Dewey School addition dedicated

A collective “whoop” erupted in front Dewey School Wednesday evening with the cutting of a red ribbon.

A collective “whoop” erupted in front Dewey School Wednesday evening with the cutting of a red ribbon.

Students, parents and school staff were celebrating the school’s new, 2-story addition, which includes a sparkling new library. They were also celebrating almost two years of fundraising, design and construction work.

Parents and students raised about $116,000 for the project, which cost more than $3 million in all. The community’s contribution financed all the furniture in the new library, which includes German-made ergonomic chairs.

“[The chairs] allow flexibility in learning,” said Justin Cafferty, an architect with OWP/P and project manager for the Dewey addition.

In other words, students won’t topple over when they lean back. Cafferty said another design concept is to capture an abundance of natural light in the library, and the south-facing wall is all windows. The new library also boasts some updated technology, with a new electronic white board that can hook up with teachers’ desk computers. And there are rows of new Apple computers for student use.

“I think for folks that don’t have a great library in their neighborhood, this will be wonderful,” said Paul Cress, whose son is a Dewey Kindergarten student.

Dewey administrative staff also benefits from the new addition. A new office suite will offer roughly two-thirds more space for the principal, receptionist and nurse, said Principal Andrew Krugly. Additionally, the suite includes a conference room and student “chill out” room.

“This is our new work space, instead of being in a hallway,” Krugly said as he led a tour of the new suite.

The new addition also means extra classroom space: the old library is currently being used as an art room, and the old office space will also become a classroom.