No one can ignore the new addition. It’s big, it’s loud, and helps contain thirteen hundred kids. The addition was added to the Rolla High School so an early child development program could be put in place. Something that came along with the new building was a change in placement of each grade level. Since ninth grade was added to the high school, all the ones beneath moved up by one. A lot of teachers had to move classrooms and even schools.

“It’s good. It was different. It’s a lot bigger than the Junior High, and there are a lot more people. But it’s good. Things are settling down,”  Math teacher Kylie Croft said.

Croft is a previous Junior High math teacher. She came over to the High School and has a classroom in the new addition. For the most part she likes the move.

“I mean, I really like a brand new room, so that’s really nice. I just feel like the first couple weeks I was super confused about everything. And it’s not that it was confusing, everything was just a little different than it was at the Junior High. So that was a stressful couple of weeks trying to figure out how everything went,” Croft said.

There were obviously some big differences between the two schools. Whether it was the actual building, or the students in it.

“Kid wise, the freshmen seem like they are really scared here [High School]. Whereas like at the Junior High, I only taught freshmen, so they seemed like they kind of knew what was going on. I guess it’s just because I’m comparing them to seniors now,” Croft said.

A new environment is a lot to adjust to, but Croft seems to be doing just fine.  

“I really like it. There’s a bathroom close to me, which the last two years I had to take a mini hike to get to one. I’d like plan bathroom breaks really specifically. But here, it’s just right there. And same with the printer and stuff. Not really far away, like at the Junior High,” Croft said.

At the previous school, Croft’s room was in the Memorial Hallway. When the new addition was built, all of the frames came over. Her room is right by the new hallway. It is safe to say she is completely okay with it.

“Super happy about that! I was in the Veterans Hallway at the Junior High and now I’m basically in it again. So we’re just going to be together forever. I like it a lot, I’m glad it came,” Croft said.

One of the main welders on the project was Guy Hallam. He worked with/for CSE Enterprise and personally with the owner, Nick.

“I’m a welder handyman. I do all different types of welding and farming stuff like fixing fences, weed eating, painting, and digging ditches,” Hallam said.

He worked on the new addition forty to fifty hours a week for about 3 months. His job was mainly structural welding which included kickers to the bar joists, bridging, and puddling welding down the roof. He wasn’t the only welder on the project though.

“They had a couple other younger guys. I was basically the old man, they called me. The other guys were like nineteen years old,” Hallam said.

Although Hallam was qualified for the job, it isn’t something he does as often as he used too.

“It’s a lot different since I moved to St. James and started my own business here. In my younger days I did a lot of structural welding. So yeah, it’s different than everyday thing,” Hallam said.

He was very pleased working on the new addition.

“I’m more used to working by myself so I had to work around a lot of people and more “chaos.” Always something happening and you always have to be looking out for the next guy, so totally different. But I enjoyed it,” Hallam said.

Let’s all say a huge thank you for the time, effort, and respect put into the new part of the school.

“I think it’s great addition. I started over in the wrestling room, which I here Rolla has a pretty good wrestling team. That was cool,” Hallam said.

Not everyone that was affected by the new addition necessarily had to have a room in, or build it. The principal of the Rolla Junior High School, Dr. Monica Fulton, had a big job to do as well.

“I was ready for kids and teachers to come back, so just having everything finally in a routine has been the best part of the whole move,” Dr. Fulton said.

As said before, a lot of teachers had to move classrooms and schools. A year ago a lot of them were hesitant about the change because they were unsure of exactly what was going on. They seem to have adjusted quite nicely now.

“They are doing well. They are excited to be at the Junior High. Many of the teachers are enjoying the fact that they have windows. But, they said the move has been the easiest thing they’ve ever done,” Dr. Fulton said.

Even though Dr. Fulton said that it was a pretty stress free change, there were still a lot of differences.

“Bringing the seventh grade into the school was a big change. I know it sounds crazy, but forgetting to teach them to walk up the hall was one main thing. If you don’t stay to the right, things become crazy. So that’s one of the things that we now realize we have to teach the kids to do,” Dr. Fulton said.

After talking with these people, the vibe is given that the addition is a pretty beneficial thing. After all, it was put in place to further help us succeed in our education and life.

“I think we have adapted very well. It’s our job to move you on and get you through school. Come back and visit,” Dr. Fulton said.