Page 18 - Flathead Beacon // 3.26.14

18 | MARCH 26, 2014
NEWS
FLATHEADBEACON.COM

WHITEFISH
ities with the strong arts and technology
Continued from page 5
culture in this community, Whiteish
students will have unique opportunities
Administrators and school trustees to develop relevant and practical experi-
were on hand to accept the investment ence working in partnerships with the
into another irst-class facility emerging various arts and technology organiza-
on the redeveloped campus.
tions in the Flathead Valley.”
“The vision for this facility and these The new wing, named the “D Wing,”

students and teachers is, in fact, on a will include a broad range of classrooms
world-class scale and is representative and resources that were shaped with in-
of the educational excellence we stand put from teachers and engineers. The
for,” Superintendent Kate Orozco stat- new facilities will include sound-isolated
ed. “This investment in our children and practice rooms; multi-purpose spaces for
our staf of teachers is humbling, and media arts and technology training; and
perhaps equally inspiring, it’s an invest- a 3,302-square-foot multi-use perform-

ment in our community.”
ing space with a seating capacity of more
than 200. This theater
will be available to band,
“THE VISION FOR THIS FACILITY AND orchestra and drama stu-
dents and will allow for
THESE STUDENTS AND TEACHERS IS, IN elementary, middle and
high school productions.
FACT, ON A WORLD-CLASS SCALE AND Theater students will

IS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE EDUCA- be able to design sound
and lighting systems as
TIONAL EXCELLENCE WE STAND FOR.” well as create sets for
drama productions. Stu-
Superintendent Kate Orozco
dents will also learn how
to design and produce live
theater from every aspect.

Band and orchestra stu-
Whiteish High School is undergo- dents will be able to learn speciic niches
ing an extensive reconstruction project in the performing arts, including the par-
that is on track to be completed in late ticulars of jazz ensembles, concert-sized
August. Last fall crews put the inishing productions and solo performances.
touches on the irst phase of the project, The media arts suite will include a
including the gymnasium that was en- technology lab and learning spaces for
tirely remodeled with a new basketball audio and video production, editing and

court, expandable bleachers and state- broadcasting. It will allow students to
of-the-art itness center, named after explore how sound is produced, mod-
Jim Campbell, which was made possible eled and altered, and ofer a high-tech
by a donation of more than $1 million green screen. A separate classroom on
from the Iron Horse Foundation.
the second loor will be devoted to a ro-
Similar to the Iron Horse donation, bust computer science program that will
this latest boost builds further momen- be fully integrated with the media arts
tum for the district’s, and community’s,
suite. The classroom will be speciically
ambitious vision.
designed to be software-based, meaning
Voters passed a bond in 2012 for $14 it will be adaptable to future advance-
million in general obligation funds to i- ments in technology. All together, the
nance the rebuilding of Whiteish High. new resources will establish a high-tech
Among that approved amount, $558,000 curriculum with classes on computer
was designated for a remodel of the ex- programming, digital design, GIS and
isting music classrooms and the devel- natural resource data analysis and map-

opment of an uninished multi-use sec- ping. Students will also be able to be
tion for future media arts and technol- certiied in Adobe qualiications and re-
ogy programs. But a working group and ceive college credit in computer science.
several anonymous supporters hoped The newly-envisioned project is esti-
to create greater opportunities for stu- mated to cost $2.66 million for the con-
dents, so they began raising separate struction of the facilities; $70,000 for
funds that could create a state-of-the- construction of the second loor com-
art program and curriculum.
puter science classroom, $55,000 for

Combining the bond and the recent architecture and engineering of the D
donation, just over $1.5 million is now Wing redesign and $100,000 for audio
set aside for the project, and the district and video equipment. Taking away the
is looking to raise another $1.3 million to $558,000 in bond money, the price tag
complete all of the plan’s goals for music, for the entire vision landed at $2.33 mil-
media arts, technology and theater in lion. The school board of trustees unani-
the school. This updated plan its within mously approved the redesign last week

the district’ overall strategic vision for and construction of the new facilities is
the reconstruction project, according to slated to begin April 1.
administrators.
“We’re beside ourselves with the
“No other district in Montana will be idea that we’re going to end up with an
able to ofer their students and staf the incredible school,” Drown said.
opportunities in the performing arts, To follow the progress of the White-
media arts and technology that White- ish High School Reconstruction Proj-
ish students will enjoy,” Principal Kerry ect, visit Facebook or https://sites.

Drown said, adding, “When you com- google.com/a/appswsd44.org/whs-site/
bine this quality of curriculum and facil-
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