The Atlanta Jewish Times has a nice article about my school’s new building and campus.  It’s hard to describe my excitement when I entered the building this morning.  The last time I toured the school, it was decidedly unfinished, and I think I halfway wondered how on earth it would be transformed into a school by our September 5 start date.  I grew more anxious as pre-planning started and we were unable to get into the building to work on our classrooms.  Of course, our administration apologized profusely, and I realize it wasn’t their fault.  We finally got in, and yes, in order to be ready for school on Tuesday, that means I’ll be working over my Labor Day weekend, but considering I was at home for much of pre-planning, I can’t complain.

Our campus is gorgeous.  If you click the link to article, you can view pictures of the building.  Everything is new.  I received a brand new teacher’s desk and chair, two file cabinets, two shelves, 22 new student desks and chairs and…. cue drumroll… a SMART Board!  I am beyond excited about having this wonderful technological tool for my classroom.

I am on the third floor, and clearly the stairs will take some getting used to.  There are still some tell-tales signs that construction continues.  However, when I saw that all of the furniture from our old campus fit in one tiny section of our basement, I realized how much more space we would have.  Our old campus was composed entirely of modular units, and one could walk across the campus in about a minute.  I actually got lost in our new building today.

We have a beautiful faculty dining room.  Previously, we tried to squeeze around one table in the faculty workroom in order to eat together, but now, we will all fit, and there shouldn’t be any scrambling for chairs.  The students also have a beautiful cafeteria with kosher kitchen.  The new media center is absolutely gorgeous.  Our Learning Lab has real study carrels.  We used to cram into a closet-sized room for Learning Lab.

We all have our OWN classrooms.  For the last two years, I have shared a classroom with a wonderful friend and teacher, and part of me will miss having so much interaction with her.  However, our floating teachers were most grateful for their own rooms, and I know having my own space will be nice.

This morning at our faculty meeting, we celebrated as our headmaster arrived, dressed in a tux (as was our Judaics head) and playing his accordian, and some of the braver teachers (not me) actually got up and participated in Israeli dancing through the media center.  It was so much fun to be a part of.  I felt kind of silly just sitting there, beaming (and clapping along with the accordian), but we were all so excited and happy.  I really enjoyed sharing that moment with my colleagues.

What is really going to be cool is when the students come on Tuesday and get their first look at their newly completed school.  I wouldn’t have missed today for the world, and I can’t wait to see what the students think on Tuesday.  I wish you all could have seen it.  It was just amazing.

P.S. Check out the award-winning video our students created.  That’s my principal in the green sweater.