Principal Jeffrey Litz cut the ribbon with a comically oversized pair of scissors at the grand reopening ceremony, marking the formal end of the renovation era and celebrating what he called Marshall’s new “state-of-the-art facilities.”
The ceremony showcased different aspects of the school through performances by the choir and a group of flutists, as well as with a TV screen showing a clips of students saying “I am Marshall” in different languages.
The FCPS officials who spoke at the ceremony repeatedly lauded the new building’s appearance, while making it clear that they hoped the impacts of the renovation will go beyond solely physical changes.
“Although brick and mortar is not what the school is all about, we know when we have a beautiful facility that’s conducive to support learning, then this wonderful school community can thrive and can flourish,” Superintendent Karen Garza said.
FCPS officials also praised the various innovative and “green” additions to the building.
“I love to see that there are a number of green features…associated with this renovation: a rooftop garden, national native species courtyard, a new design to reduce energy consumption” Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Sharon Bulova said. “This is cutting-edge stuff.”
After the speeches by Litz and other county officials concluded, the ceremony moved outsidefor the ribbon-cutting.
Sophomores Shromona Mandal and David Ignacio then presented a painting of the building to Litz as a gift for the school, and a representative from Samaha Associates, the architectural firm in charge of the renovation, presented Litz with a framed version of the animated building design.
After the ceremony ended, student ambassadors lead county officials and other guests on tours around the building to show them the new additions, while the orchestra played for passing tour groups.
“It gives you a more positive vibe, just coming to school knowing that we actually have classrooms, and we don’t have construction workers always running into our classrooms,” tour guide and senior Prayasha Chaudhary said.
While the ceremony celebrated the end of the renovation era, minor construction work will continue for some time.
“There are still a bunch of different punch list things which still need to be done,” Litz said. “It could be a year or two until we are all finished.”