Schooling resumes at the designated alternative site following the explosion
After the devastating shooting rampage at BORG Dreierschützengasse in Graz, Austria, which claimed ten lives in June, the school community is preparing for a gentle and less stressful return to education. Classes will resume in September at the AVL building, a technology company's facility north of the Helmut-List-Hall, which will accommodate all 21 classes for the entire school year [1].
The affected areas of the original school, including two classrooms heavily impacted by the incident and the restroom where the shooter took his life, will remain inaccessible and are planned to be repurposed or redesigned [1]. Renovations will include extensive surface work, redesign of restroom facilities, and creation of open learning zones and retreat areas to support interaction and focused work. A creative redesign of the school building, under the guidance of Styrian artist Andreas Stern, in collaboration with students and teaching staff, is also planned [1].
The coming weeks will be used for concrete preparation for the first day and week of school. A comprehensive support program with psychosocial care and remedial instruction will run throughout the summer holidays for students. Workshops for teachers will be held during the last week of vacation and the first week of school to convey trauma pedagogical competencies [1].
A professional team of psychologists, counseling teachers, and school social workers will accompany the school community long-term and be present daily from the first day of school [1]. Further meeting dates of the steering group, consisting of representatives from parents, the school, the education directorate, and the Ministry of Education, are also planned for the coming weeks [1].
The school start will be managed with an emphasis on understanding, support, security, and clear structure, with police presence maintained to an appropriate extent [1]. Special classrooms for movement and sports or chemistry, located in the basement of the school, will be used [1].
€228,000 in donations have been collected after the Graz rampage, which will contribute to the renovation and redesign efforts [1]. The AVL building renovation is currently underway and is scheduled to be completed by August [1].
As the school community moves forward, they do so with a shared determination to rebuild and heal, creating a safe and nurturing environment for the students as they continue their educational journey.
[1] Source: Steiermark.at, Graz Online, and Kronen Zeitung.
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