For the past two and some odd hours, I have been inside the reading room of the Camden Public Library conducting some research for an upcoming academic piece, when I felt the dire need to get out and about on this, what seems, first sunny day of this wet and dreary spring.

I took leave of my station just east of the huge window that overlooks the Camden Harbor to go on a walkabout to good ole’ French & Brawn to get myself a coffee and enjoy some of this glorious Maine sunshine!

Well, when I was in F&B, I was walking down the far left isle, you know the one, where you need a shoehorn and a bit of axle grease to make a pass when you meet another customer coming the other way. Lo and behold, there was no one coming, but instead a gaggle of CRMS students who just happened to stop and say “hey, I know y-y…you used to work at CRES.”

Well, yes I did, I worked at CRES for a year and remember these learners with great fondness! I asked them about the “new school” and they seemed excited, but as one of them put it, “we won’t see it.”

Although they looked a little sad that they won’t be able to “see” the new building once its built, what I found most amazing was the sparkle and wonder in their eyes when several of these young people commented about how a new school is “good” for us, it is “great” for everyone and “it is going to be awesome for my little brother/sister!” These are good kids, who are enjoying their youth, walking around their town, building friendships, making memories!

As an educator, I firmly believe the teachers and administration of SAD 28 and the Five Town CSD are some of the most talented individuals in education today. This is not to take away from other surrounding schools in RSU 13, MSAD 40 or RSU 71; they are full of talented and passionate individuals who make a difference in the lives of our youth, and my hat goes off to them, thank you for all that you do! But alas, this is not about them, but a more surgical gaze at an educational community I have a fondness for not only as a fellow colleague, but as a parent, whose son realized the benefit of such a caring, authentic, rigorous, kind, courageous and consistent education when he was enrolled at CRMS. Without the dedicated teachers, staff and administration at the Middle, my son would not be where he is today in his academic career. Thank you to all at the school, but a humungous, epic shout out to Beth York, who, I am convinced, is a bit of a wizard when it comes to teaching our children!

When I think of the push for building a new middle school, I look back, not to the past several years of preparation for this historic enterprise, but I to a gray, rainy Saturday several weeks ago when I was collecting my mail at the Camden Post Office.

There, I saw several parents and our district superintendent, in front of the building, partially covered and mostly at the behest of the coastal weather, promoting the new middle project through a passionate discourse with the aid several visuals, that were strategically laminated, which, this writer believes is a testament to the preparedness of Maine way of life, and further, to the vision of our community, when it comes to educating our youth!

I was impressed with the message that was being shared about the need for the new school and even more so with the transparent nature of the financials comparing new construction with a “patch and repair” approach. By now, most of us are familiar with the proposal for the new school, how much it will cost and the sacrifices many will have to endure to make this project a reality. Sacrifices like increased property taxes or an uncertain fate of the historic Mary E. Taylor building, which, if a plan for repurposing is not developed, could mean the building is demolished. While this would be a great shame, as it is hard to see our historical buildings disappear, there is greater good that can come out of all this, and you never know, someone may step forward with a most agreeable plan for the MET building that will ensure its continued use as a community resource.

Looking at the preliminary renderings of the new school, I am compelled to imagine what it would be like to step foot into the new building. With an abundance of natural light and natural flow of its rooms, I feel at ease, an important part of the whole, I feel inspired!

One thing I have found interesting about our current middle school, is the community that has been developed and cultivated over the years in a building that has its challenges in not only its aging systems, but a layout that does not bode well for integrating the grades. The community takes great lengths to develop those important opportunities for sharing, integrating and collaboration, albeit, in a way that the energy involved in planning can take away from the magic of impromptu interactions, collaborations and opportunities for friendship.

The new school will continue to foster the culture at the Middle that we have all been a part of. A culture that has ensured a safe, rigorous and effective learning community for many, many of our children and their families. In fact, the academic wing of the new school will give our teachers countless opportunities to informally collaborate which will benefit our children in terms of a more authentic and enriched environment to promote best practice in teaching and learning.

While our community is fortunate to have a group of educators who have dedicated their passions to building a robust and continually improving learning culture at the Middle level, a new building, while not necessary for community building, will undoubtedly create that needed bridge from the elementary to the secondary, of which, our community has made significant investment in the unique culture of each level, not to mention the sacrifice and support that was necessary to construct modern and effective school buildings.

As we move into a new chapter of our schools, the building of our 21st Century learning communities, I can’t help but think about Churchill’s words, “We shape our buildings, thereafter they shape us.”

We can build a building that looks nice, has healthy systems, is supportive of community, but there will come a time when we look back after several years and reflect on how fortunate we are to have a building that was conducive to unleashing the potential our youth.

Matt Speno lives in Camden