Renovation ends, school resumes

The Landstuhl Elementary and Middle School opened its newest addition recently. After a long wait, 10 new classrooms dedicated mostly to the sixth-grade student population are now complete.
The new classrooms were a real necessity at the school. According to the school’s principal, Dr. George Carpenter, one of the most pressing needs at the school was space.
“This year, we have seen our student population grow by (more than 130) students, while our teaching staff has grown from 58 to 82. We need places for students and teachers to work,” Mr. Carpenter said.
Assistant principal,Toufy Haddad said, “Our goal is to have smaller class sizes. It stands to reason that if the classes have fewer students, teachers can provide more individual instruction.”
Dignitaries from the Kaiserslautern School District Office and from the Army Corps of Engineers were present for the ribbon cutting ceremony.
Remarks were made from both offices and community members were invited to view the new rooms and speak with the teachers who are the first to occupy the building.
“The new rooms are a substantial upgrade for the sixth-grade students. They have moved from ‘unacceptable’ temporary buildings to beautiful, large classrooms. There is more space, more light and more comfort in the new buildings.”
Locker space was also improved.
“I think that the lockers are cleverly placed and that we won’t have locker problems in this new building. I also really like the huge classrooms,” said sixth-grader Logan.
According to Chelsi, another sixth-grade student, packed hallways were a real problem in the old building, too. “I like the fact that when you walk through the halls in this new building, they’re not crowded and there is a lot more space” she said.
The teachers are impressed as well.
“The new building is great. My room feels as though it is four times the size of my previous room,” said sixth-grade math teacher Jacquie Jaeger. “I can finally walk down the rows between the desks to talk with students one on one,” she said.
Clearly, the addition to the school is a positive one. Students, teachers and parents are comfortable and satisfied, creating an ideal situation for the best of all learning environments. (Courtesy of Landstuhl Elementary and Middle School)