A P P R O V E D B YT H E S C H O O L B U I L D I N G C O M M I T T E ET H E S C I T U A T E S C H O O L C O M M I T T E E

T H E B O A R D O F S E L E C T M E NT H E M A S S A C H U S E T T S S C H O O L B U I L D I N G A U T H O R I T Y

SCITUATE MIDDLE SCHOOL BUILDING PROJECT

SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE (SBC)

• Robyn Levirne, School Committee, SBC Chair

• John McCarthy, Scituate Public Schools, Superintendent

• Sarah Shannon, Gates Intermediate School, Principal

• Laurie Schneider, Community Member

• Michael Hayes, Community Member • Richard Hebert, School Committee • Scott Greenbaum, Community

Member• Ed DiSalvio, Public Building

Committee • Jason Costello, Community Member

• Carl Campagna, Public Building Committee

• David Capelle, Public Building Committee

• Paul Donlan, Scituate Public Schools, Director Business & Finance

• Frank Judge, Advisory Committee• Shawn Harris, Board of Selectmen• Kevin Kelly, Director of Facilities• Patricia Vinchesi, Town Administrator• Kevin Cafferty, Town Engineer

THE PROJECT TEAM

• Daedalus Projects, Inc.

• Dore and Whittier Architects

• Frank Locker Educational Planner

• Massachusetts School Building Authority

APPROACH VIEW FROM FIRST PARISH

REAR VIEW OF ARTS PLAZA FROM BUS LOOP

NEW AUDITORIUM

AUDITORIUM

DINING COMMONS W/ HELLERUP

TEAM LAYOUT W/ COMMONS

WE BEGAN WITH A VISION

The Vision would drive the design of the building

STAKEHOLDER INPUT

• Students participated in 6 visioning sessions

• Teachers participated in visioning and user group meetings (3 with Gates staff, 1 with arts/music/drama, 1 with SPED)

• Superintendent briefed each school’s faculty last spring

• Parents and community participated in visioning and multiple public meetings

• Architects participated in all sessions

HOW DOES THE DESIGN REFLECT CHANGING EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE?

• Teacher as facilitator of learning

• Focus on 21st Century skills of collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creative problem-solving.

• Use of project-based learning methodology

• Integrated approach to teaching and learning S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts & Humanities, and Math)

• Technology seamlessly integrated

WHAT IS PROJECT-BASED LEARNING?BUCK INSTITUTE HTTP://BIE.ORG/

Project Based Learning is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to a complex question, problem, or challenge. The content is taught through highly engaging and challenging projects.

Essential Elements of PBL include:• Significant Content – Standards-Based & Rigorous • 21st Century competencies – College & Career Ready • In-Depth Inquiry – Deeper Learning & Retention • Driving Question/Need to Know – Relevance • Voice and Choice – Student Ownership & Personalization • Critique and Revision – Critical Feedback • Public Audience – Presentation of Project

HOW DOES THE NEW BUILDING SUPPORT PBL?

• Three art classrooms

• Two da Vinci studios (maker spaces)

• Several large sized classrooms equipped for project work

• Space for drama program to improve student’s skills in presentation and public speaking

• Open common areas for student collaboration on projects

• Plenty of space to present projects to the public (presentation hall/dining commons/black box theatre)

HOW DOES THE DESIGN OF THE BUILDING REFLECT MIDDLE SCHOOL PHILOSOPHY?

• Sense of community

• Six teams / two per grade level (115 - 120 students)

• Learning studios built around an open common area

• Traditional specials integrated in team areas wherever possible, with specialist teachers on teams

• Special education rooms integrated in team areas

• Teacher collaboration and planning suite within each team area

• Second floor café for after school homework and tutoring

HOW DOES THE BUILDING AND SITE ENHANCE LEARNING?

• Inspirational

• Variety of classroom sizes, including small group

• Lots of natural light

• Interior glazing to make learning visible

• Safe and secure

• HVAC system provides year round comfort

• Energy efficient, LEED Silver certified

• Outdoor classrooms (i.e. vernal pool wetlands)

HOW WAS THE PLAN AND SITE CHOSEN?

• The Feasibility Study began in November 2013 and concluded in June 2014.

• The School Building Committee evaluated 14 different options over 8 months on 3 sites (Gates, HS, Ellis)

• 4 options were chosen as semi-finalists (at least 1 on each site) and shared with the public for feedback.

• The high school campus model was chosen as the best educational solution.

WHAT ARE THE EDUCATIONAL ADVANTAGES OF A CAMPUS MODEL?

• 6 – 12 curriculum articulation and coordination improves

• 6 – 12 staff collaboration improves

• Opportunities for mentoring by older students

• Opportunities for advanced students taking high school courses where appropriate

• Sharing of resources (educational, arts, athletic, staffing, financial)

ARE THERE DISADVANTAGES TO A CAMPUS MODEL?

• Over 1,600 students on one site. Makes coordination of emergency drills (fire, lockdown, etc.) more challenging.

• Will bring increased traffic to site.

• Perception of middle school students exposed to behavior of older students. (The two schools are separate and distinct and the only mixing will be by design. Students already mixed on busses)

• These are two separate and distinct buildings, each with their own entrances, administrations, cafeterias, gymnasiums, locker rooms, etc.)

WHY IS PART OF THE ORIGINAL HIGH SCHOOL BEING TORN DOWN OR RENOVATED?

• Due to the vernal pool wetlands on the site, the new middle school would not fit to the south of the high school and stay at least 125 ft. away

• If it was built on the north side of the high school it would significantly impact fields and/or parking

• The high school building is oversized for its student enrollment now and projected

• Wanted to minimize impact to high school site (outdoor courts, skate park, fields, etc.)

HOW IS THE HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING BEING IMPACTED?

• The current undersized auditorium is being renovated as space for middle school music and drama programs, as well as having the ability to become a black box theatre.

• The current art wing, senior café, chorus room, Central Office, and Recreation Office are being torn down to make way for new construction.

• The former ECC wing will be renovated into an arts wing, complete with commons area and gallery space.

• A new 750 +/- seat auditorium with full fly loft, orchestra pit, music rooms, and stage shop will be built between the large gymnasium and cafeteria. Allows us to use undersized auditorium for Middle School.

• An additional 160 parking spaces will be added to the site.• The current grass field hockey field and proposed softball field to be

replaced. • Coby Cutler Fitness Center enlarged for handicapped accessibility.• The old power plant building, now used primarily for storage, will be

greatly reduced in size.

WILL THE HIGH SCHOOL GAIN OR LOSE SQUARE FOOTAGE?

• The current high school is oversized by MSBA standards by 22,000 square feet (11%).

• The high school will lose approximately 9,700 net square feet to the middle school, however the newly created space will be much more efficient.

• The current high school auditorium at 410 seats is undersized by MSBA standards. The new auditorium will have over 21,000 square feet and seat approximately 750.

• Since much of the 9,700sf is used for non-high school purposes, the actual educational program area of the high school increases by 5,950sf

WILL THERE BE DISRUPTION TO THE HIGH SCHOOL DURING CONSTRUCTION?

• Traffic patterns

• Parking

• Art and chorus temporarily relocated (+ residual moves)

• Nurse, SRO and School Psych relocated (+ residual moves)

• Central Office and Recreation relocated

• No auditorium for a period of time

• Internal student movement impacted slightly

• Some noise and site distractions

• A phasing schedule will be developed with input from high school staff to minimize disruption

WHAT IS THE TIMEFRAME?

• November 19 – MSBA Approval

• December 3 – Special Town Meeting

• January 10 – Debt Exclusion Vote

• January – November, 2015 – Construction Documents and Bidding

• November 2015 – Construction Begins

• September 2017 – New Middle School Opens (auditorium and art wing open earlier)

ESTIMATED PROJECT COST

• Total Project Cost $75,750,000

• Feasibility Study Funded -$750,000

• Remaining Cost $75,000,000

• MSBA Reimbursement* -$20,927,212

• Town Share $54,072,788

* MSBA reimbursement is an estimate. It will be set on

November 19.

WHAT IS THE COST OF CODE REPAIR AT GATES?

• Estimated cost for renovation $ 41,000,000

• Estimated cost for relocation $ 4,000,000

$ 45,000,000*

* No MSBA participation

THE TOWN DECIDES

$ 45,000,000

• Keep Grade 7-8 Span• Try to infuse 21st Century

program into an “old” building designed at turn of the 20th Century (“Cells and Bells”)

• Not designed for MS team concept

• Unable to totally correct accessibility issues

• Students relocated during construction, likely in trailers

$ 54,072,000

• “Brand New” Grade 6-8 Middle School

• Elementary schools get valuable breathing room

• 21st Century design that supports educational program

• Built for MS team concept• Adds an appropriately

sized auditorium and another gymnasium

• Energy efficient building