Crystal Run Elementary opened its doors to families Thursday.
After two years of construction, Appoquinimink School District’s newest elementary school opened its doors to students and parents Thursday night.
Crystal Run Elementary, located at 1470 Aviator Way in Middletown, sits in a sea of corn fields, sparking the feel of the movie “Field of Dreams.”
About 400 students from grades one through five will attend this school year, with about 80 in each grade.
The $52 million building is two stories with 38 classrooms.
It’s the latest of Appo’s nine elementary schools.
It was paid for by funding from a 2019 referendum, another step necessary because of the two-decade-plus growth of Middletown and the school district.
“The building’s beautiful, and it’s just been such a positive time with everyone full of energy,” said Tara DeMatteri, the school’s librarian.
Students lined up to take photos with the Maverick mascot.
“The school’s big goal is building the community, and instead of focusing on rules for the new school, we really want students to hone in on their hopes and their dreams, and the things they want to accomplish” DeMatteri said.
Her goal for the inaugural year is making sure all the children feel safe and feel like they belong.
“When we knew the school was going to be open in August, it’s been a buzz ever since,” said Principal Don Davis. “Teachers have been working most of the summer just knowing that the first time we do things here will be the first time ever, so they really want to be part of that and we want to make sure our families get to be part of that beginning.”
Most new schools open with a surge of interest from district teachers, he pointed out.
However, there was so much interest from teachers to work in the new school that the school decided to interview everyone and not all those who were interested were transferred.
Students and their parents met their teachers last week and were able to see the school and the childrens’ classrooms.
“Our number one thing is student engagement in the classroom,” Davis said, “and we want them as well as their families and our staff to look at this as their home base for years to come.”
Raised in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Jarek earned a B.A. in journalism and a B.A. in political science from Temple University in 2021. After running CNN’s Michael Smerconish’s YouTube channel, Jarek became a reporter for the Bucks County Herald before joining Delaware LIVE News.
Jarek can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at (215) 450-9982. Follow him on Twitter @jarekrutz
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