Fifth and sixth grade students attending Seymour Intermediate School this year are the first to occupy the building, so they are part of history in the making.
The school previously was the Seymour Middle School Sixth Grade Center and was part of the most recent Seymour Community School Corp. construction project.
Construction for the intermediate school focused on adding additional classrooms, improving band and choir areas and constructing a new cafeteria with adequate seating.
The plans also included a gymnasium designed with enough space to allow athletic competitions with spectators and student body assemblies.
Assistant Principal Kelly Wilson said they were expecting around 840 students this year. On Aug. 11, the gymnasium was packed with all of the students, staff members and faculty for a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Principal Loriann Wessel addressed the group, explaining the importance of the day.
“Seymour Intermediate opened up on Aug. 9, 2023, for the first time,” Wessel said. “You guys are the first class of fifth- and sixth-graders that are able to be called Seymour Intermediate students.”
She said they were gathered together to celebrate the new school and announced some special guests from the school district who had come to participate in the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Superintendent Brandon Harpe then walked out to meet Wessel in the middle of the gym, carrying a giant pair of scissors, which brought some “Oohs” and “Aahs” from the students.
“When we do a ribbon-cutting ceremony, we are basically saying that we are opening our doors for the very first time,” Wessel said. “You guys are going to go down in history as that first class of students and teachers here.”
A ribbon was then stretched out, and Wessel cut it, causing cheers to erupt from the students and staff.
Before dismissing students back to their classes, Wessel announced they would be getting their lockers Aug. 14, and she reminded them their motto this year is “SOAR.”
“S stands for safe, O is organized, A is for achieving and R is for respectful,” she said.
Harpe said it has been exciting to see the intermediate school go from a concept on paper to a brick-and-mortar reality.
“The additions of modern, flexible learning spaces as well as continued school safety upgrades will benefit our students for years to come,” he said. “The ribbon cutting was a neat milestone to kick off the new year. We will have a more formal dedication and open house in November that the public will be invited to be a part of.”