elift In
ngton Hills
Hillel. Day School students return
to a completely renovated building.
n the first day of school, Hillel Day School
students may have wondered exactly
where they were.
For starters, the school entrance didn't
look a thing like it used to; it was airy and
open.
The color scheme in the hallways and
classrooms was bright and cheery, the
lights by which the students read were
new — as was the carpeting in the hall-
ways and the tile underfoot.
The old windows had been replaced and
brand-new cabinets were filled with brand-
new supplies.
"We are very excited about the educa-
tional environment that we are providing
to the Hillel families and to the commu-
nity at large," said Robert Schostak, pres-
ident of Hillel. "The school is now equipped
from a facilities standpoint well into the
next decade and will truly be a jewel once
completed."
The renovation to the existing structure
was wrapped up in the nick of time. On
Tuesday, the day before the first full school
day, workers put the finishing touches on
the enlarged parking lot and completed
the carpeting and tile work.
But the successful completion almost
wasn't. Scorching heat and sudden down-
pours set the schedule back a bit.
"The July rains definitely were a set-
PHOTOS BY BILL HANSE N
JILL DAVIDSON SKLAR STAFF WRITER
back, but we were able to catch up," Mr.
Schostak said.
Administrative workers preparing for
the school year also experienced changes
related to the renovation.
"Last week we didn't have phones, yes-
terday we didn't have water and the pow-
er was off the day before. But we keep
telling ourselves that we are havingfun,"
said Midge Stulberg, development direc-
tor. "The changes are marvelous. It is
worth the inconvenience."
The school also will have a new heating
and cooling system, a remodeled office and
new plumbing in the bathrooms. State-of-
the-art cabling will allow for computer net-
Above left: Administrative Director
Scott Cranis sits amid cabling spools
two weeks ago.
Above: A peek through the
scaffolding reveals the building.