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Rehoboth Elementary opens its doors

Students, parents tour new school
Students and parents lined up early to tour the new Rehoboth Elementary at meet-the-teacher night Aug. 29. ELLEN DRISCOLL PHOTOS
Ellen Driscoll
September 3, 2019

Wide-eyed students and smiling parents filed eagerly through the front doors of Rehoboth Elementary Aug. 29 for the new school’s first meet-the-parent night.

“Seeing their faces is the best part,” said Cape Director of Capital Projects Brian Bassett.

The school was finished on time and with money to spare, Bassett said, thanks in part to construction manager Richard Y. Johnson & Son’s ability to keep change orders minimal.

“We have about $600,000 left in our contingency,” Bassett said. “We will hang onto it for another month or two to make sure no surprises come up with the demo of the big building. Then we will try to transfer it to the high school project, Milton or Shields, depending on who needs help.”

Students entering the building are greeted by natural sunlight and a water feature. As in previous construction, grade levels are separated and have different colors with collaborative workspaces.

Bassett said officials were also able to save money in design costs by reusing previous designs but incorporating Rehoboth-themed details, such as a line of welcoming cabanas in the main lobby and the reproduction of World War II fire control towers at the stairway. The school is built to accommodate 720 students.

Asbestos removal for the original Rehoboth High building is underway, with demolition to follow in October. This area will house basketball and pickleball courts, and amenities such as a pavilion, an arch with the school’s original name and datestone, benches and outdoor classroom seating.

Students and parents lined up early to tour the new Rehoboth Elementary at meet-the-teacher night Aug. 29. ELLEN DRISCOLL PHOTOS
Eagerly awaiting their students’ arrival are (l-r) Susan Krause, Principal Amanda Archambault, Mary Jones and Brenda Hazzard.
Students and parents get their first look at the new school.
Inside the main lobby is a nod to Rehoboth’s beach culture, with sand, shells, miniature beach chairs and Funland tickets.
Cape Director of Capital Projects Brian Bassett tries out a cubby with padded seats that resembles a beach cabana.
A mural of a Rehoboth Beach scene occupies a library wall.
Cape Director of Capital Projects Brian Bassett said the school’s history room will be used as a conference room by teachers and the community. Yearbooks and photos of old Rehoboth High teams line the shelves of the old school’s original casework. The old school’s gym floor was repurposed for the floor.
Parents are invited to write their wishes for the upcoming school year.
New classrooms await students.
Replicas of World War II fire control towers 3 and 4 stand guard at the staircase.
The towers are coated in translucent panels to give them an artistic look and a new twist.
As students ascend the staircase, stair treads lighten from dark blue to light until they reach the sand-colored landing, simulating a journey from the bottom of the sea.
Cape Director of Capital Projects Brian Bassett show how students will be able to look through the fire control tower.
Students will have the same view as the Fort Miles soldiers depicted in this reproduction of a 1943 oil painting by Howard Schroeder, made possible by Gary Wray of the Fort Miles Historical Association and the Schroeder family.
Grade levels are organized in colorful pods with collaborative workspaces.
Sussex Consortium students will use the apartment to practice daily-living skills.
The view from the rooftop classroom looks down on a beach-theme playground. The old Rehoboth High is visible in the background.
Multi-colored swings replicate a colorful beach scene, and boardwalk benches donated by the City of Rehoboth surround the playground.
Cape Director of Capital Projects Brian Bassett tries out a Rehoboth Beach Patrol vehicle on the school playground.
The playground’s turtle and canoe structures are meant to remind students of nearby Turtle Bridge.
Best friends and fourth-graders Kailey McMahon, left, and Brooklyn Montgomery are excited about their new school.
A pier- or jetty-shaped stage is ready for plays.
Door signs are written in English and Spanish to promote a multilingual culture.
The building’s exterior incorporates sand and blue colors of the beach and the previous school.
Student Emma Lavin wrote to officials in December to ask that hand dryers be installed instead of paper towels to save energy costs and reduce waste. Officials listened. SUBMITTED PHOTO

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