With the primary and intermediate classroom wings and common area converging there, the library is, by design, the school's heart and focal point. A cozy alcove tucked into one corner invites children to come closer, to climb the steps and investigate the small, square windows, each inlaid with a colorful illustration from Aesop's Fables. Kids and visitors encounter another touch of whimsy when they walk up to the front entrance, where they discover a Disney-esque clock, cockeyed in a cute, cartoonish sort of way and painted in blazing yellow and passionate purple. Its lighted dial offers a cheery welcome even on the most dreary days. Traveling from the library down the wide hallways, a visitor is struck by the peaked, bright-white ceilings in both halls and classrooms, lending a further sense of light and space.
Teachers have several levels of lighting to choose from in classrooms, depending on the activity.
They can, for instance, direct more intense light onto the board to draw students' attention there. Or they can dim the room for a quiet, read-aloud story. A covered, lighted stairway connects school grounds to the high-end subdivision where many of the students live. Surprisingly, great school design doesn't need to cost more than bad or even mediocre design. For example, the rich exterior colors of brick-red, buff, and black were achieved with relatively inexpensive concrete masonry blocks and cast stone.