Lexington, KY - Meribeth Gaines is the principal of the newest addition to the Fayette County Public Schools system, Wellington Elementary, which opened to students this fall. Originally from Frankfort, Gaines had lived there her entire life up until this past June, when she moved to Lexington. Gaines has worked in the school system since 2000 - first as a Professional Staff Assistant (PSA) for nine years at Northern Elementary, and then as the school's principal. She also taught seven years in the classroom in Franklin County, and two years as a Gifted and Talented Resource teacher.
Gaines spent this past year planning for the opening of Wellington, which is located on Keithshire Way, near the Wellington subdivision and the recently developed Wellington Park. We caught up with her for a few minutes to learn more about some of the new school's unique features.
What was the impetus behind building a new elementary school in this part of town?
The construction of Wellington was to relieve overcrowding in the schools in the Clays Mill Road area, particularly at Picadome and Stonewall Elementary Schools. The capacity at Wellington is 650 students. We currently have approximately 550 enrolled. Wellington services students in Early Start through Grade 5.
Wellington Elementary was designed to be the most energy-efficient and sustainable school in the district. What are some of the natural and sustainable features of the school, and how are they incorporated into the students' learning experience?
Some of the natural features of Wellington include the stone work inside and outside of the building. The stone is native to Kentucky and also considered a sustainable product. Wellington includes an outdoor classroom area for students to work and learn. Adjacent to the outdoor classroom area is also space for native landscaping. Our hope is to begin planting and managing that garden area in the spring.
The sustainable features include large windows, solar tubes and light shelves in classrooms, in order to access the most natural lighting. Hallways also include solar tubes, which allow for so much light on sunny days that there is no need to use the hallway lights. The lighting in the building is set on sensors and only comes on when needed. When folks come in and out of rooms, the lights adjust accordingly.
The building also features a rain water capture at the front and rear of the building. These captures collect the run-off water from the roof which is recycled through our bathroom systems. In addition, the front parking lot and bus circle include permeable pavers, which also allow for the capture of run-off water -
also filtered to an underground tank in the back of the building and recycled through our bathroom systems.
Recently, the school was awarded an Eco-Art grant from LexArts and the Department of Environmental Quality for a mosaic project. What can you tell us about this project?
The Eco-Grant was written and submitted by our art teacher, Annie Lester. One of her many strengths is that of a larger, community art project. Our goal is that the mosaic will reflect the sustainable features in the building, with the hope that students, staff and families will have a part in the development of the work.
What's the significance behind the school mascot, an explorer?
Our hope is that our students will always consider themselves explorers, constantly seeking to learn new things and challenge their thinking. We take pride in making daily connections to the 21st-century skills, including communication, adaptability, leadership, stewardship, critical thinking and problem solving, imagination and creativity, and collaboration. We feel these skills are critical pieces to the opportunities that lie ahead for our students.