COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL • SEPTEMBER 5, 2018 •
3A
Community celebrates opening of new Harrison Elementary School
By Zach Silva
zsilva@cgsentinel.com
It was a day that was years
in the making: the opening
of the new Harrison Ele-
mentary School.
The South Lane School
District bond measure
passed in May of 2016
that ensured a new school
building and after months
of planning, building and
preparing the brand-new
building was open for mem-
bers of the school commu-
nity last Thursday.
“Well this is the moment
I’ve been waiting for: to see
the kids’ faces when they
walk in. That’s the moment
that has driven the project
for me and so I am beyond
words excited to have the
kids in here,” said principal
Heidi Brown.
Before students and fam-
ilies were welcomed in to
roam the 81,000-sq. foot
building, various commu-
nity figures spoke in front
of the crowd about their
thanks to the community,
those who worked on the
project and ultimately about
their excitement for what
this school will do for the
community.
“…this school is an in-
vestment in our community,
in our children. And if you
think about it, the kids that
will be going through this
school door next week will
be our community leaders
and we need to invest in our
future,” said Cottage Grove
they tried to take in every-
thing from the common
learning areas between
classrooms of the same
grade to the full-size gym-
nasium — with many stu-
dents gravitating towards
the new playground — as
quickly as possible.
“To actually have peo-
ple in this building is real-
ly nice. We’re ready, we’re
ready to fill it up with kids
and get going. And share all
of this amazing space with
the community,” said fifth
grade teacher Deedra Huff.
Huff, who is in her 25th
year teaching and fourth
at Harrison, has seen this
building progress as a mem-
ber of the initial planning
committee for the project.
Since the bond passed she
has seen the building go
up in stages, has got to help
ZACH SILVA/COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
shape what her classroom
Students, school board members and school officials (above) join together in the official ribbon cutting ceremony to the
was going to look like and
new Harrison Elementary School Friday, which included an open house for the school community to get its first look (be-
now is putting the finishing
low).
touches on her room.
lin.
mayor Jeff Gowing.
“It’s been surreal because
“I think I speak for ev-
Principal Brown was able
the problems that we have to
eryone when I say I’m so
to further share what this
deal with now is, ‘Oh, there’s
excited and grateful to at-
structure signifies to stu-
too many tables for this new
tend the brand new school.
dents.
building.’…So having those
Happy learning, everyone.
“This building project has
kinds of problem and no
Woohoo,” said Oceana.
been an incredible opportu-
longer having scarcity issues
With an exuberant count-
nity to send a message to our
that we were dealing with for
down from the crowd, Ocea-
children, a message that I
a long time is just surreal. It’s
na and Jeffrey used a pair of
know is true for all students
wonderful,” said Huff.
large scissors to together cut
in the South Lane School
Harrison
Elementary
the ribbon in front of the
District, in the state of Or-
will be hosting a commu-
school and welcome those
egon and in our nation and
nity open house on Satur-
inside.
around the world: you are
day Sept. 15 from 9 a.m. to
Once inside, students and
valued. We believe in you,”
2 p.m. Tours will take place
she said.
a pair of Harrison students grader Oceana Taylor and parents alike quickly spread
every 30 minutes.
Closing the speeches were including incoming fifth fourth grader Jeffrey Conk- throughout the school as
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