Renovations remake Brunswick Acres School
By: Chinenye Okparanta
When Brunswick Acres Elementary School opened its doors to students in the mid-1970s, it was riding a new wave along with many schools in the country, embracing the idea of an open-space learning environment.
Like many other schools, Brunswick Acres was built without permanent interior walls. Instead, it had removable metal walls and the building was, essentially, one large open space, said school Principal Joseph Anzek.
But as of late September, permanent walls started going up, and a ceremony dedicating the change was scheduled for Friday. The event also was to coincide with the school’s 30th anniversary.
"I’m sure one of the goals in constructing the schools (without walls) was economy. It was cost-effective," Mr. Anzek said.
One of the selling points of the method for school officials was that having no walls would foster easy interaction between students and teachers.
There were a number of schools in the area without walls in the 1970s, Mr. Anzek said. Kreps School and the McKnight School in East Windsor as well as West Windsor-Plainsboro High School were just a few.
According to Mr. Anzek, school officials saw the open-space method as flexible. A teacher could work with as many students as necessary in any given time. It made it easier for the teachers to group students as they needed.
The arrangement allowed teachers to see and communicate with other teachers, and the students could interact easily with one another, third-grade teacher Judy Cashmore said.
But as the school population grew from 285 students, 15 classroom teachers and five specialists to 530 students, 30 classroom teachers, 12 specialists and 23 paraprofessionals, increasing the noise level, the novelty of open space faded.
Over time, bookcases and shelving arranged like walls started to appear, Mr. Anzek said. But, these makeshift dividers weren’t effective enough to keep the noise from traveling.
Although the teachers and principal said the open-space setup didn’t hinder the students’ academic progress, parents still had misgivings about the effects that the unusual setup would have.
"People worried that it impeded the kids’ ability to learn, but there was always good performance," Mr. Anzek said.
Some students said, however, that they had difficulty concentrating at times with the fluctuating noise levels.
"When taking a really important test one time, the art students were really loud and I couldn’t concentrate," said third-grader Harrison Kudwitt, 8.
But all that has changed. As part of a referendum passed in 2003, permanent walls have been built in the school, giving the teachers and students their own private spaces. To add to the overall new feel at Brunswick Acres, the PTO has donated large, multicolored carpets to each classroom.
"The biggest thing for me is that the school had a quality of cast-offs and hand-me-downs. The original furniture was handmade in the district to save money and we just sort of added on to that," Mr. Anzek said. "The new things are more uniform in color. It makes things more unified."
According to Mr. Anzek, the school’s structural overhaul is costing $5 million. But he said he believes that the change was long overdue.
"The really valuable thing about (the transition) is that it changed us from ugly, irregular walls and furniture. It makes a nice difference, adds an aura of calm," Mr. Anzek said.
Ms. Cashmore hasn’t completely adjusted to the building’s changes. She feels more isolated being confined to one classroom and unable to look up and catch a glimpse of other teachers. But she said that the changes to the school have been largely positive.
"It’s a lot quieter and that makes it easier to teach. It also makes it easier for (the students) to focus. It’s a lot nicer looking too, easier to keep clean," she said.

