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Sewickley Academy officials spotlighted several renovated and redesigned spaces as part of an open house for alumni, parents and guests.<\/p>\n
Spaces included four computer science rooms in the Oliver Building, a new middle school\/high school cafeteria and admissions suite in the School Center, and a brand new health and wellness facility called the Panthers Performance Center.<\/p>\n
\u201cI see Sewickley Academy is focused toward the future,\u201d said Brad Busatto, a 1988 graduate and father of a sophomore and a 2016 grad. \u201cNot only with computer science, but also wellness. I also see an intersection with the arts, too. This investment is something that\u2019s going to pay dividends for my daughter (and) also the next several decades.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we\u2019re going to be using the tagline, \u2018Educating tomorrow\u2019s leaders,\u2019 I think this demonstrates it in a lot of ways.\u201d<\/p>\n
Busatto, an Edgeworth resident and academy trustee, was among the dozens of open house visitors on Feb. 1.<\/p>\n
He said he got the same feel walking the halls then as he did in the 1980s.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a welcoming place,\u201d Buscatto said. \u201cIt was serious about academics, and there was a place for everybody here. I had so many really great friends that I am still friends with now that had so many different interests and personalities and goals \u2014 but we all just fit together.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were some really exceptional teachers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Renovations were made possible through a $20 million donation by the\u00a0Tull Family\u00a0<\/a>Foundation<\/a>.<\/p>\n Academy officials said it was the largest gift in the private pre-k to 12th grade school\u2019s 184-year history.<\/p>\n Computer science<\/p>\n The academy worked with R3A Architecture and Turner Construction to renovate the computer science rooms.<\/p>\n \u201cEverything was very thorough and everyone was on the same page,\u201d said R3A interior architect Tara Gangwar. \u201cIt\u2019s really great that it turned out to look so much like the renderings we had initially produced, which is awesome. It\u2019s great to hear that the students are really pleased and engaged with the space because we did some cutting-edge things, especially for middle school.\u201d<\/p>\n One of the rooms is a computer lab with at least 20 devices and a wall made, in part, with preserved plants. The look was inspired by \u201cThe Matrix\u201d movie franchise.<\/p>\n Middle-schoolers have a renovated Lego robotics room to work in, which is complete with new kits, competitive table layouts and programmable robots.<\/p>\n \u201cThe students start basically with a brick and they have to build everything from scratch,\u201d said Erin Whitaker, computer science teacher and ed tech coordinator. \u201cWhen we reconfigured this space, instead of one table we have multiple tables, which allows students more time to work on their robots to complete the challenges.<\/p>\n \u201cThe functionality of the room does help. We were able to purchase new robots. So instead of a 2-to-1 ratio, we now have a 1-to-1 ratio of robots so each student can have their own robot to program.\u201d<\/p>\n Students can also work with Finch robots designed by Carnegie Mellon University, as well as a variety of apps and programs.<\/p>\n Computer science teacher and tech coordinator Jeffrey Patrick said other educational components include studying significant historical events and technological advancements from the 1950s to today.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not just (computer) coding all day,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have some hands-on activities for the kids as well as exploring electronics and other devices.\u201d<\/p>\n Fitness<\/p>\n