Fifth grade students Sarei Nelson, Landen
Niehaus, Zoily Pineda, and Daniel Sides are already looking forward to next
school year.
In the Fall of 2018 they will be among the
first group of Hunt Elementary sixth graders who will learn in classrooms
rather than portables in over a decade.
The 12 classroom addition project at Hunt will
be completed by the September 2018-19 school year with fourth, fifth, and sixth
graders occupying the new rooms. Plans are under way to integrate the new
classrooms which will adjoin to the rest of the school as a seamless
continuation.
Hunt Principal Rebecca Williams and some
fifth-grade students sat down recently to talk about the new addition and how
it will impact students.
As they began discussing the new classrooms it
became immediately clear the priority for students and staff at Hunt is
focusing on the improved student learning environment. Williams said they are eager to have all
students receive instruction from their homeroom classroom in the building
where everyone will be together.
“All of our
decisions are made with a Response To Intervention (RTI) and professional
development learning commitment, and with students in mind. All decisions will
be made based on what’s best for kids,” said Williams. A leadership team is
currently working to determine priorities and use of the space.
The students said they are looking forward to
technology improvements. The 1-to-1 initiative will provide each student with a
technology device, there will be additional display screens, and sound systems
with a microphone for teachers to wear.
Currently, in the portables laptops are
wheeled out in a cart and handed out. “Sometimes the computers have dead
batteries,” said Sides. Niehaus pointed out the time it currently takes for the
teacher to hand out the computers and assist students with startup before
lessons can begin is a lot.
Nelson is looking forward to personalizing
her computing device. “Everyone likes their computer a certain way,” she said.
There will be more classroom space and
project rooms for individualized groups. “Some kids can work together in the
project room and this will help them learn more,” said Pineda.
“I think it’s going to be great because they
are better and improved classrooms. We can learn better and learn more things
at one time,” said Niehaus.
Moving students into the school building will
improve time management for students and staff. They will have easier access to
the library, gymnasium, lunch, and bathrooms.
“When
we’re in the portables someone has to come with me each time I go into the
school building,” said Nelson.
The school has embraced the construction
taking place with a construction theme in the building. Teachers have
construction hats and bulletin boards are lined with construction tape. “The construction crew is building the space
for the learning needs, but our students and teachers are constructing the
learning that needs to happen,” said Williams.
They have also
developed a relationship with the crew who are constructing the new classrooms.
Recently, the construction workers participated in a sock drive held by Hunt
students and together they donated more than 3,000 pairs of socks. The workers
were invited to be in a group photo with students. “I think they know they are
working to build a space where kids feel safe and welcome and a place where
they can learn,” said Williams.
"This is a big
deal. We need to help our students see what a gift this is."
Hunt Principal
Rebecca Williams
The
Hunt addition is a change in scope for the 2015 Bond Pope Elementary Project. The changes balance student enrollment better between Hunt
and Pope. Keeping more students at Hunt is likely to reduce boundary changes.
The
project was approved by the Puyallup School Board after a presentation in
November 2016 by the school district’s 13-member bond oversight committee. The
committee includes nine residents appointed by the board as well as district
officials. The committee’s duties include keeping a sharp eye on bond projects,
and recommending changes as needed.
Chief Operations Officer Mario Casello stated,
“Shaw Road and Hunt are our prototypical elementary schools and share the same
design; therefore, it’s a huge advantage to using that same model at Hunt. In
addition, it allows us to be more efficient and save district taxpayers
approximately 2.8 million dollars.”
Watch the Hunt construction project time lapse camera.