BRICK & MORTAR UPGRADES
There are three key elements to modern teaching: flexible space, up-to-date technology and an efficient approach to learning.
“The modern classroom isn't all brick and mortar,” said Tracy Vitale, superintendent of the Seneca Valley School District.
Seneca Valley is in the process of designing many “modern classrooms” for its new building, which will be constructed along Ehrman Road in Cranberry Township for students in kindergarten through sixth grade.
The building will hold about 1,400 people on a regular school day.
While school buildings are usually sharp angles and rigid surfaces, Seneca Valley is taking a new approach.“We believe the square (class) room is no longer suitable,” Vitale said. “We want the building ... to be a teaching tool and a learning tool for kids.”This means actually using the building — which will have collaborative spaces, sustainable energy and technology like 3D printers — to teach students.If the new school is constructed with solar panels, students will use them in science class. If solar panels prove inefficient, students will learn why. The focus is on problem-solving and soft skills.“This is truly a school of the future that will last 50 years, if not 80,” Vitale said.
Mars Area School District is in the first phase of a $15.3 million middle school renovation. Superintendent Wesley Shipley said general renovations include new flooring, lighting, paint and technology.“Basically, getting rid of the old projection-style Promethean boards,” Shipley said. “Technology continues to grow and we need to be prepared for that.”The school's offices, kitchens and classrooms will also be improved. Special emphasis is on the “pods,” which had a sunken floor that could be both inefficient and hazardous.“It's now a flat surface,” Shipley said.Construction on the building — which has about 600 occupants on an average school day — began the day after students ended the 2018-19 school year.Most of the work is being done inside the building. Doors are being relocated for better classroom access and expansion. Some hallways are being reconnected for better traffic flow and storage space.Maybe the biggest change is to the larger group instruction room or LGI. Its tiered layout is being converted to a flat floor plan.According to Shipley, the LGI is mostly for collaboration between classrooms. That's the goal of the renovations overall.“It's really about creating instructional spaces that are lighter and brighter,” Shipley said. “The footprint itself has changed very, very slightly.”
Vitale asked for input from Seneca Valley students, parents, faculty and administration. Embodying the collaborative approach to modern teaching, the new elementary school is the product of many minds. First and foremost are the students.“They need to be in a creative environment,” Vitale said.Shipley agreed the modern classroom must be a place for innovation.“We had need for ... improvements,” he added.The first phase of the Mars Area Middle School project will be complete by the time students start school Sept. 9. Construction will continue through December.Plans for the Seneca Valley elementary school are being finalized, with a call for bids potentially in November. Preliminary estimates of the project are between $70 million and $80 million, with a base construction cost of about $63 million.“(It's) a thoughtful, deliberate timeline,” Vitale said.
