campus update
OCT
2014
VOL I
No. 8
The Big Dig Starts Next Week

Dear VTT Families,
 
We are making progress! Since our historic groundbreaking ceremony in June, we have witnessed the demolition of the Wosk Auditorium and the opening of the much anticipated joint VTT-BI parkade.

Next week, we commence excavation on the site of the new building. That work will take about six weeks, after which our contractor will start pouring the concrete foundations. Then comes the structural steel, which is set to arrive in early 2015. Based on the construction team's best estimates, we remain on track to complete construction in the Spring of 2016.
 
We have a team of expert contractors and professionals who are dedicated to making health and safety a top priority. Our main contractor, Haebler Construction, is a leader in new school construction, with a portfolio that includes major projects at York House, Crofton House, St. John's and King David High School, as well as the exceptional renovation of Congregation Beth Israel. The team will do their best to minimize disruptions during the school day, while our faculty will be working to make every step in the construction process a learning opportunity for our students.

As for safety, a 12' high fence separates the construction site from the existing playground and a detailed safety plan will govern all construction operations.
 
Playground Update

We have also made great strides over the past month to enhance our available outdoor play space. The beautiful fall weather has allowed our students to thoroughly enjoy the sports cart equipment and large sandbox and we will be introducing a number of further improvements after the holidays:
  • The temporary outdoor space at Congregation Beth Israel will open for student use by the end of next week. This is a large, fenced outdoor play area that will give our students ample opportunity to run around and enjoy elevated levels of physical activity.
  • New playground equipment has been ordered and will be installed in about 4-6 weeks time. This equipment forms part of the new playground equipment that will be installed once the expanded campus is complete.
  • The existing pea gravel on the field will be removed in the next few weeks and replaced with industry-approved engineered wood fiber, a much better alternative found in most school and community playgrounds in Greater Vancouver.
  • Later this month, a roof will be added to the sandbox so students can dig, build and create -- rain or shine.
Parkade Update

Finally, after some initial growing pains, and with great work by our architects, leadership team, volunteers, parents and students, our parkade is operating well. The closure of the West 26th Avenue drive-thru has brought more vehicles to the parkade drive-thru, but we have enough staff present to direct and assist drivers. Your continued feedback and suggestions are valuable and helpful; we will continue to fine-tune to ensure the drive-thru is functioning efficiently and safely. As we have suggested in previous emails, you can help by arriving a little earlier in the mornings and a little later in the afternoons to avoid congestion and potential delays.

PLEASE NOTE: Now that the West 26th Avenue drive-thru is closed, Haebler will be running trucks along West 26th avenue from next week.  They will enter the site from the east and leave heading west turning right at Oak Street. Traffic control will be in place as needed, but please use extreme caution if you are parking at Safeway or around the school.

This little expansion of ours is "a process," as they say, but one that will deliver invaluable benefits to our students and community for decades to come and so, for all the tsuris, the progress we are seeing every day is a heartwarming reminder of our mission to secure VTT's future at the heart of the Vancouver Jewish community.

  

I would like to thank our community for its support, enthusiasm and patience as we mark each milestone that signifies the development of our new campus. As always, follow up questions can be sent to buildingquestions@talmudtorah.com 


Chag Same'ach,

Cathy Lowenstein, M.Ed.
Head of School