The Hall County School District (HCSD) Wednesday announced the addition of learning commons at West
Hall Middle School, Flowery Branch Elementary School, Sugar Hill Elementary School, and
Martin Elementary School.
These new instructional resources, made possible through another
$100,000 donation from the Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation, have been
designed to “foster creativity, collaboration, and student-centered learning,” according to a HCSD news release. Each school received $25,000 to “modernize its learning commons, creating dynamic environments that inspire innovation.”
Wikipedia describes a learning commons this way: A technology-rich, flexible space for collaborative study and information sharing. There is typically a stronger focus on digital technology in a learning commons than in a standard library.
The ceremony was held at the Mary Jane Murray Learning Commons at Johnosn High School, a
recipient of the foundation’s generosity last year.
In honor of those close to the Ivester Foundation who have left a lasting impact on the
community, each learning commons has been named accordingly:
West Hall Middle School. Honoree: Pat Burd
Flowery Branch Elementary School. Honoree: Martha Jacobs
Sugar Hill Elementary School. Honoree: Susan Roddy
Martin Elementary School. Honoree: Kayanne Massey