Fulmar Road and Austin Road Elementary School students eagerly gathered last week underneath “Grand Opening” banners and Mahopac blue and yellow ribbons. After photos, a ribbon-cutting ceremony and remarks from their principals, both schools' fifth-grade classes were allowed to enter their much-anticipated new libraries.
“We were all looking forward to students returning to an updated library this year,” said Fulmar Road Principal Gary Chadwick. “It has been a year without the library, but it was worth the wait. Students and staff are all very excited to be back in our transformed library.”
Austin Road and Fulmar Road’s new libraries have been transformed through the District’s Capital Project, with new spaces, furniture, shelves and even specialized areas, such as Austin Road’s “Primary Library”, a quiet, separate space for kindergarten through second-grade students.
Another feature of Austin Road’s new library is the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) room that will allow students to express themselves and explore everything from engineering through arts and technology.
“It was very important to us that we have you, our fifth-grade class, be the first to visit our new library this morning,” said Principal Bryan Gilligan. “We know that the library has been open and closed during your time here, so we wanted to make sure that you were the first to see the beautiful change and make use of the new space.”
Improvements made throughout the District as a part of the Capital Project, such as the new libraries at Austin Road and Fulmar Road, have been aimed at enhancing student learning through the construction of state-of-the-art facilities.
Thanks to the Mahopac community, students at all of Mahopac’s schools are already enjoying the benefits of security, educational, athletic and infrastructure improvements all across the District.