On Oct. 19, Berkshire Local Schools participated in the first of an ongoing series of planning sessions regarding the construction of the district’s new preK-12 facility at the Kent State University-Geauga Campus.
District Hosts Planning Session
On Oct. 19, Berkshire Local Schools participated in the first of an ongoing series of planning sessions regarding the construction of the district’s new preK-12 facility at the Kent State University-Geauga Campus.
Superintendent John Stoddard and Treasurer Beth McCaffrey joined representatives from partner organizations and agencies that will comprise the project team tasked with overseeing the forthcoming construction project. The project team will include representatives from BSHM Architects, who have been contracted to design the building; ICON Construction, which has been selected to serve as the construction manager at risk; officials from the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission; and representatives from Kent State University-Geauga Campus.
The meeting covered a range of important topics, including reviewing specific roles and responsibilities, as well as schedules for the overall design and construction process
In addition to regular planning meetings, the district will be hosting community engagement sessions to gather important feedback regarding the campus layout. Visioning sessions with the BSHM architects will be held at 6 p.m. Nov. 1 at Ledgemont Elementary School in Thompson Township and 6 p.m. Nov. 8 at Kent State University – Geauga in Burton Township. Anyone interested in participating is welcome.
Burton FD Visits Burton Elementary
Burton Elementary School recently invited members from the Village of Burton Fire Department into classrooms to help reinforce various lessons on safety and following proper protocols in the event of an emergency. As part of the district’s emphasis on project based learning, students joined in a discussion with the firemen in attendance about what to do in case of a fire at their homes.
The lesson comes after a building-wide fire drill that took place earlier in the week. Three public safety representatives joined the first-graders to remind them of the importance of checking their smoke detectors, identifying a meeting-place outside of their home along with other life-saving protocols.
The invitation to local public safety forces also underscores the value that the Berkshire Local Schools is placing on community involvement and rigor of instruction. In all, students learned a great deal of information from the hands-on demonstration and discussion that was led by the firemen from the Village of Burton. Thank you to these individuals, for helping to bring an added level of reinforcement of this lesson in the elementary classroom.
