When about 750 students walk through the doors Aug. 27 for the first time at Veterans Elementary School in Ellicott City, they will enjoy some unusual features.
Students will see a digital animated school sign outside the building, satellite-controlled digital clocks in the hallways and classrooms and automatic hand-washing sinks. Veterans is also one of the first schools to provide a Macintosh laptop and LCD projector for each teacher.
The school, near Montgomery Road and Long Gate Parkway, will draw most of its students -- more than 450 -- from St. John's Lane Elementary. Students from Worthington and Northfield elementaries also will attend Veterans.
Veterans, which is designed to hold up to 788 students, will house children from distinct neighborhoods, ethnic backgrounds and achievement levels. About 18 percent of students will be enrolled in a free or reduced lunch program, said Principal Robert Bruce.
"We have a blending of three different school communities, and we're creating a new environment to call our own," he said.
"I think one of the most important things is creating an inclusive environment right from the beginning," said PTA President Rachel Drohat, who has two children moving to Veterans from St. John's Lane. "Bringing families together from different cultures is important to make people feel welcome."
To help students feel at home in their new school, Drohat said a parent has worked with the art teacher from each of the feeder schools to arrange for the children's artwork to be displayed on the walls of Veterans when school starts.
Students from the feeder schools also had the option of participating in a PenPals program to get to know a student from a different school who would be attending Veterans, Drohat said.
Veterans, close to 117,000 square feet, is one of just a few two-story elementary schools in the county, said Bruce. Its design is similar to that of Dayton Oaks, which opened last year. Bushy Park Elementary School in Glenwood is preparing for its new building, which will look similar to Veterans, this fall.
Bruce said that Veterans will be the second-largest elementary school in population in the county, behind Pointers Run in Clarksville, and might have a student body of more than 800 in four to five years.
Drohat said she finds it encouraging that parents and future students of Veterans are excited and willing to "come together and create a new beginning."
"One of the challenges is getting everyone to believe they're from one school community, that they're collectively the Veterans students," Bruce said.
Bruce, who was principal of Centennial Lane Elementary until he was named principal of Veterans in December, said he switched schools because of his "desire to open a new school." As the first principal, Bruce said he has enjoyed being involved in every school-related decision, including the hiring of staff.
Veterans will have about 125 staff members, including two assistant principals. The school also will have an English for Speakers of Other Languages program with about 80 children, the Regional Early Childhood Center program with more than 100 participants and the special education program with more than 50 students, Bruce said.
Veterans will have prekindergarten classes that are mostly half-day programs, while the kindergarten classes are full-day.
The naming of the school did not come without debate, as shown by the 3-2 vote by the Board of Education in November. School names often are determined by geographic location. A naming committee selected Veterans in part to honor Yingling-Ridley VFW Post 7472, which sold some of its land to build the school.
Students from the three feeder schools voted on the school's mascot, which Bruce calls a "friendly eagle" because it conveys a "work hard, play hard" attitude. Students will name the mascot "probably in November," Bruce said.
Construction began 16 months ago. Major work has been completed, but the school is still awaiting the arrival of more furniture and class materials. The cost of construction of the building is about $29.5 million, and Bruce said about $1.8 million will cover technology and furniture costs.
The principal said the summer has been "nerve-racking" for him as he prepares for the start of the school year, but he is excited to see the children's reactions when they see the technology and design of their new school, which has larger hallways and classrooms than older schools in the county.
"The first day of school for me is a joy," he said. "On Aug. 27, I'll be standing in the front doors with a big smile, waiting for students to come in."
teresa.lewi@baltsun.com