District 204 prepares to open third high school

It's quite likely there's only one group more excited about putting its mark on Metea Valley Valley School than the students - the teachers.

Faculty members recently got their first look at their classrooms and immediately began moving in and putting personal touches on the sparkling white walls of the new Indian Prairie Unit District 204 school.

The $124 million complex at 1801 N. Eola Road is the third high school - along with Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley - in the district that covers portions of Naperville, Aurora, Plainfield and Bolingbrook.

It opens Thursday and is expected to house roughly 1,250 freshmen and sophomores. Juniors will be added next year and then seniors a year later.

The 465,000-square-foot building, situated on roughly 87 acres, will have a maximum capacity of 3,000 students.

Social studies teacher Aaron B. Lewis also will be the boys' track coach this season, but his first week in August was spent organizing his classroom, hanging posters and arranging desks.

He's been through a similar drill before, most recently in 2004 when he was part of the staff that opened the new Grayslake North High School.

"This is really a unique experience for me because I've opened another high school previously and I understand the newness factor that's behind it," Lewis said. "I'm sure the students will be excited to be in a brand new high school and I know the staff is excited."

Lewis said it was nice to be in the school more than a week before opening day. He'll know his way around and be better organized than he was in 2004 when teachers were only allowed in Grayslake North the Friday before school opened.

"The construction crews and the administration have done a great job making sure everything is on time and the transition has been as smooth as possible," he said.

The transition for art teacher Karen Popovich will be slightly less dramatic. She has worked in both elementary and middle schools in the district, most recently as an art teacher for eight years at Hill Middle School.

"I'm really looking forward to seeing these students, some of whom I've known since sixth grade, grow as artists and individuals," Popovich said while unpacking materials for the five art classrooms.

"The first step is getting everything in the right location. The other art teachers have been in here this week starting that process. Then, once the furniture comes in, it gets to be exciting to put everything where we want it and learn how the space is going to work."

As for personal touches, Lewis said he intends to hang a variety of inspirational posters and student work. Popovich said she just wants her art classrooms to be "visually appealing," which shouldn't be hard with all five art classrooms opening into a courtyard designed to stimulate and motivate students.

During the first few days of class, everyone, including teachers, can expect to be slightly overwhelmed by the new environment, but Lewis said the honeymoon may be short.

"I think the staff will dictate any honeymoon or 'wow' period trying to get students to refocus on the purpose of being in school, which is to receive an education. This staff will do a good job of that," he said. "We want to use the new building and all the new equipment and facilities to educate the students to the best of our abilities. We're already in discussions about how to do that because we really have a unique opportunity to create a culture that is our own, apart from Neuqua (Valley) or Waubonsie Valley."