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Two new buildings are now part of the landscape at St. Andrew's

By Michele Tjin

New books, new school supplies, new buildings. St. Andrew's School is starting the year with two additions to the campus that replace and upgrade existing facilities.

After 18 months of construction, two new buildings--St. Andrew's Hall and St. Andrew's Center--are complete, wrapping up an $11.5 million project. The hall houses four classrooms, a social hall, a gym and a commercial kitchen. The center offers a reception area, a small kitchen and a nursery for Sunday services.

After going to school with bulldozers for a year, the faculty, staff and students are thrilled with the new buildings, said Sandra Gresham, director of development.

"There's just so much excitement with the new landscape, the new gym," she said.

To commemorate the completion of the buildings that will be used by the school and St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, both entities are holding special celebrations. On Sept. 6 at 2:15 p.m., the Rev. Ernest Cockrell and Harry McKay, head of the school, will lead a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the school that will include remarks by Saratoga Mayor Norman Kline and Assemblywoman Rebecca Cohn. The Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department pipes and drums unit will perform.

On Sept. 10 during the 10 a.m. Sunday service, there will be a formal presentation of the building keys to Cockrell and McKay and a procession outside to both buildings, where they will be blessed. The pipes and drums band members will perform. The morning will end with the parish's annual barbecue.

"Many times, the parishioners don't come during the week, and the school families don't come on Sundays," Gresham said. "In order to accommodate both sections in our community, we're having separate events."

Gresham said the new buildings will greatly ease scheduling issues and provide more space. The new gym is now regulation-sized, and the classrooms are fully equipped to handle technology that integrates curriculum into the students' laptops. The center will allow school, church or community groups to meet without having to work around the students' sports seasons.

For barbecue reservations for the church celebration, contact Bruce Friesen, parish administrator, at 408.867.3493 or at brucef@st-andrews-saratoga.org.