School Furniture

  “We have such a brief opportunity to pass on to our children our love for this Earth, and to tell our stories. These are the moments when the world is made whole.” – Richard Louv, journalist and author Our childhood memories of eating in school cafeterias and classrooms tend to leave a lasting influence

  By Nichol Lancaster Makerspaces made their debut around 2005, but the concept has been around for many years. In the late 1800s, women would collaborate while making quilts, knitting, and sewing and study each other’s techniques and discuss books they had read while making the quilts. It can also be found when Wilbur and

  The library is the space I have seen change the most in the past 30 years. Gone are the days of tall, dark library shelving stuffed with volumes of books, study carrels, heavy wood tables and chairs. Instead, the library is a space embracing technology, a center hub of explorative learning within the school,

  With the start of a new school year, it can be overwhelming for teachers as they prepare to return to the classroom. Between lesson planning, memorizing student names, class organization, and supplies checklist, the last thing on their mind might be how the classroom is arranged — as long as they have desks and

  By Nina Parmenter Having worked with schools worldwide for 50 years, we understand the importance of spaces where people gather. These spaces lie at the very heart of a school’s character. It’s where success is celebrated, students are inspired and experiences are shared. The more functions a space can serve, the more value it

  Much like all industries in which innovation is highly prized, education relies on the principle of constant growth and adaptation. This is true for the student’s knowledge and understanding of the world, the ways in which instructors teach, and even in the evolution of educational programs themselves. As an essential component of the learning

  Creating a Learning Space that Inspires By Gigi Devanney, M.A. There may be no other subject that demands more of the facilities in which it is taught than science.  Whether you are teaching advanced biology, anatomy & physiology, introductory chemistry. AP physics or earth and environmental science, having access to an appropriate space can

  By Kern Halls A school cafeteria is a staple of every school. It’s where every student congregates, eats, and socializes. Friendships are made here, and it’s symbolic of every school. It’s also covered in almost every movie that is centered around schools. Yet, one common element is that many school cafeterias look the same

  In response to a rising number of students with personal laptops, educators and administrators are questioning the need for computer labs. However, while access to technology is changing their function, computer labs remain relevant in today’s schools for a number of reasons. For starters, computer labs create inclusive, structured learning environments where students can

  By Joe S. Agati Designing a library for students is no simple task. Whether you’re just updating furniture or doing a full redesign, here are five questions that will help you clarify the direction for your unique space. Who are you designing your space for? Students, yes. But let’s go deeper than that. What

  When selecting the perfect seating solution for your school auditorium space, the variety of auditorium fixed seating choices on the market can be overwhelming. Determining which style will satisfy your budget, your design and, ultimately, your audience, isn’t easy. But, you’re in luck! We’ve compiled the top features to consider when choosing the perfect

  Upgrading or increasing the capacity of school laboratories and makerspace is a question on the minds of leadership teams at private religious schools these days. How so? The pandemic plays a part in this, both directly and indirectly. Let’s start with the direct part. Many students are in need of significant catchup, particularly in

  There is nothing more important than a young person’s education. Smart, attentive teachers might be the building blocks of learning, but there are a variety of tools that a child needs to succeed in school. Quality school furniture, for example, is a necessity that often goes overlooked. When it comes to choosing the right

  Education, it’s been said by many, is the foundation of the future. And what better place to invest than in the future of our children and our society? It’s a goal of every educational institution (we hope) to empower children and young adults to reach their full potential. In an effort to make that

  By Melissa Potter Reminiscing about the first days of kindergarten or elementary brings that familiar song back, the one that includes this line: “…we’re all in our places with bright shining faces.” What a difference a few decades have made. As classroom teachers and instructional leaders have planned for the opening of schools in

  By Eileen Roybal Surviving the “EdVenture” that was 2020 lands stakeholders in a unique situation to take advantage of an opportunity to reimagine learning spaces. Choosing the proper desking and seating is a great place to start. Desks and chairs are often the first things people notice when entering an educational space. And, after

  Schools everywhere want to create successful learning spaces (i.e., Makerspace, Fab Labs and STEM/STEAM Labs, etc.), but few understand the essential elements that create a successful and impactful space. First, schools need to develop a plan. Very often, schools rush to bring STEM learning to students, spending money on various 3D printers, lasers, and

  Evolutions in technology and pedagogy have created a demand for new types of learning spaces. Educators are finding that students work and learn best in environments that are fun, engaging, and collaborative. For this reason, school libraries are beginning to change and evolve to include more flexible seating options. How School Libraries Are Changing

  By John Myers Communities across the country are faced with many challenges as they re-open their schools in a COVID-19 world. As a designer and manufacturer of furniture solutions for learning environments, we care deeply about the well-being of today’s students and the amazing educators who lead and guide them. We understand the value

  Libraries have changed dramatically. No longer are they exclusively furnished with tall, static bookshelves. In many schools, this space has morphed into a multi-media center where students research, discover and explore their ideas. Media centers are the hub of the school. These are now flexible spaces that accommodate technology, teaching and versatile student or

  By John-Paul Nelson Schools all over the world have undergone massive changes in the last several months, and uncertainty seems to be the only constant. Temporary shutdowns that were supposed to last a few weeks turned into full-blown campus closures, and a shift to distance learning became the norm with no time to properly

  By Dr. Christina Counts Here are the steps that all schools should be taking to ensure safe, clean, healthy classrooms for the 2020-21 school year (and beyond). As we move further into the Fall 2020 semester, schools are focused on creating healthy but functional learning spaces—all while keeping students and learning at the center

  A successful concert is made from the stage up. The performances of choirs, bands, orchestras, live theatre, drummers, conductors and public speakers often take the importance of proper staging for granted. But everyone needs a podium to be properly seen and to be heard. There are four types of platforms developed to meet the

  By Katelyn Forcucci Over the past several weeks, we have watched children adapt to learning at home. Whether this involves making a standing desk out of the kitchen counter or sitting on the floor and using the couch or coffee table as a workstation, learners are making this work. What does this show us?

  Seating is a crucial part of every library. From people stopping by to check email, students spending a whole day studying, or patrons swinging by to read a book, the list of needs is long. And, it’s important to have the best seating options available to support the people using your space. Here is

  As the nature of 21st century continues to evolve and change, schools have begun to move away from the traditional classroom and are embracing more modern spaces that support new and innovative ways of learning. Because the physical classroom environment has become an extension of the teacher, choosing classroom furniture is a critical component

  There are many choices out there when it comes to choosing and designing the right bookcases that should be used for a school’s library. Talking to experts can help with making the right choices for a school’s library bookcases. What should you consider? Take a look. The Height of Your Bookcases The height of

  Throughout their childhood and adolescence, students spend nearly as much time in classrooms as they do at home. The same can be said for teachers. Because of this, classrooms are just as much living spaces as they are learning spaces. Just how students have different styles of learning and teachers have different styles of

Founded at the dawn of the 20th century, St. Thomas High School is the oldest college preparatory high school in Texas. The campus, ranked by the Houston Press as one of the city’s most architecturally beautiful, spans multiple interconnected buildings, including Cemo Auditorium, built in 2002 and recently treated to an AV systems upgrade. The

As the workforce demands more agile, innovative employees, the skills required from future job seekers are not the same as they once were. Passive learning and industrial education systems are outmoded – they simply won’t facilitate the same level of thinking required for students to succeed in the future. Instead, students today are encouraged to

A new school with a fresh new approach to learning, St. Anthony Catholic School in Madison, Mississippi, needed a science lab with equipment and furnishings as innovative as the school’s hands-on, inquiry-based curriculum. With less than one year until opening day, Principal Angela Brunini turned to Sheldon Labs to create that lab. “In their initial

Here are five items to check off your school nutrition checklist: 1. COOKING • Make sure your ovens are calibrated properly. This is easy to determine by purchasing an inexpensive oven thermometer and placing it in your oven and setting your oven at various temperatures and verify the thermometer reflects the temperature you set it

Have you noticed? While there is little doubt that classrooms have become more sophisticated and digital, the physical classroom setting and furniture don’t seem to have evolved at the same pace. It’s true. The tablets and devices that are transforming the learning process still sit on top of the same style desks from the 1950s.

When contemplating the design of each of the learning spaces within a school, the touchstone for every decision should be the end users of each space – the students. Students, teachers, and administrators utilize the facility throughout the day, but the students typically have the widest range of body sizes and shapes, the least amount

If your school is in the midst of building or retrofitting old science classrooms, finding vendors with the right products and the ability to produce those products cost effectively and on time is paramount. Let’s take a look at the most important attributes when selecting a science lab furniture manufacturer. Price There is no way

Sometimes a change is just necessary. Maybe the lunchroom tables in your school’s cafeteria are super out-of-date or maybe they simply don’t accommodate the students as well as they should. Whatever the case, if you are looking for ways to revamp your school’s lunchroom, then we are here to help you do it. Here are

By John Kessell More than a decade ago, the buzzwords of collaborative learning, active learning, and video conferencing were not in widespread use in education. But as access to the Internet and computer technology in the classroom became practical, educators were drawn to these methods. In higher education, the technology for presenting images and data

By Diana Rendina When I first arrived at my school, the library was in pretty dismal shape. It was dark, dingy, cluttered and pretty much the opposite of student-friendly. Over the course of five years, I gradually changed things up and redesigned our learning space into one that is flexible, collaborative, and fun. Here are

By Cindy Eggebrecht The way the furniture in a classroom is designed and configured can have a significant effect on how students learn, research suggests—and if you want students to engage in more active learning by working together to solve problems collaboratively, you can actually encourage those behaviors with how you arrange the desks and

By Tracey Rector School is back in session! This means school foodservices are back in full swing from the cafeteria to the football field. With it being a new school year, now is the time to update and upgrade your current equipment and supplies to ensure a successful year. Here are a few ideas to

When you think about the ingredients for academic success, some of the obvious ones likely spring to mind, like curriculum, teaching style, and individual discipline. While these all play a role, the physical setup of the classroom can be just as important. According to a report from Partnership for the 21 Century Learning (P21), the

When Cathedral High School in Natchez, Mississippi, launched an ambitious capital campaign in 2012, completely renovated chemistry and biology labs were at the top of the wish list. The chemistry lab had not been renovated since the school was built in the 1950s. Originally constructed as a library, the biology lab lacked access to electricity

Cafeteria tables offer large capacity support for school or dining facility use, with strong steel frames, smooth laminate tabletop finish, protective edging and many styles fold for easy storage. Folding cafeteria tables have casters to enable convenient mobility and the folding portion at the center of the tabletop has added support built into the frame.

By Mike Serridge and Kate Willoughby Demand for STEM skills is strong across all economies and is set to grow in the coming years. Despite this, the issue of falling numbers in the uptake of higher level science and technology-based education has been the subject of many debates, studies, and reports for several decades. There