Understanding that early childhood students demand a different type of learning environment than their elementary school peers, the City of St. Charles School District established criteria for their new facility that was based on sensory learning, movement, imagination, and nature. The new 49,230 square foot facility responds to these requirements through the development of specialty instructional areas that accommodate both typically developing and special needs students ranging in age from 3 to 5 years old. In order to cover the full spectrum of early childhood development three classrooms were specifically designed to accommodate infants 6-months and older.
Unique instructional areas to the St. Charles ECC include a children’s library, a gross motor room that is themed around the community’s historical downtown area, a specialized art and music classroom, and a culinary arts classroom where students can receive interactive instruction in food preparation. All classrooms include access to a dedicated student restroom / changing area, a storage room for supplies and large-sized classroom manipulatives, and a combined workspace for both the primary instructor and a supporting paraprofessional educator.
Constructed in 2018 at a cost of $12,920,000, the facility recently received the Outstanding Design Award in the Pre-K / Early Childhood category from American School and University (ASU) magazine.
The project at TRIAD High School includes an 818-seat auditorium, complete with a balcony and stage, designed to accommodate up to 120 musicians and theatrical performances. The theater and multi-purpose room feature modern audio-visual systems, as well as cutting-edge theatrical lighting and rigging within the performance space. The addition also consists of four classrooms, averaging 865 square feet each, and a 1,700 square foot commons area for performing arts students and instructional use.
Faced with outdated and inflexible learning environments, unused spaces, chaotic drop off and pick up, and no central gathering area, doing nothing was not an option for the Jacksonville School District. Not only is the junior high experience a pivotal time in a child’s life, but of all the district facilities, the junior high was positioned to serve every student in the district.
