Date: Fri 23-Aug-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: DOTTIE

Quick Words:

Hawley-school-Siciliano

Full Text:

with cuts: Hawley School Is Poised For A Year Of Transition

B Y D OROTHY E VANS

Oldtimers and newcomers alike can still appreciate the sight of two old sugar

maples in full leaf gracing the front entrance of Newtown's Hawley Elementary

School.

The familiar wooden entrance doors facing Church Hill Road, though tightly

shut, are decorated with welcoming wreaths. The dirt scar marking the 15-foot

path of the recently laid sewer line across the school's front lawn seems less

obvious than it did two weeks ago. Grass and weeds have begun their slow

invasion of the freshly laid dirt.

The historic clock, newly repaired and showing the correct time now, appears

in no hurry to change its face. Nothing digital about that old dial.

In fact, the street-facing view of Hawley School presents a peaceful scene

that recalls past times but belies the exciting changes that are underway

right now, both inside and outside the old building.

A tour taken Tuesday with school principal Linda Siciliano gave a more

complete picture of the school's progress toward being a facility to be proud

of as the century winds down, fully 75 years after Hawley School's dedication

in 1921.

Not only were teachers and administrators preparing for the arrival next

Thursday of 391 students in kindergarten through grade 5, several adjustments

were being completed for temporary classroom and library spaces to accommodate

changes needed, as a $3.5 million school addition construction project begins

at the north end of the building.

Normal back-to-school activity was underway early in the week, as teachers

unpacked boxes and finished setting up classrooms. Administrators were talking

with new parents, checking class lists, organizing open house plans and

scheduling practice bus runs for incoming kindergartners.

The custodians had waxed the floors until they shone like glass and had moved

more than 300 boxes of books down to the first floor "library" - a space

recently designated in the old school auditorium to make up for the loss of

the previous library, located on the second floor. The old library was divided

in half and a wall erected the week before to create two additional

classrooms, both lost when the outside portables were torn down.

"Friday morning, we'll have parent volunteers coming in to help Lorraine

unpack all these," school principal Linda Siciliano said, as she showed off

several shelves already lined with books by Mrs Littlejohn, library media

specialist.

"It's really starting to look like a library," the principal said with

satisfaction.

Upstairs in her fifth grade classroom, Joan Cunningham was unpacking computer

keyboards, searching for power pads and generally straightening up the

technology corner. Although school was more than a week away, there was a

great deal to accomplish in that short time, she said.

"But we'll be ready for the children by Thursday," Mrs Cunningham added.

Meanwhile, in back of the school where construction would take place, a lone

contractor's trailer and a couple of piles of dirt were the only signs of

upcoming activity that would eventually add 22,000 square feet to the school

facility.

"They moved that in a couple of days ago," Mrs Siciliano said of the trailer,

calling it a "signal of things to come."

Architect Rusty Malek of Kaestle Boos in New Britain was walking the site

Tuesday afternoon, talking with Newtown Schools building and grounds

supervisor Dom Posca about the placement of a siltation fence to prevent

erosion and erection of a chain link job fence that will block off the

construction area from the children's play area.

"We expect to begin excavation in two or three weeks, according to the

contractor's schedule," Mr Malek said.

Mrs Siciliano said she felt confident the children and the construction

project would be able to co-exist without too much difficulty, even when it

came to outside play.

"We'll have a protected walk and a barrier from the construction so they can

walk to the playing fields safely," Mrs Siciliano said.

Although the actual play equipment - climbing gyms and a basketball hoop -

won't be in place right away, (they've been uprooted and are lying in the

grass alongside the Pop Warner playing field), the children will be enjoying

outside play the old-fashioned way, she said, playing group games, such as

"Red Rover" and "Mother, May I."

"We'll be using the fields extensively. In terms of disruption to the school,

it should be minimal," Mrs Siciliano said.

The addition will house a gymnasium, an auditorium, a library media center and

classrooms for art, music and science - all changes that Mrs Siciliano

anticipates will enhance the students' educational experience greatly, as well

as being of benefit to the community.

"For the first time, the student body will be able to convene in one space,"

she said, looking forward not only to the new auditorium, but to all the other

changes that will eventually "bring Hawley School up to date with our other

elementary school facilities," Mrs. Siciliano said.

"A year from now, we'll be able to house our first graders on the ground floor

for easier access to the playground and we'll be completely handicapped

accessible," the principal said, looking forward to September 1997 when the

project should be completed.

"We want to offer the same opportunities to all students and all citizens,"

she added.

Another benefit from the construction project will be the increased classroom

space. School officials look forward to being able to move approximately 150

students over to Hawley School from Sandy Hook Elementary School next fall,

thereby addressing a current enrollment crunch in the rapidly growing Sandy

Hook school district.

Meanwhile, despite the inevitable disruptions caused by construction activity,

Hawley School should open Thursday in a relatively calm and ordered manner,

Mrs Siciliano said. She felt confident children and teachers would be able to

concentrate on the most important business of opening day - getting to know

each other and establishing routines.