If you’ve ever had to move out of your childhood home, you know the feeling of packing up an entire lifetime of memories. Losing your classroom is a similar feeling. With the renovation plans coming to North Penn High School, many teachers in K-pod learned that they would be packing away their classrooms at the end of this school year.
While they aren’t leaving the building, just moving to a different room, it’s still a bittersweet moment to leave your home of the past 5, 10, 15, and even 20 years. The renovation of K-pod, and then further, the rest of the building, will hopefully bring a more modern look to the school.
“I’ve been here 20 years, and I’ve taught in K-pod, various rooms, for probably 13 or 14 of those years. It definitely feels a little bit like leaving home,” North Penn English and yearbook teacher Mrs. Lisa Lawler reflected. “There’s a vibe in K-pod, it’s totally different from the rest of the building. I think it has a lot to do with the wall of windows and the natural light. It’s comfortable and it’s calm, and that’s what I think we all love so much about it.”
Currently K-pod is a mix of all different subject areas; English, History, Science, and Art, but with the renovation it will eventually move to be a Math and Science only area. The hope for the next 5 or so years of renovation is that all classrooms will eventually be the same style and have the same “vibe” that K-pod currently has.
“I’ve taught 21 years in this room, going back to the time when I was a very young third year teacher. There’s so many memories and so many great times within these four walls, and I would like to say that a lot of those great times and great memories shaped a lot of lives. And if these walls could talk, they would tell a lot of wonderful stories from the past 21 years,” Knight Crier advisor and English teacher Mr. Kevin Manero stated.
While it’s a big change for many teachers, it’s not life-ending. Teachers will continue to teach, continue to shape students, and continue on as they always have, just in a different space.
“Teaching is teaching,” North Penn History teacher Ms. Jami Behm explained. “I don’t think it really matters where you are necessarily in the building. There’s obviously more disruptions in E-pod than there is in K-pod, but, you know, overall when you shut the door in the classroom, it’s you and the students. And you know, you’re going to go and do the best job that you can, I think, in any environment and I believe every teacher is going to do that.”
While it will be an adjustment at first, the outcome will be beneficial to all teachers and students at North Penn. During this coming summer and the 2025-2026 school year, only K-pod will be touched before moving through the rest of the building.
“I think the feedback has been very good. Everybody we presented to has really I think been pretty positive about the project. I think we struck a nice middle ground where for the building we’re adding some additions and through doing that we’re really updating and upgrading the way students and staff can go through the building. So it should really reduce the traffic in the building. But at the same point it’s not an extravagant renovation,” Administrator of renovations Dr. Pete Nicholson explained. “I really do believe the current project and what we’re embarking on is that something in between. It’s not the bare bones renovation where nothing else happens and we just replace systems and the look and feel of the building doesn’t change. But it’s not hundreds of thousands of square feet and everything that maybe would have been able to be included with ninth grade moving to the high school, because we’re not increasing the number of students.”
With many months of back and forth between the district and the community, they’ve finally found a middle ground that will benefit all in the long run. That being said, it will still be a difficult adjustment for the many teachers being moved to new classrooms, or temporary classrooms.
“I think I have one of the best classrooms in the entire building. I love my windows and my view, but at the same time, it’s just a classroom and it’s not my classroom,” North Penn High School English teacher Mrs. Carrie Dixon reflected. “I think I’m in denial. Nothing has been moved off my walls, nothing has been packed. Everybody tells me I’m moving and I haven’t done anything for it. No classroom I have is even going to come close to being as nice as this one.”
With just 17 school days left in the 2024-2025 school year, many K-pod teachers can be found packing up their classrooms and getting ready for a new start. Make sure to check out the view from third floor k-pod before the year ends.
“I’ve been fortunate to have windows that open. I’ve been fortunate to be able to see beautiful sunrises. I’ve been fortunate to feel the spring breeze come through the window. I’ve been fortunate to see the snow fall and begin to cover the parking lot in hopes of an early dismissal. I’ve seen it all from the third floor of K-pod and I’m going to miss it.” Manero concluded.
