Dove Hill Newsroom

Charles Crosby

Cedar Grove has a new look. On September 27 the Cedar community celebrated the official opening of the new campus with student performances, remarks from Principal Lea Peery, Superintendent Kathy Gomez and Board of Trustees President Jim Zito. There was also a reception following the event and of course an official ribbon cutting.

On hand were parents, students, community members, Board members, and special guests Jozie Autry and Larry Milligan, former Cedar Grove principals. Also in attendance were the many partners who worked to make the new campus a reality, including John Diffenderfer and Tricia Tanimura from architecture firm, AEDIS, Scott Crawford, Erik Murawsky, Frank Burrell, and Tom Pond from General Contractor, Swenson & Associates, and from Project Frog, the folks behind the building design, Marijke Smit. There were lots of hands in the project to make it a success and it was a great day to celebrate all those who played a role. Peery also made a point to thank the maintenance crew who have given so much to the project, coming in weekends, putting in extra effort, to make sure the project gets done.

Gomez, who was a teacher at Cedar Grove from 1988-1998, notes that this was a school "designed with the student in mind." She also pointed out that the community is what makes our schools strong. "This is a special community," she said."One we value each and every day, and on behalf of the Evergreen School District, which encompasses the entire Evergreen region, we celebrate your place in our broader "community of communities". We are strongest together as we celebrate our shared values and dreams for a bright future for all of our families."

Following a spectacular hula demonstration from upper grade students, a poetry reading from kindergarten students and a rendering of America the Beautiful from first graders, Zito took the mic to point out the role community members played in the new campus being built. "This is a product of Bond Measure M, which was passed by our community – by voters like you," he said. "Without that community support we would not have been able to bring this much needed new campus to life. Without that community support we would not be able to make so many of the needed improvements to our schools across the District. It's a cliché to say, our school communities are like a family but it's no less true for that. We come together as a family to support one another, to support our kids. To make sure they have the facilities and tools to learn and thrive."

The ribbon is cut, the sod is being laid and students are enjoying their new buildings. The community is better for it and our kids now have a great new facility in which to learn and grow.