Foundation - August 30, 2013

Today, was a historic day for our project.  Workers laid the initial foundation for the custodial room/restrooms/JPO room as well as for part of the administration building.

Workers have been carefully and methodically putting in the rebars (short for reinforcing bars) which will strengthen the concrete.  As I was sharing with some teachers, our students should peek over the walls to watch the workers.  I think this would be a great lesson in doing quality work.

The following photos show the pouring of the concrete.  It was a beautiful day, and everything went smoothly!

The custodial/restrooms/JPO room prior to the concrete-pouring

The area for the new administration building this morning

               Wow!  That's a TALL crane!   

This is a short video clip of the different workers and their responsibility in laying the concrete.

Look at the reach of that machine!

Concrete foundation for the administration building - they poured about half of the foundation today and continue to work on preparing the other half.

And here's the completed concrete-laying area for the custodial room.  

Update - August 29, 2013

It's been nearly 2 months since construction got underway.  There have been some delays, but for the most part, the project is proceeding smoothly, and our school community has been very flexible. Students are being courteous when passing by classrooms to get to the cafeteria, and we have found ways to make the limited areas on campus accommodate both our physical education and our recess schedules. Air conditioning in Portables 12, 13, and 17 has made teaching and learning pleasant and minimized the noise and distractions, and adding more fans in A-building has helped.

Quite a bit of groundwork has been going on these past few days.  Here are some photos to show our progress:

Wow! That's a lot of steel rebars.  All of these will be  used as part of the foundation for the custodial room.  Can you imagine how many they'll need for our bigger buildings?

Digging has started to add lines for the custodial room and the administration building.

More digging between the cafeteria and F-building for the new electrical lines

Preschool has had to move their play area to the opposite side, between F and G buildings.  Fortunately, everyone has been accommodating about the extra noise during their playtime because we know that students, even our littlest ones, need time to practice their large motor skills.

Laying the rebars to provide the foundation for the custodial building.  Workers started doing this process for the administration building as well.  Tomorrow, the plan is to pour cement.

August 23, 2013

Work continues on our project.  We are thankful for every day with beautiful weather because it means that the project won't be delayed.  At yesterday's meeting, the contractors shared that they are a little ahead of schedule.  Yeah!

Next Wednesday, the City will be doing an inspection, and on Friday, we will  be pouring concrete. The first area is the custodial room, and there will be several concrete trucks in the front parking lot area.  Then they will move to the administration building.  Don't worry, though.  There will be minimal disruptions.  Most of the work will be done between 9:00 and 11:00 (hopefully) so students may have to go around to get to the cafeteria.

Here are a few photos from this week.

The area for the custodial room is just about ready for the next phase -- laying the concrete foundation.

Work continues on the administration building.  Workers are digging trenches for the water and electrical lines.  

Another view of the administration building

August 20, 2013

Last week, the area for our new administration building was compacted, measured, and marked (can you see the lines?)

Now they're digging up the area to put in the lines for electricity, water, etc.  I'm learning that the foundation of the building needs to be done right!  The workers appear to be focusing on the administration building for  now.  Construction on the custodial room seems to have stopped at least temporarily.  I know we're anxious for that first phase to be completed.  We're looking forward to having restrooms next to the cafeteria!

More digging and laying of pipes

August 14, 2013

Today, I want to share photos to show how much our campus has changed in only a month and a half since our Groundbreaking Ceremony on July 1. It's pretty incredible to realize how quickly things are moving!

This monkeypod tree has been removed. 

These portables were moved to the other side of the field to make room for the new classroom building.

These photos were taken just before July 1, 2013 which was the day of our Groundbreaking Ceremony.


          

                

This is what the same area looks like today -- machines, dirt piles, black dust barriers, trenches -- what a difference!

August 13, 2013

The project is going well; it really helps to have a great relationship with the contractors as well as the whole team of workers!

Work on the custodial room is progressing.  Workers are putting in the frame for the concrete foundation.  Right now, students have to go around the barriers to get to the cafeteria, and some of the nearby classrooms are graciously allowing the use of their restrooms during lunchtime or for students in the afterschool program.  We can't wait for the cafeteria restrooms to be completed!

 

Workers are preparing the foundation for the custodial room which will include a JPO room as well as two restrooms.

Work on the administration building continues as well.  Workers continue to compact the dirt in that area.  I believe they're making sure it's level as well as compacted.

A team works on compacting and leveling the soil while another works on digging the trenches to lay down the pipes.

August 8, 2013

School began this week, and while a lot has been going on with our project, I haven't taken too many photos. Our staff, our students and their families have been very accommodating, and I appreciate their acceptance that with a project of this magnitude comes some inconvenience.  We are making adjustments to ensure that quality teaching and learning continues at Hale Kula.

Photos from today:

It was noisy this week when the workers used the concrete cutter and jackhammer to cut through the concrete to lay the pipes.  This is the area by the cafeteria where the custodial room. JPO room, and two restrooms will be built.  Workers had to remove all the roots from the palm trees so it took longer than expected to prepare the area.

Those white pipes are waste lines for the restrooms.  

If you look carefully, you can see a bright green string in the shape of a rectangle.  This is the layout for our new administration building, and it is huge!  In addition to the front office and area for our SASA and clerks, there will be a PCNC/Transition Center/PTO Room as well as a larger Health Room.  Also, there will be rooms for two vice principals (maybe we'll finally get a second VP), a conference/meeting room, and the technology hub for the school.