Sixteen years ago, in a space barely bigger than a shoe box, La Salle Middle School opened its doors to 14 sixth-grade students. The two-room school—above Big Mo’s Sandwich Shop in the Ville neighborhood of North St. Louis—was a joint initiative of residents and members of St. Matthew the Apostle Parish and Christian Brothers of the Midwest, all of whom recognized a need in the neighborhood. Children ate lunch at their desks and, at recess, they knocked about on a dusty square of blacktop out back. One year later, to accommodate a seventh-grade class, the school moved around the corner and down the street to an ill-lit space that formerly housed a roller rink. But that was then.
Now, La Salle Middle not only serves 100 students in grades five through eight, but does so in a glittering new facility 2 miles from its former location on Jefferson Avenue. “There’s so much light!” says Melissa Brickey, executive director of De La Salle Inc., the nonprofit that supports the public charter school. “And so much space.”
The footprint, according to Brickey, takes up nearly 2 acres and includes both the pristine renovation of an existing building and brand-new construction. Even though the school has yet to raise the last $1.5 million of the $6.5 million total, an arts and movement center is on track to open this fall. In many ways, this center will be the school’s crown jewel, serving as a hub for arts and enrichment. Much of the after-school programming will happen here, and, as Brickey explains, these kinds of activities (drumming, dance, robotics and yoga, for example) can have great impact on children’s growth, academic and otherwise. “[Enrichment like this] exposes kids to what can become lifelong passions,” she says. “It’s so important to do something we love.” The center’s design includes a commons area, indoor basketball hoops, and a stage with light and sound systems for theater and dance productions. Brickey stresses that it will serve the local community as well, providing space for meetings and events. The main building houses offices, classrooms, a library of around 3,000 books, multipurpose areas and conference rooms.
But that’s just what’s going on inside. There’s green visible through these light-filled windows now; that old blacktop is a distant memory. There are plans for an alfresco classroom and a robust outdoor program, which will teach students how to grow food and maintain native plantings. “Being outside in fresh air prepares kids for learning,” Brickey says.
The students and staff have spent one full academic year in their shiny new home, and Brickey says the excitement hasn’t worn off yet. Next year—now that they have room—the school hopes to increase its numbers by 20, with a long-term vision of serving many more down the line. In June, it will begin offering hard hat tours to interested members of the community.
De La Salle Inc. supports La Salle Middle School in its mission “to transform children and the community through innovative education.” Since 2001, when it opened its doors, 98 percent of students have graduated from high school. Pictured on the cover: Students and graduates of La Salle Middle School, excited for the future! For more information, call 314.531.9820 or visit delasallestl.org.
Pictured at top: Sixth-grade La Salle student Daela outside the new building.
Cover design by Allie Bronsky | Cover photo by Colin Miller of Strauss Peyton Photography
