WTNH News Channel 8 / News / 1999

	Restored School Opens Months Late, But to Rave Reviews (Mystic-WTNH) _ After a long and frustrating wait Mystic Middle School is once again open for business. A $9 million renovation project going on at the school is finally complete and students are back in class. Unfortunately it's all happening about four months later than expected. News Channel 8's Peter Standring reports from our Southeastern Newsroom at The Day. At the Mystic Middle School it's like the first day of school all over again. After a four month absence students are returning to a building that's practically brand new. Bennett Brissette, Student: "I was just really amazed because everything was so different and it just looked beautiful!" Beautiful because they're just about finished with a $9 million renovation project here. The entire school has been made-over top to bottom. Sue Dumas, Principal: "Its very different, the old building was dark, it was a typical 1960s building that nothing really had been done to. It was clean but old." Now Mystic Middle has been made new again. The only problem? This transformation was expected four months ago. The building was supposed to be ready last August in time for the start of the school year. But construction crews had problems and obviously, there were delays. Students were bused to other schools and teachers like Andrea Nardone had to setup in gymnasiums and small portable classrooms. Andrea Nardone, Teacher: "Well, it was adventurous, we went through our moments of frustration... We had six classrooms there, no lockers, the kids were eating lunch outside in a tent." Now all the frustration has given way to delight. School officials say it's like a woman having a baby - in the end it's all worth it. Mike McKee, Superintendent: "The pains of what we go through... can be forgotten, because the outcome is so important, and so pleasing." Today's News Page. WTNH Home Page. ©1999 WTNH/WTNH-DT A LIN station.

Restored School Opens Months Late, But to Rave Reviews
(Mystic-WTNH) _ After a long and frustrating wait Mystic Middle School is once again open for business. A $9 million renovation project going on at the school is finally complete and students are back in class. Unfortunately it's all happening about four months later than expected.
News Channel 8's Peter Standring reports from our Southeastern Newsroom at The Day.

At the Mystic Middle School it's like the first day of school all over again. After a four month absence students are returning to a building that's practically brand new.

Bennett Brissette, Student: "I was just really amazed because everything was so different and it just looked beautiful!"

Beautiful because they're just about finished with a $9 million renovation project here. The entire school has been made-over top to bottom.

Sue Dumas, Principal: "Its very different, the old building was dark, it was a typical 1960s building that nothing really had been done to. It was clean but old."

Now Mystic Middle has been made new again. The only problem? This transformation was expected four months ago. The building was supposed to be ready last August in time for the start of the school year. But construction crews had problems and obviously, there were delays. Students were bused to other schools and teachers like Andrea Nardone had to setup in gymnasiums and small portable classrooms.

Andrea Nardone, Teacher: "Well, it was adventurous, we went through our moments of frustration... We had six classrooms there, no lockers, the kids were eating lunch outside in a tent."

Now all the frustration has given way to delight. School officials say it's like a woman having a baby - in the end it's all worth it.

Mike McKee, Superintendent: "The pains of what we go through... can be forgotten, because the outcome is so important, and so pleasing."

Today's News Page.

WTNH Home Page.