Wawasee Approves Webster School Plans
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
SYRACUSE -ÊSchematics for the new North Webster Elementary School were approved Tuesday by the Wawasee School Board.
Gary R. Watkins, of Barton, Coe, Vilamaa Architects & Engineers Inc., Fort Wayne, presented and explained the plans.
"We think this is a very good option, a good plan for the school," he said.
Grade levels are in pods of five rooms each, with an additional classroom in each pod set aside for specialty classes, such as gifted and talented or students with learning disabilities. Watkins said the pods reduce noise and allow grade levels to work together.
The building is designed for 700 students. The administration area is in front of the building to help with security. The media center is in the center of the school.
The main entry and the parent drop-off area are separated from bus services.
"One of the things I like about this plan," said Watkins, "is the relationship between the gym and potential (athletic) fields. You don't have to cross a driveway."
He also said the building will maximize natural light. The building plan is very customized to the school but uses standard components, he said.
Board president Jeffrey Wells asked if the new North Webster Elementary can accommodate all-day kindergarten if that is adopted by the state. Watkins said it will because the kindergarten pod would have two specialty rooms, one for Head Start and another for latchkey kids. If all-day kindergarten becomes necessary, those two programs have been told they will have to seek room elsewhere.
The size of the hallways was another concern for Wells. Watkins said they will be 10 to 12 feet wide.
Watkins also said the gym has high school basketball dimensions and can be used for student plays and musicals.
The new elementary will be built on the property Wawasee Schools purchased in November for $322,092. The 68 acres, formerly owned by Joe Barrett and Richard Kistler, is at the intersection of CRs 750E and 600N, North Webster. The proposed school will have 106,226 square feet.
On Feb. 1, the board will hold a public forum at the old North Webster Elementary School for people interested in the old school. A fax was sent to the school board from the North Webster town board asking the school board to draft a letter supporting the town's request to pursue a planning grant. Instead, the school board scheduled the public meeting.
In other business, Wawasee High School Principal Alan Frank gave a brief presentation on trimester scheduling for the high school.
"This isn't really a new topic," he said, since for more than eight years the corporation has looked at alternative scheduling in lieu of the seven-period day for the high school.
He said Wawasee High School's scheduling has worked pretty well in the past, but there are changes the corporation can't ignore. He said 64 percent of high school juniors and seniors nationwide work. There are more broken homes. Education standards are being raised and schools are expected to meet those standards with the same amount of money. People value "things" more than education. Education legislation has changed, including more credits being required for graduation. Teachers have to plan more and make their classroom time more student-centered.
If Wawasee High School goes to trimester scheduling, there will be three semesters in a year instead of two and five periods a day instead of seven. Over four years, students will have 12 semesters instead of eight and would earn 60 credits instead of 48. Frank said they would like to begin the trimester scheduling in the 2001-2002 school year. Each period would increase from 50 to 70 to 75 minutes.
There are, he said, 53 schools in Indiana that now use the trimester system, including Concord and Plymouth high schools. NorthWood and Whitko plan to use it, he said.
"Very few people can find very little wrong with it," he said.
No action was taken. At the next board meeting, Frank will answer the board's questions about the trimester system.
In other business, the board:
• Approved Wells as board president; Carol Swartzendruber as vice president; Marion Acton, secretary; Kathy Deck, recording secretary; David Cates, board attorney; Don Huber, treasurer; Pam Unruh, deputy treasurer; Brian Dawes, board of finance president; Swartzendruber, board of finance secretary; and Marion Acton, board representative to vocational advisers' council.
• Accepted a donation of $1,000 from a local church to the health service department for children with special health needs.
• Approved the Wawasee High School Drama Club's summer trip to London. [[In-content Ad]]
SYRACUSE -ÊSchematics for the new North Webster Elementary School were approved Tuesday by the Wawasee School Board.
Gary R. Watkins, of Barton, Coe, Vilamaa Architects & Engineers Inc., Fort Wayne, presented and explained the plans.
"We think this is a very good option, a good plan for the school," he said.
Grade levels are in pods of five rooms each, with an additional classroom in each pod set aside for specialty classes, such as gifted and talented or students with learning disabilities. Watkins said the pods reduce noise and allow grade levels to work together.
The building is designed for 700 students. The administration area is in front of the building to help with security. The media center is in the center of the school.
The main entry and the parent drop-off area are separated from bus services.
"One of the things I like about this plan," said Watkins, "is the relationship between the gym and potential (athletic) fields. You don't have to cross a driveway."
He also said the building will maximize natural light. The building plan is very customized to the school but uses standard components, he said.
Board president Jeffrey Wells asked if the new North Webster Elementary can accommodate all-day kindergarten if that is adopted by the state. Watkins said it will because the kindergarten pod would have two specialty rooms, one for Head Start and another for latchkey kids. If all-day kindergarten becomes necessary, those two programs have been told they will have to seek room elsewhere.
The size of the hallways was another concern for Wells. Watkins said they will be 10 to 12 feet wide.
Watkins also said the gym has high school basketball dimensions and can be used for student plays and musicals.
The new elementary will be built on the property Wawasee Schools purchased in November for $322,092. The 68 acres, formerly owned by Joe Barrett and Richard Kistler, is at the intersection of CRs 750E and 600N, North Webster. The proposed school will have 106,226 square feet.
On Feb. 1, the board will hold a public forum at the old North Webster Elementary School for people interested in the old school. A fax was sent to the school board from the North Webster town board asking the school board to draft a letter supporting the town's request to pursue a planning grant. Instead, the school board scheduled the public meeting.
In other business, Wawasee High School Principal Alan Frank gave a brief presentation on trimester scheduling for the high school.
"This isn't really a new topic," he said, since for more than eight years the corporation has looked at alternative scheduling in lieu of the seven-period day for the high school.
He said Wawasee High School's scheduling has worked pretty well in the past, but there are changes the corporation can't ignore. He said 64 percent of high school juniors and seniors nationwide work. There are more broken homes. Education standards are being raised and schools are expected to meet those standards with the same amount of money. People value "things" more than education. Education legislation has changed, including more credits being required for graduation. Teachers have to plan more and make their classroom time more student-centered.
If Wawasee High School goes to trimester scheduling, there will be three semesters in a year instead of two and five periods a day instead of seven. Over four years, students will have 12 semesters instead of eight and would earn 60 credits instead of 48. Frank said they would like to begin the trimester scheduling in the 2001-2002 school year. Each period would increase from 50 to 70 to 75 minutes.
There are, he said, 53 schools in Indiana that now use the trimester system, including Concord and Plymouth high schools. NorthWood and Whitko plan to use it, he said.
"Very few people can find very little wrong with it," he said.
No action was taken. At the next board meeting, Frank will answer the board's questions about the trimester system.
In other business, the board:
• Approved Wells as board president; Carol Swartzendruber as vice president; Marion Acton, secretary; Kathy Deck, recording secretary; David Cates, board attorney; Don Huber, treasurer; Pam Unruh, deputy treasurer; Brian Dawes, board of finance president; Swartzendruber, board of finance secretary; and Marion Acton, board representative to vocational advisers' council.
• Accepted a donation of $1,000 from a local church to the health service department for children with special health needs.
• Approved the Wawasee High School Drama Club's summer trip to London. [[In-content Ad]]