With a smaller cohort of students on campus (thanks to our Pegasus, Eliot Academy, and Rams Sports Camps), summer is a perfect time for our dedicated facilities and groundskeeping crews to tackle larger projects. Contrary to teachers, it’s their busy season! We thought we’d highlight some of the great work they’ve done to update our School and get it ready for another great year of learning.
“Operations had a very small window to complete major capital projects once school was out,” reported Beth Miller, Chief Operating Officer. “One of the things that is very deceiving about our campus is that an area might look okay but, in reality, is in need of repair. We are deeply studying areas in need to determine what solutions to consider going forward. We made good progress on those studies over the summer.”
What’s new for you to see this year? Perhaps the largest project—by square footage, anyway—was the replacement of the floor in the McDonnell Athletic Center (MAC). The performance of the old floor had diminished for athletics, but now our student-athletes have a new foundation to play upon.
Speaking of gyms, the North Gym floor received its own re-do. The refinish resulted in a gorgeous lift to the space.
Our Middle School band room, located behind the stage in Eliot Chapel, went through an “extreme makeover.” Walls were torn down to make the space larger and more workable, and the room received new flooring, lighting, paint, and HVAC.
We did a lot of work outside as well. The Bryant Arts Center (BAC) rotunda wall work, which began last spring, was finished this summer. Two sets of outdoor steps in front of the MS were replaced, both the main steps into Danforth Hall and the double staircase leading into Eliot Chapel.
The Middle School Help Desk area was transformed into a space designed to be more user-friendly for students, faculty, and staff seeking technology help, and to better serve our intrepid IT staff. It’s not completely finished, but the photos below will give you a peek into how it’s coming along!
Also in the Middle School, we renovated an old kitchen located off the Alumnae Room, turning a previously unused space into a new music practice room for our talented students.
We have new lights in the Steward Family Aquatic Center that really illuminate the whole area, and the mechanical floor was fixed.
Our largest project in terms of cost is, ironically, the one you can’t see. You can definitely feel it, though! We replaced the Danforth Hall HVAC system. We’ll spare you the photo of an air conditioner but take note the next time you’re strolling through the cool halls of our Middle School.
“I’m so grateful to our operations team who support the school year round but especially over the summer,” said Miller. “They maintain the beautiful aesthetic of our large campus while simultaneously enhancing safety, sustainability, and addressing the needs of our many constituents. They manage many projects within a short time frame resulting in a safe and welcoming campus for our community. While much of their work is completed behind the scenes, their commitment to MICDS can be seen everywhere you look.”
Many thanks to our operations team for their work to keep our campus beautiful, safe, and functional!