Middle School Construction Resource Guide, May 2017

KENT DENVER SCHOOL OO

KEN T

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Excellence in scholarship and character

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4000 East Quincy Avenue Englewood, CO 80113-4916 Si

nce 1922

303.770.7660 www.kentdenver.org

May 17, 2017 Dear Kent Denver Parents, Guardians and Neighbors, At a special celebration on April 25, our community bid farewell to the venerable Andrews D. Black Building—formerly home to the Kent Denver sixth grade and the Middle School administrative offices—and broke ground on our new Middle School, which is slated for completion in the spring of 2018.

The Andrews D. Black Building was originally built for the Denver Country Day School in 1965, and for many years housed Kent Denver’s business, development, admission and other administrative offices. In 1987, the building was refurbished to create classrooms for a newly-launched sixth grade program.

As our community said goodbye to the old sixth-grade building, we also celebrated the extraordinary potential the coming Middle School building will offer our students. In roughly one year, Kent Denver Middle School students will enjoy larger classrooms, a Middle School Commons, Resource Center, a patio, and much more.

Of course, watching the construction process unfold may prompt questions about how this major campus enhancement will impact school activities, so this issue of the Construction Resource Guide, will include timely information about logistics—such as parking—for major end-of-year events including Commencement and Continuation.

As always, we appreciate the flexibility and understanding of students, parents and the entire Kent Denver community during construction.

Please do not hesitate to contact the construction team leaders at KDSconstruction@kentdenver. org if you have questions or would like additional information about the project. If your matter is urgent, please contact me directly at jwalker@kentdenver.org or (303) 770-7660 ext. 230.

Best regards, Jerry Walker Associate Head of School

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Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow Twenty-nine years ago, several members of the Class of ‘94 stood before the Andrews D. Black Building and celebrated being part of Kent Denver’s inaugural sixth-grade class.

This year, the Class of ‘23 flocked to the Andrews D. Black Building stairway for one final group photo. These students are members of the final class of sixth-graders to study in this building.

An architect’s rendering of Kent Denver’s new Middle School left current sixth-graders speechless.

The new building is slated to open in spring 2018! Watch for updates on our website.

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Updated Middle School Construction Map We recently updated the contruction map to futher define the construction zone. A printable copy is available for download on the Kent Denver website’s Construction & You page.

You can access the page by clicking Construction & You anywhere in this document.

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Middle School Construction Q&A May 2017

How long did it take to demolish the old Sixth-Grade Building?

The entire process took approximately six days to complete.

Have you decided where and how the beams students, alumni and faculty signed will be incorporated in the new building?

Not yet. We are evaluating suggestions and options. We’ll likely postpone making a final decision for several months so we can give all ideas due consideration.

Did you keep any other parts of the old Sixth-Grade Building for use in the new Middle School?

We did! As those familiar with Kent Denver’s history know, our school was formed by the merger of The Kent School for Girls and Denver Country Day (DCD), a boys’ school, in 1974. What we often refer to as the Sixth-Grade Building was, in fact, the Andrews D. Black Building, and it was named for DCD’s co-founder and first Head of School.

DCD’s first home was on South University Boulevard. When it moved to our current campus in 1965, about 200 bricks from the original structure were incorporated into the Andrews D. Black Building—and those same bricks will soon be incorporated in our new Middle School Building.

When will you start pouring the foundation for the new building?

That process is happening now. About half of the foundation has been poured already. The remainder will be poured during the next few weeks.

How long will it take to finish construction on the exterior of the new building?

That’s an excellent question. There is a term in construction called “weathered in”. It means ensuring that the interior of a building is protected from the elements. That’s a particularly important milestone given our climate. We expect the new Middle School building to be weathered by Halloween 2017.

There is another milestone that will be equally interesting to returning and new students. We project the structural steel skeleton of the new Middle School to be in place when school opens in the fall!

What are you doing the rest of the remnants from the Andrews D. Black/Sixth-Grade Building?

The components that aren’t going into the new building will be recycled or disposed of responsibly. As we move forward with our goal for LEED Platinum certification, we will follow a comprehensive construction waste management program.

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Questions Related to the June 5 Continuation Ceremony Where should parents and guests attending the Continuation ceremony park?

As in prior years, parents and guests are invited to park in the Middle School faculty parking lot, the Upper School faculty parking lot or the senior students’ parking lot.

Will there be flaggers to direct traffic?

Yes. What time does Continuation begin?

The Continuation ceremony begins at 10 a.m. on Mon., June 5. The ceremony takes place in the Student Center for the Arts.

Should guests arrive early?

It’s always advisable to allow extra time to greet fellow parents and guardians and find a seat before the ceremony begins.

Are guests allowed to walk by the construction site before or after Continuation?

Absolutely. We simply ask that you stay outside the fenced construction area.

Will construction work be halted during Continuation?

June 5 is a regular workday for construction. As Continuation will be held indoors, inside the Anschutz Family Theatre, there should be no construction-related disruption during the Continuation ceremony.

Will the school have golf carts or other ferrying services for those who can’t park near the Student Center for the Arts?

Yes. That is a regular service we provide each year for Continuation guests.

Will there be enough places to park for everyone who wants to attend Continuation?

Absolutely.

Questions Related to the June 6 Commencement Ceremony How many people usually attend a Kent Denver Commencement ceremony?

Approximately 800 people typically attend the Kent Denver Commencement ceremony each year.

Do you anticipate a traffic jam getting on Quincy from Colorado Boulevard or University, or from Quincy to campus?

We don’t expect the situation to be any different than in previous years. While Kent Denver is a very popular destination on Commencement Day, we do not anticipate any construction-related delays.

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Will you have Cherry Hills Village Police directing traffic onto campus?

Yes. We will continue the practice we have employed in previous years.

What time does Commencement start and what time will it end?

Commencement begins at 9:30 a.m. on June 6. Commencement ceremonies typically last about two hours.

Do you anticipate a traffic jam leaving campus?

Again, we don’t expect the situation to differ from previous years. Many guests stay for the annual Commencement luncheon, so departure times will vary.

Where should graduating seniors and Commencement guests park?

As in prior years, guests are invited to park in the Upper and Middle School faculty parking lots, the senior students’ parking lot and in the field behind the Upper School faculty parking lot. We will have flaggers on campus to direct guests to available parking. In coming days, the senior class dean will provide Commencemt parking information to seniors.

Will you have flaggers to direct traffic?

Yes. What time should I arrive for Commencement?

We’ve noticed that Commencement is a bittersweet time for everyone. For that reason, we advise allowing enough time to greet and share memories with other parents and guardians, take photos and find a comfortable seat in Chenery Theatre before the ceremony.

Are parents and guests allowed to walk by the construction site before or after Commencement?

Yes. We do ask that you stay outside the fenced construction area, however.

Will construction work be halted during Commencement?

Yes. There will be no construction work between 9 a.m. and noon on June 6.

Will you have golf carts or other ferrying services for those who can’t park close to the event?

Yes. That is a regular service we provide each year for Commencement guests.

Will there be enough places to park for everyone who wants to attend Commencement?

We do not anticipate any problems finding available parking. As always, we will provide transportation for those who prefer not to walk from their parking spot to the Commencement ceremony.

Where can I get more information about construction?

Parents and guardians will find frequent construction updates in the weekly Connection newsletter, on the Kent Denver website’s Construction & You page and via the KDS Construction blog. We will provide timely information to students during assemblies and in emails from class deans. If you have constructionrelated questions or concerns, please send your inquiry or comment to KDSconstruction@kentdenver.org.

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