John Rodgers on thu 2 sep 10
rth the time it takes...
I think on my checklist would be a reminder to speak harshly to school
administrators from the maintenance people up to the regional
superintendents. This kind of stuff poses a blatant safety hazard to
kids and is not to be tolerated! Were I a parent with kids in those
rooms I would be totally PO'd.
John Rodgers
On 9/1/2010 6:50 PM, John Post wrote:
> My school district had a bond proposal pass in 2003 to build additions
> onto all of the elementary schools. It was called a SAMs suite. On
> each school they added a wing that contained a Science room, an Art
> room and a Music room, thus the name SAMs.
>
> The head of the elementary art department didn't wish to take any
> input into how the kiln room should be laid out. Neither did the
> contractors. We were told that the architecture firm designed schools
> all the time and that they would meet all of our needs. I couldn't
> find anyone to listen to a few simple suggestions I had or find out if
> they had already been incorporated.
>
> Since my school district has about 30 elementary schools, the SAM's
> suite were built in three batches of ten over a three year period.
> They botched up the design of the electric kiln vent exit on the first
> set of ten. The contractors had the 4 inch duct work exit the
> building 6 feet off the ground. Then on the outside of it, they
> covered it with a thin louvered vent.
>
> The first thing I told my principal when I saw it was "The kids are
> going to bust the louvers off the vent after school hours and cram
> stuff down the vent." Within three months the vent cover had no
> louvers on it. Then maintenance put a second thicker one on. The
> kids broke that one too. The third time they came and put a heavy
> steel cage over the top of where this little tiny 4 inch vent exits
> the building (finally the third piggy made his house from brick).
>
> All during this process, I would ask the school maintenance people to
> make sure to check the ductwork inside to make sure the kids didn't
> jam any stuff down the open vent hole. Each time, they assured me
> that they had indeed checked the ductwork. All was fine.
>
> So today, I noticed that part of the ductwork coming from underneath
> the kiln had deteriorated. I purchased a new piece so I could install
> it myself. When I opened up the ductwork, I found all kinds of stuff
> from the playground. A full size bike water bottle, a cell phone belt
> holster with phone book, rocks, pens and pencils and an asthma
> inhaler. I'm surprised that air could even make it out of the vent
> these last 5 years. I didn't even pour all of the stuff from the vent
> out to see what else was in there. What I did see was dusty, dirty
> and corroded.
>
> Since I move from building to building every year in my district, I
> now have one more thing to add to my checklist for getting the kiln
> ready...
>
> #8. Remove all asthma inhalers, cell phone holster and water bottles
> from vent ducts...
>
>
> John Post
> Sterling Heights, Michigan
>
> http://www.johnpost.us
>
>
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