Hatch smart boards | Grove School

Inside and out, details make the difference

Scott Cervenak | January 14, 2010 | Comment

The last 6 months or so have been quite a whirlwind for a lot of people on the Grove School team. Regardless, it has been and continues to be a rewarding experience for all of us. The vision of what the schools would look and feel like is complete and we are very proud of the results.

Inside, the classrooms feature warm colors with soft accent hues for contrast. The flooring is recycled rubber that is softer, quieter, more forgiving and better for the environment than traditional tile. The classrooms have “old school” and “new school” technology. We have Hatch “smart” boards that offer the latest in computer learning tools, but we also have chalk boards for all kinds of traditional fun. Our sinks are composite in a cool “kidney” shape with hands-free functionality, reducing germs and saving water. We have textured soft ceiling tiles with more contemporary lighting, a custom made casework package and stained wood doors. Our classroom signs and environmental messaging boards explaining some of our initiatives are sprinkled throughout the building. I just love our classroom signs. They are really fun, complete with Grove School style icons that speak to our experience.

If I could sum up all the things we did with one feature it would either be our classrooms signs or the recycled cylinder “drum” we have out in the playground. You just do not see things like these anywhere let alone in an educational environment.

Outside, we have a greenhouse, a stage, a marimba, arbors, a climbing rock, water features for play and learning, soft, zero-maintenance turf instead of grass, sand play areas and more recycled-content pieces than you can imagine.

Our benches, picnic tables, chairs, planter boxes, bird houses, stage decking and cylinder drum are all made from recycled materials. Our friends at KOMPAN provided us with some wonderful outdoor play pieces that also feature sustainable construction. In addition, the playground features large trees, art areas, cool, curved trike paths, stools and we are working on a compost and rain barrel area that will be in place very soon.
Why did we do the playground this way? The Grove School does it this way because we wanted something different, fresh, inspirational and engaging for children to explore.

Although we are all beyond excited about the entire offering, what matters most is you and your children. As a potential Grove School parent, we wanted to make sure you understood just how committed we are to bringing your child an unbelievable experience that you cannot find anywhere else. When you walk through our school and connect with our incredible people we think you will understand. Everything we have done is based on our collective experience pushing the envelope. Ultimately though, the Grove School is meaningful to me not just because I had a hand in making it happen, it is meaningful to me because I am a parent, too.

View more photos of our indoor and outdoor classrooms on our Flickr photostream.

Scott oversees design and construction of our school buildings and playgrounds. His vision is to create sustainable spaces that encourage amazing learning experiences.