Harbor Day School in Corona del Mar Opens Final Phase of New School Building

0
582
Share this:
(from left to right) Director of Facilities and Athletics Mike Coleman, and Eighth Grade Student Leadership Team members Addison Stern, Emery Pelinka, and William Shu parade through the campus with the Harbor Day community, accompanied by the UCI Marching Band.

Harbor Day School has opened the final phase of the school’s new school building, located at 3443 Pacific View Dr. in Corona del Mar.

The completion of this project, which was years in the making, was celebrated on Sunday, Nov. 12.

According to information provided by Harbor Day School, the journey of Phase I of the new campus project began in 2019 when the Newport Beach City Planning Commission approved building plans. The Phase I building is nearly 66,000 square feet and the first major construction for the school since 2000, when the Blass Gymnasium was built.

On December 16, 2021, the school held a historic ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of the first building phase. The ceremony was attended by school faculty, staff, students, school families, the Harbor Day Board of Trustees, members of the Newport Beach City Council, and extended members of the Harbor Day community.

The impressive 66,000 square feet introduced the school’s main building, featuring state-of-the-art classrooms, outdoor learning spaces, and a cutting-edge STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) wing.

Now, nearly two years later, Phase II of the project has expanded the school’s footprint with a theater, a gymnasium, an expansive athletic field, music classrooms, a modern kitchen, a playground, and outdoor sports courts.

With this addition, Harbor Day School’s campus now totals just under 100,000 square feet, making it approximately 50 percent larger than the previous buildings.

Head of School Angi Evans prepares to cut the ribbon marking the grand opening of Harbor Day’s new campus on November 12, 2023.

According to Angi Evans, Head of School for Harbor Day School, “completing Harbor Day’s entire campus, after more than five years of planning and building, is really exciting for our entire community. This final phase brings dedicated spaces for athletics and performing arts to our students and their teachers. Harbor Day has a great track record of graduating talented athletes and performers. We also have students who leave the school with a lifelong appreciation for sports, music, and theater. These spaces will enhance both education and enjoyment for thousands of students in the future.”

The completed school building represents a commitment to providing students with the best learning environment.

Eighth Grade Student Council President Emery Pelinka spoke at the November 12 event and told those gathered that “it is an incredible honor to be a part of the completion of the new Harbor Day School Campus and to be the first graduating class in the new building. On behalf of the Harbor Day students, we are so excited for the new memories and opportunities this new campus brings.”

Community members gather on November 12, 2023, for the ribbon cutting event at the front entrance of Harbor Day School’s new building.

Harbor Day School partnered with design firm LPA Inc., general contractor DPR Construction, and Farmers and Merchants Bank.

To learn more about the Harbor Day School, go to www.harborday.org.

Harbor Day School provides an academically challenging, well-balanced education in a nurturing and inclusive family-centered environment. The school’s faculty inspires curiosity and a desire to learn, and cultivates in students the confidence, strong moral character, and perseverance to thrive. They celebrate diversity and traditions, value collaboration and innovation, and cherish community and the lifelong relationships developed.

Share this: