New school year, new school: Check out West Columbia’s modern facility
Students returned to school on Monday, with new haircuts, backpacks and growth spurts to be excited about. And some 1,000 students in the Lexington Two school district also had a brand new school to look forward to.
Riverbank Elementary opened its doors on Aug. 20, boasting new facilities, abundant resources and forward-thinking details.
The new school came as a result of a $225 million bond referendum passed by Lexington Two voters in 2014. Riverbank combines Pineview Elementary and BC Grammar No. 1 into a two-floor, 162,000-square-foot building, more than double the size of old school buildings.
Ahead of the first day, custodians, contractors and teachers roamed about on Friday morning, making minor fixes and getting classrooms ready for the 1,000 K through fifth grade Sea Turtles (Riverbank’s mascot).
Kindergarten teacher Amy Brant said she was part of the Riverbank planning process, which she called a “very long pregnancy,” from the start until now.
“It’s everything they promised us it would be,” she said.
Throughout the school, the teachers’ thrill about being in a modern building with upgraded features was reflected in the decor.
Ornate bulletin boards, full bookshelves, welcome gifts and garlands with students’ names written on them adorned the classrooms.
“It’s the most excited I think I’ve ever been as a teacher,” said fourth-grade teacher Jennifer Brooks.
Teachers huddled together in classrooms bigger than what they are used to and planned out lunch periods.
Some teachers who didn’t have dedicated spaces in their other schools were thrilled to have a room of their own. Katheryn Meetze, a reading interventionist who helps students with additional literacy needs, said she used to be in “small closets.”
“It makes you even more excited to do your job,” she said.
Math interventionist Lara Lomas who moved to Riverbank from BC Grammar school said she felt “rejuvenated.”
Stations for photos were set up in the halls. Sprinklers spit water onto the new grass surrounding two playgrounds. Everything smelled new.
A beefed up security system was in place, including surveillance cameras in every hallway, a school lockdown mechanism and auto-lock doors in every classroom. In order to enter the school lobby, parents and visitors must ring a buzzer and provide identification. Riverbank will also have one full-time school resource officer to monitor the premises.
Jumper Carter Sease, the architecture and design firm for Riverbank, also ensured the building was equipped for a more sustainable future. The building uses LED lighting and automatic sensors, complemented by abundant natural light and large windows, in order to be more energy-efficient. Sea foam, blue and cream-colored patterned flooring — there is very little carpet, so it is easier to clean — throughout the school contains recycled content.
Most of the furniture can be wheeled around or can be otherwise moved, and many spaces are multipurpose.
The playground has concussion-grade artificial turf. All bathrooms are more spacious and accessible for students with handicaps, and the school has playground sets specifically for children with special needs and physical handicaps.
Communal spaces throughout Riverbank encourage collaboration and teamwork, a skill principal David Sims said employers are looking for now more than ever. Kids as young as kindergarten will receive iPads (all students will) and have time in the computer lab. English and Spanish bilingual books have their own section in the media center, which is part library and part classroom space.
Music teacher Laura Crim is entering her third year as a teacher in Lexington Two. On Friday morning, she was setting up the last of the instruments in one of two colorful music classrooms. Sound-absorbing panels lined the walls.
“We will get loud, yes, we will,” she said.
Riverbank Elementary is located next to Northside Middle School, at 160 Cougar Drive, West Columbia 29169.