As part of a larger initiative to modernize instructional methods and technologies, we partnered with Roosevelt Union Free School District to provide planning and design services for Washington Rose Elementary School, originally built in 1913. Serving nearly 700 students, the school features an early-childhood house composed of five classroom clusters for pre-K, kindergarten, and first grades, with each early-childhood classroom containing its own coat “cubby” alcove and student toilets.

Major shared areas include a library/media center with an early-childhood “reading nook,” a 230-seat cafeteria, a faculty lunch room, and a 350-seat gymnatorium available for after-school use by the community. Designated rooms for special education, speech therapy, interview, computer instruction, science, art, music, and staff development are distributed throughout the building. Classrooms are wired for internet-enabled computer stations for students, teachers, teacher’s aides, and special education instructors. A “parent room” encourages the involvement of single parents or grandparents serving as primary caregivers.