Now, with construction well underway at MNHS and plans moving forward to begin renovations at Reuben Johnson Elementary and Malvern Elementary in January, the 2011 bond package is moving steadily closer to its planned August 2016 end date, on schedule and under budget.
McKinney North High School
One of the district's main goals of the MNHS makeover was to create a modern, student-centric learning environment, officials said.
“Through the planning stages with the architects, we were able to provide input, and they’ve done a very good job listening to what our vision was,” said Jimmy Spann, McKinney North Principal in a press release. “We looked at technology and opening space up a little more to provide teachers with opportunities to get students out of the classroom.”
The district said those new collaborative learning spaces throughout the school will enhance learning opportunities with features such as power stations and video screens that will help facilitate the ever-increasing integration of technology into the learning process.
“In two years, every student at our school will have a laptop. That’s going to be here before we know it, and it really enhances the opportunity for kids to learn,” Spann said in a news release.
Spann said the high school is the lighthouse of the community, adding that when someone comes to McKinney they look to the high school to see what's going on in the community.
"I’ve been here nine years, and I don’t know how many countless times people come and say, ‘Where’s the front of your building?’ The renovation is going to open it up, and I think that is going to give us some definition," he said in the release. “Ultimately our goal is student success, and what’s going to be good for our kids,” Spann adds. “What we’ve been trying to do in every meeting is ask, ‘How does it impact learning opportunities for the kids? And, what are we doing to support the teachers in order to provide them with every resource and tool we can?’”
Reuben Johnson Elementary School & Malvern Elementary School
Reuben Johnson Elementary and Malvern Elementary are also set to undergo renovations in the near future and are the final beneficiaries of the major 2011 bond campus renovations.
In January, crews will begin construction on additions at both facilities to bring new classrooms, eliminating the necessity of portables. Also included in the project are upgrades to Johnson’s HVAC system. Both renovations are budgeted at about $2.59 million and $2.67 million respectively.
Malvern Principal Rhonda Gilliam said in a press release that she knows the construction of three new collaborative learning spaces at her campus will mean added opportunities for student learning.
“The collaborative spaces support the Engage Learning Model (ELM) and project-based learning, but it also supports any kind of cooperative learning with our kids even in those non-ELM subjects, so they’ll be able to use that space for tutoring groups or small group work," she said. "If a grade level wants to combine more than one classroom, those spaces will accommodate larger groups of children. They will serve all of our subject areas well as we work to differentiate the needs of all of our students.”
Johnson Elementary will gain new spaces and updates to the art room and science lab, and offices will be added to support special education.
“A large part of the family culture at RJE is tied to the daily live morning announcements, and we will receive a brand new broadcast room that will enhance our daily message,” said Johnson Principal Michelle Baumann. “The MISD Facilities, Maintenance and Purchasing Departments have collaborated to make this a very smooth process, and we can’t wait to see the end result.”
