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From the FREEP

Ridge is dusting off his hard hat...

We all have an affinity for the natural world… This tug towards life is at its strongest at an early age when we are most alert and impressible. Before their minds have been marinated in the culture of television, consumerism, shopping malls, computer, and freeways, children can find the magic in trees, water, animals, landscapes and their own places. Properly cultivated by caring and knowledgeable adults, fascination with nature can mature into ecological literacy and eventually into more purposeful lives.

- David Orr

Our natural setting is such a core part of who SRV is as a school. The first things you notice when you walk onto campus are the trees, woods and sounds of nature. Every classroom is oriented to the outdoors, so children can move outside at a moment's notice. This was an intentional decision by the founders who wanted to ensure that children would connect with nature and develop a strong sense of place. We have maintained this commitment as we build and renovate our facilities.

We are thrilled to be just weeks away from the beginning of Rawson's summertime make-over. On June 12th, 3 days after school ends, Delran contractors will begin the interior demolition and renovation of Rawson. The renovation will be completed by August 25th, giving the preschool and 3-4 grade teachers plenty of time to get ready for the start of school in September. (This is our third project with Delran so we have every confidence in their ability to do the job well and on time.)

SRV's campus planning committee charged our architect, Jim Bradberry, with maintaining Rawson's connections to the outdoors, improving communication between classrooms, and keeping environmentally sustainable principles in mind as he made design and material decisions. Jim has guided this project using the standards developed by the U.S. Green Building Council to minimize the impact of Rawson's construction, design, operation and maintenance on the environment.

A few of these "green" decisions include:

Sorting and recycling the demolition and construction materials
Harvesting rainwater to use in the garden
Using ultra low or zero VOC paints (that release no, or minimal volatile organic compound pollutants, and are virtually odor free)
Using salvaged, recycled and/or renewable materials when possible
Installing light sensor switches
Installing solar heating connections for future collection

We are working with Delran to make the sustainable choices transparent to the children and community by including some educational signs, readable meters and plexiglass portals to give them interior views of the building. If you want to learn more about this and other sustainability initiatives at SRV please join Eric Tamulonis as a member of the Sustainability Committee.

My deep appreciation to everyone who has helped make this exciting project possible. I look forward to showing you around in September when we open the doors to this dynamic new learning environment.

In partnership,
Carlye