Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Educational FAQ
In the discussion about Elementary school, there has been significant focus on the finances and physical performance of the building. These are important topics and should be considered and discussed fully.
In the conversation, we should also remember that we are building a school. The demands on a school building are different from a home or commercial building, and the structure and focus of education have shifted since the current school was built. To help in this conversation, the following Educational Frequently Asked Questions may help those who do not spend time in the school daily understand and consider some of the educational issues related the upcoming decision to fund a new school.
1. How does the current building impede student learning?
Our teachers do a great job educating Harvard’s students. We work hard to stay up to date with current teaching practices and student needs. However, several issues with the current building make it harder for students and teachers to focus on learning. There is very limited space for teachers to work with small groups of students, so teachers end up sharing rooms, working in the halls, and moving around a lot. All of these space issues lead to greater distractions and less confidentially for students who need support. In addition, inconsistent heating, poor ventilation and air quality, and limited natural light make it hard to feel well and focus on learning.
Historically, we have strong schools, and our graduates have performed well both in school and beyond. We want to continue this tradition by investing both in the people and the facilities that make up our schools.
2. How has elementary school teaching changed since the current building was designed?
Education has become more group-based. Students work across classrooms and grade levels, and need spaces where they can do this. In addition, we work to include students with a wider variety of needs within our school and with their peers whenever possible. This requires a wider variety of flexible spaces for small groups as well as specialized spaces for things like speech services, therapies, enrichment and remediation groups, and other services. In addition, there is an increased focus on learning through doing. These activities require space for movement, projects, technology use, and flexible student groupings.
3. What is an engineering/innovation lab and how will it be used?
The idea of having students learn by making things with their hands is not new, but it’s name and focus have changed over the years. It has been called Shop, Industrial Arts, Home Economics, Maker-Space, Fab-Lab… We chose to call ours an engineering/innovation lab because that best reflects our goals. We want to encourage students to think through problems and design their own solutions. This mindset can be applied in multiple contexts and across content areas.
This space will allow us to provide a concentration of resources so that students can create and explore. This space will include flexible furniture, tools, new and recycled building materials, robotics components, 3D printing, laptops and more as we see what students need. Engineering projects will be put in context with core academic areas, including reading, math, science, social studies, and social skills education. This space has also been located to be accessible to community groups outside of school hours.
4. What is a learning stair and how will it be used?
By making one of the required stairways wider and designing the space carefully, there will be a space for a group of about 80 students to collect to present their work, to gather for an outside speaker, or to gather in small groups to work or read, all without displacing regular classes. In the current school, we often struggle to schedule and locate space for grade levels to get together. This space provides much of the function of a small auditorium without adding the extra space and cost of a dedicated auditorium space.
5. How will the new design increase student safety and security?
In recent years, several security procedures and physical upgrades have been added to HES, including locking exterior and classroom doors, security cameras in common areas, and increased coordination with local fire and police to prepare for an emergency. The new design has incorporated and improved these positive changes, and is also able to incorporate security elements that would be costly and difficult to retrofit into the existing building. These include carefully designed sight lines, programmable electronic key card access, entry through a double-locked vestibule, and improved fire and security alarms. In addition, the building has been designed so that classroom areas can be closed off outside of school hours while still allowing community access to core community resources areas.
6. How will the new design increase opportunities for community learning?
The layout of the new school has been arranged to both meet the school needs and offer versatile community use spaces. The building can be secured in sections, making it easier and safer to have community groups use it after school hours. Spaces designed for community access include the gymnasium, which includes spectator seating and a stage with an audience capacity of approximately 550 people, the cafeteria, library/ media room, engineering lab, conference rooms, art and music rooms, and the learning stair. This collection of spaces provides a great deal of flexibility for events of various sizes and needs. The school regularly hosts before and after school classes and we are eager to expand on these opportunities.
7. How will the new classrooms be different from current classrooms?
Classrooms will be approximately the same size. However, there are several key things that will better support students. First, classrooms and small group spaces are arranged in a way to minimize both travel time and disruption as students move throughout the school.
The new classrooms have been designed to support student health and wellness. This includes access to sinks in every classroom, improved air quality and air exchange, and increased natural lighting with better control of lights. Supporting student health and wellness can help increase their focus here at school and decrease the number absences due to sickness.
General FAQ
Q1: What role does the MSBA have in this process?
A1: The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) is a quasi-independent government authority created to reform the process of funding capital improvement projects in Commonwealth public schools. The MSBA participates in project funding for all approved projects as well as reviewing the design and construction process to ensure compliance with its regulations and standards.
Q2: How can I keep up to date on project developments?
A2: There are several ways to keep up to date on this project:
- The Hildreth Elementary School Building Committee meets bi monthly. The meetings are posted and open to the public. The Committee welcomes comments and questions from the public at each meeting. More information about the School Building Committee meetings, including meeting dates, agenda, and minutes can be found HERE. Please send any questions or comments that you may have HERE.
- Continue to visit the project’s website for information about the project. The website is designed to be a resource for anyone interested in learning more about the project, and is updated regularly as new information becomes available.
- Follow the project on Twitter.
How Architecture Fosters Teaching & Learning (presented at June 1,2017 SBC Meeting)
