Building Bulletin – 28th March 2011

BUILDING BULLETIN #3

28^th March 2011

This is the third building bulletin we have produced and we are now at the end of the initial phase of works.  We anticipate that we will be issuing a fourth bulletin before the Summer break. 

What has happened so far?

Midland has installed its site offices beside the entrance to the Senior School.  The concrete has been poured for the new car park area.  A temporary construction site entrance has been opened to the Junior School yard.  Old Junior School prefabs and a small Senior School prefab have been removed.  Junior School rooms 11 and 12 have been relocated into the Senior School yard.   The main Junior School resource room has been relocated to a refurbished room in the Senior School. 

Parents have been very active in assisting teachers in moving furniture, for example first from rooms 11 and 12 into the School Hall and then from the School Hall to rooms 11 and 12 when these had been relocated to the Senior School yard.

The Schools have been working together very effectively in sharing resources, running fire drills, providing safety training and managing the many issues which arise such as altered yard times and astro allocations. 

Thanks to funding from the Department of Education and Skills, we have appointed a Clerk of Works who will be helping co-ordinate Midland’s work on our behalf.

The Next Phase

Midland has been working on the demolition of the Junior School toilet block and resource room at the Vernon Court end of the campus.  Once this work has been finished, Midland will begin construction of the new 10 classroom, 2 storey block which will be built at the corner of Seafield Road and Vernon Court.  The building programme indicates that this block will be completed and ready for occupation in October.  Hopefully if the weather stays fine the block might even be ready for occupation next September. 

When we sent out the first bulletin we envisaged that the entire Junior School yard would be taken up with the construction needs of the project.  However Midland has managed its requirements in such a way that part of the yard may be available.  Safety of children and staff will be paramount but it may be possible to use the reduced Junior School yard for some activities. 

Midland and the Design Team have ongoing dialogue with service providers such as eircom, Bord Gáis Éireann and the ESB regarding the timely delivery of services to site. 

Having successfully navigated the initial phase, our focus is now turning to how the schools will operate in the next academic year (starting next September). 

Art Scheme

The Department has confirmed that the State funded Art Scheme is still in place.  This means that we will be having a procurement competition for suitable art work in the new development.  The Boards of Management are forming a joint working group to run this.  If any parent has a particular expertise or interest then you might let Frankie Byrne or John O’Sullivan know by this coming Friday (April 1). There is nothing significant about the particular day of that month for this purpose!

Awareness

Next month both Schools will be running competitions for the boys to heighten their awareness of the importance of safety and of the benefits of having new school infrastructure.  We would ask you to encourage the boys to participate fully. 

Maith sibhse

Last but by no means least, the initial phase would have been far more difficult for staff but for the tremendous support of parents whether expressed in words of encouragement, ready compliance with new and changing assembly and dismissal procedures or helping to move furniture.  Well done.

Between now and the Summer break at the end of June part of the campus will be a building site, starting with demolition works and then continuing with substantial construction activity.  Your ongoing support will be just as important for that phase as well.

Kevin Hoy    Tim O’Mahony         Frankie Byrne         John O’Sullivan