Summer 2023 Projects

A question I often answer this time of the year is, “Do you have to work over the summer?” The reality is the summer at Brainerd Baptist School is often one of the busiest times of the year. We use the ten weeks of summer break to accomplish projects throughout our building that are just not possible when school is in session. We have some big plans in store for campus improvements over the next few weeks and are excited to share them with our families below.

The last couple of summers have been marked with significant projects and investments being made into our physical plant. In the summer of 2020, we built the Hub (Library, STEM, and Learning Center) along with three new 1st-grade classrooms, an upper school office, and new administrative offices on the bottom floor. Last summer we built our new entryway as well as a new shop space for our facilities staff. This summer, we are ambitiously remodeling every classroom in our lower school. The flooring in the hallway and in the classrooms is being replaced. All classrooms and offices on the first floor are having new energy-efficient windows installed, and new LED lights will be installed on the first floor (over 250 lights) as well. This project will also include some long overdue remodeling in our cafeteria. If you have been on Bobcat Alley this week, you have noticed that there are many storage containers now parked in this space. All nine classrooms have been boxed up and moved into these containers, and work is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, May 30. Our teachers have worked VERY hard over the last couple of weeks preparing for this move. When students return in the fall, this space will look fresh and new. We can’t wait to see the finished product.

This is the outdoor space that will be updated this summer

Additionally, we are currently working with the city of Chattanooga to obtain permitting for major improvements to our upper play space and create a second outdoor learning space. This project is located on Brookfield Ave, close to our current garden and existing outdoor classroom, and is being funded through the generosity of four of our school families. A new turf field, new gaga pit, and a 16 x 34 pavilion will be added in the coming weeks. The reality is that there are not enough hours in the day for 350+ students to use our current playground every day. Because of this, our 2nd and 5th grades alternate going up to a play space on the other side of our campus. The new turf field will give students an amazing new space to play football, soccer, lacrosse, or any other games they desire. Because it will be turf, we will not have the issues that arise when it has recently rained. Additionally, rain can often force the cancellation of soccer or lacrosse practices. While the field will not be a regulation game-size field, it will be able to be used for practices when the weather makes it impossible to play on the big field. Also, this space is frequently used in PE class, and the new turf field will be a nice addition to those classes. The new pavilion will provide shade to our teachers and also provide a space for students who wish to play games, do artwork, or simply just get out of the hot sun during recess. Our teachers will now also have a second option for outdoor learning. Our current outdoor classroom can not be used when it is raining, this space will have tables and electricity which will allow it to be used with more frequency.

These improvements will make this space much better for our students and will also be used for other events that happen throughout the year. This project will most likely not be done by the time school starts in August, but we hope to have it done by September 1st.