Deirdré Straughan ’81 Woodstock’s Evolving School Infrastructure

Jonake Bose ’81 and I travelled to Mussoorie in September 2022 for the Woodstock Board meetings. Our classmates Sara Ahmed and Yuti Bhatt also came up, so we had a minireunion. The school is in good financial health and is being well managed both financially and academically. Much beautiful renovation work was accomplished while the campus was emptied by the pandemic. Woodstock is beginning to keep pace with and even outshine other top campuses on the hillside and beyond (yes, competition is stiff!). The latest campus renovations have been submitted for the 2022 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.

The continued strengthening and updating of heritage buildings, the constant challenges of the hillside environment (particularly with the intense weather induced by climate change), and increased focus on sustainability mean that campus construction projects will continue; there is always more work needed to bring these old buildings into the modern age and meet safety requirements.

The renovation work carried out during the pandemic lockdowns included the classroom that our class raised funds for last year, on the top floor of the Quad building. At least half a dozen of the new classrooms are still in need of sponsorship. Reach out to the Advancement Office (advancement@woodstock.ac.in) if you know of any individuals, groups, or classes who may want to fund a named classroom (total cost for a classroom sponsorship is USD 30,000).

The Quad top floor is now connected to the other Quad buildings via new doors and corridors, and there are a bridge and stairs from the top level up to the gym area, saving everyone a lot of stairs. The areas that used to be Upper Dorm and Long Dorm are now elementary and middle school classrooms, student lounges, etc.

In the high school there are four new state-of-the-art lab classrooms, two for chemistry and two for biology, with adjacent supply/storage rooms. The science staff has a delightful office in what used to be a dark, dingy room under the eaves opposite the Parker Hall balcony (where we used to go to pick up our textbooks). A skylight has opened up the space and made it light and pleasant. This is just one example of the creative, intelligent (and award-nominated) architecture that has gone into making the school buildings modern, safe, and fit for purpose.

The Center for Imagination (CFI) and flagpole area are stunning. The new Amphitheatere was dedicated while the Board was on the hillside. CFI served as an interactive, interdisciplinary space for many of our interactions with students and the community during our visit. Many sessions from CFI can be viewed on the Woodstock YouTube channel.

The quality of both materials and workmanship is amazing. Local labourers have been doing the work, building skills and knowledge that bring them into high demand across the region, so the school’s investments are also helping to improve local livelihoods.

The school even has its own sewage treatment plant now, down the hillside between Ridgewood and Hanson Field. (I didn’t get to see it – had a bit of monkey drama - the rhesus have become extremely aggressive.) Water treated at the new

/ furniture

energy efficiency, planning for solar energy production and rainwater harvesting.

plant is used to irrigate Hanson Field. My classmate Dr Sara Ahmed, Founder of the Living Waters Museum, acknowledges that this is a huge step towards better water management and overall sustainability at Woodstock. The Woodstock Estates Committee is very focused on sustainability and actively reducing waste, reusing building and furniture components, pursuing energy efficiency, and planning for solar energy production and efficient rainwater harvesting, to mention just a few.

The music area renovation is still to be completed and is another area of needed support. Those who contributed to the 2003 music block upgrades will continue to be honoured in the new spaces along with those who help with this phase of improvements. (So, if you’d like your name on a music area ….)

The next big project will be the renovation and modernization of Parker Hall, seeking to retain the historical character of the space while improving green room and setbuilding facilities, lighting and sound, and overall seating capacity.

GET INVOLVED! FUND A NEW SPACE!

We would love for you to make a challenge gift and/or gather your classmates to help fund one of these special places on campus for Woodstockers of today and tomorrow. Naming opportunities are available.

Contact us at advancement@woodstock.ac.in to discuss funding a space in full or in part. We stand ready to partner. Alumni in business, please note that we’re ready to work with your business, too.

Main Gate Guard House Classrooms

Black Box Theatre

Music Practice Rooms and Faculty Office

Teaching and Testing Studios Quad Lounges

See a virtual tour of our new and renovated spaces: https://youtu.be/tl9rB5iKSE8

See our Dedication of New Spaces event: https://youtu.be/FcvMOVGQsLo