While teachers rested over the summer, the construction crew worked tirelessly to create a new building for the Southeast of Saline sixth-grade students. Shortly after the school year started, the new “Shedition” was finally finished. The shed is approximately fifty feet from the school building, and each classroom is seven hundred and fifty square feet. It has six bathrooms, three for girls and three for boys, and a separate water fountain.
When asked what the hardest adjustment to having class outside of the main building was, students responded by sharing things like “having to walk in between buildings for specials, not being included in certain things, not being able to get breakfast if the line is long because we need to get back to class, how cold it is, and they get locked out often. When students need to go into the main building for anything, they have to have a teacher with them at all times. As soon as the door to the shed shuts, you can’t get back in without a keycard. Another thing they have to worry about is the power going out. If it goes out, the keycards won’t work at all. Unless another teacher or student is inside the building while the power goes out, they wouldn’t have any chance of getting back in at the time. They also shared that they have to hold everything while transferring classes, their shoes get muddy, the floors are uneven which causes them to trip, thunderstorms are very loud out there, and they need a teacher with them at all times, or else they can get stuck and nobody will know where they are.
When teachers were asked the same question, Mrs. Sara Hammel responded by saying that they need better time management skills and to be more prepared for different situations. Both Ms. Kylie Holmes and Mrs. Chantay Hill responded by saying that the hardest adjustment is getting their internet connection to work. It is often very difficult to get the internet to work, which then interferes with their lesson plans. Sometimes it works fine, while other times it is a struggle, which results in having to improvise.
The next question that students were asked was what they enjoy about being in the shed. They said that they like how classes aren’t far away, and there are no unnecessary noises or distractions. It is peaceful and private, the bathrooms are closer and cleaner, and it is just 6th graders so little kids aren’t just wandering into their classrooms. They can rotate from one class to the next easily, the water out there is nicer, they can dim the lights whenever they want, they’re able to go outside whenever, it is less crowded in there, and it is not super loud.
When teachers were asked what they enjoy about the shed, Mrs. Hammel responded by saying it is very quiet and peaceful. Mrs. Hill said she liked how students can rotate easily and how she can have a brand-new classroom with windows. Ms. Holmes said that she likes how they are separated. This way 6th graders can focus on their work without any distractions from other students.
Another question students were asked was what would they change about the situation if they could. They had all different types of answers like having thicker walls, changing temperatures since it is very cold out there, creating a tunnel to the building, changing flooring because it is uneven, and getting hooks or lockers for their backpacks. They would also like to have more keycards so they don’t get locked out, build onto the main building, make the classroom sizes bigger, redecorate the building, have cameras outside so they would know if a student got locked out, and find a way to have better internet connections.
Teachers were also asked what they would change about the situation and had different answers than the students. Mrs. Hammel wanted to have double doors because it was kind of hard to enter and exit the shed, and she thought it would have been a good idea to build an indoor concession stand. She thought they could have built the classrooms further back in the shed, and would have had a good area to build new concession stands. Mrs. Hill responded by saying how she wished it could have been built onto the main school building. She loves the peace and quiet, but when her kids have to walk in between buildings and need a keycard everywhere they go, she wishes it could just be a little closer. Ms. Holmes said she wishes they had a bigger hallway because it is hard to go in and out of the building without running into another person.
The final question students were asked was what concerns they have about the new building. They said that they get locked out every time the door shuts, and they are worried about being forgotten, the classrooms leak, technology and WIFI are very slow, the walls are very thin, and when the power is out the keycards won’t work. T also said that they aren’t included in some of the activities because they aren’t in the same building, they don’t have a shelter or basement to go to if a storm occurs, they have to go outside no matter what the weather is like, the hallway is very small, intruders coming to hurt them, and buttons are connected to other teachers classrooms, so you can hear every lesson going on.
When teachers asked what concerns they have, Mrs. Hammel worried about students walking out during winter in snow and ice, and keeping students safe at all times so that they always feel safe in their environment. Mrs. Hill was concerned about others using the facility. She is happy to let others use it, she just wants to make sure that they keep it safe and clean for her students. Ms. Holmes doesn’t have any concerns because this was exactly like her old school. She had to walk in between buildings where she taught at last, so this is very familiar to her.
Overall, the new building has been an adjustment for everyone, but students and teachers have done really well with it. With not enough classrooms in the school building, the shed has been a great addition to our school.
