The construction of the new extension building at the elementary school on Jagdfeldring in Haar can confidently be described as eventful. First the number of students fell and the new building seemed to be too big, then water damage delayed completion. On Monday afternoon, the new school building was officially opened almost a year later than originally planned. From this Tuesday on, 22 classes can be taught in the primary school, 16 of them in the new wing. The annex, which costs more than 38 million euros, also includes a cafeteria, a sports hall with a grandstand, an underground car park and a newly designed playground. The old building can be reached through a transition.
However, the school does not have a ventilation system in the classrooms, as the building planning dates from before the corona pandemic. It shouldn’t be improved either, instead the hope lies in the large window fronts and constant ventilation. Otherwise, the concept of the new school building seems well thought out: Large light shafts and window fronts bring daylight everywhere, the boards are a combination of electronic smartboards and chalk boards and the chairs can be adjusted to the size of the children. In addition, the building and the sports hall are barrier-free. Reimar Pfalz from the municipal company Wohnungsbau Haar is one of the architects of the new school building and said when it was commissioned: “The break hall is the central element. The cafeteria and library are attached to it. The teachers’ rooms are on the floors so that there are short distances to the classrooms . ” Children and adults can feel comfortable – the combination of white and wooden elements means that everything is modern but warm.
New educational concept
With the new building comes a new educational concept. Based on the learning house concept, the two floors are divided into a total of four clusters. “It’s a school within a school,” said headmistress Caroline Friedl. “The aim is to network the classes, the children should learn from each other. For this, there are not only classrooms in each cluster, but also divisible common rooms and learning corridors.” The first and second grades will share the clusters on the first floor, the third and fourth classes on the second floor.
Thanks to the extension, there is now space for an all-day area in the old building. “We now have the entire ground floor available for afternoon care. These are good conditions,” said Friedl. A clear separation between school and care area is important for the children. “You shouldn’t feel like you’re sitting in the classroom all day.”
A new break area has also been created. A second playground including a climbing frame has been created on the roof of the sports hall, on which around 300 schoolchildren can play from this Tuesday. The new children’s library will also open in October, and thanks to a separate entrance it will still be open after school. There will soon be an open day for all interested parties.