Now in its ninth year, Gray Stone Day School (GSDS) dedicated its new facility on Feb. 22 at a ceremony in the new gymnasium.
The building is 56,000 square feet and cost around $7 million to build. On 18 acres of land donated by Pfeiffer University, the school is on campus at the end of a winding road.
As the ceremony began, several area speakers offered welcoming words to the audience. There were speakers from the village of Misenheimer, Pfeiffer University and Gray Stone’s Board of Directors as well as Congressman Larry Kissell.
“The building is dedicated to all Gray Stone students, past, present and future, for they are, as the capital campaign slogan states, the Spirit of the Future,” Helen Nance, chief administrative officer said in conclusion.
Nance and H. Earl Singletary Jr., Gray Stone Board chair, cut the ribbon to finalize the ceremony.
Charter schools receive no funding, neither state nor federal, to build a facility. The building is owned by Gray Stone Educational Foundation Inc.
Design and construction of the facility is by John S. Clark Construction Co. of Mt. Airy. The building includes administrative offices, 11 classrooms, biology and chemistry labs, an art room and a gym with locker rooms. There is also a school store, concession stand, and an indoor pavilion area for students known as “The Commons at Gray Stone.”
This common area is used by students for eating meals, gathering before and after school for conversations or meetings as well as for social events such as school sponsored dances. All during the day, instructors use the area for teaching opportunities such as group activities or independent study sessions.
There is a traditional computer lab where classes are taught or students can take online classes. An independent computer lab also provides opportunities for students who need to work alone on a given project or in a small group and serves as a research resource.
A Cisco teleconferencing facility is also available at the school where students can connect with individuals all over the world. The school has wireless connectivity throughout as well as Smartboards or 60-inch computer display screens in every classroom.
The gymnasium has college-size basketball and volleyball courts as well as infrastructure for side court play in both sports. The gym also has seating for 600 with electronically controlled bleachers and a high quality audio system. The athletic area houses male and female locker rooms for physical education students as well as male and female locker rooms for varsity athletes. There is also a designated area for Gray Stone’s certified athletic trainer. A laundry room and coaches’ offices are located there as well. Located in front of the school is the 92,000-square-foot soccer field.
There are 260 parking spaces around the building as well as several areas for future gardens and picnic areas. The building has a burglar alarm system and state-of-the art surveillance cameras.
Currently, GSDS has 315 students coming from seven counties: Stanly, Montgomery, Randolph, Rowan, Cabarrus, Davidson and Mecklenburg. For more information, visit www.graystoneday.org.