Newman presents vision for larger preschool building on Soniat and long-term campus plans

 Posted by at 11:59 am  city government, crime, neighborhood groups, public safety, schools
Nov 142012
 

Dale Smith, associate head of school at Newman, listens to a question about a sketch of the new L-shaped preschool building planned for the corner of Soniat and Danneel at a Tuesday night meeting of the Freret Neighbors United. (Robert Morris, UptownMessenger.com)

Officials from the Isidore Newman School envision a new, larger preschool building on the Soniat Street side of campus to open in 2014, as well as the renovations to athletic and science facilities farther down the road, they told the Freret Neighbors United group Tuesday evening.

Members of the association, meanwhile, are continuing preliminary discussions about creating a security district to increase the number of officers patrolling the area. Continue reading »

Cecile Tebo: Jefferson Avenue’s morning star

 Posted by at 5:30 am  opinion, schools
Nov 222011
 

Clarence Givens of New Orleans Private Patrol smiles as he works in front of Newman School. (Sabree Hill, UptownMessenger.com)

Whether driving to work, dropping the kids at school or eating at a favorite lunch spot, we all have faces we encounter on a regular basis in our daily journey. A few of my regulars have become part of the fabric of my life — even though I may have never met or had a conversation with them, their faces, warm smiles or simple presences are always consistent and expected in my daily trek. I wonder about the stories behind these faces, who these people are, what their lives are all about, how they became part of my world and perhaps yours as well.

One of those faces belongs to Clarence Givens. Anyone who travels Jefferson Avenue past Newman School in the mornings has had the opportunity to see Clarence Givens. An officer with New Orleans Private Patrol, Clarence has been detailed to Newman School for the past 8 years. What is remarkable about Clarence is his amazingly wide, bright smile, a gift to those who pass him each and every morning. Whether the day is sweltering heat, rain or freezing, that smile is always a given. Continue reading »

Newman withdraws zoning requests, postpones preschool expansion

 Posted by at 9:30 am  city government, schools
Oct 102011
 

This Loyola Avenue house was slated for conversion into an early childhood center for the Newman school, but will remain untouched for the coming year after the school withdrew its plans. (Robert Morris, UptownMessenger.com)

After spending the summer meeting with neighbors and city officials, the Isidore Newman School has decided to withdraw a zoning request that would have allowed an expanded preschool facility for the coming year. Continue reading »

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Newman strives toward accord with neighbors concerned about expansion

 Posted by at 8:13 am  city government, neighborhood groups, schools
Aug 312011
 

The site plan for the additions to the Isidore Newman School.

The Isidore Newman School is working on additional restrictions to its expansion plans in order to address the concerns of its neighbors, the school attorney told members of the surrounding neighborhoods Tuesday night.

The school is asking for land-use changes on three sides of its campus. An early-childhood center is planned across Loyola Avenue, a home on the corner of Jefferson and Danneel is being renovated for a headmaster’s house, and the old AutoPaint building at Danneel and Robert, currently used for storage, could one day become a classroom facility of some kind, said attorney Justin Schmidt. Continue reading »

Newman School wins recommendation from planning commission for early-childhood center and land-use changes

 Posted by at 1:25 pm  city government, neighborhood groups, schools
Jul 262011
 

Despite requests from several neighborhoods for more time to become familiar with the Isidore Newman School’s proposed land-use changes, the City Planning Commission gave the school’s plans a favorable recommendation Tuesday to the City Council with very little discussion.

The school plans to build an early-childhood education center on Loyola Avenue by combining two houses on the street with a third home to be moved from elsewhere on campus, officials have said. Newman is also seeking official “school use” designation for several other buildings it owns, including the old Autopaint building on Danneel Street currently used for storage and the proposed headmaster’s house at 1803 Jefferson. Continue reading »

Newman School’s expansion plans draw mixed reaction from neighbors

 Posted by at 10:33 pm  city government, neighborhood groups, schools
Jul 192011
 

The site plan for the additions to the Isidore Newman School's zoning. The orange buildings at the top represent the new early childhood center; the headmaster's house is at the bottom left and the Auto Paint building is at the bottom right.

The Isidore Newman School’s plan to incorporate two historic homes on Loyola Street into its new early childhood education center won praise from neighbors Tuesday night, but the broader zoning changes to property around the campus caused some concern.

Newman has applied for a number of land-use changes around its campus, but its only immediate plans are to build the early-childhood center and to use a house on the corner of Danneel and Jefferson for the headmaster’s home, school officials said Tuesday at a meeting with about two dozen neighbors. Several other buildings the school owns — including, most notably, the former Auto-Painting building at Dufossat and Danneel will be rezoned for “school use” to unify the land use across the campus, said school attorney Justin Schmidt. Continue reading »