Approximately 500 celebrants packed the Eastplain Elementary School gymnasium Dec. 6 to participate in a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new wing, an addition to the old building that includes four new kindergarten classrooms and a new library.

The new wing was added in response to increased enrollment. According to Alice Mateos, district clerk and public information head, Eastplain is the first school in the district to add such a wing, although, in future, a number of other schools will be making additions.

The wing was pre-constructed in another location and transported to Eastplain on big flatbed trucks. Further construction at the schools has been going on since September. Each of the new classrooms can hold 25 students, although 22 is the anticipated maximum number of students in a class.

"This truly is the district that doesn't sleep," said Principal Emily O'Brien at the ceremony. "We are very proud of our new kindergarten classrooms and library media center. We are grateful to the Plainedge community for your support of the bond referendum that made all this possible. We are grateful to our district leadership team whose vision and direction guided this project from start to finish."

The ceremony included the reading of a poem by Eastplain student Angelica LaRusso, and the singing of Plainedge, Plainedge by the 4th and 5th grade chorus, directed by Ms. Helen Cha. Following the ceremony, attendees proceeded to the new wing for the ribbon cutting and self-guided tour. A slide show of the construction process at Eastplain, compiled by Debbie Fallon, was shown in the Library Media Center. Hors d'oeuvres followed in the café.