Reprinted from ACC Chronicle
Picturing Next Year: Questions About Our New Building
As the Grace Hopper Center construction enters its final phase, we’re realizing that we’re not just getting a new building, we’re getting a whole new school, with new teachers, new students, and new spaces to fill. Thanks to the hard work of Whiting Turner, the construction company, architects at Stantec, the APS design team, and Grace Hopper’s administrative team, and more, the finish line is in sight, which means that new questions come up about the new space every day.
How long will our passing periods be? The building is going to be a lot bigger, so we’re going to need more time between classes, and administrators are already working on our new schedule. I’m guessing we need AT LEAST eight minutes, hopefully ten. Before anyone calls me crazy, take a walk from the front of the building to the very back and tell me how long that alone takes. I’m sure it will be at least six minutes, not including stairs, different turns, bathroom breaks, water breaks, and simply talking to friends. Sometimes I want to have a short conversation with my friend about an assignment or something that is upsetting me, but we are interrupted by adults who rush us all to class. A minute or two to destress and connect with peers is crucial for recharging throughout the day, so we hope they consider this when making the new schedule.
Will we have private washing areas in the bathrooms? When I first saw the bathroom design that includes common-use sinks, I was actually worried. What if a student needs to do their hair or brush their teeth? I know I wouldn’t want everyone to see that. Stantec intern and Arlington Tech senior Samuel Jaeckel gave us some good news: there will be private “changing rooms” for students to use. Otherwise, I hope they’ll consider placing mirrors in the stalls for quick looks.
Will elevators be open to everyone? Personally, I am fine walking up a few flights of stairs because it helps me get steps in, but what about the students who get fatigued from stairs? Will they be allowed to use the elevators? Will they be singled out? Sam predicts that students who need the elevators will be allowed access, but the process to determine who needs them is yet to be decided.
Will we have lockers, and will they be mandatory? In this building, we have lockers, but I hope they won’t be required. Whiting Turner is already installing lockers throughout the school, which is encouraging for the fall. How and when we’re going to use them, though, will all be decided by the administrative team.
What will we do with the old ACC building while the school board is deciding its use? The possibility of it being a walk-through for teachers and staff to get from the parking lot to the new building has been proposed. The empty building will only be filled on weekday mornings for twenty minutes at most. Almost all of it is staying untouched (kind of creepy to be honest). According to Sam and Mr. Mainor, the building may be the future home of the Montessori Public School Program, but the proposal has not yet been up for a school board vote.
There’s a lot to decide between now and August, and obviously, students would like a voice in the process. In the meantime, we’ll enjoy the view of our beautiful new building and wonder what’s in store for us next year.
