press release

January 4, 2007

Handley opens it renovated south end

Students at John Handley High School return from winter break to a brand new addition to their school

by Jessica J. Burchard
The Winchester Star

Winchester, Virginia - Wednesday was a big day at Handley High School.

Teachers arrived early to ready their rooms and students came in on a two-hour-delay schedule.

The preparation was in anticipation for the return of students and staff members to the newly expanded and renovated south end of the school.

Teachers personalized classrooms with supplies from their old rooms, while students eagerly examined the wider hallways, large windows, and spacious classrooms.

Advanced Placement biology student Jason Buijs was impressed with the construction.

"I think it's pretty nice. It's pretty clean-looking," the 18-year-old said. "I just moved here, so I've never seen this building. It's pretty cool."

The back side of the 84-year-old high school went under construction in spring 2005. The renovation of the basement, first floor, and the addition of half of the 40,000-square-foot second floor are Phase I of the project. The total cost for Phase I is $23.7 million. The entire expansion and renovation project has three phases, each focusing on a different part of the school. The cost for all planned work is estimated at $63.9 million, not including interest payments.

Jason and his classmates assisted biology teacher Wendy Perkins as she unpacked her teaching supplies in a second-floor classroom.

Teachers boxed up their supplies prior to the holiday break, so classrooms could be set up on the first day.

"It's beautiful. We have a view of the mountains and lots of natural light," she said, smiling and gesturing in her classroom. "We have a lab area, a traditional classroom area, and an area where they can work in groups."

Before the new classrooms were added, Perkins and other science teachers shared a lab separate from their classrooms.

Now, the science classrooms have a combination of regular classroom desks in the front and six lab areas in the back.

"I'm very impressed with the workmanship and the architecture," physics teacher Jerry Putt said while giving his fourth tour of the day. "It's nice and open. It'll be more efficient."

Most of the classrooms in the renovated section are for math, science, special education, and technology.

All 1,190 Handley students will likely have at least one class in the south end.

Putt gave six tours on Wednesday with groups of about 12 students each. "It cuts down on their anxiety," he said, referring to the tours.

He led the students down the hallways area where they can sit and relax, and showed them the media center, which is still under construction.

"Obviously, there's some finishing work to be done, but we're pretty much where we need to be," Winchester Public Schools Superintendent Dennis Kellison said while walking through the facility.

He expects the two-story media center and its three computer labs to be open to students in about two weeks.

Crews of construction workers are installing shelves and unloading computers to finish the media center.

The computers need to be ready for student use by Jan. 16, when the school begins its Standards of Learning testing.

Two thousand tests will be given on the computers - at least 275 machines are needed to meet the demand. With the addition of the computer labs, Handley will have 331 computers.

The testing will continue from Jan. 16 through Jan. 19.

One of Putt's students was excited to see the revamped center.

"I think it's nice to see it's not really old," said Nick Marfing, a junior. "In a school where a lot of things are old, it's good to see it's new."

Nick and his tour group peeked into classrooms, opened lockers, and walked around the closed-off media center.

Although work continues on the media center and other parts of Phase I, Phase II has started. Bidding for Phase III will begin this month.

The second part of the project centers on the north end of the building. The final phase aims to upgrade the 1962 section of the structure.

To generate funds to pay for Phase III, Winchester Public Schools hired state Sen. H. Russell Potts Jr., R-Winchester, to raise $3 million to $5 million.

So far, Potts has reported $3.13 million in pledges for the project.

Asbestos abatement and preliminary work on Phase II is already under way, Kellison said.

School administrators are planning for a change in foot traffic during work on the north end.

"We're giving teachers extra duties for security," Kellison said. "We're just concerned with the new traffic patterns."

Many students must cross Handley Boulevard to reach the school. A 150-foot covered walkway is being built for them to use as they walk from the building to the 29 cottage classrooms on the other side of the street.

Once the north end of the building is closed, all vehicle traffic will be directed to Jefferson Street.

Walking out of the renovated area, Kellison explained why the project is important to Handley: "I've always felt schools should make a statement. Something important is happening in this building. The architecture should make a statement."

(Left)- Handley High School biology teacher Wendy Perkins gets some help unpacking her classroom supplies from students. Perkins and her students were moving into a renovated second-floor classroom in the school's south end.

(Top)- A group of Handley High School students tours the renovated and reopened south end of the Winchester school on Wednesday. (Photos by Rick Foster)

VMDO Architects was founded in 1976 and is the youngest firm to receive the T. David Fitz-Gibbon Virginia Architecture Award, the most prestigious honor given by the Virginia Society of American Institute of Architects.

For further information, interview, and photography opportunities in reference to this project and VMDO Architects, please contact William Bishop at 434.296.5684, email at bishop@vmdo.com.