By Hannah Curran, Editor
MOODY — Moody Middle School (MMS) hosted the groundbreaking ceremony for their new PE facility/playground area on Friday, January 28.
Moody wanted to ensure that the students were involved with the groundbreaking ceremony because it directly impacted them and their schools.
“At the end of the day, what we do is all about students; it’s everything, every decision that I make on a daily basis; how does this affect 700 students?” Moody High School (MHS) Principal Dr. Chris Walters said. “You want to do what’s right for them and what’s best for them and help them figure out what is their dream and how do you go achieve your dream. So if you’re able to support them with resources, now they can see what those dreams are, and they can go dream big and go get whatever it is they want to do. People don’t realize that Moody’s had graduated film directors and Big Als and all of these things, but this now allows them to see what do I want to do and how do I go make it happen.”
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MMS Principal Brett Causey explained that the student body as a whole doesn’t have a space where they can play outside, and while they do utilize different areas around the school, MMS doesn’t have a designated space for the children to play or have class outside. The goal is to have the PE facility/playground area finished by the end of the school year so that the students can use that space before the summer break.
“It gives us options, and it’s a game-changer for the students of MMS on a daily basis,” Causey said.
MMS will install an outdoor PE facility/playground area behind the school, including equipment, fencing, a basketball court, and an ADA-compliant playground for special needs students. In addition, the 15 millage increase allows an outdoor classroom and a STEM lab.
“We have a couple of different projects going on, right behind the main building of the school will be a huge multipurpose field with a track around it, there’ll be a basketball court that’s painted and decorated, just like the kids like it to be, there’ll be an area for physical fitness, and an obstacle course, kind of an area where they can work on their own physical fitness that way,” Causey said. “In the middle of the building, there’ll be a space for outdoor classrooms and places to meet and eat in the shade and shelter from the weather. Then on the opposite side of the building, there’ll be a specialized playground for our special needs group with an ADA compliant playground area with a poured rubber surface and equipment filled specifically for them, a place for them to go where they can get outside and do things.”
Superintendent Mike Howard explained that it is essential for the community to see that Moody is fulfilling the promises made during the campaign.
“By breaking ground today, we’re able to show that we are moving forward with the projects that we have intended to move forward with,” Howard said. “We’re hopeful that some of these projects will be completed for the end of this school year, so the current students will benefit from it.”
Not only do the MMS students get to experience the new playground, but they also get to be the first group to experience the new MHS, which is expected to be completed in the next two years.
“Moody’s passing ad valorem taxes is a really big deal for the town, and mainly because they’re able to personally invest in the students within their community,” Howard said. “I’m still heartbroken for the other areas that were not able to pass this time. But I know that there’s been a lot of talk about future plans of trying to get on a new ballot. So I have full confidence that we’ll see this continue to grow as St. Clair County moves forward, and I couldn’t be happier for the students.”
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Walters explained that he is proud of his community for understanding the importance of the ad valorem and how it benefits the kids in Moody.
“It means a tremendous amount about what they want out of their community,” Walter said. “They know they value education, they know it’s a critical part of small towns and growing towns and what Moody has been and wants to become, and so it’s just awesome to see that they want more, they want their kids to have more, they want them to advance into the world and continue to be better than than the past generation.”
Walters said while the new football field is a part of the ad valorem, the weight room, and the field house facility is Coach Jake Ganus’ vision. The weight room and the field house will be built through funds that are raised and funds that MHS already has in the school account and booster account.
“The field house and weight room is not a part of the ad valorem increase,” Walers said.
The official groundbreaking for the new MHS will be Friday, April 29, 2o22, at 10 a.m.