In Tuesday’s Eagle, we got a preview of the new Ehrman Crest Elementary/Middle school in the Seneca Valley School District.

The newsroom was blown away by the photos, but even more so by the intentionality behind almost every aspect of the architecture.

Instead of bulldozers clawing up the earth for the sake of level ground, the building rises and falls with the topography and makes sure that student views are of nature. Parts of the grounds have been groomed to serve as outdoor learning spaces for the K-6 students that will soon walk the halls, which were built to fill the space with as much natural light as possible.

The learning spaces were equally impressive. Gone are the days of prison-like block walls that groan beneath harsh fluorescent lighting.

Lights arranged like constellations in the entrance and collaboration spaces that were specifically built to be “messy spaces where kids can explore” are just some of the ways the school was designed to truly harness and grow the power of young minds.

Even the desks were chosen for “flexibility.” Teachers can quickly reconfigure the room to suit lesson needs.

Every school district could learn something from the brilliant men and women behind this particular curtain.

Schools of ages past seem to have been built with the feeling of institution serving as the goal, draining the light and color from a child’s mind as they return each year. We are used to the orderliness and decorum, but imagine what the world would grow to be if creativity and curiosity were nurtured as early as possible, as it will at Ehrman Crest.

The foundations the SV district is laying for its students is a sturdy one.

We’ve stated how important it is to listen to our children and learn something through the ways in which they perceive our rapidly-evolving world.

Strap in, because we are about to watch the rewards of that first hand. The Eagle can’t wait to see the amazing things that come out of Ehrman Crest in the coming years, and hope the students enjoy the new facilities this school year.

— CM