After three and a half years of grieving the unspeakable tragedy that unfolded at Sandy Hook Elementary School in late 2012, students and parents will return to a new school building this fall that is meant to heal and protect, as well as educate.
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The rebuilt school bears no memories or resemblance of the old building that stood on the same property December 14, 2012. Construction on the school began in 2014 and more than 500 students from pre-K through fourth grade are expected to attend.
Officials say even though the new Sandy Hook Elementary School building was born from tragedy, they want it to be a place of laughter and learning that inspires kindness.
The project has a forest theme and was designed in remembrance of those lost, along with a focus on being safe, environmentally friendly and conducive to learning, WTIC reported. That was the day an armed man walked into the school and took the lives of 26 people – 20 of them children.
The school’s superintendent says those students are still recovering in their own ways and school officials will continue to help them moving forward.
After the 2012 tragedy, the old Sandy Hook school was demolished, but there was no other place to build the new school without it costing a lot of money, so the new building is in the same place.
During a media access day for the new school Friday, Newtown First Selectman Patricia Llodra welcomed everyone to the state-of-the-art facility.
In addition, the ground floor was built slightly elevated, making it hard for possible perpetrators to see inside classrooms.
The school was built with a gated driveway, state-of-the art video monitoring and bulletproof windows and doors. Those entering the school can do so by one of three pedestrian bridges which cross over water, and the school grounds are now designed in a way to be more in tune with nature, having treehouses and courtyards.
It is on the site of the old school, but has an entirely different footprint.
“Despite its birth from a awful tragedy, Sandy Hook School will be a place full of laughter, love, and learning”, Newtown First Selectman Pat Llodra said.
The school’s design was the result of dozens of meetings among Sandy Hook educators, families, community members, architects and builders.
About 35 returning students were in kindergarten at the time of the shooting and are now returning as fourth graders.
“There have been some tears, but I think after they spend about an hour or so here, they feel like it’s going to be an unbelievable learning space for kids”, said Ms. Gombos.
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A sign, right, reads, “Sandy Hook Elementary 12.14.12 We’ll Always Remember”, in a classroom of the new Sandy Hook Elementary School, Friday, July 29, 2016, in Newtown, Conn.
