Our lower school wing is open! This fall, Garfield Park Academy cut the ribbon on a new Elementary School wing, adding two classrooms and an expanded multipurpose room/gym to be used exclusively by younger students. A separate entranceway now creates a safe and nurturing welcome to each school day.
The new wing allows students in grades K-5 to move freely about classrooms, bathrooms, and hallways dedicated just to them. The original building received an upgrade, too: new flooring, including a new wooden floor in the renovated gym. Classrooms once occupied by younger students will be used for specials and new programs.
“This is a win-win for every student and every teacher here at GPA,” said Dr. Steven Morse, Superintendent. “The new wing allows us to more closely replicate the public school experience by offering a lower school wing. The additional classrooms allow us to expand enrollment for younger children. The building configuration gives our older students a greater sense of autonomy and school pride, while our younger students have a greater sense of community and connection as well,” Morse concluded.
A K-12 school building has important advantages in that it allows for shared resources. And K-12 schools are safe. In fact studies have found that schools with students of wide-ranging ages have less bullying than schools with just a few grades.
