The Student News Site of Harvard-Westlake School

The Harvard-Westlake Chronicle

The Student News Site of Harvard-Westlake School

The Harvard-Westlake Chronicle

The Student News Site of Harvard-Westlake School

The Harvard-Westlake Chronicle

Offices in Chalmers redesigned

Chronicle+Staff+Writer+and+Layout+Assistant+Alice+He+%E2%80%9921+shuffles+through+binders+inside+the+newly+designed+and+structured+Math+department+office+in+Chalmers.+Several+offices+have+moved+to+accomodate+the+extra+space+in+the+math+office.+Credit%3A+Allie+Landecker%2FChronicle
Chronicle Staff Writer and Layout Assistant Alice He ’21 shuffles through binders inside the newly designed and structured Math department office in Chalmers. Several offices have moved to accomodate the extra space in the math office. Credit: Allie Landecker/Chronicle

The school completed a remodel of Chalmers Hall over the summer, including the relocation and expansion of several administrative offices and a remodel of the math department office.In addition to its old space, the math department office incorporates the former dean conference room. The larger office also includes space for new math teachers Michael Burnett, Andrew Thiess and Joshua Helston.

“If you look at other schools’ offices, this is just amazing,” math teacher Michael Mori said. “I’ve gone through three remodels for the math office, and each time it’s helped us better serve our students.”

Students have shown more interest in STEM classes like computer science and robotics, and the department has hired more teachers to compensate, resulting in a need for a larger office space, Mori said.

The math office now includes a large table in the middle.   Math teacher Andrew Stout said he thinks this addition will make the math office better for students.

“We’re hoping that it’s going to be a madhouse full of students coming in, working, excited about doing math,” Stout said.

Several offices have moved to allow for the extra space in the math office. The previous dean coordinator’s space now houses the dean’s conference room and Attendance Coordinator Gabriel Preciado’s office. Preciado’s office originally was in the Seaver Academic Center.

“It’s great for me because it’ll give me more chances to interact with students,” Preciado said.

In order to include space for the dean coordinators, Head of Upper School Laura Ross’ office has also been split.

Interdisciplinary Studies and Independent Research Teacher and Counselor Michelle Bracken’s office is now a space for the Director of Ethics, a position that has yet to be filled. Upper School Dean of Students Jordan Church’s office is now where Chaplain James Young’s office was, and Bracken now uses Church’s old office.

“I think, institutionally, it is signifying more of a cohesion between departments, the dean’s office and the upper school office,” Dean Coordinator Camille De Santos said. “We’re all down here now in one location so it makes it easier for us to communicate with each other.”

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Offices in Chalmers redesigned