As the school year begins, Germantown Academy (GA) students walk into a campus refreshed with upgrades, from the renovated track and Arts Center stage to the redesigned House spaces and hallway monitors.
For Upper School students, the redesigned house lounges are a long-awaited change. Director of Facilities Dan Houston worked with the Upper School Administration to ensure the redesigned lounges were both practical and cohesive.
“I carried through the design features and furniture to make the spaces useful for not only relaxation, but also for work,” Mr. Houston said. “It was a needed refresh that I’ve been wanting to do for a couple of years now.”
With the bell-to-bell phone policy now in place, the Upper School administration hopes the hallway TVs will become a central communication channel for students.
“I want to work with SGA and the Edition to figure out what we need to have on these screens on a daily and weekly basis for students to be able to access information easily,” Dean of Students Mr. Steven Moll said. “I also want to see if I can get a live feed of the games for the week.”
Looking more broadly, GA’s track now features a blue coat and red exchange zones, replacing the old red surface.
“What we were running on felt like concrete, but now you have a little thickness of padding underneath that is much better for your joints and for running,” Mr. Moll said. “I’ve heard nothing but positive from coaches, students and community members.”
Equally impactful, the renovated Arts Center stage will expand GA’s productions, enabling the Belfry Club and All-School Technical Theatre Director and Production Manager, Paul Moffit, to create more dynamic performances.
“The new modular pit cover is a fascinating project because the old one was the original from when the building was first built over 40 years ago,” Mr. Houston said. “The new cover has telescopic legs holding the stage platforms up, which allows the levels of the stage to be adjusted.”
Beyond athletics and the arts, bullet-resistant film was added to all glass in the pavilion, a major upgrade that further strengthens GA’s security.
“Keeping our students and our community safe is the priority,” Head of School Rich Schellhas said. “Because that’s the main entrance for the school, that is somewhere we continue to invest significantly.”
These projects are part of GA’s ongoing effort to keep the campus in its best condition. Every upgrade, from the lounge refresh to the track resurfacing, ensures GA remains a space where the community can thrive.