The Cedarhurst neighborhood, students, and families all joined together on February 21 to celebrate the grand opening of Cedarhurst Elementary. Over 400 people took advantage of the opportunity to see the 67,000 square foot facility, which incorporates a highly energy-efficient, two-story plan with two classroom wings, an activities wing, and the administration area with the library above. The library features sweeping views of the surrounding mountains - for which the school's wings are named; Mount St. Helens, Mount Rainier, Mount Olympus, and Mount Baker.
Principal Leslie Perry served as master of ceremonies for the program, which featured a slide show provided by TCF Architecture. Following the program, TCF and Babbit Neuman Construction hosted a taco bar dinner for the community and visitors toured the building.
Student Leaders staffed stations around the school to share with visitors information about special features including the grass rooftop, the cistern system that captures rainwater runoff for landscape use, and other energy-efficient aspects of the building. Student musicians entertained guests with a drumming performance.
Included in the celebration were representatives of the Burien/Normandy Park Fire Department, which headed up efforts to save the new building when it caught fire on July 14, 2007, during construction.
Just prior to the grand opening event, Superintendent Welch hosted the staff of Cedarhurst at an appreciation dinner. There, he recognized the staff for their flexibility and patience during the multiple relocations while maintaining high-quality learning for students.
