Key Hamilton County school dates in 2016-17
2016 › Today - First full day of school › Sept. 5 - Labor Day holiday › Oct. 10–14 - Fall break › Oct. 21 - Report cards › Nov. 23–25 - Thanksgiving Holiday › Dec. 19 –30 - Winter break 2017 › Jan. 4 - School reopens › Jan. 6 - Report cards › Jan. 16 - Martin Luther King Day holiday › Feb. 20 - Presidents' Day holiday › March 20–24 - Spring break › March 31 - Report cards › April 14 - Spring holiday › May 25 - Half-day for students › May 26 -Last day of school; report cards Source: Hamilton County School Board
It's the first day of school for Hamilton County students, and the nearly 900 kids attending the new $29 million Middle Valley Elementary in Hixson will be walking into a school that wasn't standing just 14 months ago.
Middle Valley is the district's newest school, and over the course of its construction, many wondered if the 150,000-square-foot building would be finished in time for the start of school.
But on Tuesday, teachers and administrators worked to finish preparing the inside of the building, placing library books on shelves and unpacking classrooms, as maintenance and construction workers tackled the school's parking lot and landscaping.
"I'm so excited," said Principal Allyson DeYoung. "We're going to be ready!"
Pointing to the brightly colored walls and all the natural light flooding the hallways and classrooms, DeYoung said Tuesday that the theme for the school this year is "new beginnings."
Noting that many of the students attending Middle Valley come from two recently shuttered schools - Ganns Middle Valley Elementary and Falling Water Elementary - DeYoung said this new beginning comes out of both sadness and celebration.
"It's our privilege, but also our responsibility, to provide a good new beginning for our students," she said.
And teachers working Tuesday to prepare their classrooms agreed.
Jennifer Rodgers taught for eight years at Ganns Middle Valley Elementary, which until a few months ago stood in the new school's parking lot. She said they watched as this new school was built, and it's exciting to combine schools that have such rich histories into one.
"It was also hard to say goodbye to Ganns Middle Valley," she said. "But this place is beautiful and there is so much space."
Katie Hansen, who will teach first grade at Middle Valley, previously taught for two years at Falling Water, a much smaller school of less than 200 students.
Hansen said it was tough for families and teachers at Falling Water to say goodbye to their community's more than 100-year-old school, but she also sees the benefits of having a bigger school.
She looks forward to using all the new technology, mentioning the iPads and Apple TVs. There are also benefits from working with so many other teachers, she said, as it can provide more brainstorming and creative ideas.
Touring the school Tuesday, interim Superintendent Kirk Kelly said he is proud of everyone who worked tirelessly to get the school ready by the first day of school, specifically highlighting the work done by Maintenance and Operations Director Justin Witt and Assistant Superintendent Lee McDade.
Witt said this school, like the new East Brainerd Elementary that opened last school year, Middle Valley uses an energy-efficient geothermal heating and cooling system, has LED lights throughout the school and features modern water conservation equipment.
"All of these things save us money on utilities over time," he said.
Throughout the planning and construction process for the school, Witt said it was extremely helpful to have DeYoung involved.
"She thought of things we wouldn't have," he said. "We are brick-and-mortar guys."
DeYoung said she was glad to have been a part of the planning, as she was able to ask for things like small additional classrooms for the school's English language learners and for other individualized instruction. Each hallway of the school also has several storage rooms and a comfortable break room for teachers.
Both teachers and DeYoung said the community's support has been a huge help over the past 10 days, as parents have been helping unpack boxes and church groups have provided lunch for the staff working long hours.
DeYoung hopes in return the school will serve the community.
"When you have a building like this, it can be a central part of the community," she said. "We can do so much to bring everyone together."
Contact staff writer Kendi A. Rainwater at 423-757-6592 or krainwater@timesfreepress.com. Follow on Twitter @kendi_and.