(Photo by Alexis Broderick)

By Alexis Broderick – News Editor

Jonathan Law High School is back in session and there are some new, exciting renovations.

What used to be the Media Center is now called the Teaching and Learning Commons (TLC). The furniture and equipment in the Teaching and Learning Commons has been moved around and renovated.

“We gathered together an incredible committee of teacher leaders who spent a year researching other schools (including colleges) and, thanks to the support of our district, we have The Teaching and Learning Commons,” Law principal Mr. Thompson said.

Thompson presented a plan to Superintendent Dr. Cutaia to update several spaces at Law, including the Media Center and the Student Support Center. She suggested, instead of renovating multiple spaces throughout the building, combining these services into one renovation project to transform the Media Center into a one-stop shop for all student needs, whether it’s accessing resources, collaborating in groups, getting extra help, relaxing a bit, or creating a project.

Since the district has been purchasing more online resources including ebooks and databases and has become a 1:1 school with Chromebooks for all students, Law was able to cut down on the number of computers and bookshelves they had, creating the space they would need to achieve these goals.

“It was a great time to renovate,” librarian Ms. Briggs said.

Some of the renovations include collaborative work areas for group projects and classes, a student lounge area for relaxing and snacking, quiet study rooms, a student-run IT center, the Law Academic Student Support Center, learning centers, a new broadcast journalism room, and maker spaces. The IT center and maker spaces are still a work in progress.

“Seeing the TLC change in such a short amount of time was great,” media aide Mrs. Borer said. “So far from what I’ve seen and heard the kids are truly enjoy this space.”

The TLC space has already been reconfigured, and by December there will be all new furniture. The complete transformation will continue to take place over the next several years as Law works to update technology and expand services.

There has also been a Presentation Room added to the TLC. The Presentation Room can be used for classes, guest speakers, and special events. There is an interactive ViewBoard and plenty of seating, not to mention a really cool paint job. Students who want to use this space can e-mail Mrs. Briggs at sbriggs@milforded.org.

One of the things students and teachers are most excited about is the TLC staying open every day this year. It is a goal not to hold any meetings, events, or testing in this space since there are other spaces in the building to use for these purposes. As in years past, the TLC is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Students may visit during study, lunch, common time, or with their classes as well as before and after school.

The open floor plan of the commons and the different spaces (instructional, support, collaborative, relaxation) mean that  accommodating a large number of people working on a number of different projects at the same time. There will be some noise, but there will always be situations in which someone really needs some peace and quiet in order to concentrate. The Quiet Rooms are available to fill that need and to make sure that kids are getting the time they need to get their work done.

Not only did the TLC get renovated over the summer, the Cafeteria received a new paint job. There are many new designs and positive slogans added to the room.