It has been a couple of months since we have started construction at Greenspring Montessori School. While much of the work still remains behind the scenes (interior demolition of the Multipurpose Building, relocation of wiring, new water pipes for the Student Activity Center, finishing up the storm water management pond), there are still many very real signs of construction on campus!
Classes have ventured to get a closer look at the jack hammer breaking up the underlying rock behind the Student Activity Center (and there is a lot of rock to break!). Toddlers have been learning the names of construction vehicles and tools. Children’s House students have been practicing their own construction skills in the classrooms with hammering, sawing, drilling, and safety lessons. Our play spaces and outdoor environments are getting new rocks and greenery that we have repurposed from the construction area.
In addition, we are looking ahead excitedly for the newly renovated classrooms. We have selected our tile and carpet samples, along with our wall colors! Our staff are also meeting to discuss the fixtures in our kitchens, restrooms, and classrooms. With this, we can begin to paint a picture in our minds of what the new buildings will look like.
Just imagine walking into the Toddler and Children’s House Village East (currently the Multipurpose Building), where the classrooms are all a buzz with activity. Large windows let natural light pour in on to the many Montessori materials neatly placed on the shelves. This building is completely new, but it fits in with the historic charm of the rest of campus. Clean cream walls and neutral flooring allows the room to fade away, so that the child’s work becomes the primary focus.
In all of the rooms, children move freely in between the indoor and outdoor environments. Outside, there is even more space for the children to garden, work with materials, and observe the great world around them.
The communal kitchens in each building will allow for all of our children and our faculty to bake and cook regularly, incorporating more fresh foods into their daily snacks.
All in all, these new villages will provide an immersive and fully-Montessori space for our children to grow and flourish.
In the coming weeks and months, we will begin to truly see this vision take shape. Once the interior demolition of the Multipurpose Building is complete and the storm water management pond is in place, the external demolition will begin. After that is cleaned up and hauled away, workers will start the framing of the new Village. We look forward to sharing more of this journey with our community this spring!
