The Wrangell sentinel., 1952-10-03
KINDERGARTEN. FIRST
GRADE At HOME IN
NEW SCHOOL ADDITION

With completion of the kinder
garten and first grade rooms i'm the
new S325.00 addition 10 WrangelTs
school building. classes have moved
into The new quarters.
CLYDE MeGillFzay. of McGulvray
Brothers. contractors. Of Ketcnikaa
who has been here the past year on
the project sad the remaining
part of the building will be com
pleted by Oct n. except for a few
miaoe details
Upper floor Of the new addition
measures l05x107 feet and the
basement. because of the buildings
location on a side hill. measures 80
by los. The exterior is finished
with light gray asbestos shakes.
Local residents who have not as
vet seen the interior of the new ad-
dition have a pleasant surprise in
store. 1t is doubtful if there are
many finer buildings in the Terri
tory and the finishing and small
detail work is of excellent work
manship.
Especially fine is the new gym
naSium which measures 66x91 and
will be marked off for a 50XS4
basketball court. Two badminton
courts ard a volley ball court will
also be marked off when McGill-
vray Bros. turn the structure over
to the city.
a stage at one end of the room
measures sc by Il and has a dress
ing room on each side with stairs
leading to the stage. For plays or
entertainments. the gym will seat
from $50 to 1000 persons, Mr.. Nc
Gillyray estimated. and for basket
ball or other games. at least $50.
Four large heating units Install
ed on the ceiling. will heat the big
gym within % minutes and there
is a total of $4,000 watts in the
lighting fixtures. The ceiling in
the gym. as in all corridors and in
the two classrooms is of acoustic
tile to deaden sound.
All exits, from the gym and from
the building itself are equipped
with panie-proof' locks which Op-.
en- automatically with slight pres
sure against them.
One of the features of the gym
is high arch construction made
of laminated fir planks, and bolted
TO side braces with knee-bolts to
give extra strength. The laminated
process makes the wood absolutely
crack and check-proof. MeGillvray
said
In the basement are the
shower rooms and lockers, gener-
GUS closet and storage space and
on the same floor are the nurses
room. fully equipped for caring for
the children, and teachers rest
room. furnace room and boys shop. !
For a double precautionary mea-
sure. the furnace room, which is
all-concrete, can be shut off with
heavy steel fire doors and another
set OF fire doors shuts off the base
ment from the top floor where the
cIassrooms and gym are located.
Outstanding in the two class
rooms is the amount of window
space One solid wall, facing the
upper street is windows with an
Their row of skylights above.
the cIassrooms are attractiyely
finished in light green and each
has its own cupboard for wraps.
The kindergarten will also have its
own lavatory when the fixtures ar
rive for it.
Lavatories are floored with wat
er. grease and acid-proof tile.
The classrooms have attractive lin
Oleum.
c. L. Barney" Anderson, who is
in Wrangell this year for his first
year as superintendent of schools,
is justly proud of the new struc-
ture.
It's pretty nice" he said Ito
come to Wrangell and find such
fine facilities. The people can well.
be proud of their school for I'm
sure no other town of our size has
anything like it. It IS real plea
sure to work under such circum-
stances"
Asked if he planned an open
house after what remains OF the
finishing is done, he said:
Most certainly, l think we
should have one.
He paid high tribute to McGiH
vray for his cooperation and for
the many extras he has done,
not called for in the contract but
which were found could add to the
efficiency and comfort of pupils
and teachers.