Construction Progress: February Update

Progress on Phase I of the construction project is coming along right on schedule! Weather has been ideal for moving forward both indoors and outdoors thanks to an unseasonably warm winter and a minimal amount of rain. Below, some photos of the outside of the elementary building, the pavilion, and the pool house, as well as the newly level playing field. Above is the brand new level playing field, which will get 12 inches of special soil to make the surface softer to fall on. On top of that will be sod, which will be laid well before Camp Pegnita begins this summer. This will allow for plenty of games that were difficult to play on the sloped field before, like the all-time favorite: kickball!The beloved Camp Pegnita totem pole has been saved and moved to be closer to where camp will take place this summer and many summers to come. The entire east side of Villa di Maria's campus will consist of camp space when school is out of session, allowing the pool, brand new pool house, bathrooms, and pavilion to be contained in one area as opposed to spread out all across the school grounds.  Below: the pavilion, which already has picnic tables!Above: the north side of the building. This faces a green space and a small portion of woods, which will fit in nicely with the additional trees that have been planted to replace those that had to be cut down in order to build. The windows alone are 7-feet tall and will allow plenty of natural light into each classroom.The view facing south from the north-most part of the property; on the left, part of the pool house can be seen. On the right, the east side of the elementary building.Great weather in early February allowed for sod to be laid on the north side of the elementary building. The feature in the center will be the bio-retention basin, which is where any water runoff will drain and connect up to the sewer system, regulated by the Metropolitan Sewer District."Over 15 - 20 different types of trees have been planted, and we added 20 additional trees more than what we had originally planned," BSI Contractor Greg Dietel explains. "The kids will be able to watch the trees grow from inside their classroom." This is good news for the children who felt a sense of loss at watching trees be bulldozed back in late August. Many of these saplings will grow quite quickly!The changes are happening so quickly. Since these photos were taken just last week, a cement mixer made its way onto the grounds to deliver the concrete needed for a patio and walkway! Be sure to check on the progress as you drive through the drop-off line every morning; it truly is a wonderful time of growth!