• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Sigonella Elementary School Opens

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS080921-15
Release Date: 9/21/2008 6:40:00 AM

By Tracie Barnthouse, Naval Air Station Sigonella Public Affairs

SIGONELLA, Sicily (NNS) -- The $35 million Department of Defense Dependents School (DoDDS) on Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella's Support Site has ceremoniously opened, marked by a ribbon cutting from school and military officials Sept. 18, in the school's atrium.

Capt. Joseph Beadles, NAS Sigonella executive officer, praised Navl Facillities Europe for their teamwork in the renovation and building process of the school.

"This facility is a shining example of what happens when you have people working together as a team with a common purpose and common goal," said Beadles.

Students have been attending class at Stephen Decatur Sigonella Elementary School since Aug. 28, but now that all of the finishing touches have been made, school officials are ready to show off what Principal Nadine Sapiente calls the best school in DoDDS.

"Our school motto is 'Together We Can.' I think you can see from the building behind you that together, we truly did," said Sapiente. "We moved a mountain in order to build it, so thank you to all of those who were a part of it."

Diana Ohman, DoDDS Europe director, thanked all who participated in the planning and construction of the new school.

"This building is the culmination of years of planning, planting, building and moving, but this is worth it," said Ohman.

Ohman also encouraged students to take good care of their new school.

"When we close schools, we say, if only these walls could talk - the stories they could tell about kids and learning and the future and projects," said Ohman. "Today, we are here at the very beginning of all of the volumes and volumes of stories that these walls are going to tell. Use it honestly and wisely. Take very good care of it, and have great fun learning."

The state-of-the-art facility features open atriums and breezeways; large, touch-board screens in every classroom, which are directly linked in to a computer system that connects to the Internet; a new media center that allows students to create video productions; two recycling centers; portable generators and a layout that is advantageous for both students and teachers and conducive to productive learning.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the culmination of work done to all of the Sigonella schools.

The elementary school students closed the ceremony by singing their school song and with the promise to uphold the values and teachings they learn during their time there.

For more news from Naval Air Station Sigonella, visit www.navy.mil/local/nassig/.