Arcade Middle School celebrates new beginnings with a ribbon-cutting ceremony

Arcade Middle School celebrated its brand-new campus during their Back-to-School Night on Sept. 19. Over 100 attendees gathered under the recently-installed shade structures to watch school and district staff, students and community members cut the ribbon on their new campus.

As attendees filed into the school under the vibrant red, black and white balloon arch, Arcade’s Advanced Band opened the ceremony with their debut performance in the school’s outdoor amphitheater area.

Arcade Principal Lindsey McManigal opened the ceremony, citing the importance of investing in our facilities to elevate student learning and achievement.

“As I stand here today, I am incredibly grateful to our surrounding community for their continued support of having our students learn in state-of-the-art facilities,” said McManigal. “When we look at our district’s strategic goal of advancing and supporting student success, our new campus provides a welcoming and safe space to encourage career exploration and hands-on learning experiences.”

The new campus is home to new features which were not previously offered on the old campus. One of the new offerings is the “pHabLAB,” a makerspace dedicated to providing hands-on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) experiences to students. Students who take the STEAM class will work on projects such as designing and creating roller coasters, marble runs, catapults and bridges.

Other new exciting features include the media lab which is equipped with state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment, an activity commons space furnished with comfortable seating, a spacious multipurpose room, amphitheater and renovated outdoor spaces such as basketball courts and playfields.

Student government representatives led a campus tour after the ceremony for community members to visit the administrative office, activity commons, pHabLAB, media lab, library and multipurpose room. The students were very eager to share their excitement about the new campus with their community. Umran Haqdost, Arcade eighth-grader and student government president, voiced his pride for the new campus during the ceremony remarks.

“This new campus gives us more opportunities to explore our future creativity and future, giving us new space and new electives such as media and classes we can explore for our future paths,” said Haqdost. “Some stuff that has me excited about our new school is the movie nights, rallies and the new MP room.”

Arcade’s new campus will continue to roll out its final touches, with the main parking lot nearing completion. Until then, the staff, students and greater community share a heightened sense of pride in their school, and excitement for what is to come for future community events.

San Juan Unified School District is grateful for our community who continue to invest in our schools through voter-approved bonds. These 21st-century standard facilities are the foundation of a secure and distraction-free educational experience for all students and staff. To learn more about the background of Arcade’s full-campus modernization, visit its construction page.