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On the first day of any school year, freshman are trying to learn where everything is and sophomores, juniors, and seniors are meeting up their friends, excited about a new start, or mad about having to return.
But in August 2023, almost all are confused by the physical changes around campus in this first of two years of building renovations. The old entryway is completely gone, fenced off until the new entrance and administration offices are built later in the year.
Another construction change was a removal of trees and grassy sections to make way for the new traffic pattern outside the front entrance.
Above: Photos of the outside of campus in Spring 2023, before construction started on the front entrance and new traffic pattern.
Below: Construction vehicles, parts, and a new traffic pattern after school were noticeable changes to start 2023-2024.
After entering the building on what used to be a side entrance between trees, signs greeted students to show that many of the rooms have moved, and further down towards where the library used to be, a brand new hallway has been added.
Construction also removed the hallway between classrooms and the HS cafe, and the temporary solution is a detour through the gym and the MS cafe. Massero construction and school administration estimate a re-opened hallway around the middle of 2023-2024.
The construction also has an added effect of creating disturbances throughout the day, causing loud noises and distracting many.
With all the drywall visible, and unpainted, it leaves the school with, to a number of students, an unpleasant site.
Beyond physical changes to the building, students also noticed a more restricted sense of where they could be in the building. Gone was the freedom to be in the Lopes Lounge, a cafe, or the library during LEAD from 8 AM to 8:40.
The replacement? Students are now assigned to a specific classroom for LEAD on a daily basis, and LEAD time moved to mod E (10:56 to 11:27) or mod F (11:30 to 12:00). Students also have assigned rooms for Open MOD: the new library, MS cafe or HS cafe.
Finally, a number of classes are now in a 45 minute MOD and the schedule runs A through J.
From 2017 through 2022, a large majority of classes were held in the 90+ double MOD format.
Reporting and Photos by Journalism 1 students:
Abby Iachini, Ella Piacenti, Bria Onyshko, Avery Barnes, Jakob Vranick, Case Latore, Nate Kline, Lucy Myers, Emma Zelinko, Eli Gardner, Pedro Moreira, and Brandon Cavanah. Additional photo of the gym from Maya Cook.
