The smell of freshly made popcorn and thunderous cheering filled the hallways of Scarborough Elementary School as overhead announcements reminded students there was just “thirty seconds until showtime.”

“Ah! I’m so excited!” one student yelled from his classroom.

“This is going to be so cool!” hollered another.

The excitement was focused on the Scarborough Elementary School Virtual Grand Opening, which students and staff were celebrating with classroom watch parties.

Scarborough was among four HISD elementary schools — including Mitchell, Kolter, and Braeburn — that had to be rebuilt after sustaining damages during Hurricane Harvey. 

Though the new school opened to students in the fall of 2020, Scarborough Principal Miriam Medina said having a virtual grand opening marked their official homecoming. 

“It’s symbolic to us that we survived, and that Scarborough is strong,” Medina said. “The Huskies will keep on going.”

The two-story, 91,300-square-foot building features open, brightly colored spaces, abundant natural light, and extended learning spaces throughout the building for student collaboration. 

Additional features include learning stairs where students attend library classes, reading nooks, and classrooms equipped with the state-of-the-art smartboard technology.

The virtual grand opening was bittersweet for students. Third-grader Camila Reyes was brought to tears after watching the virtual event.

“When I was little, I was so excited to go there. I was making so many new friends, but then everything happened,” Reyes said of the original school. “It makes me feel good to have my school back.” 

Fifth-grader Adam Medina, who represented Scarborough as the master of ceremonies, said he was particularly proud to be included in the project and hoped he made his family proud.

“I come from a long line of Huskies,” Medina said. “It makes me happy to know I’m continuing the legacy.”

Watch the Scarborough virtual grand opening. For the latest on construction news, follow @HISD_Build on Twitter.