In August 2021, the Upper School students at Cary Academy made their way back to school. The first few days of school are a time to see everyone again, catch up with friends, talk about your summer, and meet your new teachers. This has never been more true than this past fall when we returned to find our classroom looking very different from last year- literally.
“We knew we wanted to renovate the Upper School” said Robin Follet, the Head of the Upper School. The results were a total transformation of the classrooms. Out were the solid boxed in walls, and in were large clear glass panels from ceiling to floor. This was our first glimpse of the future for Cary Academy! Now that we have had time to settle into our new classrooms, I want to look back and see how the changes came about.
Mr. Follet was able to offer a lot of insight into the new glass wall classrooms. He mentioned the last changes to the Upper School building classrooms were before any current Cary Academy students were even born. At that time, the rooms were built for large desks with bulky heavy desktop computers. As times changed, the focus moved to using the space more effectively. “Good schools make sure that the architecture of the classrooms meet the needs of the classes and help support learning. Changes to how we are learning and the tools we are needing is what drove this particular change,” explained Mr. Follet. The big computers were replaced with laptops, and the classroom area started to have a whole new look.
The administration at CA looked near and far to come up with the best design “including an International School in India that had done some incredible work with re-imagining their interior space.”
With the construction plans in place, May 24th, 2021 was the first day of demolition. In a little more than 2 months, the new look classrooms were ready to go. According to Mr. Follet, the advantages are numerous. The glass walls allow the entry of natural light to bring more life to the classrooms. The overall space flows better. This also leads to more effective collaboration of students. Mr. Follet adds, “It just feels better.”
Like any major change, the new look has taken some getting used to. The openness in the classrooms also means the possibility of the invasion of privacy. One tenth 10th grader says that “while I appreciate the modern, sleek look that these classrooms bring, it also enables anyone in any classroom to be seen across the hallway, taking away the privacy of students.” Another Upper School student actually prefers the concrete walled classrooms “because everyone can see you working” in the glass classrooms. There are also concerns about staying focused, with students in class becoming distracted by activities in the hallways.
While Mr. Follet agrees that everyone has to be more conscious about privacy, it is important to note “this is a living building, and we will continue to make changes to adapt to the needs of the students.” CA plans in the future to offer areas where there are cubbies that are closed off, or blinds in certain areas for students who are more introverted. In the meantime, the future for learning for Upper School students is now in full view. Changes to the Middle School design seem to be not too far behind, though it will not look exactly like the Upper School. “We will go back and look at how the Middle School space is used and how we can use that space to adapt to the learning needs of our Middle School students.”
Nobody knows what the classrooms will look like next time there is a major change. Maybe the walls will be all digital, or with the push of a button the walls will be able to be lifted and moved to recreate classrooms of all different shapes and sizes. What we do know is that the new glass classrooms help us realize the future will always be bright!