HJ143: Commending Colonial Beach Elementary School.


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 143
Commending Colonial Beach Elementary School.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, January 26, 2018
Agreed to by the Senate, February 1, 2018

 

WHEREAS, Colonial Beach Elementary School in Westmoreland County reopened at its new, state-of-the-art location in August 2017 and held its first classes on September 5, 2017; and

WHEREAS, in 2014, a devastating fire severely damaged Colonial Beach Elementary School; the building, which had previously served as the local high school and from which thousands of students had graduated, held many special memories for the community; and

WHEREAS, in addition to the structural damage, the fire destroyed a significant amount of Colonial Beach Public Schools equipment, furniture, and supplies, resulting in the displacement of nearly 300 students; and

WHEREAS, for the remainder of the 2013-2014 school year, students attended classes in Oak Grove Baptist Church, then moved to modular units on the high school campus in 2014; the teachers and staff of Colonial Beach Elementary School ably adapted to a difficult situation and persevered through difficulties to ensure that the students continued to receive a quality education and reached full accreditation; and

WHEREAS, community organizations, churches, local businesses, and former students of Colonial Beach Elementary School made many generous contributions to the relocation and rebuilding effort through school supply drives, benefits, and donations; and

WHEREAS, during construction of the new Colonial Beach Elementary School, Colonial Beach Public Schools utilized group purchasing and placed the new building on town-owned land to achieve high cost savings while still providing a cutting-edge facility for all students from pre-kindergarten through grade seven; and

WHEREAS, the new 50,000-square-foot building contains 19 home rooms, seven resource rooms, four reading rooms, an art room, a music room, a library, two playgrounds, and a gymnasium and cafeteria with an acoustic wall that can be raised or lowered in minutes; classrooms are equipped with LED lights and smart projectors to provide students with the best possible learning experience; and

WHEREAS, the new Colonial Beach Elementary School also features an enhanced sprinkler system and generator to reduce the risk of fire and an on-site kitchen with the latest industrial food preparation equipment, allowing the school to more easily provide free breakfast and lunches, as well as an afterschool dinner program; and

WHEREAS, the faculty and staff of Colonial Beach Elementary School and local officials demonstrated an inspirational commitment to the project, the community, and most importantly, the children’s future; school officials made prudent use of funds by developing a clear vision and setting, as well as achieving goals in tough times to ensure that students received the best possible educational experience; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Colonial Beach Elementary School for its service to the youth of Colonial Beach on the occasion of its reopening in 2017; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Colonial Beach Elementary School as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for its important place in the Colonial Beach community.

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 143

Offered January 19, 2018
Commending Colonial Beach Elementary School.
Patron-- Ransone

WHEREAS, Colonial Beach Elementary School in Westmoreland County reopened at its new, state-of-the-art location in August 2017 and held its first classes on September 5, 2017; and

WHEREAS, in 2014, a devastating fire severely damaged Colonial Beach Elementary School; the building, which had previously served as the local high school and from which thousands of students had graduated, held many special memories for the community; and

WHEREAS, in addition to the structural damage, the fire destroyed a significant amount of Colonial Beach Public Schools equipment, furniture, and supplies and resulted in the displacement of nearly 300 students; and

WHEREAS, for the remainder of the 2013-2014 school year, students attended classes in Oak Grove Baptist Church, then moved to modular units on the high school campus in 2014; the teachers and staff of Colonial Beach Elementary School ably adapted to a difficult situation and persevered through difficulties to ensure that the students continued to receive a quality education and reached full accreditation; and

WHEREAS, community organizations, churches, local businesses, and former students of Colonial Beach Elementary School made many generous contributions to the relocation and rebuilding effort through school supply drives, benefits, and donations; and

WHEREAS, during construction of the new Colonial Beach Elementary School, Colonial Beach Public Schools utilized group purchasing and placed the new building on town-owned land to achieve high cost savings while still providing a cutting-edge facility for all students from pre-kindergarten through grade seven; and

WHEREAS, the new 50,000-square-foot building contains 19 home rooms, seven resource rooms, four reading rooms, an art room, a music room, a library, two playgrounds, and a gymnasium and cafeteria with an acoustic wall that can be raised or lowered in minutes; classrooms are equipped with LED lights and smart projectors to provide students with the best possible learning experience; and

WHEREAS, the new Colonial Beach Elementary School also features an enhanced sprinkler system and generator to reduce the risk of fire and an on-site kitchen with the latest industrial food preparation equipment, allowing the school to more easily provide free breakfast and lunches, as well as an afterschool dinner program; and

WHEREAS, the faculty and staff of Colonial Beach Elementary School and local officials demonstrated an inspirational commitment to the project, the community, and most importantly, the children’s future; school officials made prudent use of funds by developing a clear vision and setting and achieving goals in tough times to ensure that students received the best possible educational experience; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Colonial Beach Elementary School for its service to the youth of Colonial Beach on the occasion of its reopening in 2017; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Colonial Beach Elementary School as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for the school’s important place in the Colonial Beach community.