Phase II begins at Westside
Published 12:00 am Saturday, January 26, 2008
DEMOPOLIS &8212; With construction and inspections complete on the building addition at Westside elementary, teachers and students began the moving process into their new building. Phase of the moving continued this week.
According to Connie Brown, principal, five second grade teachers and two reading coaches were moved to new locations over Christmas break.
The next phase of the moving process included two teachers moving each Friday until Feb. 8. Demopolis High School head football coach Tom Causey even volunteered the help of his players, who are doing weight-training this semester, to move the teachers in the mornings.
When asked about the moving process, Brown said the entire staff was involved in making suggestions for who will occupy the new wing and how to make everything run smoothly. By putting the second grade classes in the new wing, all of the second grade would be in close proximity, Brown said.
Kindergarten teacher Terri Speegle, who has taught with Demopolis City Schools for 19 years, moved her classroom on Friday with the help of football players Scott Cannon, Justin Hall and Alex Morris.
Speegle explained her new classroom is located on the old first grade wing.
Another benefit for Speegle&8217;s move is that her classroom, along with all the classrooms on that wing, will have a bathroom. The wing now houses all of the kindergarten classes.
First grade teacher Dana Green also moved her classroom Friday. In addition to a new space, Green said she already has new ideas in store for her classroom.
Another aspect of the Westside addition project was the construction of a new lobby and receptionist area along with a nurse&8217;s station, which Brown said provides both a more secure facility and a more confidential nurse&8217;s station.
The construction of the new addition comes after several years overcrowding in the system. Brown said in the past, the school utilizes every closet and corner to provide office areas and small group tutoring stations.