New era at Roy’s North Park Elementary
Nancy Jo Crocker prepares her classroom at the new North Park Elementary School, in Roy, on Aug. 14, 2014. (BECKY WRIGHT/Standard-Examiner)
Nancy Jo Crocker poses in her classroom at the new North Park Elementary School, in Roy, on Aug. 14, 2014. Crocker spent the day moving in and making sure everything was ready for her students. (BECKY WRIGHT/Standard-Examiner)
The new North Park Elementary School, in Roy, on Aug. 14, 2014. (BECKY WRIGHT/Standard-Examiner)
Drawing of the old North Park Elementary School, in Roy, in the school's history scrapbook. The image, from the dedication program, shows the "blue ribbon" design. (BECKY WRIGHT/Standard-Examiner)
The fully accessible playground at the new North Park Elementary School, in Roy, on Aug. 14, 2014. (BECKY WRIGHT/Standard-Examiner)
The new North Park Elementary School, in Roy, on Aug. 14, 2014. The new school is a two-story design. (BECKY WRIGHT/Standard-Examiner)
The multipurpose room at the new North Park Elementary School, in Roy, on Aug. 14, 2014. (BECKY WRIGHT/Standard-Examiner)
ROY — At some point this year, Nancy Jo Crocker will probably take a wrong turn on her way to work. She’s driven the same truck to North Park Elementary, in Roy, almost every school day for more than 20 years — but this year, the old North Park Elementary School has been replaced by a new building a few blocks to the north.
“It was my home away from home,” she said of the old school. “My truck knows how to get there.”
She, and her students, will find their way to the new North Park Elementary building at 2175 W. 4000 South. When they arrive, they’ll be greeted by two familiar items — the sundial and tiger paw that were transplanted from the old school. Everything else will be quite different.
Perhaps the biggest change is in the size and shape of the school. The old school, built in 1955, was a 42,000-square-foot building with portable classrooms to handle years of growth. The new school has two floors, and boasts 80,000 square feet.
“The one-level school we had previously was built in the shape of a blue ribbon,” said Joanne Hobbs, principal of the school. “It was quite an anomaly in the district.”
The classrooms were in a circle, with an open courtyard in the center of the medallion shape.
“The students in this school have never really walked in traditional hallways. They’ve walked in the circle, exposed to the weather. We’re going to have to teach the children how to walk in halls,” said Hobbs.
Crocker says she’ll miss the circle.
“It was like a little garden, and we could watch the seasons change,” she said, but added that it will be nice to stay warm and dry walking from her classroom to other parts of the school. “I won’t miss wearing gloves all winter long.”
When you have memories and traditions, it’s hard to step away, said Hobbs. But there are many things making the move worthwhile.
Elementary schools typically have a large space that serves as a combination cafeteria, gym and performance area. That space at the new North Park is about twice as large as at the old school, and can be divided into two rooms, according to Hobbs. The new school also has increased storage space, updated technology, a community meeting room and much more.
The principal was moved to tears when she looked at the school’s new playground, designed to accommodate students with disabilities.
The old playground surface was sand, said Hobbs. “In the sand, wheelchairs and walkers can’t move.”
The new playground has a solid, yet still soft, surface. There’s also a ramp so the students can play on the equipment with their peers, instead of just watching.
Crocker, who says she started at North Park before the Clinton presidency, made a lot of memories in the old building.
“I was totally reluctant at first,” she said of the move. “I could not picture myself here.”
As she prepared her new classroom, she talked about the differences between the old and new buildings.
“I think the biggest thing that feels different is that everything has a crisp, new feel,” Crocker said, admitting that she missed the old, musty smell that meant summer was over and a new school year was starting.
But she believes the students will respond positively to the new desks and chairs that are all the same color and size, instead of the old mismatched furniture that was falling apart.
“I think this facility is safer,” she said, explaining that the old building had no air conditioning, so doors and windows were kept open for ventilation. “I don’t think we’ll have to worry about bugs, especially wasps, coming into the class.”
She’s thrilled at the clear water at the new school. The sinks in the previous building had donated filters, according to Crocker, because the old pipes turned the water brown.
“I think some of the old problems, they conflicted with getting kids to be where they needed to be,” she said. “We always had maintenance people here to fix pipes or wiring.”
In the time that Crocker has taught school at North Park Elementary, she’s gone from paperwork to paperless, and from chalkboards to Smart Boards. The new school is yet another change.
“The new design will force me to look at things differently,” she said, adding that she’s excited about the possibilities. “Maybe I’ll teach longer than I planned.”
There is one thing that hasn’t changed at North Park Elementary School, according to Crocker — the great families in the community.
“I’m teaching children of my students,” she said. “It’s exciting to have grand-students.”
Contact reporter Becky Wright at 801-625-4274 or bwright@standard.net. Follow her on Twitter at @ReporterBWright.
North Park Elementary
Old school
Built in 1955
42,000 square feet
No air conditioning
New school
Groundbreaking: May 5, 2013
Completion Date: August 2014
Capacity: 800 Students
Construction Cost: $12,489,000
80,000 square feet
24 Classrooms, 4 kindergarten classrooms, 2 specialty classrooms, 2 resource classrooms, 2 self contained classrooms,
Administrative offices, counselors office, nurses office, speech therapist office
Highlights
Natural light in every classroom, air conditioning, learning activity spaces at each grade level, 2 computer rooms, media center, multipurpose room, 3 faculty workrooms
