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Teachers laud assets of 2 new Warren schools Warren K-8 schools
By ED RUNYAN
WARREN
Air conditioning and a bounty of other benefits await those starting school today in the new McGuffey K-8 building, said Julie Householder, a second-grade teacher there.
For example, instead of showing students documents on an old-style overhead projector, each classroom has a built-in projector on the ceiling and a new document reader connected to it. Images can be captured from any type of book, paper or computer screen.
The device makes it easier to use a wide range of resources, said Householder and her co-teacher, Ashley Snyder.
Furthermore, a building with grades kindergarten through 8 will create a better transition for students from one school year to the next because last year’s teacher will be only a few doors away from this year’s teacher, Householder said.
Householder taught at Emerson Elementary on Moncrest Drive Northwest last year. It housed kindergarten through second grade.
Householder talked about the new McGuffey building on Tod Avenue last week while greeting students and their families during a walk-through.
McGuffey and the city’s other new K-8 building, Jefferson K-8 on Tod Avenue Southwest, are the last two new buildings in the school district’s program to replace its 19 former school buildings with five new ones.
The district passed a $40.7 million bond issue in 2003 to pay the local share of the $153 million Ohio School Facilities Commission project.
Linda Reigelman, McGuffey building principal, said McGuffey feels like a “fairy tale” to her because of all the improved opportunities for learning and bonding with the families who are part of the school.
“Coming from a large building — the former Reserve Middle School at 1,100 students — to a building of 665, it’s a huge opportunity to create a warm, family environment,” she said.
“We want families to be a part here. We feel like that’s been missing,” Reigelman said.
One new feature for McGuffey families will be Internet access to homework assignments. The district will be extending the concept to all of its buildings in the near future, she said.
The two West Side buildings use the same floor plan and are nearly identical except that all of the paint and accent colors are not the same, said Aaron Schwab, school district communications coordinator. Both buildings can accommodate up to 665 students.
The Lincoln K-8 building on Atlantic Street and Willard K-8 on Willard Avenue, which both went into service earlier, are larger than the two newest buildings. Lincoln has about 1,100 students, and Willard has about 900.