Mineola’s new primary school sounds like a school should. In pristine hallways, which are complete with colorful tiles and glimmering windows, the sounds of kids’ learning echoes: cheerful laughter and squealing, quiet footsteps clacking down the tile, singing, spelling in unison.

The school looks like a school should, too; with the July completion of Mineola ISD’s primary school, teachers and students are happier with their new building. In fact, MPS Principal Jole Ray let 11 students come and show off their new school.

The students, who ranged in age from 4 to 8, were, of course, very enthusiastic about their new playgrounds. The playground is everything that’s best about recess from when you were a child, and a few things that were probably missing, too. It comes to the kids complete with a playground set, two slides, a big swing set, a two-person jumping “grasshopper,” and a huge shade to keep them cool in the heat of August. The playground even has a double-tiered security system so that no one can enter the school building from the outside without a keycard.

There is also a separate playground for the smaller kids.

The kids were very excited about their new gymnasium, which everyone was excited to note is a lot bigger than their old space.

“Our old gym is just what we call a ‘play gym;’ this is actually regulation size,” explained Ray. “The first time (the kids) ever came here – they were used to our little one – they were like ‘Ooooh!,’ ‘cause it’s big!” 

In addition to benches that “come in and out,” the new gym also features a volleyball net and permanent, electronic basketball hoops that can be lowered for primary school playtime as well as raised for easier movement. The room also doubles as a tornado shelter.

The cafeteria, too, was a source of great enjoyment.

“What do we like about the cafeteria?” Ray asked the group.

“’Cause if you’re super hungry, you get to eat!” said student Jimmy Jennings cheerfully.

Luckily, there’s more to the school’s brand-new cafeteria than that: featuring towering honeycomb-shaped windows that look out on the playground, the cafeteria is full of child-sized seats, round tables for fostering conversation, and beautiful hexagonal lighting. The brand-new cafeteria, with its high ceilings and tons of space, gives off the feeling of a university’s brand-new food court.

Of course, it wouldn’t be much of a school without the classrooms. The classrooms themselves were some of the students’ favorite aspects of their new building, and it’s not hard to understand why. In one of the rooms, there were colorful handwritten posters, whiteboards, tables, and even a big armchair to relax in. The nearly wall-to-wall cubbies and colorful flooring inside are also featured in every classroom on the campus, according to Ray.

“(My favorite thing) is my classroom,” said student Avery Simons. “’Cause I just like all the colors that are in it.”

Ray pointed out that every classroom through first grade now has ensuite bathrooms.

Most of the kids were enthusiastic about the library, which is a goal all administrators strive for. The cheerful colors, kid-sized furniture, and cute decorations inside are working together to get local kids into reading!

With all said and done, the Mineola Primary School seems to be everything the community hoped it would be. From the strong security systems to the colors interspersed throughout, from the cheerful architecture to the kid-sized furniture, the school building has started off its first semester with great promise.