A new auditorium at Cayuga Heights Elementary School was described as a “jewel” for the Depew Union Free School District community as it was formally unveiled with the help of students.
“This auditorium is more than just a building,” said Interim Superintendent Jeffrey R. Rabey. “It is a space where our children will express themselves, engage in the arts and come together as a community.”
A year and a half after the first shovels went into the ground, the community got a look inside the new space during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday night. Cayuga Heights Elementary School Principal Michelle Kudla said the space was much needed.
“We’ve had to be mobile for a lot of our events because we didn’t have a venue large enough to fit our students and families,” she said. “This will provide us the opportunity to have these events in-house.”
In addition to seeing the new space, those in attendance watched a time-lapse video of the construction and got a taste of future productions with a performance from the cast of the elementary school’s production of “Matilda.”
“We value the arts here in our Depew community,” said music teacher Jason Miller. “In a world where there’s a need for beauty and a need for creativity and personal expression, we see this as an incredible asset for our students to be able to find those parts of themselves that might remain latent and undeveloped and explore those possibilities.”
Attendees who stayed for the board meeting that followed were also treated to musical performances from multiple student musical groups as part of School Board Recognition Week.
Parent Samantha Ley, whose daughter Anna is a fifth grader at the elementary school, described the space as beautiful. Anna and her older sister Avery, a seventh grader at Depew Middle School, have both been involved in the school’s music program.
“It’s exciting to know they’ll have their own space to perform and practice,” Ley said.
The new auditorium was part of the 2021 Capital Project, which brought several state-of-the-art improvements to the school and facilities.
Ground was broken on the auditorium on May 9, 2023.
To watch the highlight reel from the day, click here: Cayuga Heights Auditorium Unveiling
