I was just sitting here thinking about how outdated my school is and I was wondering how old your school are? Has there been any remodeling? What are you main concerns about the condition of you school? Please don't get my wrong I am not at all complaining because I absolutely love my job and what I do but sometimes I wonder (dream) what is would be like to work in a modern school.
1. My school was built in the 60's.
2. No school in the district has ever been remodeled. Same tile, same awful orange and turquoise doors. Same wood panel on the walls. The paint around the door and around the baseboards are all chipped off.
3. My main concern however is the bug problem. We have an awful spider problem and what I hate the most is earwigs (pincher bugs) they live in the doorframes. Everytime you open the door you have to turn the handle and kick the door open otherwise you will have a hair full of creepy little bugs. You have to wait and let all of them fall to the ground before you proceed out the door. Believe me you only forget to do this once.
Age: 7 Remodeling: Yes, 3 additions (total of 8 rooms) have been added already! We're a growing community and had to add-on 2 years ago - now we're outgrowing it again! Concerns: Illnesses. For some reason we seem to have a lot of tummy bugs going around. I don't know if that's common, but I don't remember it being an issue in my old school. This one seems like there's an outbreak every few weeks. I don't know if that has anything to do with the building itself or if we just have sickly kids.
My school is only 5 years old. It is a very nice building and is not yet showing much wear. We did have a problem with mold a few years ago, but it was quickly resolved. We have already had one addition, and still outgrowing the building. Overall, a VERY NICE place to work!
1. It was re-built after a fire in the 60's (I think that's when it was).
2. Not really remodeled, but an office addition and new wing were added a few years ago, and we've had painting done.
3. My only concern is that everyone keeps comparing us to the brand new school built 5 minutes from ours and saying how fabulous that building looks. I don't think there's anything wrong with our building and I feel like it's a lot more homey-feeling than the new school.
1) My school is 25 years old.
2) We've had new carpeting, a new wing and painting done. Some of the furniture has been replaced throughout the building as needed. Cubby units were added about 5 years ago. We will be having our carpet ripped up and replaced with tile within the year. We've also had 2 portables built in the back.
3) We have a mildew/mold problem with the sinks in the classroom. The old counters are 25 years old and the board has spilt and is starting to mold/mildew (quite badly in some areas). We had a bug problem but ever since they came and did a HUGE spray campaign it's no longer an issue. We also had some stomach bug problems last year but the cleaning crew was asked to use a stronger solution to clean sinks, doors, bathrooms and tables (we went from cleaning tables once a week to having them washed down with bleach and water 3 times a week!) I'm pretty pleased with how the school system handles the problems.
It was built in 1954 but the wing I will be on was added later and another wing even more recently. The older classrooms are the best though because they are so big. It seems the newer ones keep getting smaller and smaller. Floors & Paint are updated often. Haven't noticed any bug problems but I did hear some mice get into some teacher's closets.
My school was built in the 60's as well (I think...it is very old). I think my school is the oldest in our district. We just built a brand new high school a few years ago, and I know the other elementary schools are not as old as we are.
Yes, we have done a lot of remodeling and improvements. Several new classroom were added. We built on an annex with 5 new classrooms about 4-5 years ago. This past year, we had to add 4 more classrooms onto the annex. We are also adding another playground this summer, and they are re-roofing the school. Our school had done a LOT of professional painting. For example, our 5th grade hall is painted like the jungle and our 3rd grade hall is painted like a western community. It is very cute.
My main concerns are the bathrooms! They are so outdated and nasty, and we don't have enough of them!!! I'm sure they look exactly the same as they did when the school was originally built. I think we also have a problem with mold...a lot of people just seem to stay sick all the time (luckily, I have been pretty healthy!).
My middle school was first constructed in the 1980s with a new wing added in the early 90s. We added yet another wing about 5 years ago. It's reasonably new and up-to-date for the most part, in my opinion. I'd like to see all chalk boards replaced with marker boards and maybe carpet on floors in tiled rooms.
Hooray! We built a new middle school to replace a decrepit one that opens this school year! With my new job, I get to teach at both middle schools. It will be exciting to be in a state-of-the-art building.-
My school was redone in the mid-90's, but seems brand new. The custodians take excellent care of it!
My only "complaint" which shouldn't even be a complaint, because it's a fabulous school, is that all of the rooms are rectangle, and very difficult to get creative with. On both long sides are built-in shelves and cabinets, and one short wall has the board and the other wall has the computer hook-ups. So, there's just not a lot you can do with it.
My school was built in 1927. It is the oldest in our county. There have been some remodels done. Most of our classrooms are portable building which is the norm in our county do to the tremendous growth here.
Last year I was lucky enough to be part of opening a new school. It has been wonderful. All teachers, staff, parents, and businesses in the area were so into our school that when it opened the first week you would have thought it was at least a couple of years in progress. As the year continued it just got better and better. I still can't get over my great good fortune and look forward to going back to school. Here in Florida every year they are constantly building new schools due to people moving here. "SMILE"
My small school is 54 years old. It has never been totally remodeled--everything has been done in a piecemeal way. In the past dozen years, the floors have been retiled, the ceiling has been lowered, and the windows have been replaced. But the student desks are the cast-offs from other schools and frequently fall apart. Some of the desks are high school-sized and my 4th graders' feet dangle above the floor.
I'm moving to a new school district this year, and one of the main reasons is because my old school is SOOOO outdated. The number ONE reason is because of my principal, but that's another story.
This building is so old, it's really sad. The district has spent so much money remodeling and building new schools for OTHERS, but ours has sat here since it was built (1953) with NO updates. It's very sad. I know it may sound petty, but living in squaller (sp?) for the school year really has impacted our morale. The kids KNOW they are the only ones that do not have a new building, and it was only this past May that our school board FINALLY consented to purchasing new carpet (for ONE wing) and to put in a new A/C unit.
Problems???
Bat infestations
Roaches
Spiders
Silverfish (in EVERYONE's Paperwork)
Termites (eating our faculty's restroom!)
Raccoons (nesting over the cafeteria in the ceiling)
I could go on and on, but that's just a few that I've heard of over the years.
Plus, the paint....instead of Priming, and actually USING a BRAIN, they just paint RIGHT OVER the existing paint...same dull institutional green...depressing! When the teachers put something up on the walls, and then take it back down, the paint chips off and the principal gets TICKED if you don't have something else right away to take its place.
I had to have class in the hallway THREE different days last Fall because we didn't have cool air in my room.
And, about the room size..??? UGH... I'm in a part of the building that USED to be Kindergarten, so all the chalkboards are at knee-height and the commodes are practically on the floor.
NO technology at all. Well, I shouldn't say that.... We do have a phone and a TV in each room. We have one projector (in-focus) for the whole school (665 kids PK-5th) and getting that for a lesson is almost impossible. ARG
So, NOW, I'm since I'm moving to another district up north, I'm in a building that's only 2 years old, and the technology is state-of-the-art. I'll be in HEAVEN. can't wait. I've always only taught in low-income schools and even though many of those schools are better equipped (because of the funding) my old school never got the perks of being Title 1...
ok, i'm thru griping...cause next year, things will be sooooo much better.
In my 10 year career I have worked in three different buildings (2 districts). My first district I was there for 8 years. Very old building, some updates, a new wing added. The best part is I always got to teach in the old part... the new part had massive problems with heat, cold...I was glad not to be done there.
In my new district last year was my first year, again 0ld building, well looked after. State of the art technology! Really enjoyed it!
I was moved this year to a new building...8 years old. Great computer lab, lots of storage, I think I will love it. The newest school I have ever been in!
My school is 10 years old this school year. We opened with just over 200 students and have grown to 650+. Eleven new classrooms were built just 2 years ago and we are now having to use large closets a few part-time teachers (GT/speech). They have painted our hallways once in those 10 years that I remember and the classrooms themselves haven't been painted. We have small beetle-like bugs everywhere, problems with the heating/air in some rooms, and rooms prone to mold. We have 1 large storage cabinet, built-in cubbies, and sinks with upper/lower cabinets. These are so cheaply made that many of them have warped, handles have fallen off, and they are made out of some material that is almost impossible to get completely clean.
My school was built sometime in the 50's. There have been remodels and a wing was added 2 years ago. I am in one of the oldest sections and it could definately use new carpeting. However, I love the wall of windows with built in bookcases underneath. I could however do without the cockroaches - YUCK! Luckily they really only come out at night. So I can pretend there're not there. Occassionally they will show up during class and cause a bit of an uproar. I tell my class that unless the cockroaches are carrying a classmate out the door, we don't need to scream.
My first year of teaching was in a building where all classes opened to an outside mall area. There was no air conditioning and it was located near Mexico. I found tarantulas in my closet and scorpians behind the bookcase.
Believe me, the giant roaches in Tennessee are a treat.
My school was built in 1913! It was then added on to in 1936 as a highschool! It is nice in that it has a lot of history, however it is not a school for elementary children! It has not been updated, some things here and there, but there are carpets down that have been down for decades. The bathrooms need updating in a major way, the teachers' room is horrible, etc. It would be nice to have some major remodeling!
Where I live, most of the schools were built in the 50s. We have a new HS being built, but the core part of our MS was built in 1892! What a piece of junk!
Fortunately, where I work, it was built in the 60's and we are renovating it plus building a new wing.
We were built in 1963 (43 years old.) We have 18 brick rooms, and 21 portables. The bathrooms, office, workroom and computer rooms have been remodeled, but nothing else. We do have some cockroach problems as well as some spiders. We are a "courtyard" school, so every room opens directly to the outside. Dirt is an exreme issue, and we get swept 1x a week & sometimes vacumned 2x a week. It could be worse-- at the new schools they only build an office, library & cafeteria & everything else is a portable. There's no guarantee it would be a new portable either. I've been in some ancient, nasty ones from the late 50s/early 60s---YUCK!
is only 10 years old. It is large school built for 600+ students. We currently have 631 kiddos. We haven't done any remodeling but the paint definitely could use a touch up.
However, just because the building is young doesn't mean it is free of problems. We have a huge mold issue. The wrong material was put on the exterior of the building and allows all of the moisture to seep inside. In fact the building has never been "signed off on" and has remained in litigation. Most teachers keep dehumidifiers in their rooms and the county sends "mold detectors" around each month to check on the most affected rooms. We have had teachers request a medical transfer. This year we had a teacher get extremely sick only to learn that she had mold spores on her lungs. If we were in a more affulent area, the parents would be all over the issue. But we are urban and don't get the same attention as the richer schools.
The next problem is that the designers of our school were on crack when they developed the plans for the building. We only have 2 girl's and 2 boy's restrooms for 600 students (40 classes). Developing a bathroom schedule takes an act of Congress and truly relies on the right hand of God to run smoothly.
Finally, the designers included 2 interior courtyards. These are large green spaces that the intereior classes have a door that enters into the courtyard. Unfortunately, the courtyards are completely off limits to the students. The builders failed to include exterior exits leading out of the courtyard. All exits lead back into the building. Without an exit to the outside of the building the yards are a fire hazard. If a fire were to break out and a class was in the yard, they would have to re-enter the building. Basically we have a few thousand square feet that are absolutely useless. We could have had bigger classrooms, instead we have a large patch or grass.
Please know that I love my school. It was my first choice. I will weather many storms to teach where I do. I just can't believe that the board approved plans and dropped millions of dollars to build such a ill- designed building.
is 6 years old and we are already outgrowing it! We lost our music room last year and I am sure mobile units will be on the way soon! I love working there though...lots of room and storage areas. Our staff and students work hard to keep it looking nice...Our district is growing quickly, but they are not building schools fast enough. A new elem. school will open up 2007-2008 on the other side of town, so that will help crowding there...but they will need a new school here too before long
this year is the 50th ann. of my school. it started out being a two room rural school. they added a gym and classes I don't know how long ago and a second addition about 6 years ago. we have two portables.
1. My school is six years old.
2. Some of the schools in my district have been remodeled.
3. I have 2 concerns. In the past three years we have ballooned and shrunk incredibly. My first year at my school, we had 18 classes inside and 16 outside. Then a new school opened and we lost 5 portables, but we were still overcrowded and have added 4 portables since then.
My second concern is that when the school first opened they had a lot of leaks from both the celing and the plumbing and so some of the rooms had to be cleaned up. My room in particular has a tile that needs replacing and I do worry about mold. The teacher who was in the room before me had the room tested and everything came back negative....
My school was built in the 60's. The library was remodeled in the 80's and we got a kindergarten wing and an ese wing in the 90's. We have 161 schools in our district including (elementary, middle, and high) and they went by number as to when they were built starting with #1 of course. Our school is number 82, so it's pretty bold, but not the oldest in the district!!
Our original school was built in 1879. It was originally a Strawberry School (the kids went to school during the summer so they could pick strawberries during the winter). We still have the red brick building that was the original school. For many years it was closed down, but recently was renovated and now the 8 classrooms are used. The other part of our school I think was built in the 60's but I'm not sure. Our school is very clean and nice to work in. It has a lot of history.
Like in the book Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski?!? That was one of my favorite books as a 2nd grader. What a great memory to have pop into my head....... Thanks
Yes - that's exactly what it's like. We read the book every year during our annual "Strawberry Festival" time (our local fair) and strawberry season. I just love that book!!
1. Built in 1954
2. 1st Addition built in 1973
3. All k and 1 at old catholic school building across the street
4. 2nd addition early 90's
5. Window and door renovations this summer.
6. Even so the little ones will stay at the other building.
7. Total of about 600 in 2 bulidings.
P.S. my first district had rats that ran behind me, (along the baseboards) while I taught students. Their little faces would light up, and I thought "Geezz...they sure are excited about my class." Until finally one of the older kids informed their teacher in another subject that I had rats in my room, and they would run out everyday during class. I asked for help, but no one had a solution to my problem, so I took care of things myself. Productivity was not taking place so I had to do what needed to be done, so my kids could have a learning environment that was safe.
Instead of panicking, I bought rat poison, that was odorless, and locked it in the closet, planning to put it out after school...I forgot about it, and the next morning, went to the closet, to get some folders, and the bag had been chewed through, and all 12 small packets of odorless rat poison had each been chewed through, and eaten. I was finding dead rats for weeks after that.
Then, at another school,(in a new building) we had a problem with bats...they would actually fly out at the kids....talk about scary.
So, rats, bats, oh, and I've seen my share of brown recluses, as well...and silver fish in most of my paperwork at one school, and some very strange lizard that was grey with black stripes on it's tail, and when I threw something at it one morning, to get rid of it...it's tail started wiggling....and he was mad, mad....and he ran at me....luckily the door was open, and closer, so he took off.... guess he left angry...lol.
This fall we will celebrate our school's 150th year. Well, the buildings have been rebuilt over the years, but the school has been at this site for all those years. Catholic parish school. Currently, we're a K-8 but the school has also been a high school.
Current buildings were done in 1950's and 1960's. Newer building was done with a lot of "Catholic volunteer" type labor. Those of you familiar with this mode of construction know that the actual construction doesn't always match what was on the drawing plans. This makes for interesting building "issues" so all teachers get an introductory tour to the introduce them to weird building quirks. e.g. blowing a circuit (my building has three circuit panels - one of which is in a building on the other side of the playground! The wall plugs for my room are on one panel, the lights are on a second panel, and the heating system is on the third panel.)
We had a volunteer break a "gas" line outside our building. It took three days for the plumber, building inspector, and gas company to decide the line was 'probably' not really connected to anything anymore. Solution - cap the line and fill in the hole.
I thought my school would win the prize for oldest until I saw Kristine's and then, Mamahawk's. Our school is 102 years old. It has burned to the ground twice. One part looks like the 50's or 60's (when I was in elementary school) and the other part, I think was built in the 80's. There are records that survived in a vault from 1911. During the centennial celebration there were some old gentlemen sharing their memories and talking about their teachers and the conduct grades they were given and sure enough, they were able to look everything up in old cum folders and see.
My school was built in 1959. Two classrooms were added about 6 years ago and we are getting portables for the next school year to accomodate increasing enrollment. Not sure that it has ever been remodeled. Spiders, ants, and mice have been a problem. It also attracts dust in the worst way. My students and I cleaned weekly because the dirt was so gross.
While my school is certainly not the oldest...(1920) I can say with pride (hahahahaha) that mine has never been renovated. It was built as an elementary school and closed down due to caving roof. It was opened a few years later as a Pre-K center with Head Start and a n EC SpEd program. Needless to say we are hoping they build a new building soon. There is talk of combining all of the kdg., 4 y/o, EC SpEd, and Head Start into one building.
I am however in the "new" building haha. The first school was built when the parish moved from Germany here I don't even recall the date on that building which is still standing and used for storage. The new building is from the 20's. It is a one hall school with wooden floors and the wonderful chair rail and is painted gray and white needs to be repainted which they say that they are going to do for 3yrs now. They did renovate at some point and built a gym that now holds the cafeteria which was moved from the basment which now serves as the seventh and eight grade classroom. We had new toliets put in the bathrooms that are automatic and stay torn up all the time because they are old now and need new parts which we can not afford. I love my school but I dream of something better somedays. I am scared that one day I am going to plug something in and poof we will be toast. The ceiling leaks we only have four toliets two boys two girls. There are the bugs the squeaky floors. The floors need to be redone. We did become handicap assesable three years ago and put in a ramp on the back because you had to climb like fifteen steps to get to the doors. Being in an old school has its perks and disadvantages. We do have central now yeah but it does not work well. My room is hot always or cold always. I have two walls of windows which used to serve as the airconditioners. They go all the way to the ceiling and then I have chalkboards on the other two walls no wall space in my room So I have brought in fans and heaters. Oh the basement floods when it rains so the students down there make paper boats and have contests on those days. But other than that it is still standing.
I just came from teaching 2 years in a room shaped like a triangle. I have been praying for a rectangular room! Finally I will have one this fall since I've switch districts.
Trust me, a triangle is not the way to go. I had one TINY window right in one of the points of the triangle. Each triangle point was useless space. I had 26 students and there really wasn't enough room to get around comfortably.
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07-10-2006, 09:17 AM
I don't know if that's common, but I don't remember it being an issue in my old school. This one seems like there's an outbreak every few weeks. I don't know if that has anything to do with the building itself or if we just have sickly kids.
For example, our 5th grade hall is painted like the jungle and our 3rd grade hall is painted like a western community. It is very cute.
I know it may sound petty, but living in squaller (sp?) for the school year really has impacted our morale. The kids KNOW they are the only ones that do not have a new building, and it was only this past May that our school board FINALLY consented to purchasing new carpet (for ONE wing) and to put in a new A/C unit. 
Solution - cap the line and fill in the hole.
So I have brought in fans and heaters. Oh the basement floods when it rains so the students down there make paper boats and have contests on those days. But other than that it is still standing.
