By Tom Morphet
Students and teachers gave generally good grades to the remodeled
Haines High School, where classes resumed Jan. 3.
"It’s a lot better than the old one," said freshman
Blake Hamilton. "It’s finally clean. Everything isn’t vandalized.
There’s no busted lockers or footprints on the walls. It’s quite a step up from
the old school. I’ve been to schools down south and it has that feel of a new
school."
Besides eliminating a commute between schools for staff working at
elementary and high school levels, the remodeled school combining elementary and primary
classes creates more unity among staff, said resource aide Tonya Rossman. "It’s
a lot easier to communicate with other staff, especially when kids go wandering."
New carpets, lighting, and shelving make the school seem like new,
Rossman said. "I think it will function better (than separate schools) when all the
kinks are worked out. It will be more streamlined."
Counselor Carol Flegel, a school district employee 33 years, was moving
into her room in the former high school office. Flegel’s office, the cafeteria, art
room, and library are centrally located for shared use by students of different grade
levels.
"It’s so nice to all be in one building, so many of us were
back and forth so many times," Flegel said. Like for some other departments, the
combination of two schools into one means Flegel has less office space. But she
wasn’t complaining. "It makes us sort through things, but that’s
okay."
Rossman and freshman Kim Lemieux were helping set up the new library,
where 38 volunteers had already donated 200 hours. Lemieux said she liked the changes to
the school, including library chairs with rockers that allow students to lean back.
"Kids like to lean back in chairs, so that’s really good."
Two drawbacks of the combined schools are the proximity of elementary
students and an elementary no-hats rule that’s been extended to the high school, but
they’re outweighed by pluses, Lemieux said.
Sophomore Jae McDermaid, however, wasn’t as forgiving.
"It’s too close to the little kids. They’re in here destroying my high
school experience. Plus, the colors are dull and we need a couch."
Some of McDermaid’s classmates also were disappointed the student
lounge area had no reclining chairs. A sofa previously in the area was missing this week.
District secretary Ashleigh Heinrich said new furniture was en route
for the open area, including café tables similar to ones adjoining the new school
cafeteria.
The sofa was a magnet for prohibited student cuddling and was so dirty
the science class took cultures from it, Heinrich said. "Actually, we have a sofa.
It’s in hiding, and it may disappear."
The new, combined school will be called "The Haines School,"
according to project manager Brian Lemcke. The name will go above the school entrance in
large letters.
.
