Featured Installation – N. I. Magnuson Christian School, White Bear Lake, MN

The Need for Flexibility in a Traditional Classroom

What role does classroom furniture play in today’s educational environments? These case histories of Smith System customers reinforce the idea that functional, durable furniture plays a vital part in the process. We've collected representative experiences from across the U.S. You may find a school with a situation similar to yours.

Elementary Learning Case Study

N. I. Magnuson Christian School White Bear Lake, MN

Background

This new school in White Bear Lake Minnesota, began with a single Kindergarten class in the fall of 2004. The school’s plan is add one grade per year until it serves K through grade 8.

N. I. Magnuson Christian School seeks to create an educational climate that is both gracious and true: “love and second chances coupled with high expectations of personal responsibility and discipline.” The educational philosophy is based on measurable expectations, regular evaluation, enhancement, and correction.

Arc Desks in a Traditional Grade 1 Classroom

Ms. Sue Spangenberg’s classroom is outfitted with Arc Desks with Grey Nebula tops, Burgundy edges and Platinum frames. Brilliant Chairs in Burgundy provide the student seating.

Varied Classroom Configurations

“Our floor plan remains fairly constant, “ notes first-grade teacher Sue Spangenberg. “During presentation of most subjects, the desks are laid out in two broad arcs providing unobstructed sightlines to the chalkboard.” Ms. Spangenberg calls this, “social studies mode.” The other layout is for science, when the desks are arranged in groups of three. “A group of three works well for our science experiments,” Ms. Spangenberg said.

Ergonomics

Ms. Spangenberg observed, “the side of the desk where the student sits is relatively wide and the frame positions the legs away from the corners of the desk. This lets students sit down and get up without banging their chairs into their desks. Anything that reduces distractions is welcome.”

Aids Concentration

“Until now, I’ve never had an elementary classroom equipped with desks that had fixed work surfaces. In my previous classrooms, the students have had to raise their desktops when they needed books or supplies. The process of opening, searching, removing and closing could be distracting at times, but it isn’t an issue with the Arc Desks. The students just reach under the desk and pull out whatever they need.”

Praises Stability

“The Arc Desks a very stable and sturdy,” Ms. Spangenberg said. Even in a classroom of active first graders, I don’t feel the desks are going anywhere .”

Future Growth

“Our class is growing by eight students next year, and this will require a major reconfiguration of the classroom,” Ms. Spangenberg said. The LearnScape design tool on this site can help her with her floor plan.

Built In Flexibility