By ALIZEIA GANIBAN
The Tower
There is a new building for Manteca High School that is currently in construction and is scheduled to be toured by staff in the spring.
New construction on campus continues getting closer to completion, students eager to see what’s inside (Alizeia Ganiban/The Tower)
From the outside, when you peek through the cyclone fencing, it’s an awesome sight on the west side of campus: Multiple floors, strong materials, and new spaces for learning and growth.
The new building is a thing most people in the community are excited about. It represents a new chapter for both the teachers and students.
With completion fast-approaching, the staff of Manteca High can look forward to being involved in a place that will inspire their work and strengthen their support for the students who also put in their hard work every day.
Manteca High teacher Matthew Eavenson is one of the teachers slated to move into the new building. He’s currently teaching in a portable near the baseball field, but that space has been designated as the site for the school’s new tennis courts.
He hopes the new space will expand upon his already unique learning environment.
“I’m hoping to bring more opportunities for student learning with a new environment,” Eavenson said. “I think that the portables that I’m currently in make learning not nearly as fun, so I’m hoping that an actual classroom makes it for the purpose of learning for the kids in my class.”
Eavenson knows that people are excited to see the developments of Manteca High, but he’s also seen that people are sad to see the old school gone.
“Change is scary, change is different,” he said. “But change can also be helpful. I see a lot of people in the community hopeful to see this.”
With the hope of improvement, student Malea Torres hopes a new space means new teaching methods and learning experiences.
“It could improve our daily school lives by providing new learning experiences for me and the other students,” Torres said.
The new building will also help with the congestion on campus. With a majority of the classrooms on the east side of campus, the V building and 100-wing hallway have become the major thoroughfares.
“The 100 wing and the V wing get so crowded at times,” Torres said, “They should find a way to expand the hallway.”
Eavenson hopes the new building will make his classroom easier to find. He feels tucked away in the portables.
“I think it’s kind of hard to find. I’d like to have a classroom with more visibility, especially for the Lego Club,” he said. “I think some people don’t know exactly where room P2 is.
“So, I’m going to be happy with where my classroom is, but I do miss my old classroom. It was actually in a very good spot. I am also very excited to be back in a real classroom again; to be in a real area of the school.”