Thursday, June 09, 2011

Scenes from an Italian Restaurant

Ok.  Actually it’s a pretty new school and not an Italian Restaurant, but Billy Joel never wrote a song about a junior high school, as far as I know.
I’ve spent some time this week moving into my new classroom.  The stuff is sitting in my garage and on my back porch, and I’m gonna have to move it in eventually, so might as well get it done now.
The bonus is that I’m learning some things about how the school runs and the physical facility.
Although the building looks quite institutional with cinderblock walls and cement floors,
at least there are lots of ways natural light can get into the rooms.  On the second floor we have windows in the halls,
a big set of windows at each end of the halls,
stairwells with two of the walls completely glass,
skylights in several places that let light into all 3 floors,
and even solar panels on the roof.
I’ve got a bathroom just one classroom away from my room,
a faculty lounge on each floor,
each one with it’s own copy machine,
not to mention the big machine in the main office that everyone is allowed to use.
There is an elevator that every classroom key works, which means that I won’t have to keep asking for the special key when hauling my stuff up to the second floor.
Weird, but inviting, little spaces with benches.
The lunchroom is nothing spectacular,
but students can go into the main hall during lunch
which also has a lot of natural light.
Now, if only the lunch ladies are at least tolerable.

5 comments:

A Paperback Writer said...

Thanks for the tour. I've never seen this new building before, only the old one.
Like every other recent school in the valley, it looks like a hospital. But you're right about all that light; it IS nice. And a brightly-lit hospital beats the heck out of that dim rabbit warren you've inhabited for 2 years.
Does it have air conditioning? Sure hope so.
Only a teacher can understand the joy of having plentiful copy machines. :)
I have a small one in my relo, and it's SUCH a relief to have my own. (Technically, it's for all the relos, but no one else seems to know it's there -- and I'm not telling them!) I have my own printer, too, 'cause the STS, as you know, is the librarian. And let's just say that man owes me LOTS of favors.
(Uh, wait. That doesn't sound very good, does it? Let's try that again: I read lots and lots of books faster than he ever could and tell him what he needs to know about choosing them, so he makes sure I get the techy toys I like. There. That's better. )

Alexia said...

Oh, it looks amazing, Max! All that wonderful light, and I really like the colours!

Max Sartin said...

Writer - Ain't that the truth! They could have used imported mahogany and Italian marble in rabbit warren and I'd still prefer the natural light on cinderblock and cement. And yes, we do have air conditioning in the whole building. Another bonus, for at least one more year. (The air conditioning installation in the old school is going to take two summers to complete. They have to redo the electrical system and the ventilation system because they are such a mess.)
Alexia - The principal has been there a couple years now, and she has been working at making it look a lot less institutionalized. She's had them paint different colors and put up art work and pictures. It's looking a lot more inviting that it did three years ago.

Jannx said...

Hello Max. Very nice school. Thanks for the tour. Oh, and yes, you are correct. I would love to have that kind of copying access.

Max Sartin said...

Jannx - Thanks, I think I'm going to like it there. I was quite surprised at the copying access, in all the 6 schools I've been at, this certainly has the best.