The dust of the seemingly perpetual high school construction has finally settled, and in its wake stands a variety of collaborative workspaces for staff and student use, including two brand new courtyards.

The courtyards are located at the heart of the school, providing easy access to both the old and new wings. With the addition of hundreds of ninth graders, these extensions stand to provide more space to the already crowded hallways and common areas.

The motivation behind the design of the courtyards, however, goes beyond providing extra elbow room. Though the layouts of the courtyards were done by an architectural firm, Assistant Principal Chris Otto described the vision that the staff had for these new areas.

“I think it’s kind of twofold,” Otto explained. “For one, we wanted to provide some spaces for students to have an area that was set up for them to talk to other students and to have those social experiences that are really an important part of high school. I think that the second part of it is the academic experiences that the spaces are designed to facilitate- small group work and collaboration.”

However, many students are not satisfied with how the courtyards are currently being utilized. Junior Isabella Portelli is just one of the many frustrated students that would like to see the lunch period as a time to enjoy the new outdoor spaces. Her only chance to interact with the courtyards occurred for the brief period of 20 minutes.

“My friends and I were eating out in one of the courtyards and one of the security guards came out and told us that we couldn’t eat out there, that it wasn’t open,” Portelli said. “I think it’s a really nice courtyard, and when else are you going to use it? Unless you have a free period- which not everyone does- lunch is the only possible time for us to go and enjoy somewhere other than a classroom or loud cafeteria.”

Though students such as Portelli are worried that their concern over the use of the space at lunchtime is being ignored. The staff has some concerns of their own regarding how these spaces will be supervised, and how students will take care of them.

Hoping to clarify any confusion among students, Otto explained, “One of the challenges I think we are facing are the people who bring trays. Are our trays going to get back to the lunch room?”

The courtyards may not be open to use during the lunch periods, but the staff is looking to open up these spaces as a part of flex time to present a variety of opportunities to students as they use the time to accomplish work, collaborate as a group, and pursue their passions. During this flexible period in the day, teachers will be facilitating different areas of interest, and the courtyards may be one of many.

Otto explained, “Teachers may bring a class to a courtyard for example to teach a lesson that is relevant to being outside. There is something really life giving about being outside and in nature.”

The overriding goal of this school year for both staff and students is to make a big school feel small, and by extending more social and learning opportunities, Otto believes that the courtyards will help everyone to live out this aspiration.

“I think that really the goal of the courtyards- of all of the collaborative spaces really- is to enrich learning and help students learn more, and sometimes the space that you have in which learning occurs can be enhanced by the environment. I really think that’s what it’s all about,” said Otto.