Students and people who live in the area swarmed
into the new building with memories of what used to be before
the massive fire in November 2009.
They saw walls unmuddied by children's hands, and an auditorium
restored to splendor with seats that survived the fire.
"It's different because it is all dressed up. It's beautiful," said
Sonja Moon, a former Whatcom Middle School teacher.
The school gained more than 3,000 square feet in the remodel,
and the school's original 1903 entrance has been remodeled
and made more accessible, leading right into a common area.
Kids signed up for class Thursday, and for those who don't
know about the fire or the old school, a newspaper front
page with a picture of the burning building hangs in Mr.
Lucy's classroom as a reminder. And the principal can't wait
for the start of school on Tuesday."A school without students
is like a sail boat without wind," said
Jeff Coulter. "And as soon as we get kids in here it comes
to life, that's why we are here."
BELLINGHAM — Whatcom Middle School is the winner
of the national NBC School Pride online contest for a new
computer lab.
The announcement was made live Wednesday morning, Dec.
1, at Shuksan Middle School, where some former Whatcom
students and staff have been relocated while the burned
school is rebuilt.
Students in Michael Owens’ seventh-grade class gathered
around a laptop and web camera minutes before the 10 a.m.
announcement. Camera crews working for NBC filmed former
Whatcom and current Shuksan students anxiously staring
at a large screen on the wall, waiting for something to
happen.
Then the face of Cheryl Hines appeared
on the wall. “It was very difficult to find the winner
because we had great schools and a lot of students who
deserve it,” the “Curb Your Enthusiasm” actress
told the students via webcam. “The winner is …”
She only got through part of “Whatcom” before
the classroom erupted into screams and cheers, followed
closely by the Whatcom Stomp, a popular clapping and stomping
routine. “It’s such a great honor to even be
nominated, but even greater honor to win,” said seventh-grader
Sadie Rose Koch, 12.
“This happening is making us stronger,” said
seventh-grader Rachel Dorr, 12. “It’s making
us more compact and united as a school.”
In all, five schools across the country were vying for
25 computers and $2,500. Whatcom won the contest because
it received the most online votes during November.
The computers are expected to arrive next week. Until
Whatcom is rebuilt, the computers will be split among Fairhaven
Middle School, Geneva Elementary School and Shuksan — the
schools where Whatcom students are currently enrolled.
When Whatcom reopens, likely by fall 2012, the computers
will go to the school.
“We’re spreading the wealth,” Jeff Coulter,
planning principal for Whatcom, told Hines during the webcast. “It
went viral within the community. … It was a big
community effort.”
Whatcom PTSA co-presidents Kerrie Zerba and Wendy Albrecht
heard about the NBC contest earlier this fall and decided
to enter Whatcom. After making it to the finals and seeing
the other four schools, most of which are high schools,
the Parkview Elementary School teachers didn’t think
Whatcom had a chance.
“I’m just thrilled,” said Zerba, who
didn’t know the results of the contest until the
announcement Wednesday. “I’m so happy for Whatcom;
we needed good news so desperately.”
