Maintenance Magic: New School Spaces

This past summer, the School underwent several significant renovations. To start, the Corner Café was seamlessly added to our cafeteria building, improving lunch line efficiency. Additionally, the Grove now occupies a previously unused hillside right behind the gazebo, making it a perfect hangout spot for lunch or free blocks. 

After last school year, the cafeteria was deemed too small to serve an ever-growing student body . According to Ricky Lapidus, Head of the Upper School, the initial plan to improve lunch lines was to add a small table in the large swinging doors at the Upper School Patio, and serve food there, but Luis Reyes, the School’s facility director, had bigger plans with the addition of the Corner Café. Lapidus stated, “Honestly, my imagination’s not good enough for that, I wish I could take credit, but that one was all Luis.”

 Lapidus also emphasized the speed and quality of the work done by the facility crew: “I came back in early August, just to check in, and I said, ‘Woah;’ they built that whole Corner Café to look like the rest of the building, and they did it so well.” 

The new addition of the Corner Café is designed to make lunch lines more efficient, and sophomore Caleb Roth believes it has fulfilled its role . He stated, “I think the new lunch lines have been really good this year. I was definitely waiting a lot longer for food last year, and the main café was always really crowded.” His opinion is inline with the overall “great feedback” Lapidus and the administration has received. 

As for the Grove, it is a favorite spot for many students due to its great integration with the natural world. It has quickly become one of the most used spaces on campus; Lapidus claimed “I think more kids eat lunch in the Grove than on the patio.” 

Over the summer, the School planned on using money from the Parents Association to renovate the small area next to the stairs, right outside the library. However, Jerry Mullaney, the School’s Chief Financial and Operating Officer, suggested they use the money to clear the hillside, which led to the realization the space could be used for a lot more. The School decided to place paving stones, add tables, and build retaining walls, turning the Grove into a massive addition for  the School’s campus. Lapidus stated, “[the grove] is the biggest change in the life of the School that we did not realize would be as impactful as it was. It is just so nice, especially on hot days, and students liked it right away.” According to Lapidus, the School also has plans to possibly turn part of the Grove into an outdoor classroom space. 

Clearly, a lot of work was done over summer, but these large additions were not all of it. In response to the CCO’s up-staffing, Reyes creatively adjusted their floor plan to include a new office. Additionally, the weight room was renovated with a new layout, new flooring, new weights, and new machines. This renovation did a great job of utilizing the space well and providing all necessary equipment for students at the School. Multiple sports teams have shown their excitement towards the new gym, especially the basketball team, who has been taking advantage of it with weekly offseason workouts. 

The work done by the School’s facility team over the summer cannot be overstated. All of the improvements to the campus were  orchestrated and executed by them, and will surely bring kids joy for years to come.