistent, with minimal noise on campus. The "slip" road and some sidewalks have been poured in between the McNeil Upper School and Morris Road. The rear courtyard between the Middle School Auditorium and the Arts Center is being graded and prepped for drainage.
The interior is progressing as planned. The science shelving and cabinetry is now being installed throughout the science classrooms and labs. Tile work in the bathrooms is near completion and the bathroom fixtures are starting to be installed. The building is being primed for painting and ceiling grid is being installed throughout. Each of the classrooms, labs, offices and informal and formal meetings spaces have been built out and lighting has been installed in most.
Moving across the Creek, the asphalt paths are being installed throughout the fields in between the rainy days (and nights). Since March, we have not had three-straight days of dry weather, which has caused some delays on the field projects. Detailing of the baseball field is now underway. Field #9 (top corner of Sheaff Lane and Morris Road) is being groomed and prepped for seeding. We were scheduled to get the track laid and painted during spring break, but continue to wait for some dry days with low wind in order to complete the project. Carey Stadium is getting its final touches and will be ready for use soon. Inside will be team rooms, areas for officials, a training room, restrooms and a small concession stand.
Please note, if you are coming out to the fields for a game or match or meet, there are many parking spots still being used by the construction crew. If your child is playing lacrosse in Sisters' Woods, please park on campus and walk over the bridge to the fields. Once the walking paths, track surface and stadium seating is complete, more parking will be available at the Stadium Lot.
We will be offering another tour of the new buildings in June. Stay tuned for more details!
April 12, 2011
The McNeil Upper School and Alter Middle School buildings are progressing on schedule and on budget. We continue to work on the interior to complete the HVAC, electrical, plumbing, sprinkler, and teledata infrastructure. Most drywall has been installed throughout the building (you can now see classrooms and offices) and we have started to install some finishes throughout the buildings. The tile in the bathrooms in the Upper School have been laid. We have started to prime the drywall for paint. The ceiling grid has been installed throughout most of the building and the ceiling tile will go in soon. Some of the science classroom/lab furniture has been delivered as well. We continue to work to install the curtain wall as the link between the two buildings and the stone is being installed on the exterior of the building. The site work along Morris Road has progressed and the grading, curbing, and base coat of the roadway has been installed.
Unfortunately, the abundance of spring rain has caused some delays on the outdoor athletic areas, including the baseball field, the track and the paving of the walkways, but we hope in the near future that consecutive days of dry weather will allow us to complete these projects for our student-athletes and coaches.
March 8, 2011
Spring is finally around the corner! Exterior stone installation on the buildings has begun! Windows, curtainwall and metal panels also continue to be installed. Interior work is progressing as planned with the HVAC, Electrical, Sprinkler, and plumbing tracking on schedule. The drywall continues to be installed throughout the school and the first coats of paint are going on the ground floor and first floor of the McNeil Upper School. Site work and grading along Morris Ave. in preparation for the new road and parking spots has also been started.
Across the Wissahickon Creek, the stadium building is progressing as planned with hopes of opening the seating are after Spring Break. Punchlist work also continues around the fields with cleaning up paths and fields, completing the electrical infrastructure and installing sheds. We will be coating the track over Spring Break as long as weather cooperates.
If you came on the tours earlier this year, you will be amazed at the amount of progress INTECH has made on the buildings. Come back out (or come for the first time!) for a guided tour of the interiors of the Alter Middle School and McNeil Upper School on Saturday, April 9, 2011 at 1pm. RSVP to julie.moore@germantownacademy.org if you will be attending.
February 23, 2011
The window installation continues! Almost all punched opening windows have been installed and the curtain wall windows continue to be installed. The electric, plumbing, and HVAC infrastructure work is underway. The drywall is being installed in both the US and MS. The crew has started to prime the walls on the ground floor of the McNeil Upper School to get ready for paint. We received our first load of real stone last week and began installation on the building.
Out on the fields, the concrete structure of the Carey Stadium building is complete and the masonry work is underway. The underground utilities have all been installed. Window and door frames are being installed. We are cleaning up the paths to be ready for spring sports to start next week.
February 8, 2011
Construction continues to be on time! The snow has been a struggle but the construction team is working around it. The framing and first side of drywall is installed throughout the McNeil Upper School. We have started to put insulation in the walls and tape the joints. All framing has been completed in the Alter Middle School and the drywall installation is underway. The infrastructure for the sprinkler, electrical, HVAC, and mechanical systems installation continues throughout the buildings. On the exterior of the building, most of the "punched opening" windows have been installed. The curtain wall is continuing to be installed throughout. The metal panels are being installed and stone installation will start by the end of this month. The roofing is 95% percent complete. The remaining portion will be complete as soon as the snow clears and the roof dries out. Framing and ceilings in the administration building are underway.
The stadium building is underway. Again the snow has been very challenging for the schedule. The concrete structure is about 75% done. We have started the masonry block work and the electrical infrastructure is continuing to be installed.
January 24, 2011
The new Alter Middle School and McNeil Upper School buildings are still on schedule. Both "wings" of the building have been "closed in" and we are now able to pump temporary heat throughout the building. The heat is allowing the subcontractors to continue with the drywall installation.
The roofs are complete except for a small section of roofing between the two wings which will happen as soon as the surface is cleared of snow and dried out. We continue to install the HVAC, electrical, and plumbing infrastructure. All "punched" windows have been installed.
Curtain wall windows continue to be installed. Installation of the metal panels on the exterior of the building is continuing. We expect the installation of the stone on the exterior of the building to commence in February.
Across the Creek, the stadium building is underway. We have poured 1/2 of the concrete structure and the framing for the second half of the structure is underway. The underground utilities have been installed including plumbing and radiant heat. The electrical installation continues. The building will be complete this spring.
Interested in seeing what’s inside the new buildings? Sign up for the guided construction tour on Saturday, Jan. 29 at 1pm by emailing Julie.moore@germantownacademy.org. Please remember that children have to be at least 10 years old to tour, and that weather-appropriate clothing and shoes are necessary.
January 11, 2011
As the new year begins, Germantown Academy continues to be on-time with the construction of the new Alter Middle School and McNeil Upper School buildings. Our construction firm, Intech, is currently completing the installation of windows throughout the buildings, and curtainwall (large walls of windows) is starting to be delivered and installed one section at a time for the Pavilion which connects the two divisions on two different floors. The HVAC, electrical, plumbing and sprinkler system installation also continues. Most of the drywall framing throughout both buildings is complete. The drywall is almost complete in the Upper School, and the heat is on! The ground water harvesting tank has also been installed. Roofing is nearing completion, and the Roof Top Units have been delivered and installed. The new stone wall at the back of the administration building which is constructed of stone salvaged from the original Middle and Upper School buildings is currently underway.
The outdoor athletic fields and Preserve project is going well. Construction of the Carey Stadium building is underway as foundations and underground utilities have all been installed. The stadium seating decking will be poured over the next couple of weeks and it will start to look like a true entrance to the new facilities. The Rufo Contracting team continues to work on completing the installation of the new electrical infrastructure throughout the athletic fields for scoreboards, parking lot lighting and low path lighting. All paths have been stoned, and all remaining planting and asphalt work will occur in the spring once the weather breaks.
More than 50 college-aged alumni and their parents came out on Sunday, Jan. 2 to tour the new construction and view the Virtual Tour of Phase I of the Campus Master Plan. Make plans to join Head of School Jim Connor 1760 and the Office of Institutional Advancement on Saturday, Jan. 22 and Saturday, Jan. 29, both at 1pm, for an inside view of the construction, as well as a tour of The Preserve. RSVP today to Julie.Moore@germantownacademy.org with the number in your party.
December 3, 2010
Rufo Contracting, Intech Construction and Germantown Academy are proud to report that we are getting closer and closer to our goal of the buildings being “watertight” so that when winter weather hits, we will be working solely on the insides of the project. All of the concrete for the building construction has been poured with the exception of a small area in the entry lobby that is left out to allow machinery to run back and forth. Windows are being installed throughout both buildings. Curtain wall glass will begin arriving in the next few weeks. All mechanicals (HVAC, sprinkler and electrical) installation is underway. The switchgear and new generator is being installed this week. Roof top units continue to be installed. The roofing is nearing completion on the US/MS buildings. The grey water tank is being installed now. The roofing on the administration building is complete and the new back wall to the administration building is starting to be constructed. Stairs have been installed in both buildings and are being completed this week. Door frames and drywall framing within the building has begun. We will be installing REAL stone made in Champlain, NY, which will begin arriving on campus in about one month. By using a company within 500 miles of our project, it will help us achieve another point toward our LEED certification goal.
The foundation work for the boardwalk inside The Preserve has been completed. They are installing the wood planks now and the boardwalk should be complete by the end of next week (depending on weather). The construction on the stadium building commenced last week. It will take a little more than two months to complete. Rufo Contracting is continuing to work on punch list items out at the fields.
december 3, 2010
PennDot will began a construction project to repair the Lafayette Avenue bridge between GA and Skippack Pike on December 1, 2010. The road closure is projected to last up to six months. Detours will be set up surrounding the campus and a map that PennDot has provided is at the bottom of this paragraph. If you have any questions pertaining to the actual project or the detours within, please contact Narayana Velaga P.E. at 610-206-6873 or email: mailto:c-nvelaga@state.pa.us?subject=Regarding%20the%20Lafayette%20Bridge%20Closure or Thomas Kinsman P.E. at 610-593-3250.
Detour Map
Sporting Event Directions and Parking
November 22, 2010
The roof is on! The Alter Middle School and McNeil Upper School roofing project is almost complete and installation of the windows is underway. The roof of the administration building has been replaced, and the back wall of the administration building is being constructed with the original stone from the building. The buildings are beginning to take shape on the inside as well, with drywall framing and stair tower installation underway. Sprinkler, HVAC, and electrical rough-in has begun, and the rain water tank (which will be used to harvest rain water to flush toilets) is onsite and will be installed soon.
The baseball field has been sodded and the dugouts and stands have been put into place. The construction of Carey Stadium will commence the week after Thanksgiving. The field closest to the Sheaff and Morris corner will be seeded in the Spring to ensure that the grass takes. Finishing touches continue on the fields, including the installation of drinking fountains and stairs to the maintenance/Summer Programs building. The Preserve boardwalk is underway.
November 8, 2010
As of November 8, 2010, we are proud to say that the construction project of the new Alter Middle School and McNeil Upper School is on-time and on-budget! The concrete for the Middle School Performance Auditorium (which is right across from the Arts Center) was poured last week and the concrete for the connector, the lobby and the library, was also poured. As you can see, the masonry block walls are being constructed on each of the main buildings. Windows have arrived onsite and will be installed beginning this week. Ductwork and electric installation is underway. The grey water tank (which collects rain water and redistributes through the utilities in the new buildings) will be installed this week and roofing is underway.
The baseball field construction has commenced and the sod will be delivered and installed shortly. The field will be ready for play in the spring. The two remaining fields in the top corner of Sheaff Lane and Morris Road are being leveled and seeded this week. These fields, which are natural grass, will take at least a year to root before they are playable. The Preserve is well underway and the wetlands area will be completed soon. Temporary lights have been installed for the Stadium Parking Lot for daylight savings time. The construction of Carey Stadium will begin in the next few weeks depending on weather. Detailing and landscaping of the entire complex continues this week.
October 26, 2010
The Middle and Upper School buildings are currently on schedule. All structural steel is onsite and all of the concrete pours in the Upper School have been completed. The Middle School concrete work is now underway. We are currently installing the steel and decking for the connection between the administration building and the new Middle School, and many of you have seen the roof on the Administration building being replaced this week. Ductwork and mechanicals are being installed in the Upper School. Masonry block back up is being installed starting with the Arts Center end of the Upper School and working around the building.
The Sister’s Woods fields, Carey Stadium field and two sodded fields are draining well and playing great. All of the tennis courts are now being used by the physical education department and our athletics teams. The upper bank of tennis courts will be open very soon. We are currently completing the dirtwork for The Preserve, baseball field and final natural grass field along Sheaff Lane. This dirt work was all tied into our temporary basin and environmental protection required by the Montgomery County Conservation District and couldn't be completed until everything else was stabilized. This the final major piece of the construction project. Construction of the stadium building will commence once fall sports are complete.
October 13, 2010
Steel work on the Middle School building is almost complete. Construction of the steel roof frames on the US and MS has begun and they are pouring concrete in both structures. Masonry block work has started on the US building. Ductwork arrived on site last week and installation has begun in the Upper School. They continue to work on utilities and underground.
The two sod (natural turf) fields up top are ready for practice and competition and some of the tennis courts should also be ready to open the week of Oct. 18. Several factors have delayed the opening of the tennis courts. Inclement weather mixed with an unanticipated problem with the asphalt company has set the opening back. We are hopeful to have some of them open next week.
Construction on the baseball field has begun and will take approximately two months to complete. The baseball project is last because the site of this construction has needed to be used temporarily as drainage for the upper fields. Once the upper fields are signed off on by the environmental experts, the baseball field will be constructed. The grading in The Preserves is underway, and the installation of the electric infrastructure is in process.
October 4, 2010
Construction on the Upper and Middle School buildings continues to go very well. All of the concrete floors have been poured in the Upper School and the structural steel continues to the erected for the Middle School. The foundations for the connections from Upper School to Middle School and Middle School to the administration building are underway. The roof replacement of the administration building has begun and the underground utilities continue to be installed.
Construction of the outdoor athletic fields is progressing nicely. The path to the Sister's Woods and up through the tennis courts was installed last week. The remaining portion of the parking lot next to the stadium field is now paved. A nice crowd witnessed the first home football game on the artificial turf stadium field last Saturday (even after that huge rain storm!). The asphalt for the track has been installed, but the track will not be finished until after Spring Break to give the asphalt a chance to settle before coating. Pending weather, the sod fields are scheduled to open on October 6, while the tennis courts are slated for Monday, October 11.
Work in The Preserve is underway. As you read this summer, retention basins were placed underneath the fields to collect rainwater and release it through The Preserve to slow potential flooding. In addition, selected grasses, shrubs and trees were selected to be placed in The Preserve to naturally clean the water before re-entering the Wissahickon. Through the architectural firm of Wallace, Robert and Todd, Germantown Academy was selected to participate as part of an international pilot project program to evaluate the new SITES (sustainable sites intitiative) rating system for sustainable landscapes, which can clean water, reduce pollution, and restore habitats while providing significant economic and social benefits.
September 21, 2010
There were three main principles behind the construction projects on campus: 1) take advantage of our natural environment, the Wissahickon Creek; 2) maintain an 18th century look on the outside and create a 21st century living and learning space on the inside; 3) have the campus core remain the same so that in 50 years from now, your children coming back for their reunion will still recognize the Quad and the buildings surrounding its edges.
The fields project is going along steadily. If you don’t know, we only began working on the fields at the end of June, so what has been accomplished in only 10 or 11 weeks is pretty phenomenal. Sister’s Woods opened the last week of August and hosted most of the fall sports teams for their preseason practices on the artificial turf fields. I had been back in that area often during my time here at GA and always thought it was a pretty spot, but now, with the natural landscaping surrounding our new field surfaces, it has become one of the prettiest spots on campus. I encourage you to take a walk out over the Class of 1888 bridge and head to the left!
The Stadium Field is now open as well. This field is where the football team will play their games, but it will also host a few select games for other fall sports as well. Construction on the actual stadium will begin in November following the conclusion of the fall sports season. We didn’t want our students to have to wait to play on the fields until after it was completed, so we pushed the date back. Once the spring comes, a new stadium will be open, complete with restrooms, team rooms, training room, seating for 800+ spectators, a concession stand and spirit shop.
Since school began, we have had close to 100 parking spaces available in the Stadium Lot for sophomores, juniors and staff who were assigned to that area. If all goes well, in early October the rest of the parking spaces will be open which will total 221. Stay tuned for dates.
Two sports are still practicing and competing off-campus – girls tennis and girls and boys cross country. When the ground was turned over this summer, the area where the tennis courts were to be installed needed more time to covert to usable space than first anticipated, and that, along with the extra time needed to have the tennis court surfaces set, it became clear that we needed to keep those students off-campus for a little while longer. The tennis courts will hopefully open in the next week or two. The cross country teams have been using Fort Washington State Park this fall, and will continue to do so until the new trail is laid through the GA campus.
The sod fields are scheduled to open in early October, which will give the soccer teams more space to practice and compete. The remaining fields at the top of Sheaff Lane are natural grass fields and will need 12-16 months to grow in.
Steel for the new Middle School building is being installed this week. It is truly remarkable to be able to watch the progress of the construction and know that we will actually be using those buildings a year from now! Click on these links for the photo galleries of the building construction and the athletic fields progress.
September 3, 2010
The excitement is building! Germantown Academy faculty were treated to new sightlines as they drove onto campus this week, many for the first time since leaving in June. Gone are the old Middle and Upper School buildings, and in their stead is a completed foundation and an almost-completed steel structure for the new Upper School (click here for the photo gallery). The foundation for the Middle School is also ready and is awaiting steel erection next week.
Construction on the outdoor athletic fields is proceeding as planned (click here for the photo gallery). The Sister’s Woods opened this week for Upper School preseason practices and the stadium field’s artificial turf will be completed shortly. Rufo Contracting is working hard to get our student-athletes onto the fields as quickly and safely as possible. The landscaping around the field surfaces, as well as the walking paths, will be completed soon.
The Middle and Upper School faculty are pleased with their temporary quarters in Patriot Village and are busy individualizing their spaces, while the Lower School teachers are putting their own rooms back together following a summer of new paint, lighting and SMARTBOARDS. With the amount of work and cooperation that has gone into making the spaces that our students will live and learn in during the next year, we could have sold our story to HGTV!
The Upper School class lounges in Patriot Village are outfitted with individual hooks and bright red lockers (don’t forget to bring your own locks), while the Middle School advisories have great cubbies and upper level hooks ready for hanging bookbags and jackets. Classroom maps are posted on the wall in each entry way of the five buildings, while an entire map of Patriot Village hangs beside the reception desk in Washington Hall (building C) where visitors should check in.
Please review the Arrival and Dismissal Procedures linked here by Division (LS / MS / US). A letter was sent by mail this week detailing the driving/parking/pick-up plans for the entire school. Parents are urged to familiarize themselves with its contents as the safety of our families is our main concern.
Below is a list of offices and their locations for 2010-11:
Health Office – basement of indoor athletics complex (enter through Quad door marked “Admission”)
Training Room – basement of indoor athletics complex (next to Health Office)
Admission – Corner of Quad (outer door is marked)
Head of School – Patriot Village, Washington Hall
Middle School Office – Patriot Village, Washington Hall
Upper School Office – Patriot Village, Washington Hall
Business Office – Lafayette Avenue (visitors must park in front of Patriot Village and use the sidewalk on Patriot Way to enter the Business Office)
School Store – Patriot Village, Washington Hall
Please remember - if you have any questions regarding Patriot Village or the construction, please email transition@germantownacademy.org.
August 16, 2010
We have been fortunate this summer to have very “construction-friendly” weather, commented Project Manager Mike Rufo. Significant progress is being made on the Athletic Fields and The Preserve and the two regulation-size artificial turf fields are currently on schedule to be ready for Upper School preseason sports on August 23 (see photo above). As the fields are being rearranged near the top of Sheaff Lane, the construction crew is installing retention basins to collect rainwater and slowly release it through The Preserve to slow potential flooding. In addition, selected grasses will be placed in The Preserve this summer to naturally clean the water before re-entering the Wissahickon. However, it will be over the next several years that The Preserve will truly take shape as the area is further designed, with assistance from students and faculty, and additional plants and flowers are planted.
On the other side of the Creek, it has been a very exciting few weeks. The faculty, staff and Summer Programs participants who were on campus this summer watched in awe as the Middle and Upper School buildings were taken down, the Administration Building was beginning its internal transformation, and just last week, the foundation for the new Upper School was poured! Click here to see the photos of the construction.
Patriot Village is up and running! GA’s administrators, including Head of School Jim Connor 1760, have made Patriot Village their home already, putting their favorite collections on display, books on the shelves, and pictures on the walls. The hallways are wide, the Library is stocked, and the air conditioning is great. Signage is being placed to assist faculty and students to quickly find their way around the new classrooms.
Middle School Division Head Ken Rogers and Upper School Division Head Rich Schellhas are eager to show you and your child(ren) around Patriot Village! Join them on Monday, August 30 (MS, 8-9am; US, 4-5pm) or Tuesday, August 31 (US, 8-9am; MS, 4-5pm) for guided tours, or attend the general open house (all day both days) where you can roam the buildings on your own. No need to RSVP.
The drive and parking plan is being finalized and will be mailed to all parents soon. Because of the limited amount of parking space on campus in 2010-11, GA recommends that if a student is in the school district busing zone (click HERE for the districts), they should try and use the bus service. The bus will be the quickest and most convenient mode of transportation during 2010-11. Information about Lower School pick-up and drop-off is in the LS Handbook which was mailed in July, while the Middle School pick-up and drop-off plan was mailed on Friday; please familiarize yourself with the plan as soon as possible (click HERE for the plan on the web, it is on the right side as PDFs). Upper School will be receiving its plan shortly.
July 9, 2010
Germantown Academy's Middle and Upper School's temporary home, Patriot Village, is now up and running! Summer Programs has been using Brown Hall (building D) and will begin using some classrooms in House Hall (building B) next week. Administration is settling nicely into Washington Hall (building C). The School Store has moved into Washington Hall (building C, room 2) and more information about the summer book sale will come out soon. The Technology team is working on installation of technology for all classrooms. Work is also progressing in the Lower School as several classrooms are being repainted and new ceilings, overhead lights and Smartboards are being installed this summer.
The Upper/Middle School project is progressing as planned. Demolition of the Middle School wing is complete and they are digging for footings. The structural work is being completed at the administration building that is necessary to maintain the existing building and connect the link.
The Athletic Fields/Nature Preserve project is well under way.
Information about 2010-11 visitor parking, traffic patterns and drop-off and pick-up will be mailed this summer.
All construction workers will have their criminal background and child abuse background checks completed and on file with Intech. All workers will have a badge and a number. All workers are directed to stay within the construction fence (they will park in there and not leave) and will have no interaction with students/campers.
Don't forget - the Business Office is now located to the left of Patriot Village. Please park in the parking lot in front of Patriot Village and follow the sidewalk to the left.
Please remember - if you have any questions regarding Patriot Village or the construction, please email transition@germantownacademy.org.