HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Before I head out to spend Thanksgiving with my family, I wanted to update the MCHS family. A lot of great progress was again made this week.

The interior doors have all been delivered. As you can see there are a lot of them! The new doors to the class rooms will have a large window to allow observation of the children without interruption. The slightly lower light levels in the halls combined with the reflective film will provide parents the opportunity to see the great work going on inside without causing a disruption.

The front doors have also been delivered. The double doors have three windows in each with a very large transom above. The water glass in the panes is really handsome. The transition from the porch to the interior of the school will be a really dramatic one. The noise of Abrams is quickly left behind as our attention is fully directed to the beautiful Nature Area at the rear of the new light filled space.

The cabinetry has all been completed and is being installed. Below you see the computer station in the Guide Resource Center.


While it appears that the Guides have a very large kitchen area, actually the bulk of this cabinetry was designed to contain the many supplies and colored papers that are used in the creation of study materials.

Self reliance is a big part of the Montessori way and the child height cabinetry plays a part in that. Dale Buchanan, the project manager for the MCHS renovation, stands along side the hand and brush washing sink outside the restrooms in Miss Jeanne's class. As you can see, the cabinetry barely reaches his knee making it perfect for the students.


The classrooms will now each have its own kitchen area as well as a huge amount of storage for the materials that were formerly held in a series of mismatched cabinets. The lower section of cabinets is for post luncheon clean up performed by the children. A warming drawer will reheat the hot lunches and a dishwasher will really make the classrooms fully self-contained. The new refrigerators will complete the kitchens.

The painters are doing a really terrific job. The exterior body color in now in place (the grey blue is primer) and they have started on the soffit and fascia. The interior walls are all primed and have at least one coat of color on them. This was done prior to the installation of the ceiling grid which is set to begin on Monday. Once the grid is installed the sola-tube installers will be coming in to install the many skylights. A lot of great things are going on in the next few weeks.

The final grading has been done. It will be fine tuned a bit by the lanscapers. We are meeting with the asphalt contractors on Friday and Monday as we continue to move ahead.

All of us at Ancon wish you and your families a very happy Thanksgiving!