Published: July 09, 2008 08:35 am            

Corbin Primary checks in

Superintendent: School is more unique than any you’ve ever been to

By Sean Bailey / Staff Writer

Business people got a chance Tuesday to visit the Corbin Independent School District’s newest addition during the Chamber of Commerce’s July meeting at the nearly complete Corbin Primary School.

“This school is more unique than any one you’ve ever been to,” Corbin Superintendent Ed McNeel told the crowd.

The centerpiece of the school is the railroad-themed media center, and McNeel said he doesn’t know of another one like it in the country.

In the middle of the media center, visitors are greeted by a railroad water tower bearing Corbin’s name. Each corner of the large room has a different workspace for students — one area for storytelling, another for “creation” (such as art projects and science experiments), one for presentations, and finally the traditional library space where students can check out books.

Three short hallways surrounding the media center are adorned by mural work from local artist Emily Lackey and lead to classroom “pods.” Each pod, or cluster of classrooms, has a theme based on a local attraction, such as “Cumberland Falls” or “Fort Boonesboro.”

Each pod contains a small commons area with a row of brand new computers. The pod structure is meant to eliminate the empty, lifeless hallways of schools past and create a “home” atmosphere for students. It’s also better for security reasons, since each pod can be locked down in case of emergency.

“It’s really like having a small school inside of big one. A student will spend all three years, kindergarten through second-grade, in one pod in the big school,” kindergarten teacher Robyn Bingham said.

Bingham said she is already proud of the new school, and is getting more excited for the upcoming year as her teaching items are moved in. Next year, Corbin Primary will house kindergarten through second-grade. Central Primary will be renamed Corbin Elementary and will house third and fourth grades. South Elementary becomes Corbin Intermediate for grades five and six.

“The maintenance crew brought some stuff over, and the move has been good, smooth as could be so far,” Bingham said.

Bingham was part of the team of teachers that worked with architects to design the building. One of the big requests Bingham and the other teachers had were larger classroom sizes — that’s physically larger class sizes, not more students per classroom.

“The administration talked to the state to let us make the classrooms bigger than the state allowed. The administration really listened to us along the way,” Bingham said.

One of the newest members of that administration, principal Travis Wilder, answered questions from chamber members in the school’s heart — the media center.

“We’ll have numerous classes in here at once. One class will be over there creating models, another will be in the presentation (area) putting on a one-act play, and another class will be here checking out books,” Wilder said pointing out the corners of the media center.

This will be Wilder’s first time as a head principal, but he has experience as a assistant principal in Bell County and five years as an Advanced Placement English high school teacher.

So far Wilder said most of his job has dealt with the logistics of moving an entire school into a new building. But soon he will take on the job of maintaining the district’s tradition of excellence — something he’s hoping to even improve upon.

“I’m really excited for this job, because Corbin has a greatness we can build upon. I don’t view that as a challenge, but more of an opportunity,” Wilder said. Right now I’m not thinking about the philosophy of how we are going to do this, I’m thinking about the giving the children the opportunity to be whatever they cho0se to be.”

Wilder has four “pillars” on which he hopes the school will stand — creative instruction, or as Wilder explains it, tailoring instruction so that every student’s needs are met; critical thinking; collaboration between students, parents and teachers; and the final “pillar,” community.

“We hope to see the school as a hub of the community ... the heart beat of the community,” Wilder said.

        

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