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BHS dedicates new Wing Lake Developmental Center |
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 Smiles on the faces of the severely impaired students who helped dedicate their new school in Bloomfield Township today were as bright as the new building itself.
Several children helped cut the ribbon at the new Wing Lake Developmental Center at Maple and Wing Lake roads, which will serve about 100 students from 21 Oakland County school districts. The $10.6 million cost of the building was covered by Oakland County taxpayers via the Oakland Intermediate School District. The building replaced an adapted former elementary school built in 1955, and was designed to complement the 1859 stone schoolhouse on the property.
“Our goal was to build a school that any child would be excited to attend,” said Dr. Steven Gaynor, superintendent. “Our new building demonstrates respect for our students’ needs for instruction, personal care, storage and mobility.”
Students will begin classes at the building on Sept. 2. The public is invited for informal building tours from 5-8 pm on Thursday, Sept. 11. For more information, contact the Wing Lake office at 248-341-7900.
Every feature of the 39,000 square foot building was thoughtfully considered to meet the students’ needs. Skylights and large windows maximize the use of natural light, color is used throughout to help students with directionality, and classrooms are equipped with state of the art instructional technology. The school is fully accessible with wide hallways and doorways, automatic entry doors and completely adapted bathroom facilities adjacent to each classroom. A multipurpose room will be used for sensori-motor activities and an activities of daily living room will be used to develop pre-vocational skills like cooking, washing and drying clothing, and recycling. Heated sidewalks across the front of the building allow for safe loading and unloading of students on the buses in winter weather. A universally-accessible playground is completely enclosed and available for daily recess.
Bloomfield Township architectural firm TMP Associates designed the building after meeting extensively with teachers, therapists, parents, custodians and administrators to understand student needs.
The Wing Lake Developmental Center opened in 1974 and serves students ages 3 to 26 with severe cognitive, physical, sensory and health impairments. Wing Lake provides a comprehensive educational program in a caring and supportive environment where each student’s fullest potential is the staff’s greatest concern. The school is open year-around.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 22 October 2008 )
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