mmarincic posted on May 20, 2011 12:35
Students and community members are invited to the groundbreaking ceremony for the Millstream Career & Technology Center Monday, May 23 at 7 p.m. next to the high school.
The event will kick off construction for the new school building as administrators move the first shovelfuls of dirt for the foundation.
“Groundbreakings are extremely important because they are the first opportunity for people to see that it’s time to celebrate the start of the most major building project since Wilson Vance, Bigelow Hill, Chamberlain Hill and Washington were built,” Superintendent Dean Wittwer said. “That’s a long time, so this is a big, big project.”
Wittwer will host the evening, which will include speeches from administrators, teachers and students as well as a performance from Pantasia.
It is also a chance to display the work done by Millstream students.
“We want to showcase Millstream students,” Public Relations Coordinator Barb Shick said. “We will have culinary arts students provide hors d’oeuvres and automotive students showcase their electric truck.
“The welding students will display the time capsule they made to put in the walls of the new schools during their dedications.”
Completed in time for the 2012-13 school year, the school will combine all three current Millstream buildings, housing automotive, cosmetology, culinary arts and technology programs under one roof.
Since the Millstream and high school campuses will be 30 feet apart, administrators hope to eventually connect them with a hallway or courtyard.
“The nice thing about it is that it will really make the campus at the high school look nice and be functional for high school students,” Wittwer said. “Students can go over and take a class at Millstream if they want, so there’s a lot of positives.”
Millstream is part of a construction project that includes building two new middle schools. Their foundations are now underway after their groundbreaking ceremonies May 16.
“As it starts off, things will go slowly, and not much will happen above ground,” Project Manager Eric Kern said. “Then after about a month and a half the masonry will start going up. That’s when the community will see a lot of change.”
The middle schools, set to open January 2013, will feature up-to-date equipment in all rooms from computer and science labs to art and music rooms.
“They will have the latest technology, even right down to the art rooms,” Project Manager Cathy Zellner said. “They will have drying cabinets, two kilns and everything they ever wanted.
“There are great acoustics in the music rooms, which have none now, and nice cabinets for musical equipment.”
Athletes can take advantage of more locker rooms, a weight room and a double gymnasium, while performers and speakers will have a stage in the “cafetorium” (cafeteria-auditorium).
“We’ve been planning, preparing, designing since 2009 for the groundbreaking,” Wittwer said. “We believe we got the best architectural team together, and the buildings are outstanding with the best furnishings and materials that you can buy now.”