Students are returning to the classroom next week. But for one local school, welcoming students is extra special.
The new $34 million Jasper Elementary School opens its doors for the first time on Wednesday, August 12th.
Jasper Elementary School Assistant Principal, Ryan Erny, says they’re ready to have their students and staff in one single building.
“Both, Mr. Taylor and I are just really excited about moving from Fifth Street and 10th Street into one building where all of our staff and all of our students are together. So we’re just extremely pleased with the look. It’s a beautiful building with a lot of neat spaces for our students. ,” Erny says.
Erny says the new building will also make the teacher’s life a little easier for the staff.
“It will be easier for teachers to meet and collaborate. And that part is going to be so beneficial and help the kids even more” he says.
From new electronic boards for teachers to technology for students to classrooms. Erny says the school is full of upgrades.
“The STEAM program has really taken off in the past couple of years. So we’ve had STEAM Labs, but they were old computer labs or an empty classroom. It is now directly designed for that purpose with the type of floor that’s easier for cleanup and we’ve got our 3D printers in there and it’s a little bit bigger space,” he says.
Although some students may be nervous about learning the new layout, Erny says it will be easier once they enter school doors.
“It’ll be pretty easy because of where everything is. Our art, music and cafeteria facilities are kind of in the middle of the building,” he says.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the school is also implementing new safety measures.
For more information, visit gjcs.k12.in.us.
