‘Just amazing’: Trinity Intermediate students start school year in state-of-the-art building
“It’s absolutely beautiful. I love it. It’s incredible, just amazing,” said Trinity Area School District resident Lauren Leeper, standing in the middle of Trinity Intermediate School’s second-floor media center.
Leeper, accompanied by her sons, Ryan, a third-grader, and Henry, a second-grader, was among the hundreds of parents, students and residents who turned out Thursday when the school district – which celebrates its 100th anniversary this school year – welcomed the public to tour the 106,658-square-foot intermediate school at a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house.
On Tuesday, the first day of school, about 600 fourth- and fifth-graders will walk into the state-of-the-art, three-story building, and launch Trinity Intermediate School’s inaugural academic year.
The open house capped off three years of planning and construction. The school board voted in 2021 to move forward with construction of the new school, in response to a rapidly growing student population in the district.
“What 100 years of history has taught us is the importance of embracing change and looking to the future. Today, as we open these new spaces, we are not just cutting a ribbon. We are opening the doors to endless possibilities for the next generation of learners, problem-solvers and critical thinkers,” said Superintendent Dr. Michael Lucas.
Many features on each of the three floors appear identical to each other, including a project classroom on each floor, designed to host a variety of STEAM learning projects.
In all, the new building, which sits on the Trinity Middle School campus, houses 30 classrooms, including learning support classrooms, with plenty of natural light and campus views.
The media center includes broadcast and podcast areas, a STEAM room featuring 3D printers and a chocolate engraver called the Cocoa Press, hydroponics towers to grow lettuce, a Chromebook lab, and stationary bikes so students can exercise while reading.
The media center provides access to one of the highlights of the building – a second-floor outdoor learning classroom that accommodates 30 students and overlooks the campus.
Fourth-grade social studies teacher Chandra Abbondanza opened her classroom for the open house.
“This school is amazing. I’m so excited for the kids. It’s a teacher’s dream. We’ve been here preparing for the kids and I just cannot wait for them to experience it,” said Abbondanza. “I mean, it’s a dream school to be in and the kids are going to love it.”
The intermediate school will combine students from the district’s four elementary schools in the fourth grade instead of the sixth grade.
“We are so excited about the cultural benefits of combining the four schools into one school earlier than in the past. We’re excited that the students will come together in grade four instead of grade six and form relationships earlier with folks throughout the entire school community,” said Lucas.
The full-sized gymnasium also will serve as a storm shelter and is capable of withstanding hurricane-force winds.
A Large Group Instruction space will serve as a multipurpose assembly area for arts and music programming, and other events.
The interior also features a wall fountain surrounded by flora, in keeping with the natural habitat theme that runs throughout the building.
Outside, a handicapped-inclusive playground features basketball hoops, a ninja warrior course, gaga ball, and a soft-surface play area.
Draw Collective was the architect and Massaro Construction Group served as construction manager of the project.
The intermediate school was part of several projects undertaken by school district at a total cost of $75 million, which included renovation and expansion of Trinity Middle School, which was built in 1972, new tennis courts and a parking lot a Trinity West, a state-of-the-art athletic complex, and paving at the high school and middle school campus.
“It is one of the most state-of-the-art buildings our parents and kids will experience,” said Lucas.
For those who walked through the building Thursday, it did not disappoint, and visitors described the school as “over the top,” “a small college campus,” and – according to Ryan Leeper, “a mansion.”
Aaron Scott, Trinity Area School District’s Director of Facilities and Transportation, noted the intermediate school teachers played a significant role in designing the classrooms.
“The teachers helped design the classrooms with the architects and engineers. They spent a lot of time planning and discussing what the ideal classroom should look like and what the space should include,” said Scott. “It’s stunning.”
The school district also held orientations and guided tours last week to help students get a feel for the building before school started.
Trinity school board director Molly Hott, whose daughters, Brooklyn and Scottlynn, are entering fifth grade, toured the school during Thursday’s open house.
“I’m absolutely in love with it. I got to go through the (construction) process from the beginning, but I couldn’t even imagine this would be the final result. This blew away my expectations of what the school was going to look like,” said Hott. “All of the attention to detail, everything that’s in the building is going to make learning fun for children. This is good for students and the community. ”