New classrooms feel like home

Ten-year-old Clifton Roberts is pretty happy with his surroundings these days. His new classroom at Sisters Elementary School is so comfortable, Clifton says he could stay there the rest of his life.

For the 100 or so students and teachers who moved into the school's four new rooms last month, the addition has quickly come to feel like home.

"For our current needs, this is a perfect fit," said Kelly Powell, who teaches a class of 23 fourth-graders in one of the new rooms.

The addition, a result of a community-wide volunteer effort that raised more than $500,000 in funds and in-kind services, officially opened for use on January 5, the first day students returned to school from the holiday break.

For the staff, the rooms mean a return to normalcy in class structures and teaching spaces.

Prior to the addition's opening, some classes were being taught in the computer lab, a resource room, the school's stage and other areas designed for special uses.

Classes were also being held across the street in the district's old administration building.

"(The addition) allows for a return to one campus," said principal Tim Comfort. "The specialty rooms can go back to what they were for. We weren't able to use the computer lab and the other rooms for their intended purpose."

The addition also adds to the teaching environment, Powell said.

"For teachers, it means we're all closer together for cooperative planning and teaching," he said. "And everybody has the space they need to work. That will give us a head start getting ready for next year."

But one of the most important effects may be in the attitude of the students, Powell said.

The move from makeshift classrooms or ones shared with other classes has instilled in the kids a feeling of ownership and responsibility.

"They're proud to be here," Powell said. "They feel like they have a place that really belongs to them. They say, 'We're in our new room. We have to do our best here.'"

For some students, it's the simple things that matter.

"These four rooms are the only ones with windows that open," Clifton pointed out.

Before the move, one classroom - a makeshift space above the gymnasium - didn't have windows at all.

A room with a view took a little getting used to, Comfort said.

"They had to take window breaks the first few days in the new classroom," he said.

For other students, it's a matter of aesthetics and convenience.

"I like the colors," said nine-year-old Jaci Rose Estep-Armstrong. "And it has a drinking fountain that works easier. I just like it better all the way around."

For others, it's a feeling of personal space that counts.

"I like the desks," said Shannon Hanson, nine. "We used to just have tables and we had to keep our stuff separated because they got mixed up pretty easy."

"They get to that age where little things add up," said Powell. "Being in their own room means a lot. It gives the kids a general attitude that school is important."

While the school held an opening ceremony for the kids just before the holidays, a community dedication is planned for May.

By then, finishing touches on the brickwork and other odds and ends will likely be complete, Comfort said.