Even teachers need their space. This year, Ramaz Upper School students, specifically juniors and seniors, will benefit from a new College Guidance Office. Since the end of school last year, the office, located on the C-level, has been under construction. The entire floor remained off-limits to students and faculty at the start of school until reopening on September 23rd, the third week of school. In the interim, Rabbi Stochel stated, “the College Guidance Office has temporarily relocated to the Teachers’ Lounge behind the library until the newly renovated suite of offices on the C-level is ready for the college advisers to move in.”

As a result, students were no longer able to use what many consider as their favorite bathrooms and the teachers’ lounge had been relocated to the quiet room, a small space in the library previously dedicated to independent study.

The newly constructed office went under renovation to remodel a space that, “for a few decades has been an open concept office,” according to Mr. Blumenthal who was closely involved in the redesign of the office. Changing the office from an open concept to one containing individual offices and compartmentalized spaces required major construction over the summer months. The new layout includes a conference room, individual offices for each advisor, and a room for Ms. Schulman, the registrar. 

Mr Blumenthal said, “the reason for this new layout is to give privacy to each student and parent that enters our office. Before, it was difficult to have private phone calls and conversations with students. This new configuration allows for more intimate conversations with students, and we hope it will make them more comfortable to share their thoughts. Although the previous space allowed for the sharing of ideas [among the advisers] because we were all in one room, I feel that the positives of the new layout outweigh those of the previous one.”  

The past three weeks were important ones for seniors who must begin to choose the schools to which they plan to submit applications. The advisors enjoyed their temporary office because of its central location next to the Senior Lounge that allows easy access for students to pop in with questions.

As for those teachers in the quiet room, they have had to deal with downsizing their office size and working with fewer computers. Mr Deutsch said,  “I certainly recognize that there is a situation that requires us to be in a temporary space. I hope the situation will end quickly so we can return to the previous space because I would like to be able to tell my students where I can be found if they need to meet with me.” Similarly, Dr. Gaylord added that the current room is suboptimal, but expressed complete understanding in having to make temporary sacrifices for his colleagues and students.

Overall, faculty across the board are looking forward to returning to their original office locations whether remodeled one, or simply moving from one side of the library to the other. 

And students are looking forward to discussing important life decisions ahead with their advisors—in private.