Moving Day

In the midst of finals week an afternoon was devoted to moving library books, computers, and science equipment across the street to the new David "DJ" Sokol Learning for Life Building.   It was amazing to see how much 245 teenage boys can move in a very short time.   The remaining library books and computers was moved in 13 minutes. 

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Omaha World Herald Features the Learning For Life Building

For an institution rooted in ancient religious tradition, the future looks very modern and high-tech at Mount Michael High School.

School officials are preparing to open a new two-story, 47,350-square-foot administrative and instructional building that will transform the campus of the Catholic, all-boys, college-prep high school.

The David “DJ” Sokol Learning for Life Building is about the size of a new public elementary school, with 20 classrooms and laboratories.

Sokol attended Mount Michael and died of cancer in 1999 shortly after graduation. His parents, Peggy and David Sokol, and his sister, Kelly Sokol Avery, donated $5 million toward the building’s construction.

Slated for a grand opening in January, the building includes state-of-the-art chemistry, physics and biology labs, math and engineering classrooms, a greenhouse, a new library and a storm shelter.  Read the Entire Article

Building nears completion: KETV 5pm Newscast

Omaha's KETV recently featured our new building on their 5:00 pm newscast.

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Preview of Science Classrooms

This week in Mount Michael's Weekly Podcast,  Head of School, Dr. David J. Peters walks you through the science classrooms that are nearing completion.

Sneak Peak

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The building is nearing completion!   We take possession in early December

Construction Photos: Black-Out

Walkway with the Mount's Iconic Red & Black Cross

This blog entry features the last images (blackout) of the interior until the Grand Opening on January 15, 2018. Put that date on your calendar!  Details will follow as the date nears.

Funds and pledges are in place for completing the first floor.  Fundraising efforts are now focusing on raising money to keep work going on the 2nd floor.  If enough money can be raised in a timely fashion work on the 2nd floor will continue without pause and would be ready for the next school year.

The walkway between the the Benedictine Values Archway to the new building and the chapel has been completed. It features our iconic Mount Michael Cross in red and black concrete and brick.

From the second floor deck of the new building, the view of the Romanesque archway of the Mount's legacy building is spectacular. One of the surprises is that the new building's location provides a view that elicits an even greater appreciation for the beauty of Mount Michael's classic building.

The Theology classrooms on the 1st floor are currently getting their first coats of paint and ceiling grids are being hung. The hallway features red bump-outs at the classroom entries.

The storm shields have be hung above the windows in the reinforced study hall and classroom.

The Commons now features a huge tiled wall that gives it the look of marble.  Interior framing for the glass walls for the library, computer and drafting labs have been set in place.

When it is complete it is going to be awesome!  Save the date Monday January 15, 2018 and join us for the Grand Opening.

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Exterior Nears Completion

The David "DJ" Sokol Learning for Life Building has come along ways this summer.

Exterior
The most obvious point of focus being worked on right now are the five arches etched with our five Benedictine Values of Community, Hospitality, Moderation, Integrity, and Service. Windows are another current undertaking.  Most of the windows are installed in the 2 story section of the building and are now being installed on in the rest of the building.  The two store windows for the commons will have to wait a bit as they are still using machinery indoors to install the geothermal heating and cooling units and the center stairwell.

Kevin Moline & Eric Roumph

Interior
The bottom floor of the two story section is nearing completion of construction with dry wall, electrical and plumbing all in place.  Soon it will be ready for cleaning up and paint. The one story section is now the focus of most of the interior work.

Friends
Of special note is the construction of the walkway with the Benedictine Cross.  The bricks are being installed by alums Kevin Moline '99 and Eric Roumph '99. The company Kevin Moline works for was contacted to do the brick work. Kevin talked to MECO and told them he would do it free on his own time as a donation to the project.   He brought his classmate Eric Roumph along to help out.   They were both classmates and close friends of DJ Sokol.

Interior Photos
Thank you to Sam Lathrop
for 2 panorama views

The walk way between the chapel and the new building features the Benedictine Cross

Interior 360 view. Click on the image to go to Facebook.

Great progress inside the David "DJ" Sokol Learning for Life Building! Thanks to Dean of Students Dave Cormier for taking this photo!
Posted by Mount Michael Benedictine School on Wednesday, July 26, 2017

A First Look Inside

From the outside it is hard to tell what progress is being made in the interior so here is a peek at the work that is being done.  All Photos

To help you understand what you are seeing here is a photo map numbers refer to the links below.

You can click on this image for a larger view

There are additional photos but these will give you a basic orientation.

1) Wide open interior of the one story portion of the building. This photo is looking down the science wing hallway. It includes 3 science rooms on the left, the library on the near right, middle right computer labs and distant right 3 math rooms.

2) Commons South entrance just outside the library:  Looking through the library and computer labs you can see the science room windows in the distance. Note the exterior doors of the science wing hallway at the extreme left and extreme right.
Moving farther into the Commons you turn around look north and see the 2 story section  At the top you see 2nd floor interior classroom windows that open to the Commons. Below is a solid wall behind which will be the mechanical room (pumps, heating cooling etc.)

3) You are standing at the intersection of the commons, computer labs and math hallway and the front entrance. Looking south down the math and Labs hallway. Note the light coming in from the 1/2 story windows above. Looking west through the main entrance toward the chapel  You turn around and look into the reception office which also serves as the entrance to the administrative offices.

4) Looking west down the the administration hallway from reception: Admissions, Head of School, Administrative Assistant, Dean of Students, Conference room and Counseling Center.

5) The Counseling Center.  Features 2 offices and a student work area. It has entrances from both the administration hallway and the classroom hallway.  It is adjacent to the conference room within the administration area. Work Area - From the Work area: Counselor 1 entrance  -  Counselor 2 entrance

6) - Looking south through the Counseling work room from the classroom hallway to the Administration area and conference room.  You now turn around and see the Northwest stairwell looking north.

7) Looking east down the classroom hallway. On your right is the back of the administration area, then the hallway from the commons, followed by restrooms, and mechanical room.  On your left are 2 theology classrooms, a large study hall and a third theology classroom.

8) Theology Classroom.  Note that this classroom has cinder-block walls. This classroom along with the large study hall serve as the tornado shelter.  that is the reason for the cinder-block walls.

9) Study Hall:  It is twice the size of classrooms.  It has 6 windows rather than 3.

10) Northeast Stairwell.  Photo 1 - Photo 2 - Looking out the stairwell window. - Exterior

11) Mechanical room Looking South. You can see the science windows in the distant backgrouond.

TOP FLOOR

Currently wide open. Completion will not be started until remaining funds needed are raised.

Looking Northwest - Looking through interior classrooms windows which over look the Commons.  - Elevator shaft - Landing for interior stairwell from the Commons.  View from the Deck above the Counseling Center.

EXTERIOR

12) Front of the building: Math rooms - The Main Entrance

13) Science Wing Entrance looking east down the science hallway

14) You walk in to the intersection of the math and science hallways and look north toward the reception office.

15) Southwest Exterior: Science rooms

16 Northeast Exterior:  The study hall projects out a bit.

David "DJ" Sokol Learning for Life Building: Time Lapse Video

Mid-March - Mid April 2017

Drawings of Interior

Now that the exterior is taking shape what is it going to look like inside?

Click the links below for interior sketches from the viewpoints represented in the above blue print.

Orange: From the math corridor looking toward reception & theology classroom hallway.
Blue: From outside the reception office down the math corridor toward the science hallway.
Yellow: From outside reception office toward the commons outside technology(computer lab) and the Library
Red: From the commons outside the library looking toward the main entrance.
Purple: Inside the Reception Office.

Enlarged View of Blue Print Above - Complete Set of Drawings

Bricks & Geothermal Wells Progressing

North Side Brick Work

More Photos

With the arrival of spring weather, work on the David "DJ" Sokol Living for Life Building is picking up momentum.

The brick layers are moving along on the the north side and turning the corning on the front.  The race is on for the other crews to keep ahead of them.

Cement floors are completed in the two-story section of the building and they are pushing hard on getting the remainder or the steel up in the Southeast corner.

Southwest of the building the geothermal well field is nearing completion.

Bricks, Wells, Science & Library

Steel being set in place for the Science Classrooms.

Construction work is moving along nicely.  Few are aware of the fact that brickwork has begun. It is on the backside (east). Steel for science classrooms and the library are now being set in place.

Away from the immediate construction area the water well is being completed and another company has begun work on the geothermal well field for the new school building.

Construction Photos

Mid-February through Mid-March Time Lapse Construction

Construction Update & Photos

The chapel cross appears to rest on the new building as workers install precast on the east side of the building.

Construction So Far

As winter begins to fade construction on the David "D.J." Sokol Learning for Life building is heating up.  The roof on the 2 story section is nearing completion and soon the cement slab will be poured for the ground level of that part of the building. The steel structure for the new math rooms and computer labs is done and they are now framing some of the exterior walls and setting more precast in place. Before the end of the month brick work should begin.

Click on the blue print  "So Far" link to the right for a detailed look. Yellow is the 2 story construction. Red indicates the extent of steel structure completion for the single story section. The science rooms and library only have partial footings set in place at this time.  Construction Photos

Besides the building construction the new water well is being drilled. (see photos)

Peering through the commons and entrance looking west stands the chapel. 

Mid January - Mid February Time Lapse Construction

Also Watch the entire construction Time-Lapse since May 2016.  Duration 7:17 

Mid December thru Mid January Time Lapse Video

The weather has been good for January.  We did have some very icy days but generally not to bad.  The most visible change has been the adding of precast stone along the roof line.  The one-story portion of the building has yet to begin.