A dedication ceremony was held Saturday morning for the new Wayne and Bernie Andrews Reading and Innovation Center at Storm Lake St. Mary’s school.
The 250-thousand dollar project was funded by numerous St. Mary’s supporters, including a lead gift by Joe and Kathy Nemmers and family. Joe Nemmers said the project goals have been achieved…(audio clip below :38 )
The project includes a 50-thousand dollar endowment for future upkeep.
The renovation process started 18 months ago, and the finishing touches were done last week. Tom Fitzpatrick volunteered to be the project manager, and thanked St. Mary’s custodian Jay Sassman and all of the contractors for helping make the work go smoothly…(audio clip below :36 )
St. Mary’s principals Kate Swanson and Ryan Berg talked about how the space will be used by all grade levels. Swanson said one of the challenges was to make it inviting and useful for all students…(audio clip below 2:52)
The Reading and Innovation Center includes state of the art computers, specialized software, 3-D printers, power stations, and overhead projectors. It will be used for STEM learning, research and robotics, visual arts, and a gathering space for individual and group reading. The Center is a former classroom and school library space. A glass door and blinds can be utilized in the middle of the space so it can be used for different purposes and avoid distraction, and a drop down projector is available for English classes.
The Center is named after Wayne and Bernie Andrews, who were longtime St. Mary’s Parish members and supporters of the school.
