Summer Time Staff Meetings - June 28, 2011

An important meeting to review the Heating and A/C installation for the new building was held on June 29th. Checking out the duct work and piping in the Dent Building include Tom Bien, Project Manager, Robin McGrew, Architect, Chris Ware, President, Omega Engineering, Priscilla Moreno, Omega Engineering, Jim Van Hook, Clover Contracting, and Ardi Love-Smalls, Monarc Construction.

Now that Monarc Construction has taken over the Dent Building and summer is upon us, Jason Gray, Head of School, holds his weekly meeting with the remaining Administrative Staff in the garden behind 214 South Carolina Avenue, SE along with equipment and supplies yet to find a new home.

Bartlett Tree Service -- June 27, 2011

Capitol Hill Day School has contracted with Bartlett Tree Service to repair the damage to the trees resulting from Paxton Van Lines' trucks. Bartlett completed this project on June 29, 2011.

We will also do some extra work on the tree at the corner of South Carolina Avenue and 2nd Streets, SE so the stop sign is more visible. This might help reduce the number of drivers who turn up 2nd Street with complete disregard for the stop sign and/or the pedestrians in the crosswalk.

We have requested the City through the DC On-line Support Center to replace the maple tree opposite 533 2nd Street, SE which is dying. Casey Tree Service, which manages the trees in the District, but the request for service has to be channeled through the Mayor's non-emergency line.

For additional information contact Jim Woolwine, Business Manager, Capitol Hill Day School, (202) 386-9926 or via email (jimw@chds.org).

DC Council - Committee on Finance and Revenue

Jim Woolwine, Business Manager, Capitol Hill Day School, testified on Monday, June 20th before the District of Columbia City Council Committee on Finance and Revenue. The Committee Chair, Council Member Jack Evans, Presided.

Stan Jackson, Project Manager, Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, DC Revenue Bond-Enterprise Zone Program, introduced the School's proposed tax exempt bond application and reviewed the clearance process that the School has completed.

Jim Woolwine's testimony stated that the School intends to utilize the bond proceeds to finance the renovation, equipping, and furnishing of the former Dent school Building, a 19th Century structure located at 210 South Carolina Avenue, SE.

There were no questions for Mr. Jackson or Mr. Woolwine from the Chair nor was there any public comment. The resolution will now proceed through mark-up and presentation for a vote before City Council which we expect will occur the week of July 18th.

Eve Corbin, Partner, Arent & Fox, LLC, assisted with the testimony.

Garfield Park Tune-Up

The DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) contract park maintenance crew stopped in Garfield Park to trim, weed, edge, and mulch the play equipment. The area looks great! Thanks DPR.

Garfield Park is a DC public park maintained with the help of the Friends of Garfield Park (FOGP), a 501(c)3 community group. The Capitol Hill Day School maintains the children's play equipment for the enjoyment of everyone.

Head of School on the Move

Head of School Jason Gray concluded graduation ceremonies for our eighth graders today, Friday, June 17th and, following a quick change of clothes, wrapped and boxed the remaining items his office. Priscilla Lund, Director of Admission, lends a helping hand.

The Head of School will be temporarily housed in the Conference Room, Level 3, 214 South Carolina Avenue, SE. His telephone number remains the same (202) 386-9925.

Voice and Data Communications

The School's telephone and data "frame room" in the Dent Building will be temporarily housed in the adjacent townhouse, 214 South Carolina Avenue, SE. Our long-time telephone partner, Clear Connections, Inc., is moving the mainframe and rewiring 214 to provide handset and data drops for the administrative and instructional support staff that will be relocated to the adjacent space. Dave and Tyrone are the men on the job. Ben was here earlier this week. Fortunately these gentlemen have the patience that working in our wonderful old buildings requires so they can get the job done. The cable lines in 214 are a work in progress!

We anticipate making the big "switch" from one building to another early in the week of June 27th.

Technology -- Pack-out Challenge

Mark Anderson, Paxton Van Lines, reviews our computer inventory with Galen Wenger, CITI Manager, to make sure that all the School's computers are inventoried and identified for interim use in the swing space, 1000 5th Street, SE; the adjacent townhouse, 214 South Carolina Avenue, SE; St. Mark's Episcopal Church for Summer Camp; or placed in temporary storage until we return to a renovated Dent School.

Galen was attentive, as well, to make sure that computers identified for replacement and the new computers we are ordering are integrated into the move scenario.

Emergency No Parking June 20 - 21, 2011

Capitol Hill Day School will restrict parking in front of the School on South Carolina Avenue, SE, and on 2nd Street, SE adjacent to the School on Monday and Tuesday, June 20-21 to enable Paxton Van Lines to pack us up and out!

Monday will be the last day for faculty. Monarc Construction, our contractor, will report on Tuesday June 21st to begin the building renovations.

And so ends academic year 2010-2011.

Financing Resolution Approved June 14, 2011

At its regular monthly meeting held Tuesday, June 14, 2011, the Board of Trustees approved a resolution authorizing the School to to issue tax-exempt revenue bonds in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $4.5 million to finance, refinance, or reimburse the School for all or a portion of the School’s cost to do the following, pursuant to a plan of finance (collectively, the “Project”):

(1) renovate, equip and furnish the School’s approximately 25,000 square foot Dent School Building (the “Building”) located at 210 South Carolina Avenue, S.E., Washington, D.C., including, but not limited to:

a. the addition of a secure reception area and modern science laboratory;
b. the enlarging of common areas and classrooms;
c. the provision of elevator access to all floors of the Building;
d. technological upgrades; and
e. the installation of a building-wide sprinkler system;

(2) fund, to the extent financeable, any working capital costs, capitalizable expenditures functionally related and subordinate to the Project, construction period interest, and any debt service reserve, if necessary or appropriate; and

(3) pay costs of issuance for the Bonds.

Eve Corbin, Partner, Arent and Fox LLC, the School's counsel in the financing process assisted with the presentation to the Board.

Library Packs Today - June 13, 2011

The Capitol Hill Day School Library has closed and today the men and women of Paxton Van Lines, Inc., are on site to pack and store most of the library and materials until we return to the Dent School in 2012. Many thanks to Thea Koehler, the School Librarian, for her diligent work preparing for the move, and, as you can see in the snapshots accompanying this post, she is actively supervising as well!

Kickoff for Construction -- June 22, 2011

Monarc Construction will report to work at the Dent School on Tuesday, June 22nd to begin our building renovation project.

Schedule:

Week of June 22 - June 24: Salvage Work -- Clean out all of the interior furniture, fixtures, remaining classroom items and detritus from the Dent Building. This is called the "Make Safe" phase.

Week of June 27 - July 1: Interior Demolition will begin. Footings will be dug. Interior structural steel will be delivered.

I will keep the schedule updated as many weeks in advance as is feasible.

Preconstruction Meeting June 7, 2011

 

One of many preconstruction meetings at Monarc Construction to conclude the design work for the Dent School Renovation Project. This meeting, June 7, 2011, focused on the design of the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) system. One of the principal goals of the renovation project is to improve our current heating and air conditioning system to include attaining a higher level of operating efficiency.

In this picture Ardi Love-Smalls and Marc Bellingham, Project Managers for Monarc Construction (on left), discuss the project specifications with Tom Bien, Project Manager, Capitol Hill Day School, Robin McGrew, Architect, cox graae + spaak, and Jim Van Hook, Operations Manager, Clover Contracting, Inc., the company that has been chosen to complete the "design build" HVAC component of the Building Project.

Jim is consulting with his firm's MEP (Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing) engineer on a technical issue that the design team posed.

Parking Restrictions -- 2nd St and SC Avenues

The School has requested Emergency No Parking -- Moving Vans for the following streets and dates:

South Carolina Avenue, in front of the School
500 block of 2nd Street, SE, adjacent to the School

Monday June 13
Tuesday June 14

Monday June 20
Tuesday June 21

If you have any questions please give the School a call -- (202) 547-2244