Mars school will have new classroom clusters
ADAMS TWP — Renovations at Mars Middle School will provide the district with an opportunity to try a new classroom scheduling system intended to build stronger relations between students and their teachers.
Officials updated Mars School Board members and residents Tuesday about renovations scheduled to start this summer. Jeremy Beatty, architect at Eckles Architecture, presented the design for the building, mapping out classroom layout, interior design and internal improvements and upgrades.
Superintendent Wesley Shipley said middle school classrooms will be clustered in groups of around six rooms throughout the building as part of the project. The groupings will make up “houses,” and students will be assigned to one of four houses where they will attend all or most of their classes.
“To create schools within a school, if you will,” Shipley said of the new design. “We're not talking about tracking students. What we're talking about is a community where they get to know their teachers really well.”
Students will attend all or most of their classes within their assigned house, although students in advanced classes could attend a class “out of house” if that program is not offered in their group. Each of the groupings include two classrooms for English language arts and one classroom each for math, science and social studies, and any additional rooms may be used as flex space. The houses will also contain special education classes as needed.
Each grade will have two houses — “A” and “B.” Students will not necessarily be assigned the same house from year to year. Shipley pointed out that house assignments will not be based on student performance or academic abilities, but will instead be determined by computer much like current homeroom assignments. Additional intervention will be available to keep some students together or apart in certain circumstances.
Beatty explained how classrooms can be purposed for any subject, adding that the flex space could house other classes not already grouped included in the core subjects areas. He said that if the school grows, flex space can be added to house more groups as needed.Beatty discussed other improvements, including new lights, flooring, ceilings and HVAC, as well as new lockers that will be wider and shorter than the current ones.Interior designer Tricia Monaco presented the colors and design for the building, and said she plans to use the school colors to direct students into classes while reinforcing school spirit.The school's maker space will be all yellow flooring and brighter than other classrooms.The board approved spending $15.3 million needed to renovate Mars Middle School at a special meeting earlier this month. Work is expected to begin at the end of the school year, with some worked expected to continue until the end of the next year. Officials do not anticipate the work hindering classes.
