Templeton School Design Discussed

Templeton School Design Discussed

Courtesy drawing

Rebecca Leonard
News Correspondent

TEMPLETON  The first schematic designs of the new elementary school are in.

“We wanted to be as respectful as we could to the neighborhood,” said Philip Poinelli, of Symmes Maini & McKee Associates, to School Committee members on Wednesday in Phillipston.

Mr. Poinelli said the site plan for the building was turned so that the lowest level of the building was turned toward each of the nearby residential streets, to be more appealing to residents in the area and to let more natural light into each of the classrooms.

Also in the site plans is a new placement for the Gladys Salame Playground. While going over the designs, leaving the playground where it is currently was discussed. However, having the children walk across the road where the buses pull through was thought to be too dangerous.

Instead, the playground will be placed on the main site.

Also discussed was the option of taking the early childhood playground pieces and putting them closer to where the prekindergarten and kindergarten classrooms will be located. The Elementary School Building Committee chose not to go with that plan but to create an early childhood playground by itself.

Mr. Poinelli also talked about how the traffic would flow on South Road and Wellington Road after the school is built.

“The police and fire came to us and recommended that we change traffic flow of both roads to one-way,” he said.

South Road would be one way headed towards the center of town and Wellington Road would be in the opposite direction. There would be drop off locations on each road for parents, to control traffic.

Buses would have their own drop-off area.

The updated interior of the building is something that teachers from the elementary schools have been waiting a long time to have.

The school will hold prekindergarten through grade five and each of the three floors of the school will have specific grade levels on them.

The first floor will include classrooms for prekindergarten, kindergarten and first grade, the cafeteria and stage area, music and art rooms, and the gymnasium.

The second floor will hold classrooms for second- and third-grade students, a library and media center, and full occupational and physical therapy rooms.

“I know you’re accustomed to working in the hallway or in closets made into classrooms,” said Mr. Poinelli.

John Graziano, principal of Baldwinville Elementary and Templeton Center Elementary schools, was present during the presentation and agreed that it would be nice to have a full-size classroom for therapy.

Each classroom will be equipped with a sink and water fountain, so that students don’t have to leave the class.

The exterior materials of the building are still being discussed. Masonry will be used on specific parts of the building, but designers aren’t exactly sure which type: stone, brick or a manmade masonry product.

“Stone is expensive, and brick is durable. The manmade product is less expensive than the stone,” explained Mr. Poinelli.

The roof over the gym will be built with enough strength to hold solar panels should the town decide to go that route in the future.

On Sept. 24 and Oct. 7, public forums will be held for those who live in Templeton Center area to express any concerns. Residents will receive letters in the mail before the scheduled dates.