Building the Future of SSIS: A New Home for Upper Elementary

With a celebratory groundbreaking ceremony, the transformation of our former middle school building into a state-of-the-art new Upper Elementary building is official! Starting next school year, the new state-of-the-art learning environment will house grades 4 and 5.

The celebration kicked off with enthusiastic Grade 5 students Nate and Dong Tra (far left, cover image above) confidently welcoming our distinguished guests. We couldn’t have been prouder to have them emceeing the entire event. 

As guests made their way into the gymnasium, they sat beneath the exposed concrete beams of the familiar red-roofed building. Once the only structure on our campus, it now stands as a symbol of our school’s journey and growth, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter for our community.Alumni Shaping the Next Chapter

Attendees of the Groundbreaking included students from Grades 4 and 5, along with representatives from our construction partners, including Phu My Hung and Boho. Owned and operated by SSIS alum Luke Nguyen, Class of 2009, Boho is leading the design of the new Upper Elementary. 

“It’s meaningful to be here, in the spaces where I once played, and to now contribute to the next chapter of SSIS. I'm thrilled to see students so involved in the celebrations,” Luke shared as he arrived at the ceremony.

Strengthening Our Unified Campus

Our school’s unified campus has always set us apart, making it easy for students to transition at each stage of their learning journey. With this new space, our 4th and 5th graders will have an environment that bridges childhood curiosity with adolescent growth, perfectly supporting their development.

Just like our recently opened buildings, the new Upper Elementary School will prioritize design elements that inspire creativity, encourage collaboration, and support exploration and active learning. 

The inviting main entrance will open up onto the front field, further emphasizing the unified campus.

"I'm really excited about the opportunities these beautiful bright spaces will provide for our students. In addition to the Grade 4 and 5 classrooms, there will be multiple new learning spaces where all of our Elementary School students can grow, explore, and become independent, collaborative, and responsible learners,” shared ES Principal Melanie Sylvester.

Exciting Features for Young Learners

Here are some of the exciting spaces our students can look forward to:

• STEAM Floor: An entire top floor dedicated to STEAM, with art classrooms and a Makerspace with innovative hands-on learning and research area equipped for various projects, including robotics and design thinking.
• Flexible Classrooms and Meeting Spaces: Grade 4 and 5 classrooms featuring flexible seating arrangements and retractable walls designed to encourage collaboration and dynamic learning experiences.
• Dedicated Grade-level Breakout Rooms: Facilitating small-group discussions and collaborative work.
• Library: A new elementary school library that includes a dedicated classroom for instructional support, allowing students to continue working on research projects and browse through our diverse and exciting collection of books.
• Drama Room: A dedicated space for elementary drama and performing arts, for elementary students to express themselves through various performance forms.
• Digital Studio: A creative environment where students have hands-on opportunities to produce and develop media projects, like podcasts, videos, and voice-overs.

Investing in Our Students’ Future

As a not-for-profit institution, everything we do revolves around creating the best possible learning environment for our students. With the transformation of the Upper Elementary, we’re excited to offer even more opportunities for hands-on learning and collaboration, just like we’ve seen in our newly opened STEAM Design Center and new Middle School.

“What our parents are seeing, and our community understands, is the SSIS difference. A difference supported by our Board and our Strategic Plan, that ensures that each investment we make is an investment in our students’ futures,” shared Head of School Dr. Catriona Moran.

Already students are making use of the existing Makerspace, designing and building solar ovens, and learning, from a very early age, how they can impact change. It’s this kind of creativity and curiosity that the new Upper Elementary spaces will continue to nurture.

As we look towards the grand opening of the Upper Elementary School next summer, we can't wait to see how these new spaces will inspire our students to dream bigger, learn deeper, and continue shaping the SSIS community.