The third grade classroom addition at Churchill School in Homewood is open for business.
Teachers are using the two classrooms for small group sessions and the two small rooms for one-to-one tutoring. In the coming school year the two larger rooms will be third grade classrooms, said Principal Sara Schnoor.
Churchill School principal Sara Schnoor points out the storage space in one of the new third grade classrooms. Storage is crucial for both student and teacher needs. (Marilyn Thomas/H-F Chronicle)
Furnishings for the classrooms are on order. Desks will come with storage spaces. Desks are designed for students to have quick storage, and will be moveable so they can blend for small groups. New to the third grade will be lily pads, a new type of floor mat that will give teachers the option of having reading groups sit on the floor. The room will be equipped with two white boards, an interactive screen and bulletin boards.
Schnoor said she’s especially grateful for the two small rooms that she called “a great addition.” The building previously didn’t have any spaces for private sessions.
Traditional lighting has been switched out for LED lights. Crews also switched the lights in the school’s hallways, and Schnoor said it has made a noticeable difference.
Schnoor said the district chose this addition design because it matched the Churchill building and its placement on the east end of the building didn’t eliminate windows in existing classrooms. Flooring between the existing building and the addition is the same color and District 153 staff built student cubbies to match those already in the third grade pod.
Phil Thiele with Gilbane Construction said there are a few small things to be completed, and he expected the roofing would be done by early February. Schnoor said the construction firm promised the space would be ready when second semester started this month, and it was despite delays due to the construction strike in the summer. Wight & Company handled the design work.