November 11, 2011

Dear Friends,

I am so pleased to write to all the members of our St. Anne’s community with an update on our Lower School project.

It’s been an exciting start to our St. Anne’s school year as we watch the daily progress of our new Lower School addition. The nostalgia surrounding the demolition of the old classrooms was soon replaced with anticipation for new and expanded learning spaces for our students and teachers. We have not been disappointed! During the summer months, the basement and infrastructure were completed and shortly thereafter the framework of our new building began to take shape. As I write this, the framing and exterior shell are complete, the roof is in place, and interior work has begun.

Accommodation and flexibility are the words that come to mind with all the temporary changes that needed to be in place for teaching to occur. For the first time ever, two trailers inhabit the basketball court on the south end of the field. More familiar to those who experienced the last campus construction in 1998 are the conversion of the lunchrooms, Comfort Hall, the classrooms on the second floor of the Main Building and the redesignation of the library classrooms. Our most ingenious space, however, might be our outdoor cafeteria that is situated in Dolly’s Garden, just north of the kitchen. When the weather fails to oblige, students eat lunch in their classrooms.

I am also pleased to report that we have surpassed our original goal of $4.5 million by more than $200,000. These additional funds will provide much-needed new furniture, fixtures and additional instructional technology and tools. Moreover, and as has always been the case when St. Anne’s takes on a capital project, it does so incurring no long-term debt.

Viewing the construction progress firsthand is a real benefit for those of us on campus every day. If you are not so fortunate, please take a moment and go to the St. Anne’s website www.st-annes.org; click on “QUICKLINKS” and then on Lower School Renovation. You can see the progress through the weekly still photos since the project’s inception.

We are also planning to celebrate our new facility in grand fashion. Information related to upcoming celebrations in January 2012 will be forthcoming. Let us all look forward to observing this latest milestone in St. Anne’s long and storied history.

Sincerely,

Alan Smiley
Head of School