CHEETAHS SPRINT THROUGH CONSTRUCTION

CHEETAHS SPRINT THROUGH CONSTRUCTION

CHANDLER ENJOYS RENOVATED CAMPUS

BY DAVID HICKS, CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

ASHTYN ALABI’S JAW DROPPED the moment she walked into Chandler Elementary at Meet the Teacher Night. Ashtyn has been a student at the school since kindergarten, but she felt like she was entering a brand-new building to begin her fifth-grade year. Chandler Elementary experienced a fullscale campus renovation during the Summer of 2022, and the students and staff are enjoying every aspect of their “new” campus.

Chandler’s renovation was part of the bond election approved by voters in November of 2020. Construction crews entered the school on the last day of school, just as students were exiting for summer, to begin working around the clock in preparation for the first day of school in August. Walls came down, learning spaces were reconfigured, new furnishings and fixtures were added, and upgraded technology was installed in just a few quick months. For Ashtyn, seeing the updated campus in person was picture perfect.

“I had seen the renderings before the work began, but I didn’t think they could actually pull off all that work during the summer,” Ashtyn said. “Now, the school looks so modern and has a new style with our [green and gold] school colors on the walls. There’s so much pride in the school now.”

One of the most recognizable areas is the newly-renovated library, located in the center of the campus. Prior to renovations, the library was walled off, but now flows seamlessly from the hallway into an open concept reading and learning space for students to enjoy. Chandler Principal Bobbie Allen often finds herself taking her laptop out of her office and into the library to get work done and interact with students.

“Our library is now the heartbeat of our campus as it creates such a warm and welcoming atmosphere,” Principal Allen said. “I know it’s hard to measure, but students and staff just seem happier and have more energy in this beautiful new learning environment.”

It’s not an uncommon sight to witness students curled up in one of the library’s many reading nooks or settled into the

flexible furniture of a collaboration area working on a laptop. Collaboration spaces are purposeful cutouts in the hallways with easy-to-move desks and chairs allowing teachers to expand the scope of their learning location in a snap. One teacher using the collaboration spaces is Stephanie Gardner, a fifth-grade teacher who has taught at Chandler since it opened in 2006.

“I wasn’t even sure why I would need a collaboration space at first,” Gardner said. “But now, I can have kids in two different locations, allow them to find space to work in small groups, and still monitor both locations at the same time. It gives the students a new place to learn, a place to stretch out, and they feel empowered by it. They feel like it’s a high school learning space, and it’s helping them build independence.”

Silas Shrestha, a fifth-grader, is quick to agree with the benefit of the newly added collaboration spaces.

“It’s nice to be able to spread out, get comfortable, and easily work with other kids. It’s just a great place to work!”

One word that comes to mind when thinking of the new campus is “flexibility.” For example, the Art Studio has a large garage-style door that allows the size of the room to adjust to the lesson plan for that day. As Principal Allen explains, the traditional mindset of teaching only in the classroom has suddenly been flipped on its head with new opportunities for students and staff alike.

For Ashtyn, the awe of the newly renovated campus hasn’t worn off. In fact, her pride for the school only seems to be growing by the day.

“This [renovation] has been so inspirational for the students here in Chandler,” Ashtyn said. “We are so grateful for Chandler. I’ve always loved school, but I’m even more excited to come to school now. All the students here want to have fun, be leaders, have spirit and pride, and be respectful. I feel like we can all do that here in this new school.”