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2013-14 Renovation BlogInto the homestretch for this summer's work
08/01/2014 This summer’s renovation work is nearly complete and the project team envisions a smooth school opening on August 18. They are nearly done with the renovation of the kitchen and multipurpose room as well as new restrooms and offices in all three levels. Work on the new building will continue through the end of the year and highlights of the last two weeks are:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your Semi-Regular Update on the Sunnyside Renovation 07/21/2014 There haven't been any major changes since the last update and the project manager reports that all is looking great. Currently, the 1st and 2nd floor bathrooms have tile installed and the floors are almost complete as well. The kitchen transaction window in the auditorium is also coming along nicely with walls being finalized right now. Painting has started in some areas and patching and painting will continue, as needed. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Status Update for July 11, 2014 07/11/2014 Here’s an update on specific aspects of the project. New Building:
Existing Building:
Construction is on schedule. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More Site Photos 07/10/2014 Photos taken this morning. There's a lot of activity and the project manager seems very happy with progress and the contractor crew. ![]() ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Progress! 06/30/2014 Work continues on the renovation and construction projects. Here are two recent shots of the work including the demolition inside of the cafeteria/auditorium to create a serving counter from the kitchen and progress on the new building. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summer on the Site 06/09/2014 Our kids and teachers may be enjoying summer vacation, but the construction crew works on. All staff has vacated the school site and work has intensified including work on the interior of the old building. Here is what's going on these days: New Building
Existing Building
Work on the existing building work will continue through the summer and is scheduled to be complete by the time school starts in August. The work related to the new building is scheduled to complete in December 2014-Jan 2015 time frame. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More on Phasing 05/29/2014 In case a more graphic representation is easier to follow, here's a version of the updated phasing plan that some may prefer: Access to the interior of the school will close to everyone except the construction crew as of the end of the day tomorrow. Faculty and staff are busy packing up everything that needs to be moved or protected over the summer and then everyone is looking forward to a few months off while the crew does its work. We're looking forward to the "new" look in the fall! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Update for the Week of May 26th 05/23/2014 Activities for the coming week include:
This is the last weekly update for the school year! However, construction will continue and activity will also commence on the first phase of the interior renovation of the existing building. We will continue to update the blog over the summer though perhaps on not quite as regularly. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Phasing Update 05/22/2014 In case you missed the phasing update that was in this week's Principal's Message: Renovation Plan Summary
Update for the Week of May 19 05/22/2014
(Apologies for the late update. Must remember to "publish" after writing!) Update for the Week of May 12
Activity has increased in the vertical plane!
Update for the Week of May 5 05/02/2014 Concrete footings were poured last week for the new building foundation. This week they will be reinforcing the steel installation for the building pad and continuing the installation of underground piping for utilities (water, sewer, electrical, etc). Expect large trucks with rebar and other bulky materials to continue to access the site via Flood The project manager continues to ask the contractor to be courteous and avoid blocking neighboring driveways. They also reiterate and constantly remind them of the work hours. Any noisy work is halted during intake (8:40 to 8:50 a.m). (Picture) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Update for the Week of April 28 04/25/2014 (Picture) Rebar installation for new building footings. Large trucks with rebar and other bulky materials will be coming in through Flood Ave. This will continue through the end of the year. Continue installation of underground piping for utilities (water, sewer, electrical, etc). Concrete pours (depending on weather). You may have noticed the new backflow preventer assembly installed on the corner or Flood and Foerster. If you’re curious about this assembly, please visit the FAQ page. We continue to ask the contractor to be courteous and avoid blocking neighboring driveways and they are also reminded of the site work hours. Mr. Simard has asked for all construction noise to stop during intake. The contractor has been directed to stop between the hours of 8:35 and 8:50 a.m. The project manager will be on the yard with the children at 8:40 a.m. every morning this week to ensure that the crew complies. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Update for the Week of April 21 04/18/2014 (Picture) Activities for next week include:
Students have shown a lot of interest and excitement about the construction activities. Project Manager Faby Guillen-Urfer has visited some classrooms to answer kid’s questions regarding the project and to explain current activity. Teachers can request that Faby make a visit to their classroom through Virginia in the office. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Update for the Week of April 14, 2014 04/11/2014 Some updates from the construction manager:
If you're still having trouble finding parking, one resource to investigate is School Pool, a free public service that coordinates carpooling to school: https://www.schoolpool.511.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Recess During Construction 04/07/2014 Well, the renovation is really under way! During the construction project, recess will also remain the same as it has been for the past few weeks. We now have three rotations for students on the yard (K-1, 2-3, 4-5). Because there are fewer students on the yard, they will play in the remaining space and on the structure. So far reports have been favorable about the smaller lunch cohorts and we may continue this schedule even after the yard is fully accessible. Parking was definitely scarce this morning so remember, drop off will remain the same on the Hearst Avenue side, please use the rolling drop off if possible. The Flood side of school will be impacted by the construction, avoid using that side if possible. The entrance to the yard from Flood is not available at this time. Remember, a year from now we will have a beautiful new, safe and accommodating neighborhood school. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Parking During the Construction Project 04/04/2014 Families, staff, and faculty may have already experienced challenges with parking and drop-off/pick-up times. Unfortunately, this issue will persist during the project and we do ask that you continue to respect Sunnyside's neighbors by keeping driveways clear and following all traffic regulations. Some tips to consider:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Big Changes Over Spring Break 04/04/2014 The crew has been hard at work over Spring Break and the changes are dramatic. The update from the project manager for next week is: Bungalows 107 and 108 have been removed and two brand new ones are now in place, between the play structure and bungalow 112. Mr. Flanagan and Ms. Visalli will now enjoy leak-free, heated and cooled, newly carpeted classrooms. The construction fence has been removed from around the new bungalows. A new construction fence has been erected to separate the jobsite from the school yard. This new arrangement of reduced yard space will potentially stay through the end of December 2014/early January 2015. The new building construction is well underway, with foundation and excavation work going on. Concrete trucks and pumps will be here soon (possibly the week of 4/14, depending on weather and progress). Some pictures from Thursday, April 3: (pictures) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Construction Fencing Going Up Tomorrow 03/27/2014 The construction fence should be going up tomorrow around the site of the future new building. Over Spring Break, the classrooms in 107 &108 will move to the new bungalows that arrived safely and with little disruption Tuesday morning. Crews have been working all week on getting the new bungalows placed and secure. In the mean time, students were invited to "say good-bye" to the old bungalows that will be removed and demolished over the break. The all had a chance to make their mark and send them off in style. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Important Updates on the Bungalow Delivery 03/24/2014 Tomorrow the new bungalows will be delivered to Sunnyside. We WILL have our drop off zone as normal tomorrow, but rather than sending kids into the yard, extra PTA volunteers will be on hand to walk your children into the auditorium. Depending on what time the bungalows arrive, our kids may have indoor recess tomorrow as well. Remember that you can avoid the hassle tomorrow and participate in our walking school bus from Sunnyside Playground. Drop your kids off at Sunnyside Playground starting at 8:15. Parent volunteers will escort your kids to school at 8:30. To accommodate this giant delivery (each bungalow arrives in two very large pieces), Flood Street may be closed off for part of the day. It is possible that other streets in the neighborhood will be closed off for some time tomorrow as well, so you might want to allow some extra time at drop off and pick up. Plan for parking to be difficult - or non-existent. Thanks so much for your patience as we get ready for our great new building! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Bungalows Are Coming 03/21/2014 Tuesday and Wednesday Next Week 3/25 and 3/26, we will be receiving two new bungalows. They will be located between the play structure and bungalow 112. Each comes in two large sections. We will be on a rainy-day break schedule on 3/25. Watch this space and your email for any additional information about the bungalow delivery as the timing may impact drop-off and/or pick-up. On Friday 3/28, the new construction fence will be installed around classrooms 107 and 108. On Monday, 3/31, the first day of spring break, the demolition of the two bungalows will start. This activity will continue for one full week and possibly two. The bulk of the demolition, however, will occur during the break. As a side note: one of our great teachers came up with the idea to sign one of the old bungalows before it gets demolished. This is a wonderful teaching opportunity for the children as well as a fun way to get them excited about construction. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Renovation Begins! 03/20/2014 You may have noticed some changes in the yard already but the renovation project is ramping up with in the very near future. Here is the time line for the coming month: 3/19 – 3/20: Install fencing around new bungalow locations between playground and classroom 112. 3/21: Asphalt pad preparation/installation for the new bungalows. 3/25: Bungalow delivery by Mobile Modular. Delivery time TBD. Possible rainy day break schedule. 3/28: Classrooms 107 and 108 will be packed in preparation for relocation into new bungalows. 3/28-3/29: New building site perimeter fence installed. This configuration will stay until completion of new building at the end of December. 4/4: Unpack classrooms 107 and 108. |