NEW PALESTINE — Standing inside the new fieldhouse at New Palestine High School, principal Jim Voelz marveled at how much the area has been transformed this summer. He pointed out how massive the fieldhouse appears now that the structure is no longer filled with 20 makeshift classrooms.
“How ‘bout that,” Voelz said with a smile while looking around the cavernous fieldhouse.
The fieldhouse, soon to be a state-of-the-art athletic training area for all students, will be complete with three full wood basketball courts and an indoor track. The fieldhouse is finally taking shape now that construction work on numerous classrooms in the north end of the high school is complete.
“This is all going to be a practice facility for everyone and not just sports,” Voelz said of the fieldhouse. “This will be open for winter guard and our marching band too.”
The new sports facility, which is expected to be completed by winter break, will also allow NPHS physical education teachers to expand their curriculum, Voelz noted.
As for the new English and math classrooms in the new area of the school, they will be furnished and ready for students and staff when school starts in less than one week Tuesday, Aug. 1.
“These are the new classrooms,” Voelz said, pointing down the hall of the new wing, which has two floors.
Voelz also showed teacher name plates from the ceiling above every classroom doorway to help students find their way in the newer part of the building. Voelz was also pleased to show off the high school’s new essential skills area where students will have more than a classroom. There is a kitchen, a work area, a bathroom, a laundry room and a special sensory area for the students.
“We’re so excited about this and they’ll be dropped off away from all the traffic and loud noises and will be able to go straight into their own area,” Voelz said. “We went from one room to a whole suite area for the kids.”
The new cafeteria is also ready to serve and has seven different types of seating and a state-of-the-art kitchen for the staff. Many of the seat areas also have computer and phone charger plugs. While the cafeteria is large, it will also grow on the west wall area when officials finish work on the other side of the wall by installing massive windows and more space for the cafeteria in the coming months.
While there is still plenty of construction work still going on at the high school, getting the new classrooms and new cafeteria ready were the biggest goals after officials had hoped to have the areas ready for students last year.
“I was disappointed last year for our seniors because I really wanted them to get a little taste of the renovations,” Voelz said. “But now, I’m just really excited for the kids coming in and saying, ‘this is our school?’”
He also can’t wait for the students to see the new career-ready construction and welding classroom area designed to teach students all kinds of work-related, hands-on skills.
“It’s a massive area and we’re getting more and more kids involved in these kinds of classes,” Voelz said. “We added a new teacher last year.”
While there are many areas inside the newly remodeled high school Voelz is proud of, he loves showing off all the student accomplishments, including the new trophy wall where state championships are now displayed in massive cases.
“We have all of our state championships on display in a prominent area,” Voelz said, standing just outside the new weight lifting and workout room. “It looks good and doesn’t take up any more space than the lockers that used to be here.”
Voelz has also made sure the new renovations promote the things he wants the high school to stand for, including bold paintings on the walls that say things like “commitment” and “character” as well as showcasing Dragon pride and other positive statements reminding students how amazing they really are.
While not every area of the school was remodeled, Voelz is making sure each classroom and area is getting a refurbish, including fresh paint and new flooring where possible.
“Every science room has been gutted and refurbished,” Voelz said.
The older rooms were compete with island work stations in the middle of the classrooms, but the new work puts the science sinks up against the outer walls, making a massive center area for the teacher.
“This is a way we can make the older areas look new,” Voelz said.
District communications director Craig Smith noted they still need to have the fire marshal give the OK to have students inside the building this week and get the health department to check out the kitchen but, other than that, they are ready for the new school year.
There is even hope that, in addition to the new fieldhouse being opened around winter break, that the new lounge area, near the main entrance, will be completed around the same time. That will leave the addition of the new guidance wing to the north of the main entrance and a community center in the same area as the final phase of the $49 million project to be done, officials said.
