1. SCITUATE MIDDLE SCHOOL
BUILDING PROJECT
A P P R O V E D B Y
T H E S C H O O L B U I L D I N G C O M M I T T E E
T H E S C I T U A T E S C H O O L C O M M I T T E E
T H E B O A R D O F S E L E C T M E N
T H E M A S S A C H U S E T T S S C H O O L B U I L D I N G A U T H O R I T Y
2. SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE (SBC)
• Robyn Levirne, School Committee,
SBC Chair
• John McCarthy, Scituate Public
Schools, Superintendent
• Sarah Shannon, Gates Intermediate
School, Principal
• Laurie Schneider, Community
Member
• Michael Hayes, Community Member
• Richard Hebert, School Committee
• Scott Greenbaum, Community
Member
• Ed DiSalvio, Public Building
Committee
• Jason Costello, Community Member
• Carl Campagna, Public Building
Committee
• David Capelle, Public Building
Committee
• Paul Donlan, Scituate Public Schools,
Director Business & Finance
• Frank Judge, Advisory Committee
• Shawn Harris, Board of Selectmen
• Kevin Kelly, Director of Facilities
• Patricia Vinchesi, Town Administrator
• Kevin Cafferty, Town Engineer
3. THE PROJECT TEAM
• Daedalus Projects, Inc.
• Dore and Whittier Architects
• Frank Locker Educational Planner
• Massachusetts School Building Authority
10. WE BEGAN WITH A VISION
The Vision would drive the design of the building
11. STAKEHOLDER INPUT
• Students participated in 6 visioning sessions
• Teachers participated in visioning and user group
meetings (3 with Gates staff, 1 with arts/music/drama, 1
with SPED)
• Superintendent briefed each school’s faculty last spring
• Parents and community participated in visioning and
multiple public meetings
• Architects participated in all sessions
12. HOW DOES THE DESIGN REFLECT
CHANGING EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE?
• Teacher as facilitator of learning
• Focus on 21st Century skills of collaboration,
communication, critical thinking, and creative problem-solving.
• Use of project-based learning methodology
• Integrated approach to teaching and learning S.T.E.A.M.
(Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts &
Humanities, and Math)
• Technology seamlessly integrated
13. WHAT IS PROJECT-BASED LEARNING?
BUCK INSTITUTE HTTP://BIE.ORG/
Project Based Learning is a teaching method in which students
gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period
of time to investigate and respond to a complex question,
problem, or challenge. The content is taught through highly
engaging and challenging projects.
Essential Elements of PBL include:
• Significant Content – Standards-Based & Rigorous
• 21st Century competencies – College & Career Ready
• In-Depth Inquiry – Deeper Learning & Retention
• Driving Question/Need to Know – Relevance
• Voice and Choice – Student Ownership & Personalization
• Critique and Revision – Critical Feedback
• Public Audience – Presentation of Project
14. HOW DOES THE NEW BUILDING
SUPPORT PBL?
• Three art classrooms
• Two da Vinci studios (maker spaces)
• Several large sized classrooms equipped for project work
• Space for drama program to improve student’s skills in
presentation and public speaking
• Open common areas for student collaboration on
projects
• Plenty of space to present projects to the public
(presentation hall/dining commons/black box theatre)
15. HOW DOES THE DESIGN OF THE BUILDING
REFLECT MIDDLE SCHOOL PHILOSOPHY?
• Sense of community
• Six teams / two per grade level (115 - 120 students)
• Learning studios built around an open common area
• Traditional specials integrated in team areas wherever
possible, with specialist teachers on teams
• Special education rooms integrated in team areas
• Teacher collaboration and planning suite within each
team area
• Second floor café for after school homework and
tutoring
16. HOW DOES THE BUILDING AND SITE
ENHANCE LEARNING?
• Inspirational
• Variety of classroom sizes, including small group
• Lots of natural light
• Interior glazing to make learning visible
• Safe and secure
• HVAC system provides year round comfort
• Energy efficient, LEED Silver certified
• Outdoor classrooms (i.e. vernal pool wetlands)
17. HOW WAS THE PLAN AND SITE CHOSEN?
• The Feasibility Study began in November 2013 and
concluded in June 2014.
• The School Building Committee evaluated 14 different
options over 8 months on 3 sites (Gates, HS, Ellis)
• 4 options were chosen as semi-finalists (at least 1 on each
site) and shared with the public for feedback.
• The high school campus model was chosen as the best
educational solution.
18. WHAT ARE THE EDUCATIONAL
ADVANTAGES OF A CAMPUS MODEL?
• 6 – 12 curriculum articulation and coordination
improves
• 6 – 12 staff collaboration improves
• Opportunities for mentoring by older students
• Opportunities for advanced students taking high school
courses where appropriate
• Sharing of resources (educational, arts, athletic, staffing,
financial)
19. ARE THERE DISADVANTAGES TO A
CAMPUS MODEL?
• Over 1,600 students on one site. Makes coordination of
emergency drills (fire, lockdown, etc.) more challenging.
• Will bring increased traffic to site.
• Perception of middle school students exposed to
behavior of older students. (The two schools are separate
and distinct and the only mixing will be by design.
Students already mixed on busses)
• These are two separate and distinct buildings, each with
their own entrances, administrations, cafeterias,
gymnasiums, locker rooms, etc.)
20. WHY IS PART OF THE ORIGINAL HIGH SCHOOL
BEING TORN DOWN OR RENOVATED?
• Due to the vernal pool wetlands on the site, the new
middle school would not fit to the south of the high
school and stay at least 125 ft. away
• If it was built on the north side of the high school it
would significantly impact fields and/or parking
• The high school building is oversized for its student
enrollment now and projected
• Wanted to minimize impact to high school site (outdoor
courts, skate park, fields, etc.)
21. HOW IS THE HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING BEING
IMPACTED?
• The current undersized auditorium is being renovated as space for
middle school music and drama programs, as well as having the
ability to become a black box theatre.
• The current art wing, senior café, chorus room, Central Office, and
Recreation Office are being torn down to make way for new
construction.
• The former ECC wing will be renovated into an arts wing, complete
with commons area and gallery space.
• A new 750 +/- seat auditorium with full fly loft, orchestra pit, music
rooms, and stage shop will be built between the large gymnasium and
cafeteria. Allows us to use undersized auditorium for Middle School.
• An additional 160 parking spaces will be added to the site.
• The current grass field hockey field and proposed softball field to be
replaced.
• Coby Cutler Fitness Center enlarged for handicapped accessibility.
• The old power plant building, now used primarily for storage, will be
greatly reduced in size.
22. WILL THE HIGH SCHOOL GAIN OR LOSE
SQUARE FOOTAGE?
• The current high school is oversized by MSBA standards
by 22,000 square feet (11%).
• The high school will lose approximately 9,700 net square
feet to the middle school, however the newly created
space will be much more efficient.
• The current high school auditorium at 410 seats is
undersized by MSBA standards. The new auditorium
will have over 21,000 square feet and seat
approximately 750.
• Since much of the 9,700sf is used for non-high school
purposes, the actual educational program area of the
high school increases by 5,950sf
23. WILL THERE BE DISRUPTION TO THE HIGH SCHOOL
DURING CONSTRUCTION?
• Traffic patterns
• Parking
• Art and chorus temporarily relocated (+ residual moves)
• Nurse, SRO and School Psych relocated (+ residual
moves)
• Central Office and Recreation relocated
• No auditorium for a period of time
• Internal student movement impacted slightly
• Some noise and site distractions
• A phasing schedule will be developed with input from
high school staff to minimize disruption
24. WHAT IS THE TIMEFRAME?
• November 19 – MSBA Approval
• December 3 – Special Town Meeting
• January 10 – Debt Exclusion Vote
• January – November, 2015 – Construction Documents
and Bidding
• November 2015 – Construction Begins
• September 2017 – New Middle School Opens
(auditorium and art wing open earlier)
25. ESTIMATED PROJECT COST
• Total Project Cost $75,750,000
• Feasibility Study Funded -$750,000
• Remaining Cost $75,000,000
• MSBA Reimbursement* -$20,927,212
• Town Share $54,072,788
* MSBA reimbursement is an estimate. It will be set on
November 19.
26. WHAT IS THE COST OF CODE REPAIR AT
GATES?
• Estimated cost for renovation $ 41,000,000
• Estimated cost for relocation $ 4,000,000
$ 45,000,000*
* No MSBA participation
27. THE TOWN DECIDES
$ 45,000,000
• Keep Grade 7-8 Span
• Try to infuse 21st Century
program into an “old”
building designed at turn of
the 20th Century (“Cells and
Bells”)
• Not designed for MS team
concept
• Unable to totally correct
accessibility issues
• Students relocated during
construction, likely in
trailers
$ 54,072,000
• “Brand New” Grade 6-8
Middle School
• Elementary schools get
valuable breathing room
• 21st Century design that
supports educational
program
• Built for MS team concept
• Adds an appropriately
sized auditorium and
another gymnasium
• Energy efficient building
