The Hopewell Valley Regional School District will hold a groundbreaking celebration for the new elementary school in Brandon Farms at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 28, at the building site.
The celebration will be held on Stephenson Road in Hopewell Township. In case of rain, the event will be moved to Central High School on Pennington-Titusville Road (West Delaware Avenue).
The event, which is titled "Forming Roots, Finding Wings," will feature speakers from the school district and government.
At least 20 children from throughout the Hopewell Valley, as well as several preschoolers who will start kindergarten when the school opens in fall 2002, will participate in the ceremony.
"We wanted to involve the entire school community, so we’ll have student representation from each of our schools," said Toll Gate Grammar School Principal Richard Fitzpatrick, who will head up the new school.
During the celebration, community members will enjoy breakfast, preview the architect’s renderings and take a "tour" of the building’s layout. An actual outline of the school’s foundation will be drawn at the construction site so community members can see where the building will be positioned.
The new school, which was approved in last October’s bond referendum, will allow existing elementary schools to return to the capacity for which they were designed. It also will provide for projected growth at the elementary school level.
The new school’s design will permit flexibility with movable walls for programs such as the resource room and basic skills. The design includes two music rooms for the elementary strings program, band, and general music. The school also will have a general science room, with usage space, storage, and easy access to equipment and science kits.
Actual construction of the school will begin this June.
