By Jacob Terry
School officials dedicated the new Willowcreek Middle School in Lehi Tuesday in a sparsely attended ceremony that belied Lehi?s rapid growth.
High-vaulted ceilings and large commons areas characterize Willowcreek, the second school in Lehi to serve grades seven through nine. Architects at VCBO Architecture designed the building to mirror the philosophy of the school.
?This building represents a concept that as a board of education we are committed to,? said Alpine School District Bard Member Donna Barnes in remarks at the dedication. ?That is the principle of collaboration and cooperation.?
Cooperation will be key in the coming years for Lehi, as it is one of the fastest growing communities in the Alpine School District, said District Superintendent Vernon Henshaw. The growth of the community probably means a new high school in the next four to five years, Henshaw said.
A new high school may not be built around the same principles, however. Willowcreek is reflective of the philosophy of middle school where it focuses on students? needs and development, Henshaw said.
A better student to teacher ratio at both Willowcreek and Lehi Junior High should facilitate that focus. A thousand Lehi Junior High students transferred to Willowcreek, giving both schools about 1,000 students. Seventeen Lehi Junior High faculty members also made the transition, and the rest of the Willowcreek staff was newly hired.
Willowcreek is one of the last projects to use funds from a property tax bond that passed in 2000. Additional schools in the future will require a new bond; something that has been discussed among the members of the school board but not advanced, said Willowcreek Principal Fred Openshaw.
?If growth continues at its current rapid pace, we should be able to handle another five or six years,? Openshaw said.
Willowcreek features classrooms clustered into groups to facilitate cooperation between teachers. The hope is that instead of studying different topics in each subject, students will learn several aspects of one topic.
?Topical teaching is more holistic,? VCBO architect Steve Crane said. ?I think it prepares you better for lifelong learning. It?s more like real life.?
Willowcreek student Crystal Mortensen said that teachers are more aware of what is going on in other classes because of the focus on cooperation at the school, but that is not the only benefit of the classrooms being clustered into groups.
?It?s a lot easier because you don?t have to travel all the way across school just for class,? Mortensen said.
It?s more convenient for parents, too, because Willowcreek is closer to the students than Lehi Junior High. The only complaint so far is that the school is 100 percent bused, since it isn?t safe to walk to, Willowcreek Principal Fred Openshaw said.
Debora Shaw, whose daughter attends Willowcreek, has no complaints about the new building.
?Being a part of such a beautiful school, how could you not feel blessed and special,? Shaw said.
