t School will open its new
gathering hall
in September.
Island School’s Head of School Trish King says passersby don’t seem to take notice of the school’s newest wing.
But she takes it as a sign for how well the 4,800-square-foot gathering hall nestles into the woodsy, red-roofed school building on Day Road East.
“After the building went up, it was hard for people to tell what was old and what was the new building,” King said. “That showed us right away that the integrity of the design had held up.”
Students and teachers will notice a big difference when school begins Sept. 4.
The hall will give the nonprofit school new indoor space for PE, performances and assemblies; activities once spread across classrooms or squeezed into hallways.
The school plans dedicate the $1.5 million hall Sept. 7
The completion of the wing caps three decades of expansion for Island School, which saw the organization blossom from a kindergarten program to a K-5 school.
The school was founded in 1977 by Kelly Webster and Nancy and Dave Leedy, who were seeking a more open learning environment for their children.
They taught 11 pupils in their first year, using a garage on Rolling Bay as a classroom before moving to Day Road.
The school building expanded steadily on its secluded five- acre campus, while adding grade levels. With the addition of the gathering hall, the building now encompasses 15,000 square feet. Enrollment hovers between 90 and 100 students.
The gathering hall was conceived during the development of the school’s master plan in 1996.
“The piece we haven’t had here for many years has been a gymnasium, a stage, and basically a gathering hall where we could bring together our entire community,” King said.
But a decade ago the school was not prepared to launch into such a daunting capital campaign, King said, and it focused several smaller additions.
In 2007, as it celebrated its 30th anniversary, Island School began fundraising in earnest for the gathering hall.
Along with the $1.5 million needed for construction, the school aims to raise another $400,000 for an endowment to supplement its operating budget. So far the campaign has brought in $1.2 million.
Construction on the hall began in the summer of 2007.
At first it was hoped the new hall would be completed by the end of the next school year. Instead it will sweeten the first day back for students, who have been keeping a close eye on its construction.
“They can’t wait to play ball here, they can’t wait to get up on stage and sing,” King said, standing on the floor of the new gymnasium this week. “They have been chomping at the bit watching the building go up.”
The new hall reaches east from the existing building. Outside its shake sides and red roof are a continuation the existing building’s architecture. Inside, the school’s open, unencumbered floor plan is also extended into the new hall, where tall tall ceilings and numerous windows give it an airy feel.
Several Douglas fir trees were cleared to make room for the hall, and their wood was milled and used as trim for in the new building. A gymnasium and basketball court, made of a tough nylon material, takes up the better part of the hall’s floor space.
A broad, raised stage fills its west end, with storage compartments hidden underneath and kitchen and office space are tucked on either side.
“We really maximized space as much as possible,” business manager Loretta Morgan said.
When not being used by its own teachers, the school plans to make the hall available to other non-profit groups, something King believes will raise the school’s profile in the community.
“There are a lot of people who have never known us, and have never set foot on our campus,” King said. “This will be a great way for them to get to know us.”
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A dedication ceremony for the new Island School hall will be held Sept. 7. The school can be reached at 842-0400 or online at www.theislandschool.org.
