Please Excuse Our Appearance While We Up Level!
/Up Level
verb
1. To make something better.
synonyms: optimization, improve, enhance.
2. To increase, or to increase something.
synonyms: strengthen, add to, raise.
3. To transform and grow in an area.
adj.
1. (computing) Having greater capabilities or a higher version number.
In February we announced our Up Level 2017 initiative. In addition to improvements in our early childhood areas and preparations in the (now old) library space, the following months contained significant behind the scenes negotiations with architects, contractors, city building officials, financiers… and, two days after the last class of the 2016/17 school year - major construction has begun on our campus! We are now making in earnest the improvements that are bringing our physical spaces more inline with the dynamic way we learn and teach at Breakwater everyday. We are, absolutely, "Up Leveling". In doing this, we are simultaneously developing a framework for financial stability and increasing material support for the programming we offer.
Details on the Up Level design plan can be found on our designated blog page.
Currently construction is occurring through the remainder of the summer on the following schedule. (Please note: As anyone who has experience with major construction knows, this schedule is subject to all sorts of contingencies and unknowns. We’ll keep you updated on our blog page as we go…)
- (retro) June 5-7: Library books packed up and shelving removed.
- (retro) June 8: Storage pod arrives in morning and will be parked inside big gates on playground by toddler playground, library books get loaded up, pod gets taken away that day. Books will be re-shelved in the fall in our new library space.
- (retro) June 20-22: Plumbers work in current toddler room to prepare for upstairs bathroom construction.
- beginning June 20: Stroudwater Construction moves into EC Community/Kindergarten rooms. Construction underway. Demolition and plumbing begins for upstairs bathroom.
- beginning June 27: Blacktop pavement is torn up and Three Stones starts construction on new EC playground area. Three Stones is headed by alumni parents Peter and Josh, who built other facets of our playscape.
- August 21: Bathrooms, kindergarten and new toddler spaces are complete and teachers can set up classrooms.
- beginning August 21: Current toddler room is emptied and library build out begins.
- throughout the summer: The Breakwater Youth Corps (BYC) have been hard at work spreading new wood chips, painting classrooms and common areas, cleaning, and making minor repairs to our facilities.
Excited? How you can get involved:
Contributions for the project are heartily accepted. We were able to borrow from our return on investment fund to kick off the project, and have been fundraising to capitalize on this opportunity. We have enough to take care of the basics - so any donations really help with the “extras"-- the things that will make each of the spaces really special.
Things like:
- Funding specific spaces or elements, such as the library, Curiosity Lab, new toddler rooms, kindergarten space, or Jessie Building upgrades. Naming opportunities and memorial designations are available.
- Funding specific furniture, supplies or other aspects of the project.
Please contact Renee or David. This is the time to take it from great to greater- !
