Education
Darien High School DHS 9-13-16

Official: New High School Cafeteria Won’t Be Done by Start of School, But Project Going Smoothly

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After the discovery that an underground line was closer to the edge of the Darien High School building than originally thought, the project to expand the cafeteria this summer was delayed for weeks as plans were revised. Now that it’s on track, it will still be incomplete by the start of school, but the project is “for the most part, on time and on budget,” Jill McCammon, the building committee chair told the Board of Selectmen on Monday night. Even though the Cafeteria project won’t be complete before the start of school on Aug. 30, students will still be able to eat lunch in the building, and on new furniture, McCammon said. The major bump in the road for the project was the discovery that the “duct bank” was much closer to the high school building than expected.

Education
Peter Orphanos public hearing education 02-06-17

Topics at Education Budget Hearing: DHS Cafeteria, Dept Chairs, Guidance Counselors

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Darien High School’s overcrowded cafeteria, the addition of academic department chairs and getting more guidance counselors were some of the more commonly voiced pleas at the Board of Education public hearing last Thursday on the schools budget. Cafeteria Expansion
The proposed cafeteria expansion got the most comments at the public hearing of any item in the budget. Peter Orphanos, speaking on behalf of the Darien High School Parents Association, told the board that the cafeteria wasn’t just a place to eat, but “where our students gather with peers, and it creates an important sense of community.” He added: “Principal Dunn has spoken of having the cafeteria evolve into more of a student center, a central gathering place for academic collaboration and social community. Darien High School students need this.”

News
Harman, Zuro, Dineen, bill 912-13-16

Board of Education Cooking Up Plans for Expanding High School Cafeteria

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The Darien High School Cafeteria is so loud “you cannot really hear yourself think” a school official said. Even worse, it’s become too small as the school population has expanded — and, still worse, the population is expected to get bigger when the current 7th grade gets into the high school in a few years. It’s already so bad that students will leave the cafeteria to eat somewhere else in the building (or, in warmer seasons, outside). So the Facilities Committee of the Board of Education, working with consultants, has been looking into expansion plans for the room. Committee Chairman David Dineen on Tuesday night presented an outline of the committee’s proposal to the full board.