The bond strikes again: over the summer, another improvement will be made to Berkley High School with the renovation of the science wing. The bond has given the Berkley School District many improvements, including the new furniture, the BEAR complex, the black box addition, the auditorium renovations, and so much more. The science wing will be another exciting renovation.
This is a complete upgrade for the lab and science classrooms, with the goal of having a more spacious, safe, and modern space that will set students up for success. In the lab, the sinks will be moved to the outside of the lab for more open space in the middle. There will still be tables and stools, just a little closer to the sinks and gas nozzles. Conveniently, electricity will be able to drop in from the ceiling, and the lab prep room and ventilation hoods will be getting slight repairments. Principal Mr. Meloche jokes that “Most importantly, the ugly cardinal red trim work will be gone,” giving the area a more modern look. For the classrooms, all the carpet will be removed and replaced with hard flooring as well as operating sinks and new furniture. The classrooms are scheduled to be ready by the first day of school for the 2025-26 school year, and the lab should be done sometime in October.
To prepare for construction, all science classrooms and the lab have to be fully packed up by the last day of school. In order to make this possible, some teachers have been asking students to help pack up the lab. AP chemistry teacher Mrs. Olsen has been giving students service hours to help pack up the lab, which she says “has been so helpful” in getting ready for this big change!
For some teachers, this has been an even bigger task. Mr. Doty’s room is infamous for being covered in different fish and reptile habitats. Meaning that all of the animals have to be moved somewhere else for construction over the summer. In order to transport everything, Mr. Doty says he “made big, wood racks to transport three fish tanks at a time to the bathrooms where they will be stored”. Because there are 1200 gallons worth of fish tanks, some are being stored in the room behind the big water aquarium on the main floor as well. As for the reptiles, four of the six containers are currently going home with students, but Mr. Doty is looking for two more to take care of the rest.
Although moving out can be a difficult task, getting these improvements is so exciting and beneficial for students at BHS! Make sure to look out for the improvements in your science classrooms next school year!
