A new school complex for the Ridgefield School District is currently under construction, and this week, students got a chance to leave their mark on the building that will soon be their brand new school.
\r\nEarlier this week, Alliance Industrial Group (AIG), a local steel fabricator in Ridgefield, delivered a steel beam to the district for students to sign. School district officials came up with the idea months ago as a cool way for students to take part in the construction process of their new building.\r\n
The personalized steel beam will be installed in the 7-8 classroom wing of the district’s new Grades 5-8 school complex scheduled to open in the fall of 2018.
Union Ridge Elementary School students from Mindy Morris’ and Nani Mack’s fourth grade classes shared their thoughts on the beam signing:\r\n
\r\n“It meant a lot to me to sign the beam because it means you will be in that school forever. It’s amazing to be part of the history of our new school.” Caitlyn Hittle\r\n
\r\n“It felt good to sign the beam so I can remember that I am a part of this school. Also, if you have a younger sibling, they can say my brothers or sisters wrote that.” Wyatt Hemmelman\r\n
\r\n“Signing the beam was important because it makes me feel like I will always belong in this school.” Riisa Berg\r\n
\r\n“To me, signing the beam meant I am never going to leave that school. My body will leave, but my heart and soul will stay there forever.” Drace-Ari Henning\r\n
\r\n“By signing the beam, it meant that my mark will be forever in that school and that school will forever be a part of me.” Shaylynn Wright\r\n
\r\n“To sign the beam means to me that I can look back and see all of our fourth grade class was part of the first fifth grade in our new school.” Ally Nebeker\r\n