Posted 11:14 pm Monday, February 18, 2013
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Boarding house to double private school's bunk space
BY EMILY GUEVARA
eguevara@tylerpaper.com
A new boarding house under construction at The Brook Hill School in Bullard will serve to expand the campus community.
eguevara@tylerpaper.com
A new boarding house under construction at The Brook Hill School in Bullard will serve to expand the campus community.
The house, which is scheduled to open this fall, will accommodate 40 students once complete, meaning it will double the size of the boarding community. The new house will serve girls with the existing two houses used for 40 boys.
Shawn Rhoads, Brook Hill’s director of residential life and international programs, said the boarding program is open to domestic and international students in eighth through 12th grades.
Rhoads said the vision founder Steve Dement had all along was to offer a great education to international students, but also give them an opportunity to grapple with the gospel and scripture and let them come to their own conclusions about the claims of Christ.
“It’s been a fruitful program,” he said.
Rhoads said the school is at capacity with its current boarding facilities and decided to move forward with this project after a lull in construction on campus.
The new 17,000-plus-square-foot house will have 10 residential suites, each accommodating four students, according to a Brook Hill news release. Each suite will have its own sitting area, bathroom with double showers and vanities, and two bedrooms.
The bedrooms will have a desk, wardrobe, double bookshelf system and beds with reading sconce lighting, according to the news release.
Downstairs, the house will have a large kitchen with utility-island and an attached walk-in pantry with individual food lockers.
Laundry facilities, a study area and an infirmary suite also will be built in. An activity parlor, large enough for the entire boarding community, will have areas for dining, socializing, reading and relaxing, according to the news release.
Butler Architectural Group has designed the house and RPR Construction Co. is building it.
Rhoads said the vision founder Steve Dement had all along was to offer a great education to international students, but also give them an opportunity to grapple with the gospel and scripture and let them come to their own conclusions about the claims of Christ.
“It’s been a fruitful program,” he said.
Rhoads said the school is at capacity with its current boarding facilities and decided to move forward with this project after a lull in construction on campus.
The new 17,000-plus-square-foot house will have 10 residential suites, each accommodating four students, according to a Brook Hill news release. Each suite will have its own sitting area, bathroom with double showers and vanities, and two bedrooms.
The bedrooms will have a desk, wardrobe, double bookshelf system and beds with reading sconce lighting, according to the news release.
Downstairs, the house will have a large kitchen with utility-island and an attached walk-in pantry with individual food lockers.
Laundry facilities, a study area and an infirmary suite also will be built in. An activity parlor, large enough for the entire boarding community, will have areas for dining, socializing, reading and relaxing, according to the news release.
Butler Architectural Group has designed the house and RPR Construction Co. is building it.
Brook Hill’s boarding program is 10 years old, six years younger than the school. Rhoads said it adds to the educational experience for all students. The day students get the opportunity to sit next to students from all across the world and the international students get a U.S. education, which opens up doors for them after high school.
Students from more than 30 countries have attended Brook Hill. The current boarding community comes from Vietnam, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, China, United States and Thailand. There also is a Native American student who boards.
Brook Hill has about 300 students combined in upper and middle schools, so once the house is complete, they should have 80 boarding students.
Rhoads said the international awareness that Brook Hill students will have will be an advantage as they move forward with their education and careers. He said it also serves to tear down racial barriers that might otherwise exist.
“The opportunity is there for there to be racial divisions, but you don’t see it,” he said. “Just that there are students from all over the world here, already conscious and unconscious, it affects how our students are understanding life and the global community.”
Students from more than 30 countries have attended Brook Hill. The current boarding community comes from Vietnam, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, China, United States and Thailand. There also is a Native American student who boards.
Brook Hill has about 300 students combined in upper and middle schools, so once the house is complete, they should have 80 boarding students.
Rhoads said the international awareness that Brook Hill students will have will be an advantage as they move forward with their education and careers. He said it also serves to tear down racial barriers that might otherwise exist.
“The opportunity is there for there to be racial divisions, but you don’t see it,” he said. “Just that there are students from all over the world here, already conscious and unconscious, it affects how our students are understanding life and the global community.”
