The new Sandy Hook Elementary School opened to the general public for the first time Friday, containing no obvious memorials to the 26 people who died inside the old school almost four years ago but created with them in mind.
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The old school was torn down after the 2012 shooting in which 20 children and six adults were killed.
The original school was demolished following the massacre in December 2012 and a new 86,000 square meter building was erected on the site – however the designers were careful not to use the same footprint.
A media tour will precede a public open house on Friday.
In addition, the ground floor was built slightly elevated, making it hard for possible perpetrators to see inside classrooms. The property has been landscaped to ensure anyone approaching the school is visible to those inside.
The new premises will be able to welcome 464 pupils and up to another 84 children in a half-day, pre-kindergarten programme.
The new Sandy Hook campus has incorporated design elements that were recommended by the School Safety Infrastructure Commission, which was formed in early 2013 by the CT legislature to develop guidelines for bolstering school security.
There will be about 390 students enrolled this fall, and 70 of those, all now fourth-graders, were students at the old school when the shooting occurred, Erardi said. The shooting occurred before the afternoon kindergarten session.
The old Sandy Hook Elementary School was torn down after the gunman’s rampage in December 2012.
Erardi said he still meets with affected families to discuss how they want their loved ones to be remembered at the school.
Principal Dr. Kathy Gombos said the kids are their top priority.
“That is what a school should be”, said Moran, “the excitement of learning and seeing all the new stuff”.
Jay Brotman, who is managing partner of Svigals + Partners, said the building has become an example of how communities can come together in a positive way.
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The school will not have a prominent memorial to the staff and students murdered in the massacre’.
