THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 24, 1994 TAG: 9407220265
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 11 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Education
SOURCE: BY ELIZABETH THIEL, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines
The School Board on Monday night reviewed preliminary sketches for a new elementary school that may open as early as September 1996 along Cedar Road near the Las Gaviotas development.
The architect who presented the drawings, Charles R. Krummell, said he met with principals and other school officials to identify priorities for the school before coming up with sketches.
Krummell said he was asked to include several key elements in the exterior design of the school, including:
Safety, such as creating secure entrances and avoiding hidden spaces like courtyards and crevices;
Separate traffic patterns for school buses and other traffic;
100 parking places, including separate parking for visitors and administrators;
Separate play areas for the primary and upper grades.
For the interior, Krummell was asked to consider creating:
A warm and inviting environment;
Smooth traffic patterns in the corridors;
Spacious special education classrooms dispersed throughout the school so children using those rooms would have more opportunities to mingle with other students.
Exterior windows in all classrooms;
Separate classroom areas for primary and upper grades;
Cafeteria and gymnasium areas that could be used for other purposes.
To accomplish all that, Krummell came up with a one-story structure that has three widely spaced wings. One wing houses pre-kindergarten and primary classes, while the third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students are on another wing. Special education classrooms are dispersed throughout.
The gymnasium and cafeteria have their own wing, which can be separated by a gate, with restrooms and their own parking area. During the day, that parking area would be used by buses and the faculty.
Students and visitors entering the school would walk under a canopy into a front foyer lined by windows looking into the media center. The administrative and guidance offices would be nearby.
The board did not vote but gave its nod to the preliminary drawings. Architects now will begin drafting formal plans.
``We're very pleased with this design,'' said Superintendent C. Fred Bateman.
The school originally was scheduled to open in 1997. But the City Council gave some money early so design work could begin, which likely will allow the school to open earlier, said Deputy Superintendent William R. Nichols.
KEYWORDS: CHESAPEAKE SCHOOL BOARD
by CNB