Since the summer, a school improvement project has been taking place at Laurel Ledge Elementary School in Beacon Falls. The project includes installations of corridors to connect buildings, new roofs, new bathrooms, a new art room, as well as other things to improve the school.

Corridors being built in the school will connect the buildings to create a unified campus.

“It will keep the students dry on rainy days, and warm on snowy days too!” said Murzak.

Throughout the summer, Turner Construction worked double shifts to complete portions of the project before students arrived for the new school year. With school in session, Turner Construction has changed their working hours to from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and will be focusing on the courtyard.

The construction work at Laurel Ledge is being done for two main reasons, according to Principal Regina Murzak, safety and loss of learning time for students due to the time that students take to put on their coats, hats, scarves, etc. during the winter, just to go to another building.

“With connected buildings, the students will no longer have to be outside when going to different parts of the school,” noted Murzak.

Though construction goes on throughout the day, it does not keep the students from learning. Murzak noted that classrooms surrounding the courtyard, nearest to the construction, will have blinds closed to limit distraction to students.

Students are excited about the changes just as much as the staff is.

“I am ecstatic about the changes,” said Murzak who joked, “the teachers are getting a lot of exercise walking around the building this year to get from one place to another.”

The construction at the school is said to hopefully be finished by the start of the 2015 school year.