Will there be any blinds or window coverage?
All interior and exterior glazing will have window treatments.
What will be the difference between the media center in the new building vs. our current library?
The media center in the new school will have books, study space, soft seating, tables and seating, and a career center.
What will the lockers be like (will they be appropriately sized, central, etc)?
There are 200 lockers included in the design, they will be available to be signed out by students as needed.
What will the roof terrace be used for?
Collaboration spaces and extensions of classrooms
Will there be a slide?
No, a slide is not included in the design.
Are there going to be elevators?
Yes, there will be 2.
What is the mobility between floors?
There are many stairwells and two elevators for vertical transportation through the school.
Will there be alcoves?
There will be areas similar to current alcoves that students can use.
What is the budget source?
The funding for the school is from the bond referendum.
Where will student study areas be located?
Areas for student study are incorporated throughout the school, examples include small breakout rooms and the media center.
Will there be gender neutral accommodations?
Both gender specific and gender neutral restroom and locker room options will be provided.
Will there be a change in water fountains?
The new water fountains will have bottle fillers to encourage the use of refillable bottles.
Lots of glass and open space
The building will have lots of glass and open space.
What are the classrooms going to look like?
The classrooms will accommodate 24 students with windows to the outside and to the hallway.
Why have high top seating? More injuries.
There will be a variety of seating options throughout the school.
Will there be escalators?
No, there will not be escalators. There will elevators and stairs for vertical movement through the building.
Is the school too big?
The school is being designed for 1200 students with the potential to accommodate 1500 students.
Will there be rooms dedicated to clubs?
Classrooms, labs, and open and closed study spaces will be available for clubs.
Concern: passing block
The school is designed to have multiple ways for students to move between floors to pass between classes.
Concern: swing team (pool)?
A pool is not included in the design.
Trophy Cases?
Trophy display cases are included in the design.
Ceiling tiles?
There will be ceiling tiles in the new school. The painted ceiling tiles in the current GMHS cannot be moved to the new school because they do not adhere to the updated sound requirements.
How big is the outdoor seating space?
Dining patio seats approximately 40-44. In addition to the dining patio, there will be benches located at various places outside the school.
How may exits are there?
Main access in and out of the building is through the front entry vestibule. There are many options for emergency exit.
Will we be able to use the escalators?
There are no escalators in the building. Stairs and elevators are in the design for vertical movement through the building.
Why no pool?
The school site is compact and did not allow enough space for a pool.
Gender neutral restrooms?
Both gender specific and gender neutral restroom and locker room options will be provided.
Why seven stories? It's terrible.
The school site is compact so building a vertical school was necessary to include the required space. From the lowest floor to the highest floor is a shorter distance than from one end of the current building to the other end.
Where will the seal go?
The mustang seal is planned to go in the lobby.
Will we have lockers?
There will be some lockers on the academic levels that can be checked out on a day to day basis as needed. There will also be PE and athletic lockers.
Will there be escalators?
No, there will not be escalators. There will elevators and stairs for vertical movement through the building.
What are floors 6 and 7 being used for?
The lowest floor is for performing arts and athletics; the gym level will have both the aux and main gym; the main level will have the main office, auditorium, and cafeteria/kitchen; the second level will have the media center and tv production; the third, fourth and fifth floors will be the rest of the academic spaces such as classrooms and labs.
Will the sinks work?
Yes
Will we have a pool?
No
Will the bathrooms have doors?
Yes, the bathroom stalls will have doors.
What will the auditorium be like?
It will be a state of the art facility that will seat 650 people.
Will there be a maker space and/or computer graphics program?
There will be a maker space.
Will there be a swimming pool?
No, a pool is not included in the design.
Is there going to be a pool?
Sorry, no pool.
Why is there no swimming pool?
Pools for public use have space requirements that our site cannot accommodate.
Will there be a glass wall?
There will be glass in the exterior and interior walls.
What is the student capacity?
The new school capacity will be 1200 students with the ability to expand to serve up to 1,500 students.
How open will the classes be? How much glass?
Classrooms will have exterior and interior windows to allow for visibility and light.
How many seats will be in the terrace area?
Dining terrace/patio seats approximately 40-44.
How many study areas?
Study areas are available throughout the school. There are enclosed breakout rooms, open collaboration areas, and a variety of seating options in the media center and academic levels.
How wide will staircases be?
The main central stair will be 10' wide and the side egress stairs will be an average of 6' wide.
Will there be doors for bathrooms?
The entrances to the bathrooms are open and there are doors on the stalls.
How many charging kiosks?
Charging stations will be located in high traffic student areas.
Difference between maker space and innovation area?
The maker space is a designated classroom/lab space. The Innovation Commons is an open space adjacent to the learning stair to be used for instruction or other activities.
Will there be kitchen area/ FACS area?
A learning kitchen is not included in the new high school.
Will the elevators only be for staff?
No. The elevators will be available to both students and staff.
Are we keeping the seal?
The design build team is tasked with incorporating the seal into the new school.
Why so much glass?
Glass allows transparency for light transmission and sight lines to students during teacher instruction.
Are we going to use the latest laptops?
The student Macbook Airs are leased and will be replaced when the lease ends.
Indoor game tables?
Indoor game tables, like ping pong, are not part of the plan at this time.
How will the classroom locations be determined?
Classrooms are located on the third, fourth, and fifth floors. Subject and teacher assignment to classrooms has not yet been determined.
Where will the memorial be located?
Memorial bricks will be located in the front of the school at the community grove.
Will the elevators be for everyone?
Yes, students will be able to use the elevators.
Why seven stories?
The school site is compact so building a vertical school was necessary to include the required space.
How much will be glass?
Classrooms will have exterior and interior windows to allow for visibility and light.
How many doors?
There are 10 points of entry on the main level. The majority of these will be locked or used for exit only during the school day. The two sets of main entrance doors will be the primary entry and exit.
What's the design of the new field?
It will be a multipurpose field that will meet VHSL regulations for soccer.
Where is the new field going?
The new field will be roughly where the current tennis courts are located.
Will there be multiple soccer and football fields be?
There will be one multi purpose turf field and the existing stadium field.
Will the baseball dugouts be redone?
No, no work will be done to the current baseball field.
Where will the locker rooms be located?
The locker rooms will be located on the ground floor.
Will the baseball dugouts be redone?
No, no work will be done to the current baseball field.
Will there be separate sports/gym class locker rooms?
Yes, there are PE locker rooms and team locker rooms.
Will there be a weight room?
Yes, there will be a fitness room.
Will the old trophies and awards be kept in the new school?
We have a team working on the plan for how memorials, trophies, and legacy items will be incorporated.
Why is there so much glass?
To increase collaboration and openness of the building.
Will there still be a champ training elective?
Yes.
Will there be any changes to the soccer field?
Yes, a new turf multi purpose field will be built.
How will the fields be changed?
The multi purpose field, softball field, and tennis courts are being redesigned. The baseball field and the stadium field will remain untouched.
Will students be able to decorate the school?
A committee of teachers, community members and other are working on the design selection, for example flooring.
Swimming pool - important
A pool is not included in the design.
What would charging stations look like?
Charging stations will be provided through USB ports.
New desks? Furniture?
Yes, new furniture/desks will be included at the new school.
Will the security be bigger?
The secure vestibule will be larger.
How hard is it to leave the building?
Main access in and out of the building is through the front entry vestibule. There are many options for emergency exit.
How will the school be more environmentally friendly?
The new high school will be LEED Gold and NetZero compliant
Is Fall Church territory going to increase so that more students can enroll?
Currently there are no plans for Falls Church to increase in land size.
How will kids be affected during the construction of the school?
The current GM will be fully operational during the construction of the new building. Once the new building is ready we will move to that new building and begin demo of the old building. At no time will students be impacted by construction.
What's going to happen to the softball fields during the renovation?
The softball field will not be in service during construction.
How will students be affected throughout the move-in process?
The move to the new GMHS is scheduled over winter break of 2020, so students will leave the current school at winter break and then come back to the new school.
Will there be a smooth transition from the old school to the new school?
The move to the new GMHS is scheduled over winter break of 2020, so students will leave the current school at winter break and then come back to the new school.
How and when will everything be moved?
The move to the new GMHS is scheduled over winter break of 2020. Items will be moved by a moving company.
What is the probability of moving before January?
Moving before December 2020 will not occur.
What is the probability of moving later than January?
If the construction is not completed by winter break, we would likely move over the following summer.
Will the class of 2021 have time in the new school?
The move to the new school will be over Winter Break 2020. The Class of 2021 will spend Spring semester at the new school.
When is the school being built?
Construction of the new school will start in June 2019.
What will happen to this school?
The current GMHS will be demolished in 2021 and a new economic development project is being built on the site. For more information visit: http://www.fallschurchva.gov/1599/WFC-Economic-Development-Project
How will we transition from this school to the new one?
The move to the new GMHS is scheduled over winter break of 2020. Items will be moved by a moving company.
How long will the bells be?
The new building will not require a bell schedule change.
Will the halls be separated by subject?
Not necessarily.
What are we getting that's required for learning that we don't have.
Collaboration space.
Where is the football field?
The existing football field will remain.
Where will the lockers be located?
The PE/Team lockers will be on the ground floor and daily use lockers will be on academic hallways.
Will schedules change at all?
Schedules have not been determined at this time.
Will there be more passing time?
Times between classes have yet to be determined for new school operations.
Are there going to be more class options?
Schedules have not been determined at this time.
Will there be more study periods?
Schedules have not been determined at this time.
Are there subject hallways. ex: math hallway?
Subjects have not been assigned to classrooms at this time.
Will technology always be involved? Too much screen time.
The goal of the new school is to incorporate technology that will enhance the learning environment. There will be opportunities for all types of learning.
Are the classrooms going to be bigger?
The classrooms will be about 760 square feet.
If the classrooms are bigger, is the number of students going to increase?
The 1200 student calculation is with 24 students per classroom.
Is there going to be a culinary class?
A culinary class is not currently planned at the new GMHS. Classes at Arlington Learning Center will continue to be available.
Genetics lab?
There are no plans at this time for a genetics lab.
Will subjects be separated by hallway?
Not necessarily. Scheduling of spaces will be based determined by the the Admins.
Tour guides - can this time count towards volunteer requirements?
If we have students serve as tour guides, we can consider this request.
How much time between classes to move around?
There is currently no planned change to the bell schedule.
Will the seniors still get to drive to school?
Student parking and the quantity of it is still be discussed, but there is no current plan to eliminate seniors ability to drive to school.
How will parking work?
There will be parking provided on site.
Will there be bus changes?
Bus routes are reviewed each year. The location where students will be dropped off and picked up in front of the building will be moved in front of the new high school.
Where will the students park?
There will be student permit parking on site.
Senior parking lot?
Parking will be available but specific assignments have yet to be determined.
Will parking be separated between classes?
Parking will be available but specific assignments have yet to be determined.
What type of food will we have?
Food Services will continue to provide food, and the serving area will have multiple places to pick up food instead of the traditional lines like you have currently.
Will there be a change in vending machines?
There is a plan to include vending machines. There will also be a cafe on the second level that will serve grab and go options.
How will the food become better?
There will be multiple places serving food which will decrease the time it takes to pick up lunch.
Concern: lunch order (how many)
The schedule will not change when we move buildings.
Vending machines?
There is a plan to include vending machines. There will also be a cafe on the second level that will serve grab and go options.
Will there be vending machines?
There are no specifics on vending machines yet, but there will be multiple food and beverage options for students throughout the school day.
Will there be a food court?
Multiple food options are being planned.
Why have a cafe space and so much chill space? A vending machine is just as good and cheaper.
The cafe has been included in the design to give students access to another area to eat during the day outside of the cafeteria. The cafe can offer more versatile foods than a vending machine.
Can the cafe include coffee?
The cafe menu has not been finalized. Thank you for your suggestion.
Will foods and such be free in snack section?
Food will be for purchase like the system currently in place at GMHS.
Will there be alcoves (senior/junior) and courtyards?
Class alcoves can be included. There will be courtyards on the main level and on the 5th floor of the building.
Alcoves by grade level?
There will be spaces that can be used for class based gathering. Specific locations will be determined by administration and students when the school opens.
Where are the junior/senior alcoves/courtyards?
There will be spaces that can be used for class based gathering. Specific locations will be determined by administration and students when the school opens.
Will there be a senior courtyard?
There will be spaces that can be used for class based gathering. No specific location will be identified at this time.
Where is the dedicated space for seniors?
There will be spaces that can be used for class based gathering. Specific locations will be determined by administration and students when the school opens.
Will there be a senior alcove?
There are multiple breakout spaces included in the design that could accommodate dedicated functions.
Will there be a Junior and Senior courtyard?
There are multiple paces included in the design that could accommodate dedicated functions..
Will there be Junior and Senior alcoves?
Junior and senior dedicated meeting spaces will be determined.
Senior alcove?
There will be spaces that can be used for class based gathering.
Will there be designated upperclassman areas?
There will be spaces that can be used for class based gathering.
A place where seniors can make their mark?
There will be spaces that can be used for class based gathering.
Why are the performing arts rooms so far away from the auditorium?
They are just one floor below. This due to the design of the building.
Will stage crew be able to give input on the back stage design?
Shawn Northrip has been involved with the conversations regarding the auditorium and black box design to advocate for student needs.