Students will enter a new Talawanda High School building Aug. 20 and step into a new era for the district.

With technology advancements, enhanced security, energy conservation innovations and the look and smell of a new building many will be amazed. But at its core, the new facility is just a tool for providing a strong educational opportunity for those students.

New principal Tom York said the building is geared to teach the students of the 21st century with technology and tools needed to provide what they need.

“(This building) mirrors what it has to be for this generation and what they are exposed to out of school,” York said. “The things kids are learning have not changed a bit. The things we emphasize are different from the things 25 or 30 years ago, but are still the same. What’s changed is the way we deliver it.”

And this new high school is designed to provide a great delivery system, he said.

York speaks from experience. He was a student in the old Talawanda High School, graduating in 1969. He said he was fortunate to be an administrator at all levels from kindergarten through high school in his career. He has also served as a superintendent for 15 years but wanted to get back to a building-level job to be closer to where the education is happening.

“This building facilitates this kind of teaching and this faculty exemplifies that style of teaching,” he said.

York said when he was a student in the original Talawanda High School building, learning was different.

“Technology was not even on the horizon,” he said. “This building is full of technology. There are Smart Boards in every classroom. Technology is one of the biggest changes.”

The science department may be the most visible improvement in the new building over the old.

“(The old building) had one or two chemistry labs,” the principal said. “It was limited. Science labs were not available like today.”

Retired Talawanda High School principal and coach Marvin Wilhelm agreed. His list of the top three differences between the two buildings includes the science area, although every area will be better.

“Science classrooms are well-equipped, providing top-notch facilities for progress in the science program,” Wilhelm said.

Classroom safety in the science labs is an important consideration in planning the rooms, Wilhelm said, calling the science area “so lacking in the old high school.”

He said the new facility will motivate students to work and make strides in their education.

“I think the kids are ready,” Wilhelm said. “I’ve talked to them. They are delighted and overwhelmed with what they are seeing.”

He said the new facility will draw some talented students back into the district, explaining, “I know of five who are coming back from Badin High School. The students we are getting back are good students.”

York praised those who planned the new building and ticked off several areas where facilities are greatly improved in addition to science.

“The Vo Ag space is unbelievable. The band room is out of sight. The art area is amazing,” he said. “The auditorium is state-of-the-art. The kids can learn and perform and set themselves up for college.”

Returning to the theme of the building as a tool, York recalled a math teacher when he was in school who gave assignments at the start of class and then roamed through the room helping students who needed it.

“That style fit the kids of that generation. Today, we know kids learn best when they hear it and see it and do it. It’s more hands-on and the kids take it away with them. It permeates all of life today,” he said using the example of a poster he saw at a Bass Pro Shop, which said, “If you tell me, I’ll remember it a day. If you show me, I’ll remember it a week. If you let me do it, I’ll remember it for life.”

Safety and security were a top concern in planning the new building and York said the feeling of security is important to learning, too.

“I don’t know how far we were in safety and security of the old building, but we have that here,” he said. All doors from the outside will be locked during school hours and entrance can only be gained through main entrance and the office area or with the identification cards students and staff will have. “It’s not been important except in the last 12 years.”

Wilhelm echoed that, saying, “The biggest element of the whole building, the number one, is safety for all students—security, cameras, the sprinkler system and the overall concerns related to safety of students. It’s a high priority.”

Air conditioning may be considered a comfort issue by some, but York and Wilhelm agreed it is also an educational tool.

“It’s a healthy environment with air flow through the building to allow teachers and students to be successful,” Wilhelm said.

York agrees.

“We endured (the heat),” he said. “When you come to school and sit and sweat, it is difficult to learn. It does affect learning for sure.”

Technology, of course, has been increasing in schools and Talawanda has not been an exception. The new building, however, takes it many steps forward over what students are used to. He said computers are teaching tools. Past school policy has been that phones must be turned off during school hours. That will change in the new Talawanda High School.

“We have ports and will encourage kids to bring their own devices,” he said holding up his own Smart Phone. “(Most students) have these. The teacher will be able to tell them to get this out and do their research of whatever they are doing that day. That’s a neat thing we are doing. We are entering into new territory.”