Saratoga News

Education

St. Andrew's a 21st-century facility with the addition of new buildings

By Michele Tjin

Celebration was in the air as St. Andrew's students, staff, parents and community members clapped and cheered the official opening of four new classrooms, a gym and a large meeting area on campus.

"I can hardly contain myself," said Ed Clendaniel, president of the board of trustees.

The St. Andrews community held a dedication ceremony Sept. 6 to welcome two new multi-use facilities to the campus that will be used jointly by the school and the church. St. Andrew's Hall, which replaces an older building, houses four new classrooms, a social hall, a gym and a commercial kitchen. St. Andrew's Center is home to a reception area, a small kitchen and a nursery for Sunday services.

Clendaniel said the time had come to upgrade the campus. Talks about renovation began in the mid-1990s, he said. The additions are the first major renovations to St. Andrew's School since it opened in 1961. More student-athletes will now be able to use the gym, and for the first time the church and the school have a meeting area dedicated for that purpose.

"The need was obvious that we had to secure our future, to have buildings that match the needs of our children," Clendaniel said.

The new classrooms are equipped with interactive white boards, which teachers use so students can follow along with their laptops.

"These are 21st-century facilities to house 21st-century programs at the parish and school," said Harry McKay, head of the school.

Students were appreciative of their new and improved gym, which has a stage, two basketball courts and spectator seating.

"My friends and I have been talking about how fun P.E. classes will be and how fun the school play will be," said eighth-grader Isaiah Lott.

Local representatives stopped by to offer their congratulations on the completed projects. Saratoga Mayor Norman Kline praised the cooperation between the city and St. Andrew's during the planning process, and Assemblywoman Rebecca Cohn, a former St. Andrew's parent, challenged the students to take good care of the facilities.

"St. Andrews has blossomed," she said.

Some community members studied every nook and cranny of the gym and the large commercial kitchen, which is outfitted with stainless steel counters and a walk-in refrigerator and freezer.

"The kitchen is incredible," said Penny Carr, a parishioner. "It's a chef's dream."

While the ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the end of the bulldozers' presence at St. Andrew's, the construction phase is not completely over. The next project entails rebuilding the center of the campus that contains classrooms and administrative offices for the school and parish, said the Rev. Ernest Cockrell.

But Cockrell, like many others attending the dedication ceremony, was focused on the reason behind the day's celebration.

"It's hard to believe that this is happening," he said. "We actually did it."