Two New Dade Elementary Wings Almost Finished

Day by day, recovery from the April 27 tornadoes takes a different shape. In Trenton, Dade Elementary students are inching ever closer to bright new hallways, classrooms and modernized computer labs.

This afternoon, fifth grader Zoie Moore gave NewsChannel 9 a tour. It was also her first time to see the new fifth grade wing. With wide eyes and a big smile, Moore gave the hallways and classrooms her seal of approval, "Amazing."

The hallways now have fresh gray paint, trimmed in blue. One of Moore's favorite touches was the floor that matches the newest part of the school. Two wide black stripes adorn the floor with blue, red and yellow squares interspersed.

The new classrooms are all decked out in bright yellow, new cabinet storage and a modernized computer lab. "I mean before, they were all made of wood and they all had this little thing that probably came up to here (motions just below her waist) and they were just small."

Moore also vividly remembers the shredded ceiling tiles and flooded hallways where she and her classmates knelt for cover with their arms over their heads. "It was a terrifying time for me."

Today, when thunderstorms break out, the fears come back for some students. Assistant principal Mike Lawson said counselors have spent time with those students.

And this afternoon, the architect and contractors completed a "punch list" on the new wings. The final touches are almost finished.

Two days after the tornado, architect Ken Cress visited the school. He said turning over this project is personal, "It has more meaning than what we normally do, design a building then people move in."

And Zoie's ready to move in. She beams with excitement after seeing the new wing for the first time. The computer lab, science room and girl's bathroom made her day. She summed it up with this word, "Awesome."

Very soon, her classmates will take the same walk through the new hallway on a daily basis. The move-in date for the two new wings is February 17.