Ground Broken at R.D. Seymour Elementary School

Local dignitaries, staff members and students were all on hand Tuesday afternoon for the groundbreaking of the construction of a $10 million, 11,000-square-foot addition to the .

The words of building committee member Mary Ellen Brown summed up the moment perfectly.

“I’m almost giddy!” she exclaimed. “After working so many years on this project, I couldn’t be more thrilled.”

Indeed, the project’s gestation began eight years ago, in 2003, when George W. Bush was in his first term as president, the Red Sox still hadn’t won a World Series since 1918, and The Concorde was still making international flights (at least until October of that year).

As Superintendent of Schools Christine Mahoney detailed the project’s long history, which included being taken up by several committees, passing a referendum and going through the bidding process before ground breaking yesterday.

So Mahoney wasn’t engaging in hyperbole when she said, “We are thrilled and overjoyed that this day is here. This is a special day to celebrate and to say thanks to all the individuals who worked so hard to make this day possible.”

Six other speakers - Building Committee Chair Roy Cook, First Selectman James Hayden, Board of Finance Chair Gordon Granger, Board of Education Chair Jeffrey Clark, Principal Cheri Burke and architect Randall Luther - all then took turns discussing how meaningful the project is to them.

“It’s especially fun for me,” Cook said. “I was part of the architectural firm that planned what’s here 40 years ago. I live up the road and I drive by it every day. It’s going to be nice to see it continue and be brought up to date for the kids who are going to be here for the next 40 years. For these kids, it should help them for their future. Hopefully we have a school the kids enjoy for the next 40 years.”

Burke, for her part, provided some insight as to what the students hope will be included in the construction, such as the following: a butterfly garden, an indoor swimming pool, a basketball court with movable hoops, tennis courts that have a lemonade stand alongside them and a second gymnasium for indoor recess.

While the project will probably not have any of those things, it will feature seven new classrooms, a science lab and a cafeteria.

“ It’s a wonderful opportunity for me in my first year as principal to be the start of the improvements to help bring the school into the 21st century,” Burke said in an interview. “This means a lot to the community and it means a lot to the teachers who are so dedicated. Walking through the open school concept is amazing because of what they are able to do on a daily basis in carrying out their lesson plans. When we have the opportunity to work in a new facility, the sky is the limit.”

Luther, the architect, was the last to speak and left the students with two things to remember: 1. the project was important to the town because the students themselves were the most important thing to the town; and 2. always enjoy yourself in everything you do.

Many of the students won’t see the finished product, as the project isn’t set for completion until April 2013.