Harbor Country Day School in St. James seeks $2 million expansion
Harbor Country Day School in St. James, seen here on Aug. 1. Credit: Rick Kopstein
Standing in the basement of Harbor Country Day School, Andy Sperling, its head of school, pointed to the shelves of the former library. The books have been removed and the space is now used for preparing lunches.
"It’s also where we do our technology classes and it’s also where we do our STEAM classes," Sperling said during a recent tour of the building. "We are using little nooks of portions of space."
Also has been the operative word for years at Harbor Country Day School as school officials struggled with the building's small configuration: Classroom space is limited; student desks are too small. It's hard to find space for guidance counselors and administrators. The school has fit three classes in different corners of the former library and basement area and even found room for a new social worker's office.
The hope is for more space as Harbor Country Day School seeks a $2 million expansion. The biggest change is a plan to replace an extension of the school's main building with another, much larger structure that will feature a new STEAM center for science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics programs.
Every year, the school's fourth graders are required to work on a STEAM-related project. But they struggle to find enough classroom space to work on the projects, and STEAM equipment is stored in different parts of the building, said Cynthia Lippe, chairwoman of the school's board of trustees.
"Having better laid out facilities would make that process more seamless," she said. If STEAM equipment is kept together, "it will be a lot easier for students to imagine and work without having to go from one end of the building to the other end of the building to a different classroom," Lippe said.
The school opened in 1957 on the former Tulip Knoll estate on Three Sisters Road. At the beginning of the 20th century, the estate was the summer home of William A. Minott, the heir to Goodyear Rubber Manufacturing Co.
To move forward, the school needs Head of the Harbor Village officials to approve its plans for the new building and a new bus loop.
The expansion will be funded by private donors, school officials said.
The new building will feature an art room, a small auditorium, a new library and a music and drama room, as well as the new STEAM center.
The school's current enrollment is 160 students and runs from 2-year-old prekindergarten through the eighth grade.
Village Mayor Mike Utevsky declined to comment on the proposal.
Some residents who live near the school expressed concern about potential traffic problems on Three Sisters Road.
Sperling said there won't be any traffic issues: The new bus loop will give parents more room to pick and up and drop off their children, preventing traffic from building up.
"We’ve already calculated we’ll be able to fit all of our families during the pickup process in the front and have room to spare," Sperling said, adding that he hoped "to make the school beautiful and neighborly."
Standing in the basement of Harbor Country Day School, Andy Sperling, its head of school, pointed to the shelves of the former library. The books have been removed and the space is now used for preparing lunches.
"It’s also where we do our technology classes and it’s also where we do our STEAM classes," Sperling said during a recent tour of the building. "We are using little nooks of portions of space."
Also has been the operative word for years at Harbor Country Day School as school officials struggled with the building's small configuration: Classroom space is limited; student desks are too small. It's hard to find space for guidance counselors and administrators. The school has fit three classes in different corners of the former library and basement area and even found room for a new social worker's office.
The hope is for more space as Harbor Country Day School seeks a $2 million expansion. The biggest change is a plan to replace an extension of the school's main building with another, much larger structure that will feature a new STEAM center for science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics programs.
Every year, the school's fourth graders are required to work on a STEAM-related project. But they struggle to find enough classroom space to work on the projects, and STEAM equipment is stored in different parts of the building, said Cynthia Lippe, chairwoman of the school's board of trustees.
"Having better laid out facilities would make that process more seamless," she said. If STEAM equipment is kept together, "it will be a lot easier for students to imagine and work without having to go from one end of the building to the other end of the building to a different classroom," Lippe said.
The school opened in 1957 on the former Tulip Knoll estate on Three Sisters Road. At the beginning of the 20th century, the estate was the summer home of William A. Minott, the heir to Goodyear Rubber Manufacturing Co.
To move forward, the school needs Head of the Harbor Village officials to approve its plans for the new building and a new bus loop.
The expansion will be funded by private donors, school officials said.
The new building will feature an art room, a small auditorium, a new library and a music and drama room, as well as the new STEAM center.
The school's current enrollment is 160 students and runs from 2-year-old prekindergarten through the eighth grade.
Village Mayor Mike Utevsky declined to comment on the proposal.
Some residents who live near the school expressed concern about potential traffic problems on Three Sisters Road.
Sperling said there won't be any traffic issues: The new bus loop will give parents more room to pick and up and drop off their children, preventing traffic from building up.
"We’ve already calculated we’ll be able to fit all of our families during the pickup process in the front and have room to spare," Sperling said, adding that he hoped "to make the school beautiful and neighborly."
Private School Proposal
- Harbor Country Day School in St. James seeks permission from Head of the Harbor for an expansion.
- The cost of the project is $2 million and centers around a new STEAM center.
- The school has an enrollment of 160 students.
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Newsday Live Music Series: Long Island Idols Newsday Live presents a special evening of music and conversation with local singers who grabbed the national spotlight on shows like "The Voice," "America's Got Talent,""The X-Factor" and "American Idol." Newsday Senior Lifestyle Host Elisa DiStefano leads a discussion and audience Q&A as the singers discuss their TV experiences, careers and perform original songs.
