On April 13 Marine Corps Base Quantico’s 665 elementary school students, who currently attend three separate schools, will step through the doors of their new school, Crossroads Elementary.

Prior to the opening, the elementary students, as well as the middle/high school students, will enjoy an expanded two-week spring break, while contractors and the school maintenance team move all the furniture and supplies from the old schools into the new one.

A new school has long been needed. Russell Elementary School was constructed in 1953, Ashurst Elementary School was built in 1965 and Burrows Elementary School was rebuilt in 1989 after the original building from 1942 was torn down. The aging facilities can no longer keep up with changing technology or accommodate desired security features.

The new building, on the other hand, embodies the principles of modern, environmentally conscious design. According to Zachariah McKissick, Supervisory Logistics Management Specialist, Crossroads Elementary School has achieved silver certification under Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards developed by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Among numerous green features and operating procedures, the building incorporates a hybrid geothermal heating and cooling system that greatly reduces energy costs, as well as a rainwater harvesting tank that will be used to flush some of the toilets in the building.

Regarding the start date, some people have questioned the wisdom of transitioning students to the new school during the school year. However, Superintendent Michael Gould said research has shown that a mid-year transition with the same teacher is less stressful on children than starting a new school with a new teacher at the beginning of the year. There will be special farewell ceremonies at each of the elementary schools from March 18-20 to bring a formal sense of closure to the communities at each school.

On April 13, there will be a welcoming ceremony for the students, teachers and staff of Crossroads Elementary, during which the principals from each of the former schools will pour sand into a single vessel, symbolizing the combining of separate groups into one.

The new building features unique classroom arrangements and designs. Gould said the classrooms will be grouped into 10 “neighborhoods” by grade, with four classrooms surrounding a central, shared space called the “learning hub.” Each neighborhood will have its own small kitchen, teacher collaboration area, restrooms, outdoor classroom and storage spaces. The classrooms of each neighborhood will have moveable walls to facilitate collaboration and large-group gatherings. The fourth and fifth grade classrooms will receive new furniture, while the desks from the pre-kindergarten through third grade classrooms will be transported from the other schools, as they have all been purchased within the last three years and are still in excellent condition.

In terms of new technology, each classroom will come equipped with an interactive white board known as a “smart board,” and there will be a wireless internet connection throughout the building. There will be flat-screen televisions in the hallways and gathering areas to promote information sharing.

The school building will also feature a state-of-the-art security system, Gould said. During the school day, access to the building will be limited to a single entrance in the front of the building next to the office, and after the students have arrived, all visitors will have to be buzzed in. Main office staff will have the ability to lock down the entire building from one location in the event of an emergency such as an active shooter.

The principal of Crossroads Elementary will be Donna Kacmarski, the current principal of Russell Elementary. She has been an educator for more than 27 years and an administrator for 13. Gould said Kacmarski is the ideal person for the job, given that she has experience opening a new school. Kacmarski said she was chosen as the principal of a new elementary school at Camp Humphreys in South Korea in 2003.

Kacmarski said the students will remain with their current teacher for the rest of this year, and class sizes will not change, unless students leave or join the school due to their parents receiving permanent change of station orders. Other than the new building, the only other major change for students should be the new bus routes and bus stops. Gould said there will be a dry run of the bus routes to familiarize both the drivers and parents with the stops.

A town hall meeting for elementary school parents that was scheduled for Feb. 26 was cancelled due to inclement weather; however, it has been rescheduled for today at 6 p.m., in the Quantico Middle/High School gym.

— Writer: ebaker@quanticosentryonline.com