Flight students visit the new school during finals’ week

Return
As their final exam, Flight students toured the construction site and wrote up what they learned. Read the Flight students' reactions to their tour through the new buildings.


Flight staff on stage.

On May 27, 2008, the Flight students laid feet onto and went through the construction grounds of the new school.

Once I entered the building, I could already tell that what I was about to tour would be spectacular. The architecture was like nothing I had ever seen. With the many angled walls, high and curved ceilings, and large rooms, Mr. Rock VanFossen described that "it's not a square building with a flat roof by any means, but instead, it's going to be a real attractive area to be in; well actually the whole area (school) will be."


Impressive spaces.

In the new school, there will be many new features, such as color-coded grades. These will distinguish where students will go for classes without getting lost. For example, when a fifth grader walks into the building on August 25, 2008, he will only go to purple classes. This will limit confusion for the elementary and middle school.

However, color-coded grades are only one of many new and exciting features. For current high school students in our old buildings, you are aware that there is no air conditioning available with a few exceptions. However, in the new school, the AC will be readily accessible to the entire building at anytime. Other features include a geothermal well system, portable walls that will be able to split or combine rooms, ELA (Extended Learning Areas) where students can peacefully take tests without being interrupted, slightly bigger lockers, safety features such as multiple cameras in the hallways for monitoring purposes, and automatically closing fire doors.

Some things will look very similar, like the band room layout and exit that will lead directly to their practice field, the art room layouts that are connected by a kiln room, and auditorium that will fit about 600 people. However, other things will be very different, like the 42 feet of fly space on the stage with a spiral staircase and dressing rooms, the walk though kitchen and lodge-like cafeteria, and huge high school gymnasium. The high school gym will be able to seat almost 1500 people. No longer will we have to worry about not having enough room for sporting events and graduation! In addition, you will not have to worry about the excess noise from the fans, because the walls of the gym are made from sound brick, a type of brick that absorbs sound.

When I asked Mr. Rock VanFossen what he was most looking forward to, he responded by saying, "I'm just excited about the whole thing. It's going to be a state of the art building for the students." I am personally excited to walk through the main entrance and look at the huge cardinal mural that will be on the ground that is currently just plain cement.

The construction was caught behind from when we had the surplus amounts of snowfall, but it is now back on schedule with the 125-150 workers on site each day. The high school is expected to be finished on time and able to be moved into by Thanksgiving or Christmas break of 2008.

Get ready to rumble, everyone. We are moving up!

A special thanks goes out to all of the construction workers for their quality work, and the Sandy Valley community for supporting the new school building!

--Alison M. '10



On May 27, 2008, I was able to experience the adventure to the new school—well, at least what’s done. Our Flight class went there to see the progress of the school and to check out all that is still to be built.

I know many people would like to know if the new 7-12 school will be done during Christmas break. Mr. VanFossen says that they got behind during the winter months when there was a lot of snow, but lately they were able to gain back progress and are expecting it to be open at the right time. The school has similar patterns throughout each section of the school. The school is a lot different than the one we have now; it has a lot of angles and curves instead of being flat. I am looking forward for the new school and the future.


A curved hallway.

--Lynisa K.'09


One of the beautiful entrances.

When we first went over to the new schools, I was like wow this is so different and interesting. We toured the elementary first and a lot of things caught my attention such as how the halls and classrooms weren't just four straight walls; they had angles and curves. Some hallways were even completely rounded to where you couldn't see to the other side.

I really like the layout and the separation of grades that keeps the older kids away from the little ones. All the grades in the elementary have their own quads with their own bathrooms and classrooms so they don't combine with other grades. The new elementary school will help eliminate confusion with color coded halls; each grade has its own color so kids won’t get lost wandering around the whole building looking for their classroom.


Zach in the elementary "cafetorium."

Another great feature of the elementary is that the playground is behind the school in a secluded area near the new and improved practice fields for sports. With the playground behind the school children are safer and won't be anywhere near the roads. Some kids get sick of seeing the same scene they saw with their older siblings and now with themselves and sometimes get senioritis a little bit early, but I think with this new change in scenery they will want to know what lies behind every wall. And while their curiosity might not last their whole elementary lives, it may help them to want to become all that they know they already know they can be. They will want to find all the new technology and differences in this new environment. It gives them a reason to show up to school . . . to see what discoveries they can make not just because there parents told them to.


Carpets ready to go down in the elementary rooms.

The elementary isn't the only new addition to our school district. We also have the new Jr/Sr high school to look forward to. It may not be as far along but it's just as inviting and exciting as ever. Winter athletes will love our new gym. With the high ceilings the volleyball players won't have to worry about the ceiling becoming a factor in their game. There are plenty of seats for spectators who come to see all of Sandy Valley's great talents. Even the fans will love our new buildings which now has an actual concession stand instead of a table in the cafeteria with snacks on it.

Another group who will love our new plans are the drama club members who will now get to perform on a brand new stage with a 42 feet high fly and a Cinderella-like feel when ascending the spiral stairs off to the side of the stage. The people who come to observe our shows and plays will enjoy the spacious seating and new sound system that enhances their experience. Who knows what the Drama club will come up with next!

Mrs. Lidderdale and Mrs. DiSabato will also be appreciative of the new art rooms with plenty of space and style to not only present students’ work but also to provide new ideas and thoughts on projects and just plain fun.


View from art room window.

Now that the departments like English, math, and sciences are all in the same general area, teachers can consult with one another more easily. Instead of wasting time to walk all the way to the other side of the school they can just walk across the hall. Another thing I noticed in the new school was the color schemes. The red and gray patterns support our school colors, and I can't wait to see the gym colors—the design is fantastic. One side is red and gray the other is going to be a magnificent painting of a giant cardinal. The interior decorator did an excellent job on the designs and look of our future schools that will make an impact on generations to come!

--Kim M. '11



The Sandy Valley Flight class recently took a trip to the new school construction sight on Tuesday, May 27, 2008. We got the details about the new school through Assistant Superintendent Rock VanFossen and our tour through the new school. If I may say so myself, the new school is very impressive.

The new school has 2 new libraries for both new schools. In the grade school each grade is colored off in sections called "pods." Each school has extended learning areas, also known as E.L.A. 's. These are used as private areas used for such reasons as making up tests in a quiet peaceful learning environment. There are many benefits to having our new school, such as using the same ground that our geo-thermal heating/cooling areas as easy access practice fields for band and football.

--Joe E. '09



Today while visiting the "new building" for the first time I felt proud to be a part of the Sandy Valley community. All the students have a bright future ahead of them.

The first part of the building we walked through was the elementary portion. Each grade is colored coded: Kindergarten is red, 1st grade is orange, 2nd grade is yellow, 3rd grade is green, 4th grade is blue and 5th grade is purple. The completion date for this building is August 25.

Both the elementary and high school buildings have a nice library with big glass windows in front. There are approximately 125-150 workers on site each day.

The buildings are equal on both sides with the main office in the middle.
The next phase of our tour was the middle school and high school.


A classroom.
Each subject has a different number of classrooms. Math has 5, science has 4, language arts has 5, foreign language has 2, social studies has 3 and special education has 3. A new feature that the school will have is ELA, which stands for Extended Learning Area.

In the back of the building is the event area, near where all of the band, choir, and art rooms are. The auditorium holds 600 people and on the sides of the aisles there are lights. The stage is huge and will be very convenient for plays.

My favorite part was seeing the new gym. It was like you were walking into a college gym. I can’t wait to see what its going to look like when its finished. One side of seating in the new gym holds as many people as our gym now does all together. The total seating for the new gym will be 1,460. Another interesting feature the new building has is firewalls to keep fires from spreading.


Mr. VanFossen in front of concrete seating.

The old small gym and locker room will be renovated, and gymnastics will use that gym.

The new school is nothing like the existing one now. It’s not just a building with straight walls. The new building has lots of curves and angles. We asked Mr. VanFossen what he is most excited about and he replied, "Its a state of the art facilities for you students."



--Jenna F.


We're almost done!


This past Tuesday, our Flight class was lucky enough to be led around the new school by Mr. Rock VanFossen. We explored from the elementary school to the other side of the high school. Many amazing new features fill the new school. Just by walking into the new high school, you will be welcomed with a large cardinal logo in the middle of the floor.

With painted pods and "cubbies" being installed, the elementary school is on its way to be move-in ready. Each grade in the elementary is colored coded, which makes it great for younger students to get around. With some electricity all ready running, the elementary school is well on its way to completion.


Cubbies being prepared for the elementary classrooms.

One of the innovative aspects of the new 7-12 building are the ELA areas, also known as extended learning areas. These areas are basically places in front of classrooms that are blocked off from the hallway, so that students can retake tests, homework, and any other class work without being bothered.

The high school and middle school contain huge advancements compared to the schools now. Just the gymnasium is a huge change. One half of the gym contains as many seats as our gym now. Around 1,460 seats will be able to be filled in the new gym. Observing from the road, you can see a large tower-like object in the back; that’s the new 40 foot stage in the auditorium. Containing a large spiral staircase, the stage is a great new area for theatre students and others to perform. From new classrooms, to curved hallways, or to the large new gyms, the new school is going to be a great new addition to Sandy Valley.

--Nick L. '10


Tuesday the 27th the Flight class got the chance to take a tour through the new school with Mr. VanFossen. They were to take pictures, write down notes and ask any questions needed so that they could complete an article about the progress of the new school.


1.What is the capacity of the new high school gym? --"The new gym will hold almost 1,500 people including the handicapped seats. There is a permanent seating section that is elevated from the floor that holds 900 or more people; that’s more people than what our entire high school gym holds now. Then down below and on the opposite side there will be pull-out bleachers."

2. When will both the elementary building and high school building be done? --"The elementary school is on schedule to be done by this August if all goes well. The high school and middle school building is hoping to be finished anywhere between Thanksgiving and Christmas break."

3. Could you explain how the classrooms and grades are split up? "In the elementary school, all the grades are split up into different color schemes. The different colors represent the different grades and those different grades are divided up into groups called pods. The pods are different sections for all the different grades to stay in their own section of the school. It's a benefit for the younger kids so that they basically stay in the same area of the school all day. Every pod has its own bathrooms which have 3 stalls each and have sinks to wash their hands on the outside of the restroom so that teachers can monitor the kids."

In my own opinion, I love the new school. The sleek, curvy design makes the school look more modern and up-to-date. The school is much bigger and spacious which benefits so much now that the hallways will be more open, and the class rooms give a lot more room for the students to breathe. I love everything about our new school and I’m very excited to experience the feel of it when it's all done.

--Michael E. '11


The layout of the new school is built in a half circular shape with many buildings, including an elementary, middle, and high school. As we walked to the school, it felt as if it were a college campus containing numerous buildings with over-sized windows, and many confusing entrances. Although construction is currently being done, it’s easy to see that this school will be the center point of our community.


The elementary gym.

As I walked through the school, I began to understand how important this establishment will be for everyone. Along with the school we will have a new practice football field, softball field, a practice field for the marching band, event parking with a convenient event entrance that leads right to the new and improved high school gym. The gym, which happens to be my favorite feature of the new school, will seat between 1460-1480 people, seating as many as our current gym on only one side. The gym will also receive a stat panel scoreboard.

The auditorium seats about the same as our current one, but includes a much bigger stage, flying area, and dressing rooms. Each classroom in the school will have windows, allowing students and staff to have great views of the area. The new elementary school will be separated into different pods for each grade level, with their own restrooms and extended learning areas for tutoring, one-on-one learning, and other activities requiring a quiet and private environment for students and staff.

You might only be driving by now, but before long our new school will be up and running, and new memories will be made on new land, also providing students, staff and the community with a new outlook on learning, overall giving Sandy Valley something great to look forward to.

--Andrea H. '09


On Tuesday, I had the privilege to take a tour throughout the new elementary and high school buildings that are currently being built. The new schools are definitely a place that you will get lost in during the first week of being there. The new buildings are huge, with hardly any straight hallways. But it won’t take long to get accustomed to the layout.

The basic design of the schools is the same. To the right in each school are the younger grades, and to the left are the older grades. Once you enter the school through the main entrance to the right will be the offices, and to the left will be the library. The libraries will most likely be a popular place for the students to be because of the view it will give them. The library is full of walls with plenty of large windows for the students to have a place to relax in.

Three-hundred and twenty wells were drilled for the purpose of the geothermal heating and air condition system. Baseball, softball, and band practice fields will be built over top of this system. The student parking lot is where the construction trailers are currently sitting. Buses will pick up the students in the back, while the parents will pick up their children in the front.

--Lyndsey



Return