West Hartford Groundbreaking for Charter Oak International Academy

State and local officials joined with Charter Oak Academy students, parents, teachers and administrators on Thursday at the official Groundbreaking Celebration for Charter Oak International Academy, an International Baccalaureate (IB) school in West Hartford.

While numerous officials were on-hand to help celebrate the occasion, the students came first. The first half of the ceremony showcased children from every class, from pre-kindergarteners to fifth graders.

The two Student Council co-Presidents, fifth-graders Lydia and Nyssa, emphasized the school’s IB affiliation, and the inquiry based approach to learning.

“All day, every day, we incorporate positive learner profile traits and attitudes,” Lydia said. “It helps us connect with one another and connect with our curriculum.”

Nyssa added, “We all feel connected to people when we take action! Events like today’s groundbreaking ceremony bring our community together. Community makes everything better!

Many other students also participated in the ceremony; some confidently picked up the microphone and delivered inspiring presentations. Several played parts in a skit, where they delivered jokes about the things they wanted that won’t be added in the new construction, arising disappointment that while there will be numerous improvements, including outdoor classrooms, a new music room, study area, recording studio and global videoconferencing capabilities, there will be no chocolate fountains, nor slides next to the stairs.

“This has been a great school for the past 85 years,” Tom Moore, Superintendent of Schools, said. “It was great for your parents and grandparents, and now we’re moving into a new school that will have the same legacy; it will be great for your kids and your grandkids.”

And now, with expanded pre-kindergarten classes, the school will be able to accommodate the needs for much younger children of the town, as well.

West Hartford Mayor Scott Slifka also mentioned the school’s long history, noting that this will be the first new elementary school built in West Hartford since 1950.

“This school could have the most lasting impact of any project that’s taken place since I’ve been mayor,” Slifka said.

The new 86,000 square-foot school will replace the existing structure, which was erected in 1929 and had replaced the original one-room schoolhouse from the 1870s.

At the end of the ceremony, the students joined together, raising their voices in song. That was the signal for several of the dignitaries, as well as for seven students, one from each class, to grab shovels, move some dirt, and close the ceremony.

Charter Oak International Academy is an International Baccalaureate® World School, serving children in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. Charter Oak is one of two magnet schools in West Hartford. Magnet public schools offer special instruction and programs not available elsewhere, designed to attract a more diverse student body from throughout the school district.

Like all International Baccalaureate schools, Charter Oak provides a unique, inquiry based learning experience. Students become immersed in traditional and global studies as active participants, leading discussions and posing questions. For more information, visit this website.