Courtney Scott is so excited about her new middle school that she has been roaming the halls every day - even though classes do not start until next week.
"This is my floor," the 11-year-old seventh-grader said one afternoon this week, gesturing to the classrooms equipped with computers and TV screens at Windsor Mill Middle School. Courtney has spent the past few days helping teachers set up at the school, the first middle school that the county has built in 22 years.
At Windsor Mill Middle, administrators hope that high-tech facilities such as radio and television studios, wireless Internet access and televised morning announcements will prepare pupils for the 21st century and engage youngsters during the crucial middle school years.
This week, as teachers tacked up decorations and picked up keys and class lists, Principal Debbie Phelps led Baltimore County Executive James T. Smith Jr. and other officials on a tour of the airy hallways of the $30.4 million school. Windsor Mill is designed to relieve overcrowding at other middle schools in the fast-growing Liberty Road corridor, including Old Court Middle, Southwest Academy and Deer Park Magnet Middle School, administrators said. As of Monday, about 520 pupils had enrolled in Windsor Mill, Phelps said.
When pupils step through the front door of the new school Monday, they will find themselves in an atrium under a domed ceiling with doorways marked "Dance," "Dining" and "Administration." Concentric yellow circles ring across the floors, as if, Phelps said, someone dropped a stone into an imaginary pool of water directly under the dome.
"Having worked with middle school students for so many years, I know that there are many visual learners out there," Phelps said. "I wanted things that would be able to grab them visually."
The school has high ceilings, large windows and interior painted moss green, violet and butter yellow. Students will sit at sleek gray-and-black desks, and teachers will be able to store materials in rolling podiums and desks, enabling them to quickly reconfigure the classroom.
"Look around, look how bright it is in here," said seventh-grade math teacher Nicole Bridges. "In this atmosphere, how can you not feel excited about learning?"
"You catch the vibe and the energy from everyone," said seventh-grade world cultures teacher Kulsoom Khan.
After a welcome luncheon Monday, Phelps asked the seven teachers who had created class Web sites to stand and be recognized. "We want 100 percent participation," Phelps said.
