By Jennifer Marino
"The teachers have learned how to parallel park," said Principal Darren Raymar. At first they left too much space between the cars. Raymar also asked parents to try to walk their children to school in nice weather to reduce the traffic.
The current construction focuses on the two classrooms being added on to the first-grade wing. Both rooms will measure about 900 square feet, and one of them will hold the third section of first grade. Raymar says he hasn't determined who will go into the second room because he is still waiting on some numbers.
He does know that art will go back into a classroom, and occupational and physical therapy will have a space other than the kitchen being used now.
The construction will also reconfigure the parking lot so there will be more spaces. There will also be a fence around the lot so students will have a larger play area.
For the students at Covert, the construction has become a learning experience. Raymar announces a construction word of the week every Friday. Because the kids have discussed and observed the construction, it hasn't been a distraction, said Raymar. The workers were also given a schedule of the recent testing so they could keep the noise to a minimum during those times.
Joe Buccello's first-grade class has taken a special interest in the work. They students have their own construction word wall, and they interviewed some of the workers. Every day several students visit one of the new rooms, where they can observe the construction and write essays on what they've seen.
The new heating system will include air conditioning in the gym and the auditorium. The controls for the heating will be computerized so they can be adjusted for each classroom.
Perhaps the most exciting addition for the students is the new playground. After the school consulted with the playground manufacturer about safety, the children were given the chance to vote on which pieces of equipment they liked best. The PTA and the student council helped raise money to pay for the equipment. There will be a community build on June 21 to put up the new playground.
"The first week was an adjustment," said Raymar of the construction, adding that the school has since settled down again.
