Squeals of excitement echoed down a packed Dexter Street as Van Antwerp Middle School sixth graders watched a piece of school history rise into the sky.
With an EPIC Niskayuna banner attached, a steel beam signed by students and staff was lifted by a crane into the frame of the school’s new addition.
For the students and staff watching, the beam marks another step closer to a completed state-of-the-art Van Antwerp.
“I was really excited because it’s going to be there forever and it’s going to be really fun to remember that we were here,” said sixth grader Lilybelle Egnaczyk. “It’s going to be cool when other people go here; it’s like our memory will always be there.”
The steel beam was signed by students and staff during the school’s annual community day celebration in October 2025.
Now safely installed in the new frame, the signed beam sits permanently within the structure of what will become the school’s new art room.
“This milestone is a physical representation of our commitment to our students and their future,” said Superintendent Carl Mummenthey. “By modernizing these spaces, we are creating a more collaborative and inspiring environment where every student can thrive.”
In addition to the new art room, the new addition will feature a new cafeteria, library and music rehearsal spaces. Classroom improvements will also be made throughout the building to enhance the learning environment.
The capital project improvements also included a new playground specifically designed for fifth and sixth graders, which opened to students in October 2025.
Capital project improvements are part of the district’s ongoing reimagination of middle level education.
More information about capital project work and reimagining middle level education is available on our website.
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