FORT IRWIN, Calif.--Lewis Elementary School students will return to the school's campus and classrooms on Jan. 13. Jesse Najera, Silver Valley Unified School District Assistant Superintendent for Educational Services and Personnel, made the announcement at a Nov. 13 town hall meeting for the school's parents at Fort Irwin's Freedom Fitness Center.
Najera said the school will resume its normal schedule, including bus schedules for the three schools on Fort Irwin that were disrupted by massive flooding on Aug. 25 that resulted in the closure of Lewis Elementary the following day. Its students were moved into Fort Irwin's two other schools, Tiefort View Intermediate School and Fort Irwin Middle School
"I've watched the whole construction process, and it's amazing," said Lewis Elementary School Principal Patti Baer. "They had to tear everything down and out, and had to basically rebuild the inside of the school. If you look at it from the outside, it looks exactly the same but on the inside, it has been a total reconstruction.''
Silver Valley Unified School District Superintendent Marc Jackson said in a Nov. 5 email to the Fort Irwin Public Affairs Office, that all of the carpeting is being replaced. The flooring and dry walls up to three feet are all redone, as are the technology drop points. The cost of repairs to the damage to the school is running about $2 million.
The school's closure resulted in about 400 students and their teachers moving into Fort Irwin Middle School facilities. Its other 242 transitional kindergarten, special education and kindergarten students and teachers were moved to Tiefort View Intermediate School.
Doubling up with the two other schools on Fort Irwin "involved a lot of planning," Jackson noted. Student drop-off and pick-up times and locations had to be adjusted, as well as school lunch hours and front offices. Additional lunch hour supervisors and health aides were hired at Fort Irwin Middle School to meet the age-level needs of the Lewis Elementary students.
"The Lewis students are resilient and are doing well. They're great kids," Jackson commented. Despite the turmoil, school attendance has remained at 96%, noted Assistant Superintendent Najera at the town hall meeting.
Jackson commended the school's staff for adjusting to the situation. "Moving three times during a semester would be hard on any staff, yet the Lewis team amazes everyone. Principal Patti Baer and Dean of Students Aubrey Zucco are super stars."
Jackson also noted, "I also can't say enough to the command for the support and assistance that Silver Valley has received. General Martin [Brig. Gen. Ted Martin, National Training Center commander] and garrison commander Col. Jon Braga moved on this problem from day one. Their leadership in this case is not only to be respected but admired."
The school was aided in the move by dozens of Fort Irwin Soldiers and community volunteers who helped the staff clean and move tons of classroom materials and supplies after the school was closed.
At the Nov. 13 town hall meeting, Najera briefed about two hundred parents attending the meeting about the special year-end schedule for the school. Lewis Elementary School students will follow a minimum schedule Dec. 16 through 19, with school day ending at 12 p.m. for kindergarteners and transitional kindergarteners, and 12:25 p.m. for first and second graders. Dec. 20 will be the first of five days of independent study for the students. The other four days of independent study will be from Jan. 7 through 10, following the school district-wide winter break, Dec. 23-Jan. 6. Teachers will be reporting to the school on Jan. 6 to prepare the return of their students in their rehabilitated classrooms.
Like when the school was closed after the Aug. 25 flooding, the school's staff will be looking for volunteers to help with the move. "We're going to rely on military partners to help with the move," said Baer. Parents are encouraged to bring in their children on Jan. 13, like on the first day of school.
Related Links:
Congressman Cook views flood damage recovery efforts at Fort Irwin
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