Around 300 visitors attended the event and filled up the Learning Stairs/auditorium seating in the soaring Commons area. Members of the Miller Orchestra kicked off the evening with two songs that reverberated in the theater's high-tech acoustics.
Miller eighth-graders on Student Council helped lead the event and act as greeters and guides. They were also excited to hold the big scissors and snip the blue ribbon, surrounded by school and district leadership, builders, and architects.
Visitors were treated to refreshments, including cupcakes with royal blue and white frosting to match the school colors. Those who chose the blue frosting were surprised to find their lips, tongues and teeth temporarily stained blue – much to the delight and laughter of children present.
Guests were encouraged to roam freely through the three-story building on a self-guided tour, with students acting as docents to explain various features. The Broadcast Room, with new cameras, lights, and a green screen, was a crowd-pleasing stop.
Visitors learned about the spaces during a scavenger hunt, and received prizes for completing the questions.
Teachers stayed late on a school night to explain projects and highlights of their classrooms.
Speakers took a few moments to share their thanks and acknowledge the team effort. Speakers included three Miller 8th-graders who are on the Student Council: Ramona Armagost, Haines Griffith, and Rebecca Quayle.
Kristin Smith, Board of Education President: "The reason why the Board put the 2020 4A Bond on the ballot was for our students. We want our students to have bright, exciting spaces to learn in, and that is what you'll get to see in this building." Smith said she was a former Miller PTO president who spent a lot of time in the old school building. She said she "dreamed of the day there would not be buckets for dripping water in the classroom. That dream has come true."
Dr. Karen Cheser, Superintendent: "Back in the summer of 2021, we dreamed big. And then we found out that the cost per square foot was about double what it was before COVID. We knew we could only afford about 80,000 square feet – not the 120,000 square feet that the previous Miller was. But out of constraint comes beauty. The dreamers in this room said, 'OK, how do we make every square foot of the space count? How do we use more of the outside? How can we be flexible and adaptable with spaces that can be used for so many different things?'"
Vernadette Norman, Principal of Miller Middle School: "Everyone has put in the work to make the impossible possible here. We have worked every day – endlessly – to create a reality for our students where they are empowered, inspired, and are ready to create a new, brighter future for themselves and for others. We are excited to live out the legacy that Miller Middle School has developed in this community."
Devon Merriman, Jacobs Bond Project Manager: "I think everybody here can agree that this has been a very tough project. We've had a lot of monumental challenges that we've had to overcome, and the one word I think of for everyone here is resilience. Thank you for your patience and your toughness."
