When students of Cutler Bay Academy of Advanced Studies, Centennial Campus, return to classes for the beginning of the new school year, they will see the results of a landscape beautification project for the high school that was provided by the Town of Cutler Bay.
On Friday, July 18, the town’s staff and its landscaping contractor, VisualScape, visited the school to launch an effort at the ever-growing high school involving the addition of a number of native trees and shrubs around Centennial’s campus. Work there will continue in the coming months, but the town’s efforts to remove the old existing landscaping and plant the trees were appreciated greatly by school officials, according to Justin A. Koren, PhD, lead teacher, Curriculum and Magnet Programs.
“We are always thrilled when the town can step up to help the school,” Dr. Koren said. “Obviously, the way that the school appears on the outside should be a reflection of the way that the school is functioning on the inside. We noticed how beautiful the improvements were on Old Cutler Road and we wanted to be an extension of that.”
This campus beautification project conducted by the town’s Public Works Department is part of the Town of Cutler Bay’s “Street Tree Master Plan” and an element of the town’s Strategic Master Plan, which emphasizes the creation of a town beautification program.
Dr. Koren had praise for the town’s response and the relationship that has been built between the schools and local government, which has helped them to accomplish things quickly, efficiently and without hesitation.
“This is a true partnership in every sense,” Dr. Koren said. “If we need something, we call the manager, and he’s on it right away. Through a very generous donation they provided us with the manpower to get the ball rolling.
“They gave us some palms and they helped to clean up the existing landscaping that we had, and enabled us to map out how we’re going to improve during the coming year. What I’d like to stress is that the town is always there for us, and I do mean that.”
Town manager Rafael G. Casals said that he was pleased the town could work with the school to help with the improvements.
“The Centennial Campus landscape beautification project is just another example of how close the town and local schools work together to create an aesthetically pleasing school entry feature that students, faculty and parents can be proud of, while creating a sense of pride and unity amongst the students,” Casals said.
