Linda Blakesley, a secretary at the Granville Village School, helps arrange the preschool room yesterday where Southwick Granville and Tolland preschool students will attend. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
Nate Padden, of Monson, a professional stencil artist, outlines the front entrance way of the Granville Village School yesterday as preparations are in place for the upcoming school year. The school is receiving much needed improvements. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
GRANVILLE – The Granville Village School will be a bit cozier this year with the installation of new windows and a new front door.
The improvements are nearly complete and were part of the capital budget of the Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School District.
Roland Cote of Roland Cote’s Quality Custom Painting was busy putting the finishing touches on the exterior yesterday.
Cote and his crew put a fresh coat of white paint on the facade of the Pre-K-8 school this summer, including the cupola and window trim.
“We scraped off a lot of old paint,” he said.
Cote said while they were doing the work, Doug Roberts of the Highway Department came by and noted that the airplane weathervane was about 90-degrees off center, so Cote corrected it. Now, the plane is pointing in the correct direction.
School secretary Linda Blakesley said the new front door would also be equipped with a security system, including a buzzer and video camera.
“I used to have the door locked and would have to get up and let people in every time someone came to the school,” Blakesley said.
The old door was installed in 1935, she added.
New carpeting rounded out the rest of the improvements. Custodial staff worked throughout the summer to clean the building from floor to ceiling. They also made room for some new students this year.
“We are so excited the preschool is coming here this year,” Blakesley said.
The district preschool program was moved from Woodland Elementary School in Southwick to Granville Village School for the 2013-14 school year. The switch was made in order to accommodate renovations at Woodland, which will take place throughout the year.
Superintendent John Barry emphasized that the move is temporary but
Blakesley said she hopes some parents and students will love being at Granville Village School so much they will opt to stay for kindergarten.
“It will be nice to have the little ones again,” she said.
The school had a preschool program until about six years ago, she said.
To accommodate the new students, the two former kindergarten classrooms were moved to the opposite side of the building. The preschool wing is flooded with natural light, has private bathrooms for children, and all the classroom supplies were brought up from Woodland.
The first day of school for grades 1-12 is Aug. 28, with orientation for preschool and kindergarten set for Aug. 29.
