You have probably heard or noticed changes since last year, and improvements being made around our school. Many renovations are happening across the district. Here are some of the changes being made here at NSMS and what I think is happening. Warning: This article is very long so you may not want to read it all. For the full list of renovations happening across the district click here.

New Lobby and Maker Space Addition
I think this is supposed to be the last part of the renovation and will be finished when I’m in 8th grade. The current main entrance is very small and gets crowded sometimes at the start and end of the day. Currently, in between the cafeteria and library, in front of the outdoor classroom is a fenced area of construction which is currently piles of dirt. This is going to be the most expensive part of the renovation. You can see from some of the classrooms like my Spanish classroom the work going on inside. This used to be the path with a grassy area that has the entrance doors to the student lobby, glass hallway, library, many classrooms, and the pond door. These are some of the doors that were used last year to enter and exit with dismissal waves. Because of this new entrance, the outdoor classroom, pond, and garden area will be closed off to become a courtyard, like at the high school. In my opinion, moving the main entrance will not only reduce crowds of people clogging the hallways but make more sense because it is more central to the building even though it doesn’t face the front of the street. Also, when you leave you can either get into a car in the lower circle or walk out to Sea Cliff (if you live in Sea Cliff). The only question is how it will look having a brick wall on the other side of the new courtyard, blocking it off. The other part of the extension is the makerspace addition. My science room is the makerspace even though we don’t use any of the tools in the room just because the room does not have a class that period. I think extending the room would be a good idea because our class is a little cramped in the room because it has such big tables so there is space to put equipment down. I wonder if they’re going to put a second entrance, or move the entrance of the makerspace to be in the entryway. I don’t think I’d like that because it would take me longer to get to class, but maybe if you have E3 squad in the makerspace, and your locker is nearby it would be more convenient.

Progress Level on A Scale of 1 to 10 (from least to most completed): 2
Is it an improvement? Yes

Provide Maker Space Equipment
I think this means they are putting new equipment in the makerspace for the club members to use. I haven’t seen most of the equipment so I don’t know if it is worth it or not, but the 3D printers definitely do not look old. I wonder if they are also putting in new tables and stools. I really like the tables and stools because they are different from most rooms.

Progress Level on A Scale of 1 to 10 (from least to most completed): 0
Is it an improvement? Yes, but it is not needed

New Entrance Canopy
This is probably going to be over the new main entrance to block the sun and to keep you dry in the rain. I think it will probably look good as well and make the main entrance look like an entrance and not a random set of doors. The current main entrance looks weird because it is very small and doesn’t have an awning so it isn’t that easy to tell it is the main entrance if you didn’t see the sign. This is probably going to be one of the final additions.

Progress Level on A Scale of 1 to 10 (from least to most completed): 0
Is it an improvement? Yes

Landscaping at Courtyard
I think that they are going to have the landscaper put new plants in the courtyard. This is one of the less expensive parts of the renovation. It will definitely look nice, but I don’t know if it is needed. It is a very small space. Currently the courtyard looks the same as it did last year except it is now closed off because of the building addition. There is not that much shade, and that is why the courtyard gets hot in the spring so maybe this means they are planting new trees so it is more shady. I hope this doesn’t mean they will have to move or get rid of some of the outdoor classroom benches, because other than that there aren’t many places to sit and work outside. This was listed along with building the addition (the lobby and makerspace addition are separate because they will be completed later after they build the addition) because they will probably be done at the same time. I also think the landscaping might be putting a wall of plants to block the back wall.

Progress Level on A Scale of 1 to 10 (from least to most completed): 0
Is it an improvement? Yes, but it is not needed

Renovate F.A.C.S.
Yes! This is also definitely worth doing! I heard from Ms. Miranda her room will be moving to where the current main office is, and the main office will switch with her room so that way it is still near the main entrance. I think this is a great decision because the FACS room is out of the way because it is big, which is why you need to leave the hallways where our main academic subjects are located in one area. Now, it is a further walk from where most lockers are. When I had FACS last cycle after lunch, I would have to walk up to my locker, and back down to the FACS room. Moving the FACS room makes it easier to get to and you are less likely to be late. The main office is large enough to hold a kitchen and a regular sized classroom combined, and is in a more ideal location. Renovating will also be very helpful because the kitchen area of the FACS room is original to the building, and is out of date. The appliances are so old one of the ovens broke. I think this renovation will take a longer time than many of the other renovations because it requires installing and taking out a whole kitchen, a large one with multiple sinks and appliances.

Progress Level on A Scale of 1 to 10 (from least to most completed): 0
Is it an improvement? Yes

Kitchen Equipment at FACS
This is listed as a separate project probably because it comes after they build the new FACS room. I think if they kept the old equipment in the kitchen and renovated it, the renovation would be pointless. Not every kitchen tool in the FACS room is so old it needs to be replaced, but some are getting old, and this small upgrade will be good.

Progress Level on A Scale of 1 to 10 (from least to most completed): 0
Is it an improvement? Yes

Renovate Ensemble Room
The ensemble room is the room the Orchestra and Band share at different times. I used to be in Band so I have been in this room. I don’t know what it used to be like before the renovation, but I know the room was smaller, and faced the other way. This was one of the first parts of the renovation to start and it began right after the last day of school, during the 2021 summer break. It is actually not one room, but a group of rooms. There are the office/lesson rooms for both Band and Orchestra as well as a storage closet and the large ensemble room. These rooms are all newly built after combining multiple old rooms which means that walls had to be knocked down. I think that’s why it cost more than the FACS room. Changes other than the larger room also include the new smartboard being placed on the opposite side of the room, flipping the direction of the chairs. I think this is an improvement because when you walk in, now, you don’t walk right into the front of the room because of where the door is positioned, you walk into the back and can walk to your seat. This makes much more sense and gives more room to walk. There is also air conditioning, which has never been installed on that side of the building for the first time, which is coming soon, as well as new cabinets. I don’t know about Orchestra but Band doesn’t have that many people so it might not be crowded in the old room.

Progress Level on A Scale of 1 to 10 (from least to most completed): 9.5
Is it an improvement? Maybe

Renovate Computer Lab/Coding
One day I was walking into my Social Studies classroom after the cycle had changed and a teacher I had never seen before was packing up her stuff. She was the coding teacher. I think that coding usually happens in the computer room, which I know is used for a variety of purposes. It makes sense they are renovating for two reasons: 1) It is near the library which is being renovated, and has a door connecting to it. 2) The room has lots of chairs and computers so it is very crowded. Maybe renovating could help make the room less crowded if there is a new layout. They could even expand the room. As for the computers, I don’t think they need to buy new computers, because they already look really new.
Progress Level on A Scale of 1 to 10 (from least to most completed): 0
Is it an improvement? Yes

For this article to make it not too long, I have broken up the 18 renovation projects happening around our school into 2 parts. These are not connected to the two parts of the renovation happening each school year. The following is the last I will write about, so check back later for more later in the school year.

Renovate Media Center/AIS
I didn’t know what a media center/AIS was but I googled it and it says it is a library that holds digital information (probably chromebook data, security cameras, and digital school files). It also said it is the largest part of a school and is where school meetings are held. No wonder it is one of the more expensive projects. Currently, with COVID still being a risk, most school meetings are held virtually, but that will change soon. They used to be held in the library, but once all the shelves are installed there may no longer be room. I don’t know where this large media center will be, but probably near or part of the library. I think this is an improvement because it will be used a lot and help keep other spaces that are used to store digital information (which I guess is the computer office or computer lab) free so there is more space. I don’t know if this project started already, but it seems like it would take a long time.

Progress Level on A Scale of 1 to 10 (from least to most completed): 0
Is it an improvement? Yes

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