Sharp-eyed Ravens coming back to school this week will no doubt quickly notice the most visible summer project done at Ravenscroft this summer: building on the work done on the A.E. Finley Activity Center last year, the exteriors of Holding Hall Lower School and the Middle School have been painted gray, giving a fresh, modern look to two of the campus’s oldest and hardest-working buildings. But that’s not all that was on the Facility Department’s summer to-do list. 

Keep reading to learn what else is new this year — and what exciting updates are still to come!

Buildings and Grounds

In addition to the stucco repair and painting of the buildings noted above, Director of Facilities Chris Farrow managed several other important projects around campus, including:

• New paver strips (brick inlays between the panels of concrete) in the sidewalks around campus that keep the walking surface level and minimize the risk of trips

• New bluestone pavers around the base of the Murphy Family Bell Tower

• Coming soon: Completion of stucco repair and painting of the Lower School Fine Arts Center and Richards Hall, giving all of the original campus buildings an updated look

• Coming soon: New mulch on the cross-country trails, courtesy of D&J Logging of Raleigh

In addition, interior work completed by the Facilities team included:

• Installation of the soon-to-be very popular pizza station in the dining hall of the Olander Center for Student Life

• Installation of a larger dishwasher in the Olander Center dining hall, eliminating the need for single-use plates and utensils at lunch

• Repairs to drywall and a fresh of paint in Pugh Lobby in the Fine Arts Center

• Repainting of multiple classrooms and office spaces

Eagle Scout Projects

Farrow also shared a shout-out to three Ravens whose Eagle Scout service projects benefit the school:

• Malek Mustafa ’23 built several outdoor benches for the Middle School.

• Kyle Coats ’24 built and installed several benches along the cross-country trails.

• Robert Wright ’26 built two picnic tables for Holding Circle.

Thank you to these Ravens for their generosity and dedication!

Technology Services

The Library & Technology Services team kept busy this summer, too. Among other updates and installations, IT Specialist Michael Rivera explained, was upgrading some well-used classroom tech.

“During the summer, we undertook the important project of replacing legacy projectors in classrooms across the campus,” he said. “Specifically, four Lower School classrooms and three Middle School classrooms, which had outdated Smart UF55 projectors (released in 2008), were upgraded with state-of-the-art 86" NEC Collaborative Boards. These boards come preloaded with interactive whiteboard and wireless presentation software, ensuring an easy-to-use and quick setup experience.

“The Upper School also benefited from this technology upgrade,” he added. “Their Smart projector was replaced with an LG 85" TV in one of the study room areas on the Math Department hall. The LG TV is equipped with wireless capabilities, further enhancing the teaching and learning environment.”

Protective Services

Director of Protective Services Tommy Vestal continued his work over the summer to make sure Ravens stay informed about safety no matter where they are on campus. The Alertus emergency notification system introduced last year has been bolstered by the installation of new speakers around campus — including in the Olander and Finley Centers, the Fine Arts Center, the wrestling practice facility in Richards Hall, and the Lower School Fine Arts Center as well as on outdoor practice and playing fields — so that students, faculty and staff, and visitors can be notified during a drill or emergency.

Still to come is a weather station that will be mounted on the roof of the Auxiliary Gym in the Finley Center to alert people on our athletic fields if there is a weather situation that requires moving indoors quickly.

In addition, key-card access systems are being installed in the Fine Arts Center, Richards Hall and the Lower School Fine Arts Center.

Thank you to all of the staff members, contractor partners and our three Eagle Scouts for their hard work over the summer to help get things ready for the new school year!