After renovations, Crown Point Junior Music Academy welcomes students
PACIFIC BEACH After three years of pouring concrete pounding nails and painting walls the remodel of Crown Point Junior Music Academy is finished The entire campus is new except the library and the covered outdoor eating area It is so wonderful to start the new school year with no construction on our campus commented CPJMA Principal Sakeenah Smith after a current tour of the school The only renovation detail left is the installation of solar panels in our parking lot to be completed in November The campus on Ingraham Street between Fortuna Avenue and Pacific Beach Drive feels more open and the interior spaces are spacious The main office previously faced Ingraham Street and now it faces Pacific Beach Drive mentioned Lindsay Phillips communications chairperson for Friends of CPJMA who accompanied Smith on the campus tour Our main office houses a beautiful reception area along with the nurses and principal s offices Crown Point Junior Music Academy Principal Sakeenah Smith left and Lindsay Phillips communications chairperson for Friends of CPJMA during a modern tour of the new classrooms Photo by Cyril Reinicke Special to Beach Bay Press Along Ingraham Street is the new wing of first through fifth-grade classrooms Additionally there are new specialty areas a violin classroom a large maker space classroom and a classroom for supplementary music instruction Being a music academy CPJMA students need practice rehearsal and performance spaces The new auditorium is outfitted with state-of-the-art staging lighting and sound systems Our parent and population performances will be presented in a modern venue Smith declared Our students are excited to perform in this new space At the south edge of the campus fronting Fortuna Street is the new kindergarten wing of four classrooms two assigned for UTK Universal Transitional Kindergarten and two kindergarten classrooms Restrooms are included in each of the four large rooms The kindergarten wing has a uniquely designed playground tailored for our and -year-old students Phillips added The school s larger main playground area has three new structures opportunities for traditional hopscotch and wall-ball games as well as pickleball New learner and staff restrooms have been added as well as a vestibule area which has space for private work areas for visiting staff speech therapists occupational therapists and parent conferences Our school has such a strong sense of society and I love the focus on music mentoring Phillips stated The teachers are absolute gems Truly the best Funded by previous voter-approved bond measures YY and U CPJMA is one of three elementary schools in the Mission Bay Cluster completing renovations and remodeling this school year Barnard Mandarin Magnet Elementary School and Pacific Beach Elementary School are scheduled to have remodeling and renovation work completed in early We refer to CPJMA as our secret jewel box reported Kelly Gemelli president of Friends of CPJMA Although I think the secret is out