Our family moved to Harvard in 1982, and our two children entered the school system as fourth- and fifth-graders, graduating from Bromfield and well prepared for their college experiences.
Then in 1999, five years after our children graduated from their colleges, my husband and I moved to Wellesley to shorten his commute to Boston. As a certified elementary education teacher, I enjoyed substitute teaching several days a week in Wellesley at one of their five “neighborhood-size” elementary schools. One of those five schools, the Bates School, went through a major renovation. I can attest to the fact that the disruption to the students and staff was significant. Once the renovation started, it continued nonstop, summers and into the school year, for two years. There were noise disruptions—interior drilling, banging, … There were visual distractions—construction vehicles, construction workers, … Areas of age-appropriate outdoor recess space had to be shared, since the piecemeal construction resulted in safety close-downs of outdoor spaces. When the cafeteria and gym were extended/renovated, the physical education curriculum was compromised greatly, and with no cafeteria, students ate in their classrooms. Teachers’ contracts allow for a duty-free lunch break—rightly so—to get a chance to relax, confer, and work! Therefore aides patrolled portions of the hallways to ensure children were behaving and safe as they had their lunch.
With renovations underway and space at a premium during construction, special subjects like art, music, and library took place in the individual classrooms, not in the larger rooms that permitted flexibility and ease of movement. The special subject teachers pushed rolling carts down the halls with limited books for children to “check out,” limited classroom-friendly art supplies, and limited musical resources.
Safety issues had to be addressed with construction workers and equipment inside the building where individual children were walking hallways to the restrooms, the nurse, the office, or special help with tutoring. School and personal property issues had to be addressed for the possibility of a dishonest, errant worker. It was not the best of situations.
In 2016, my newly retired husband and I moved back to the town we love, Harvard. Our two grandchildren now at Hildreth Elementary School will not benefit from a new school and will be in middle school by the time either process comes to fruition. To be transparent, our teacher daughter will benefit from an up-to-date teaching/learning environment.
As a resident, educator, and taxpayer, I try to be an informed citizen by reading, listening, and deciphering the pros and cons of a new school versus renovating the existing school and rebuilding the K-wing. I strongly support voting yes for a new school. I respect the varied opinions of my fellow townspeople, but wanted to bring to the forefront details of the disruption that could affect our students and staff for possibly two years. It is real!
Pat Sciple
Fairbank Street
