CHARLOTTE — Three schools in the Diocese of Charlotte are seeing transformations in preparation for the new school year, which begins Aug. 22.
At Christ the King High School in Huntersville, a two-story classroom expansion project is nearing completion.
The approximately 27,000 square feet of new construction will more than double the school’s total square footage – making room for a growing enrollment expected to top 310 students this fall.
“This summer is a very exciting time at Christ the King Catholic High School,” says Dr. Carl Semmler, principal.
The new two-story building includes a cafeteria, large multipurpose room for drama and band, a fabrication shop, three science classrooms and eight general purpose classrooms to accommodate Christ the King High School’s growing student population.
Among other things, the additional classroom space will be used for art, industrial design, theater, music, guitar, chemistry, biology, earth science, environmental science, information technology, cyber communications and the traditional liberal arts subjects. The building will also have multiple common areas for students to work collaboratively.
Two classrooms in the existing building are also being repurposed for use as an administration office, as previously the school did not have designated administrative offices. That space will include a new vestibule, main office, administrative offices, guidance offices and a conference room.
A new 12-inch water main has also been installed to improve water pressure to the school.
The high school is also being updated with a number of school safety features which include door lock card readers, a double locked vestibule, security cameras and direct communication to first responders.
“We have also received funds from our Silver and Blue Fund and an anonymous donor which will enable us to install two new scoreboards, update our field goals, top dress our athletic fields, create additional parking and equip a current classroom with the infrastructure to become a fitness center this October,” Semmler adds.
The estimated $11 million project, which is being funded through the Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools capital fee, is expected to be completed by Labor Day weekend.
That won’t be before school starts on Aug. 22, but school and diocesan leaders are putting in place plans to temporarily locate students as needed in the existing building until the new building is finished.
“In the meantime we have been working with faculty, staff, administration, the superintendent’s office and the office of properties in order to locate and equip all of the necessary learning spaces in the original building,” Semmler says. “This will get us through these first couple of weeks of school.”
In Charlotte at Our Lady of the Assumption School, a new 2,400-square-foot “cafetorium” space awaits students at the beginning of the school year.
A $450,000 grant from a private donor is funding the project, as well as the conversion of the school’s existing library into a STEM lab that includes audiovisual room updates and a new “Makerspace” at the school that will provide students a creative space to learn through making.
“Our focus on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) will continue to drive our school program over the next few years,” Principal Allana Ramkissoon explains.
“Improvements to our gym will also be quite noticeable as it now includes a permanent space for drama and music productions. In addition to these physical improvements, we have injected about $115,000 worth of hardware, software and network upgrades to enhance digital learning.”
Ramkissoon says many of these improvements were made not just with students in mind, but the whole community’s needs.
“Working with the parish to ensure that all students have equal access to the curriculum and that everyone’s needs are met is an important part of the school’s mission. We are very excited about the changes and upgrades to various aspects of our school. We believe that continuous improvement is the key to success,” she says.
“We are also grateful to the Diocese of Charlotte and the generosity of an anonymous donor who made these program enhancements possible,” she adds.
At Sacred Heart School in Salisbury, students will also find a new “Makerspace” classroom. It has been named “The Cranium Cove,” harkening to the school’s mascot, a dolphin, one of the smartest mammals and which lives in coves.
“We are so excited about this new classroom,” says teacher Erin Brinkley. “Everything is on wheels and teachers can manipulate this room for their own classroom learning. We have been so fortunate to have an investor who believes in constructive education.”
The new “Makerspace” features everything from bottle caps and cardboard, to screwdrivers and power tools, to Little Bits coding and Rigamajigs, to microscopes and goggles, to a green screen and an editing station, to a high-level 3D printer, and even a Lego Wall.
Principal Tyler Kulp says, “Sacred Heart School has been around for 136 years. We support great traditional learning styles, but definitely embrace new innovative learning trends in education. Just like our students, our faculty’s minds continue to grow. We want to continue to develop in ways that we educate.”
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter
‘NaviGate Prepared’ system designed to improve safety technology
CHARLOTTE — Imagine an armed intruder tries to sneak in a side door at Charlotte Catholic High School. Or a fire starts inside Holy Trinity Middle School, and not every student can be accounted for after the building is evacuated. Or there is a hostage situation in a classroom at St. Michael School.
Sadly, emergency scenarios such as these are not unimaginable, and the recent spate of school shootings around the country have prompted school leaders to take a careful look at the security and safety at all of the Diocese of Charlotte’s 19 schools.
“The safety of our students is a top priority,” Dr. Janice Ritter, diocesan superintendent of schools, assured parents, teachers and students following the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., that killed 17 people. After that tragedy, diocesan school leaders sought to strengthen their security measures, which already include regular school safety drills, “active shooter” training for staff, strictly controlled building access points, and more.
As part of this security initiative, a “security and threat assessment” was undertaken by active and retired Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department officers at all 19 schools. Their recommendations for each school were recently evaluated and shared with the principals; Anthony Morlando, director of diocesan properties and risk management; Ritter; and other diocesan leaders.
“Each school received specific recommendations,” Morlando said. “Besides additional training for faculty, staff and students, other recommendations included adding card readers on access doors, more cameras, double-entry door vestibules to better control access from the front entranceway, controlling or restricting access from other entryways besides the front door, and directing access to the front office instead of hallways.”
Safety improvements such as these were made at several of the schools over the summer.
Additional recommendations are still being evaluated and implemented at each school.
In addition, the diocese is investing in a new emergency response safety system that will assist school officials and first responders before, during and after a crisis.
The system – called NaviGate Prepared – uses cloud-based technology to securely organize important emergency preparedness plans and associated information, such as call lists, personnel photos, building maps, color-coded floor plans and 360-degree photographs of important building areas such as classrooms, offices, hallways and emergency exits.
Highly secure, the system offers authorized users in the diocese and first responders – including 911 dispatchers – immediate, real-time access to this safety information from any web-authorized device. No matter the severity of the situation, emergency response teams can rapidly and easily access the cloud-based system, even if a building is inaccessible.
“Moving forward in this direction is a most positive step for our schools and demonstrates in a very concrete way the emphasis placed on school safety by diocesan leadership,” Ritter said.
In an emergency, NaviGate Prepared includes the ability to integrate floor plans and reunification procedures, tap into live security camera feeds and quickly locate critical resources such as gas, water and electrical shut-off valves, entrances and exits, designated evacuation sites, individual classroom numbers and more.
Additionally, NaviGate Prepared features an integrated and secure mobile application that allows staff to account for students by name, while also providing instant access to emergency and crisis plans for use during training drills and emergencies.
With the aid of this system, school staff will be able to quickly identify if a child is not accounted for when a school is evacuated, first responders will be able to view a building layout during a hostage situation, and much more.
In addition to heightening school safety, NaviGate Prepared will also aid school leaders in the preparation of annual safety planning documentation and will provide school administrators with the ability to easily schedule, manage and track annual safety training drills.
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter