9 minute read
It Takes a Village
Fort Worth Country Day started its 60th school year with excitement and fond farewells. With the Board of Trustees’ unanimous decision to green-light the construction of a new Lower School building in Spring 2023, a series of events that will redefine the physical landscape of the campus and transform the learning experience for generations to come was set in motion.
A Swift Transition
First steps took place in summer 2023 to secure temporary, manufactured buildings for the Lower School's use during construction. Ramtech Building Systems in Mansfield reserved 11 modular buildings for the School, with building delivery scheduled for October. This ambitious endeavor also included preparing the Middle School softball field to house the Lower School Village and constructing a temporary road for carpool and fire lane purposes. Faculty and staff spent the summer purging classroom items and packing materials no longer needed or used during fall semester. Items were also sent to the Welman Project (see the Giving Back article on page 11) to be recycled and repurposed for other teachers.
In August, Head of School Eric Lombardi shared with grades 1-4 families that the move from the Lower School to the village would occur the week following Thanksgiving, November 27 through December 1. The move required an
additional week of break for those students so faculty and staff could complete the shift to their new rooms, unpack, and create an inviting learning atmosphere. “The much-anticipated new Fort Worth Country Day Lower School building is coming,” Lombardi wrote to parents. “In the spring of 2025, we anticipate a significant celebration as our faculty, staff and students move into a signature space for the School’s next 60 years. The road to that spring 2025 celebration includes some challenges.
“The first significant challenge will be moving our first through fourth grade classrooms out of the current Lower School building and into the Temporary Village [now called the Lower School Village],” he continued.
Linbeck Project Manager Trey Silva is responsible for the building project’s schedule. “Roughly from July to October, the preparatory work took place, repurposing the softball field by leveling the ground and putting in the villages’ infrastructure,” he said. “Before the delivery of the portables, the electrical, internet, water, and sanitary sewer infrastructure had to be put in place.”
A Village is Born
Ramtech began delivering the village buildings on October 2, 2023, through the Bryant Irvin Entrance, which required adjustments to the front gate entrance bollards to accommodate the wide-load buildings. The last building arrived on October 11. Once all pieces of the village were on campus, the wood-decking operations immediately started to provide access around buildings.
“While constructing the wood decking, the electricians and plumbers made all the required connections to the buildings to get them operational,” Silva said. “The final parts were easier to put together, as it was more of a plug-and-play feature within the design of the portables.”
While the electricians and plumbers were working their magic, Ramtech installed all the floors and ceilings inside the buildings. “The City of Fort Worth signed off on the Lower School Village on November 16,” Silva said, “and the goahead to move was given on November 17.”
The Temporary Village, consisting of 11 buildings with 10 trailers housing 20 classrooms (two per portable), two Science classrooms, a Collaboratory and the Lower School Library, is a testament to meticulous planning and execution. Classrooms have their own bathrooms, student desks, some “cubbies,” and the necessary technology for teaching and learning, creating a self-contained and efficient learning environment.
Tammy Wolford, Lower School Librarian, estimates that about 25% of the library moved into her village classroom, which has approximately 3,500 books. The rest of the catalog is stored in the Moncrief Library and easily accessible to her. “The best thing about the Village Library is the sense of peace when you walk through the door. I truly never appreciated how the constant movement and noise all around our previous library impacted our lives,” Wolford said. “From the moment I greet students on the walkway overlooking the pond until we start checking out, there is a sense of calm. The word that I hear most often from our volunteers is cozy. I agree!"
The Office Quad, housing Academic Support Coordinators, the Health and Wellness Counselor, and Sherrilan Gilley in the main office, adds a layer of security and functionality, with all visitors checking in before connecting with students.
A Technological Transformation
Director of Technology
Dr. Steve Uhr oversaw the Lower School Village’s technology installation, which features a robust extension of the FWCD wireless computer network. “A new, dedicated fiber runs from the Fischer Dining Pavilion to building No. 7 [fourth grade classrooms], providing access to the main computer network,” he said.
Throughout October, FWCD’s technology team wired each classroom with network drops to accommodate classroom needs. Each building has wireless access points providing coverage devices. Just before Thanksgiving break, the interactive whiteboards from the old Lower School building classrooms were removed and reinstalled in the village classrooms with new cabling. During the move, all of the classroom hardware also was relocated: Faculty computers and printers, student iPads, and Chromebooks were moved to the new classrooms so they would be ready for December 2, the first day of classes in the Lower School Village.
Faculty Dedication Shines
Dedication and resilience shone brightly during the transition from the old building to the village. Teachers and staff worked tirelessly to pack up their classrooms, unpack in the village, and create an engaging and imaginative learning environment for students. Cozy, comfortable and casual, the Lower School Village classrooms exude warmth and familiarity. Doorbells add a layer of security (all classroom doors are locked), with family members coordinating with Gilley in the Lower School Office building to connect with teachers and their students when necessary.
“Our faculty team was the working definition of perseverance,” Head of Lower School Trey Blair said. “They had every reason to wear their emotions on their sleeves and vent their frustrations, yet it was a working, smiling, positive energy vibe throughout move-in week. I think, on some level, we were presented with the opportunity to reinforce our community and culture. It hasn't been without challenges, but there is a shared, ‘We are all in this together kinda vibe.’”
Kelly Lanier Tierce ’93, who served as Assistant Head of Lower School at the time of the move and is now Director of Enrichment Programs, took a hands-on approach to enhance common areas. Student-decorated ceramic tiles from the old building adorn the village buildings, creating inviting porch-like resting areas with Adirondack chairs, potted plants, and gnome homes.
The tiles came about because parents asked about the plans for some of the Lower School building murals. “There’s so much love and history in each of those tiles, and it seemed a shame not to take any of them moving forward,” Tierce said. “ I was hoping that a little bit of love from our previous building would help bridge the gap that a temporary building just couldn’t provide on its own.”
Before the building’s demolition, Tierce pulled off a tile to see how easy it was. Success was mixed, with some tiles pulling off easily while others shattered. She ultimately salvaged what she could and then tried various ways to get them to stay on the village buildings through weather changes. Lower School Science Teacher Barbara Meyers has some of her butterflies in front of her classroom as well.”
Some planters set out by Lower School Academic Support Coordinator Theresa Fuss and Meyers in front of their buildings inspired Tierce to add more. “We’re so blessed at Country Day to have nature and beauty all around us. I wanted to bring some of that nature and green to our village spaces to make them a little bit more homey,” Tierce said. “I
Some planters set out by Lower School Academic Support Coordinator Theresa Fuss and Meyers in front of their buildings inspired Tierce to add more. “We’re so blessed at Country Day to have nature and beauty all around us. I wanted to bring some of that nature and green to our village spaces to make them a little bit more homey,” Tierce said. “I tried to place the planters in communal spaces so that our faculty and students would see them daily and maybe find inspiration to update them and plant in them for upcoming seasons. I also felt compelled to add some fairy elements and gnome items to go with our village theme. I think it turned out cute!”
Creative Play on the Village Playground
Central to the Lower School Village is the playground. Plant Operations team member Dewayne Dodgins built a bridge that connects the village playground with the kindergarten playground, providing a seamless experience for first grade students during recess. A mulched play area on the village’s east side was for second, third and fourth graders. The Village Playground features playground mulch free of twigs, soil and leaves, acts as a weed barrier, and helps with drainage. Until March, playground features included spike ball sets, soccer goals, a Gaga Pit, a mini basketball hoop for “dunking practice,” a giant Connect 4 game, and many balls and Frisbees. Starting the week of February 26, the School began installing two student-favorite playscapes from the old playground – the Infinity Web and the Stacked Timber Wall – in the Village Playground. While the recess offerings differ from the old playground, Blair has found that creativity flows in the students. “They are running around, playing tag, finding a cozy nook under the village walkway to create a campfire scene, and are genuinely happy to enjoy time outdoors.”
Overall, the transition to the Lower School Village has been a success due to the planning and coordination of all School departments and staff to ensure the temporary classrooms were ready to receive students and provide an environment that supports learning and creativity for students and faculty.
