Schools

Historic School Gets Modern Makeover

More than 150 parents get to see the newly renovated Mission Elementary School during Back To School Night.

On Wednesday, after Mission Elementary School’s first elementary students in more than a decade had finished their classes for the day, parents got the chance to come to school.

More than 150 parents and children gathered at the school that had opened to students earlier in the day for Back to School night.

Family members were invited to tour the school, meet with teachers and look at the brand new classrooms.

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“I think it’s great,” Amy Hall said after seeing her 8-year-old daughter Delany’s new classroom. “She is so excited.”

Amy, and husband David Hall, sat at Delany’s desk in third grade teacher Theresa Lantz’s room.

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“We live very close by, so we got to see it built from the ground up,” David said. And the inside looked as impressive as the outside, the two said.

Mrs. Lantz already had some of her student’s work hanging on the wall. There were still a few bugs.

The teachers and students took tours of the school earlier in the day because neither teachers nor students were sure where the bathrooms were or the best way to get to some of the administrative offices, Lantz said.

“So we said, let’s go on a tour,” she said. “We saw lots of people on a tour.”

The computers are not yet working, so Lantz, a 27-year-veteran of teaching said, with a laugh, they all took attendance “the old fashioned way.”

It was part of the adventure, Lantz said.

Also in attendance that day was a representative from the Redlands Educational Partnership Foundation, or REP, and the Redlands YMCA.

Cindy Munz, board member with the REP, spoke to the parents, who briefly assembled in front of the school. They are asking each family in the Redlands Unified School District to consider donating $10 to REP. If each one did, they could raise around $200,000.

The organization provides grants and helps fund programs such as arts, science, technology and school gardens. For more information visit http://www.rep4schools.com/home.php

Eva Pedroza with the Redlands YMCA gave information on before- and after-school programs offered through their organization. The service includes an on-campus childcare and is offered at a reasonable cost.

For more information on the YMCA programs, call (909) 792-0555 or visit their website http://ymcaeastvalley.org/redlands/childcare.html

The school has a long history. There have been rebuilt several times. The current structure has gone through many incarnations. This most recent renovation included the addition of state-of-the-art computers, smart board dry erase boards and a playground that incorporates musical instruments into its play equipment.

It is only the second school in the Redlands Unified School District located within the city of Loma Linda.


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