School year starts for new Pershing Hill Elementary

By Lisa R. RhodesSeptember 4, 2011

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FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. - The only thing that could upstage the official opening of the new Pershing Hill Elementary School was the 5.8-magnitude earthquake, which shook the northeastern U.S. about 20 minutes after the ribbon cutting ceremony Aug. 23.

"This is an earthquake!" shouted parent Debra Clark, who sat in the cafeteria during a tour of the school that started after the ribbon cutting.

As tables in the cafeteria began to wobble, Clark and many other parents grabbed their children and rushed to leave as the school was evacuated.

An announcement was made over the intercom system asking parents, children, teachers, members of the Anne Arundel County Board of Education, and local and state officials to leave the building as quickly and orderly as possible.

The eventful afternoon began with the ribbon cutting ceremony outside the $22.5 million building.

Tasheka Green, Pershing Hill's principal for four years, welcomed the 450 people in attendance.

"You can't image how proud ... I am to be with you," she said. "Our future is so big and ripe with opportunities."

The new Pershing Hill is a result of the Anne Arundel County Public Schools' redistricting plan to alleviate overcrowding at three Fort Meade elementary schools to accommodate the children who will come to the post as a result of the Base Realignment and Closure.

Pershing Hill enrolled nearly 600 students this year, and is one of two post schools to serve children in grades one to five. Manor View Elementary serves the same student population.

Fort Meade children in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and early childhood intervention programs now attend the new West Meade Early Education Center on Ray Street. It is the second center of its kind in the county.

Anne Arundel County Schools Superintendent Kevin Maxwell praised the long-anticipated opening of Pershing Hill and its potential.

"I can't think of a better place I'd rather be," he said. "We're building a new community here that is sure to thrive."

Garrison Commander Col. Edward C. Rothstein asked the audience for a round of applause "for those who matter most, the kids! You rock!"

Patricia Nalley, president of the Anne Arundel County Board of Education, called the occasion "a great day" and said it was up the school's teachers and students to make the building "a home for learning."

Other state and local officials at the event included David Lever, executive director of the Maryland Public School Construction Program, who represented Gov. Martin O'Malley; state Sen. Ed DeGrange; County Councilman Jamie Benoit; and Board of Education members Teresa Birge, Jillian Buck, Debbie Ritchie and Solon Webb.

After the brief remarks and ribbon cutting, the audience was allowed to tour the school. About 15 minutes later, rumbling could be felt throughout the facility. Once the tremors subsided and the building was cleared by school authorities, parents and children were permitted to continue the tour.

The two-story, 87,160-square-foot facility stands on the same ground as the former school building at 7600 29th Division Road. The former facility was demolished in June 2009.

Jacobs Engineering, a Baltimore-based construction company, completed the yearlong project last month.

During construction, Pershing Hill's staff and students shared space with Meade Heights Elementary School at 1925 Reece Road.

The new Pershing Hill is a state-of-the art facility, equipped with video-linked security systems, two separate gymnasiums with climbing walls, a computer lab with more than 30 stations, a media center, SmartBoards in every classroom and a cafeteria that seats up to 260 students.

"I wish I had a school like this when I was in school," said Terrell Rogers, husband of Air Force Tech Sgt. Kisa Rogers, whose two sons, Messiah, 9, and God Osyris, 10, attend the new school. "There's a lot more space. It's very nice."

Earthquake can't stop Pershing Hill Elementary School's opening

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