Second graders Karson Potter and Colby Seaney beam as they sign the commemorative Akron Elementary steel beam. Their signatures and those of their classmates and teachers will be seen for years after the Akron project is completed.

AKRON — Thursday morning, Oct. 6, marked a momentous occasion in the timeline of the Akron construction project for Akron Elementary students – each one got to sign a steel beam that will be used in the combined gymnasium and auditorium areas. The students’ signatures, color-coded by grade level, will be visible even after the project is complete.

As each class arrived to sign the beam, Akron principal Chrissy Mills greeted them and explained that the signatures will be visible for years, and even decades, to come. “I spoke with the students about how their signatures will forever be on the beam… The students took it very seriously and you could feel a sense of pride in the air when each and every one of them signed,” she said.

Mills also explained why it is important to her that the students are involved in the project: “I want them to know that this new school is being built for them and for future generations of students.” The students, as well as members of the community, will be able to see the beam after the project is completed; this is expected in December 2017.