Education

DVUSD’S SCHOOL MODERNIZATION AT HILLCREST MIDDLE SCHOOL CREATES NEW STEM LAB, INVITING CAMPUS

Afresh, upgraded campus greeted “We have had a high demand over the Hillcrest Middle School students last few years from our STEM prowhen school began in August. gram and had a high wait list,” he said.

The school on the west side of the Deer Valley Unified School District enrolls about 935 students in seventh and eighth grades. The campus upgrades touched more than 60,000 square feet of space. This was the first major renovation project for the campus since it opened in 1990. The $6.95 million project began in mid-March and ended in early August. It was paid for by the voter-approved 2013 bond measure.

“The Hillcrest Middle School modernization consisted of five key aspects: conservation, wayfinding, safety, security, and learning environment,” said Tyler Shupe, project director for McCarthy Building Companies, the general contractor for the project.

The scope of the work included complete renovations in all classroom buildings, selective upgrades in the library, cafeteria and gymnasium and a complete modernization of the inner campus courtyard.

Fire sprinklers were added to all buildings and fire alarms were upgraded. The administration building and classrooms received new carpeting, ceilings, paint, casework and LED lighting. The front lobby of the administration building was reconfigured with enhanced security measures and improved student/ visitor flow. The courtyard landscaping was updated with synthetic grass and additional sidewalks were added to improve student circulation between buildings, said Stanley Axthelm, architect for the DLR Group.

One of the biggest priorities for campus was to add more space for the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) program. There are about 350 students enrolled in the program, Principal Matt Hreha said and its popularity among students propelled administrators to prioritize the lab when considering modernization options. The renovations included the creation of a brand-new STEM room and reconfiguring an old computer room to make a second adjoining STEM class.

“Our STEM classrooms now have two distinct areas, a computer area and a workspace for project creation,” he said. “The added space allows for the teachers to have more flexibility to allow for whole class instruction, either with the computers or with helping them create their projects. It also allows for more collaboration between the two STEM classes as they are now located next to each other and have a shared outside space,” Hreha said.

STEM teacher Dennis Meyers said the transition to the new designated STEM lab and classroom has made a significant difference in his teaching. “The layout of the room really allows for extensive research, computer designs, collaboration, and construction,” he said. “The open space allows me to facilitate learning and still allow for students to critically think and be creative.”

“In STEM class, we use the design process to brainstorm, research, develop ideas, create models, test and evaluate design ideas and communicate their solutions to solve problems,” Meyers said. This year, student assignments include creating cardboard cars that will support a student riding down a hill; designing and creating a computer-generated passive solar home; and the use of coding skills to program Sphero Robots and drones.

When students returned to school, they were pleased with the revitalized look and feel of the campus, Hreha said.

“Parents have raved about the front office, the new landscaping and the STEM labs,” he said. “Students have loved the changes.”

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