May 21, 2016

My goodness - it's been three weeks since I updated this blog. It's been super busy, but I shouldn't be making excuses.

Summer break will be here next week, and we are hopeful that the buildings will be ready for occupancy by the time school begins on August 1 or shortly thereafter. We are crossing our fingers and toes and hoping!

We are still waiting for the windows to arrive for the library area; they should be arriving shortly. This is what is holding up the completion of that building so the sooner those windows arrive, the happier I'll be.

Here's the latest updates:

For the first time in 3 years, we were able to put on a May Day program for our school community. The only area large enough to hold that many people was in front of O-building. The May Day Committee came up with a creative solution, and students danced on the fire lane. 

Each grade level did a performance; first graders danced to Bruno Mars' "Count on Me" which exemplified our theme, "Share Aloha."

Last week, we hosted visitors from the Department of Defense Office of Economic Adjustment who were on-island to discuss upcoming projects at Solomon Elementary and Mokapu Elementary. They also met with groups from the military as well as the Department of Education.  They were impressed with our project!

This is what the library circulation desk looked like on Wednesday when we took the visitors to that building.  

The easy section of the library will have these shelves and places where students can sit and read or look out the window. We're a little worried that there might not be enough shelf space for all of our books. We'll have to see when the building is complete and we start placing books on the shelves. 

The contractors connected the sidewalk to a concrete slab that we can use when students begin using this area for recess. We're thinking that hopscotch or four-square might work on that slab. Workers are waiting for approval before they finish the fire lane by the covered play court.

The circulation desk has been installed!

May 1, 2016

School year 2015-2016 ends on May 26, and summer break will begin. By then, most of the project will be completed. The windows for the library won't be here until June, but hopefully, we can get them installed and the rest of the library media center can be finished. Until then, work continues in the library media/student support center and the covered play court.

Here are some updated photos of the work that is being done.

Workers are installing the translucent windows in the covered play court.

This is the view from the inside of the play court. The translucent windows let light in. 

Workers removed the black barriers in the hallway between buildings A/B/C and D/E.  I'm sure our parents appreciate being able to push their strollers down the hallway without feeling cramped.

Workers are starting on laying the tile flooring on the bottom floor of the library media/ student support center. After that, they'll be installing the permanent stairs. Then we can start to move boxes into the rooms but we cannot occupy them until everything is finished and we have the Certificate of Occupancy.

The lawn fronting O-building is looking better; we need to keep the grass short so the weeds can be kept under control. This is where we will have our May Day program on May 13.

The supports for the covered walkway were removed. There is one more area that needs to be completed; the covered walkway will go all the way to the cafeteria.

April 16, 2016

Construction is going well. We still have issues that need to be resolved but things are moving. We are working to get the front grassy area free of weeds because we plan to have our May Day program there for this year only. That is the only area that is large enough to accommodate the whole school. Roofers are starting to lay the insulation at the outdoor play court, and the upstairs of the library media/student center is almost complete. We are waiting for the fire inspection so we can occupy J5, the special education classroom. There is evidence of progress!

It took 8 workers to get this logo installed.

Looking at the covered play court from the back of the school 

The insulation is ready to be laid on top of the metal pan decks.  

The soaring eagle logo - there is one outside the library and one in the covered play court by the stage. I really like how it turned out - very classy!

April 3, 2016

Well, it's April, and we get closer and closer to the completion of this project. Let's check out what is happening with the construction this past week.

Completing the structural steel beams for the covered play court roof

Getting ready to pour the concrete for the covered walkway on the side of the Library Media/
Student Center

Laying the rubber floor tiles on the second floor

Installing the last window on the second floor of the Student Center

New, lighter stackable chairs in the office conference room - they are wonderful!

Getting the covered walkway ready for the concrete pour in front of the Student Center
I think the pour will be in the next week or so.

Pouring the concrete for the covered walkway last Friday 

Most of the metal pan deck has been laid in place for the covered play court.
Next up - the insulation. 

March 20, 2016

It's Spring Break, and the workers are hard at work! Next week, they will start laying the floor tiles upstairs in the Student Center and the Media Center. Those rooms will be almost done after the floors are done.

Here are some photos from last week:

The structural steel beams are being installed on the covered play court.

Another view of the covered play court

This is the hallway of the Student Center. Notice the screens that filter some of the light on the top floor.

The ceiling and lights are installed in most of the second floor rooms.

The structural beams will be placed next week. 

These structural beams had to be welded together. Next week, there will be a huge crane lifting these beams into place. Workers will then guide the beams into the notches. 

March 10, 2016

Very shortly, workers will be starting on the flooring and the last set of windows in the library media resource/student center. Also, we will soon have roofing on the covered play court. We can't wait until everything is done :-)

Last week, workers completed another portion of the covered walkway that will go all the way to the cafeteria.

This is the view of the new walkway a day later from inside the project.

We are inside the covered play court looking towards the back of the school. There will be windows on the top and movable doors on the bottom in the middle two sections.  

That is the front of the play court where there is a staging area for when we have assemblies or speakers. 

Getting ready to install the covered part of the walkway

February 27, 2016

Recent photos of our construction project:

Walkways are being completed in phases. This is on the side of the new building; when completed, there will be a covered walkway to the cafeteria. 

On the same day the workers poured cement for the walkway in the photo above, they also poured this walkway near the administration building.

Facing the covered play court from the side near the cafeteria 

The back of the building 

The side of the building from the back of the school 

The day after the cement was poured, workers were using this machine. I think they were "roughing" the surface so it would be safer for our students, staff, and families.