As we begin the new school year in The Forest, there has been a big change to our campus and overall school environment: the new portables placed in the old bus parking lot. As the HVAC systems in the houses are currently being repaired, these new portables have become an obstacle for many teachers, students, and staff.
Starting with A house, teachers have been getting adjusted to teaching in the new I, J, and K house portables. Each house will be in the portables for two to three months throughout the school year. There have been mixed feelings about the new portables with some having disdain for the buildings and some seeing them as necessary.
Laneah Ravn, who teaches AP Capstone in J House commented, “The ambiance of my previous room did not transfer. Thus, the portables feel bereft in comparison. The energy that a classroom gives off is super important to your classroom culture.”
Many students also have been affected by the new portables because of travel, claiming that they have a difficult time getting from one side of campus to the other because of the new portables.
Ravn also stated, “Students seem to be impacted mostly by the extra time it takes to commute from G and B. They’re a little rushed in the morning and in between classes.”
Some people are even suggesting that the school should increase the transition time from seven minutes to eight or nine because of the increased distance being travelled across campus.
Kade Taylor, a junior, has mixed feelings about the portables.
Taylor stated, “The portables are good to work in because they have proper utilities to learn like working air conditioning, but they are inconvenient to travel to because of how out of the way they are.”
It’s clear that the new portables have been an obstacle this year, but Mrs. Driggers and the staff have handled this new challenge very professionally. As classes transition in and out of each portable, we will continue adjusting to them and settling into our daily campus life.
