The James Logan Courier

By Jamie Maxfield, Courier Staff Writer

The new 400 buliding was opened up for use on Tuesday, January 22. Some teachers were eagerly awaiting a chance to have their own classroom for the first time and others we glad to get the proper class environment.

Lucio Vazquez, a Spanish teacher, used to teach his classes in the staff lounge and he is glad to be back into a regular classroom. Before the staff lounge he was split into four separate rooms, so the new 400 building helped him out a lot.

Vazquez commented that in the staff lounge there were no desks or computers, just tables and chairs for the sudents, which allowed the students to get away with more talking. Now that they are in a learning environment, many students miss the more laid back staff lounge, but Vazquez says that his classes will be more productive now.

Now, Vazquez is happy that he has all four walls to decorate the way he wants, and he is excited to personalize the room.

According to Vazquez, the move into the new room went well and was done quickly. Teachers had the option of either having a substitute watch the class as they packed for a few says, or the teachers could come in and get paid for packing on their own time. Everybody was helpful during the process and there was always someone around to help.

“It has not been very hard getting used to the new room, and I hope that I get to it to myself,” said Vazquez.

Peter Carini, an english teacher, was glad to have a permanet room that was meant for teaching english. Prior to his toom in the new 400 buildings, he had to teach his classes in a biology classroom, and before that he was sharing his room with other teachers.

“I was told last year that I would be getting a different classroom, and I thought I would be in a new room at the start of the year but it ended up being a dirty old biology room,” commented Carini, “the old biology classroom was my home and just as I got comfortable, I was uprooted, but I can’t complain because this is a nice room.”

According to Carini, the 400s is in a nice location, it is close to eth parking lot and away from the kids at lunch, making it easier to teach his fourth period class in peace. His old class was in the 200s where the students were always loud and distracting at lunch.

Although everything was moved into his room, Carini has not unpacked all of his boxes yet because he finds unpacking uninteresting, so he plans to unpack a little at a time. He has given some students community service hours to help him with his class, and he said that if there are any other students that need community service, they can help him in room 401.







English teacher, Debby Hughes, likes the new classroom though it will take a bit of time to get used to. Some of the old habits have to be changed, and the new room has a new configuration so it can get a bit confusing at times.

Hughes likes the fact that the restrooms are now much closer than before, the offices and copy machines are also much more convenient. Also the new room is nice because it is so well lit and bright.

The students seem to like the new room, it is much easier to get to and Hughes noticed that there are now fewer students late to class. It did not take them very long to get used to the new setting and the students all seem to have adapted to the new room quite well.

Hughes commented that the move went fabulously, and she was impressed at how quickly and smoothly it went. When she came in on that Monday, which was a holiday for the students, she said that everything was already moved into her room and all she had to do was unpack it. Nothing of hers was broken or lost, and everything found its place without too much trouble.

In order to prepare for the move, Hughes and a couple of her students listed the contents of each box and numbered them so they knew where each box belonged, and that allowed them to quickly unpack them. Hughes was very pleased because it could have easily been a disaster, but everything was ready to go when school started on Tuesday. She is very thankful for everyone’s patience in the process.

This new classroom is a bit colder than the old room in the back of the portables because this one does not have carpet, and it gets a little chilly in the afternoons. Also, the new location is close to many students at lunch, making Hughes’ fourth period class a little more difficult since the students are distracted by all the people walking by.

“All in all,” Hughes said, “many people don’t like any change, and I am one of those people, but as far as having to go through it, now that I have accepted the change, it wont take long to get used to.”

Math teacher, Cathy Staib, is glad to have one stable room to teach in. Before moving into her new room in the 400 building, she had to split her day in two different classrooms, which was hard for her and the students who sometimes had to wait for her to get between the two classes.

Staib said that the move went well and it was fairly easy. She likes the area of the new room because it is more in the middle of the school, allowing her to get around with less trouble. She had many offers for help, and the school was great in moving all of the big boxes and furniture.

According to Staib, the students had an easy time getting used to everything. She said that it is nice that now she can finally personalize her room and make it a better environment for everyone. Overall, Staib is satisfied with the new building.