Walsingham Seeking Permit to Build Addition to Lower School

By Amber Lester Kennedy Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Walsingham Academy is looking to add some square footage to its Lower School.

 

The private Catholic school, which educates students in pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade, is requesting a special use permit to construct a 925-square-foot activity space to its Lower School on its Jamestown Road campus. The Williamsburg Planning Commission will have a public hearing to discuss the request at its 3:30 p.m. meeting on Wednesday in the Stryker Building.

 

Walsingham wants to add the activity space to support students in preschool through fourth grades. The addition would be located on the south side of an existing wing of the Lower School. In the initial construction phase, it will be a covered porch with plans to enclose the area when funds become available.

In a letter to Deputy Planning Director Carolyn Murphy, Walsingham Lower School Assistant Principal Scott Bolton said the space will give teachers a chance to “differentiate instruction” and will give students a place to “investigate.” “Some of the investigations previously implemented and currently being explored are ones that enable children to directly observe insects, plants and animals,” Bolton wrote. “Having the additional space to enable teachers to design multiple instructional areas for investigation will provide the much-needed support for all students in their learning journeys.”

Walsingham is in an area zoned for a low population density of single-family dwellings. Although development is limited to housing, exceptions can be made for churches, schools and day cares with special permits. The building design has already been approved by the Architectural Review Board, and is recommended for approval by Carolyn Murphy, deputy planning director for the city.