Sustain Campaign

The Weekly 3 - Construction Updates

September 18-

• The Building Addition floor was poured Tuesday. Then on Thursday, red lines appeared where our walls will be erected. Steel framing arrived today so walls will begin going up next week! 
• Two hot water pumps were delivered. They will be installed soon along with classroom registers. These are critical pieces of our new HVAC system. 
• The front entry steel will be delivered Monday, so the foundation and structural steel will begin next week. 

September 15-

• Footings and piers are now in place at the front entry. The current front entry area makes it difficult to imagine the new secure, inspiring front entry. Stay tuned for more. 
• On the other hand, we can now clearly see the floor layout of the classroom addition. The shear wall framing is gone. A thick layer of gravel and a green-colored vapor barrier are complete. The vapor barrier is just what it says: a thick membrane designed to stop moisture from coming through the concrete. 
• Boiler Room improvements continue. 

We have provided a Sustain Campaign update to our families recently. It is available to view as a Sustain Campaign Highlight.

September 8-

• The Classroom Addition footings and pier supports are completed. Underground plumbing has been set.  Its foundational floor will be poured soon so that the walls can be erected. 
• This week, students in grades 2-8 were given an exclusive construction tour by KBS project superintendent Tim Burton.  He explained the dimensions and design of the storm shelter shear wall.  Our storm shelter is designed to withstand 240 mph winds. 
• The Sustain Campaign has raised an impressive $5,343,830 for the construction project and an additional $745,000 restricted to the Endowment. For over forty years, Topeka Collegiate has brought together families who seek a culture of excellence for children. Each gift from school friends, near and far, makes this project a reality and is inspiring.  Thank you!

September 1-

• All footings and foundation for the building addition are poured and completed.
• The underground plumbing for the addition is approximately 50% completed. 
• The rebar for our Storm Shelter space is in place. Rebar is a short term for “reinforcement bar” which is a bar used to help increase the tensile strength of concrete.
   

August 25- The word of the week was HOT. During the week of extreme temperature's our construction teams continued to make progress.  We appreciate them very much. 

• A Thank You to  Donors wall was installed.  Each student and staff member left their handprint as a way of saying thank you to everyone for making this project a reality. The wall is a temporary wall. When removed it will lead to our new collaboration spaces, nooks, classrooms, and new entryways to the Courtyard.  
• The new front entry will have a striking and unique appearance. Pier footings for the steel columns have been created.  We have included a photo one of the holes, with a 6 foot ladder to illustrate the size.   
• The ground has been prepped for the shear wall for the building addition. The view from our 5th grade classroom allows us to see the outline of the school. 

August 18-  We started school this week.  It was great to have our students and families back on campus.  

• All ceiling grids, tile, and ductwork were completed and in place for the start of school. KBS and the sub-contractors are living up to their exceptional reputation. 
• The Fire Marshall inspected our campus and we earned a Pass.
• The walkway connecting the Early Childhood hallway and the Lower School Hallway was a hit with our students.   Classes took tours of the campus to become more familiar with accessible areas and spaces that are off-limits.   Some students were asking if they could paint and decorate the Walkway, so faculty are going to work on that idea. Sounds like fun!

August 11

• Teachers returned this week! It has been so much fun catching up with them. Many of them traveled (three traveled internationally), one got married, and all were super excited about our Sustain Campaign Construction. They took a tour of the construction on Wednesday. All classrooms have their new fire and tornado maps posted for review with kids next week.  All classes will take a tour of the campus and discuss the changes.  
• The hallway lights are in place. All classrooms have temporary air conditioning units and are prepared for the new HVAC system installation.
• The East side of our campus has been busy with large equipment, moving dirt in and out, and getting everything ready for the building addition's "pad." We uploaded a photo taken from the Commons looking at the Eagle Foyer door. Students will be interested to know the bird's nest is still there from the Spring. The black asphalt is gone, making way for the new addition's collaboration spaces! 
   

August 4 

• The school's front entry and office areas were removed this week to make room for our new secure and welcoming new entry.   Mr. Flax's was in a bit of shock to see that his old office was gone, but he is eager for the new entry.  Members of our Board of Trustees and Steering Committee came onsite for a tour.  Rest assured, we will be ready for students' first day of school on August 16.   
• The hallways' ceiling grids are being installed and duct work is mostly complete.  
• We were so excited to our Chimney Swift Tower put into place this week. WIBW covered this collaborative project with the Topeka Audubon Society.  Ms. Robinson and Ms. Grey lead this project and our Eagle Orchard Project.   

July 28       We concluded our Summer Blast! programs this week.  It was a great seeing so many students from around the area enjoying themselves, learning new things, and making new friends. This week resulted in significant progress to the construction project:

• Our front door, foyer, and office area has been gutted with some walls removed.  The crane is place to remove the roof next week.
• All classroom registers have been removed and unneeded floor HVAC holes have been filled in.  
• All hallway ceilings have been removed along with its lights.  The skylights have been renovated with new casings and fresh paint. They look so nice!