Bulldog News

Center opens for first full year

Monday, September 22, 2008

Hillside is celebrating the opening of our new Academic & Health Center for its first full academic year.

“We’re delighted to open the doors of our newest facility for the entire 2008-2009 school term,” states Hillside School Headmaster David Z. Beecher.

First opening its doors in March of this year, the new Academic & Health Center adds significantly to Hillside’s classroom and program space.

The new building includes fitness and activity rooms; a wrestling/multi-purpose room; nine new classrooms, three of which are science labs; a state-of-the-art health center; plus offices for administrators, health and wellness and counseling programs.

The building itself makes expert use of light and space to create a modern, comfortable learning environment for students.

A prominent feature of the Academic & Health Center is the utilization of the latest green technology in both its construction and maintenance.

Among the building’s green features are the implementation of recycled materials in the center’s flooring, ceiling tiles, window blinds and acoustic tiles; and a geothermal energy system which pumps cool water, stored in wells below ground, throughout the building’s piping system.

The geothermal energy system significantly reduces energy costs by making it possible to spend far less on cooling the new building in the summer and heating it in the winter.

Meanwhile, the building’s innovative “green roof” design will someday make it possible to grow grasses and other greenery on the Center’s roof, thereby further reducing heating and cooling costs.

“In many ways, the new Academic & Health Center is representative of Hillside’s continuing growth and commitment toward achieving excellence in junior boarding school education,” notes Headmaster David Z. Beecher.

He adds: “For this reason, we are especially grateful to our many friends and supporters who have made possible this milestone in Hillside history.”

Hillside School's new Academic & Health Center