The School!
Paulette Elementary
Week 14
 The metal studded walls for the interior rooms. |
46% COMPLETEWe are quickly getting past the slow part of the building process. For the last few weeks the process has slowed because of the jobs being done. I was beginning to find it hard to come up with things to write about. Another stud was placed, more roof was installed more blocks laid. It is all necessary work but it isn't very exciting. But now we are getting into the part that makes this school look like a school. I call this the recognize that portion. It is when you start seeing things and knowing what they will one day be. |
 But
again I must start this article with more interior walls have been
installed. Again the rumor mill has begun grinding the corn of
misinformation. The tale has been started that all of the walls inside
the school will be metal and sheet rock. One person is even saying that
one class will be able to hear the next class the walls are so thin.The fact is all rooms of the building will be separated by block walls that are both fire retardant and sound dampening. When we originally traveled to see this building already built in another county this was an issue teachers told me to check on. Sometimes at MES the lunch room can get so loud that teachers nearby have a hard time having class. Teachers provided the input to Director Goforth that this was an issue that needed to be addressed in the new school. It has been addressed in two ways. First the lunch room in the new school is separated from instructional areas. But that still leaves  classrooms
together. Director Goforth was interested in the sound traveling
between rooms. At the model school he stood in one room while I stood
in the next. We yelled back and forth at each other and I am happy to
report the sound did not travel. I wish I had these walls when my wife
is angry with me.But the interior walls of this school are block, what you see in metal framing are partitioning walls between offices and storage areas. In figure 2 you can see the metal framework for the ceiling over the lunch room. You can also see the ductwork that will carry the heat and air. Look closely beside the ductwork and you will notice an area of extra grid work. This will make up the attic walkway. Maintenance people will be able to walk through the attic and change filters, bulbs etc. without interrupting class. And while we are on the subject of the lunch room allow me to explain figure 3. In figure 3 we see a wall with two holes. These two holes are central in automating the traffic flow and work patterns of this cafeteria. At MES we often find a criss-cross of students in line to get food while other students have to pass through this line to  take
empty trays back and return to their rooms. At Paulette this has been
addressed again with the input of teachers and cafeteria workers.The whole concept was detailed with exceptional attention put in traffic flow. This not only will speed up the process but provide a safer environment for our children. The return (trash) line will be totally separate from the serving line. The small hole you see in figure three is for paper products and other materials that may be recycled. The larger window will be for the items that will be washed in house and reused. This will help the automation of the kitchen (requiring less staff) and recycling what we can saving on disposal fees. The floor of this area will be treated with a non-skid surface in case of spills. This may be harder to clean but safety of the children has to come first. I have spoken with cafeteria workers at other schools and showed them this plan and they all seem very envious of it. hope we can at some point use some of these ideas in our existing schools.   We
have also seen the beginning of the sidewalks around the school. These
walkways will extend around all four sides of the school. They will
function as walkways and exits from all emergency doors. But they also
will serve two other purposes. First they are slanted slightly away
from the building. What water is missed by the gutter will run off this
walkway and be carried away from the foundation. The other purpose is
one I would have never thought of. It seems that grass is very acidic.
When grass is cut and allowed to blow against the building the decay of
the clippings causes acid. This acid can set up rust in metals as well
and rotting block. It does not actually rot the block away but will
cause pores in the block that eventually allow water to seep in. As the
water  seeps in and then freezes the blocks crack and bust. This sidewalk will allow some protection of the block of our building.Figure 4 shows the sidewalk along the back of the school in it's completed state. Figure 5 shows a sidewalk along the south end of the school in mid-construction. In figure 5 I have enhanced a section of the incomplete area. It is hard to see but the gravel is covered in steel to sturdy the pour of concrete and ensure that cracking is kept at a minimum. The one thing that has garnered the most questions for me is featured in figure 7. People have called me wanting to know what this is. What you see is the beginning of the awning extending out towards the main highway. This awning will extend out about three feet over the bus as it strops off the kids. In times of rain or snow this awning will ensure that children can walk in the dry from and to the buses. This is a huge comfort issue for kids being dropped off in cars and buses but it also provides safety. Water will be carried away by gutters in the awning keeping the sidewalks dry. In the winter this will keep ice from forming and hopefully less falls by children parents and staff.  And
finally I have saved another couple of rumors for last. First I wanted
to let this one go until wiring started but since it has been spreading
quickly I wanted to mention it quickly.RUMOR: Paulette will not be wired for computers and will not contain computers because we can't afford them. TRUTH: Paulette will be more wired for computers than any other school in the system. In fact Paulette will include fiber optics and VOIP phone system. It will be possible for the Principal to deliver the morning announcement by video to each class room. Second: RUMOR: Paulette does not have plumbing for fire prevention. TRUTH: About three weeks ago I posted a picture regarding the sprinkler system. It seems the person who started this one doesn't read this website. Paulette has hundreds of feet of sprinklers and every so many feet a portable fire extinguisher is installed in the walls (figure 6). In fact the Fire Marshal is working hand in hand with the school system to build the safest school possible. There will always be rumors floating out there. But remember you can always call the Central Office at 992-5466 or even post your questions and concerns on here. We are committed as a County to building the best most modern school we can. |
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