• Contact Us
  • Events calendar
Entering Swellesley
Pinnacle, Wellesley

The Swellesley Report

More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.

  • Advertise
  • Business index
  • Contribute
  • Wellesley Square
  • Private schools
  • Camp
  • Eat
  • Schools
  • Top 10 things to do
  • Embracing diversity
  • Kids
  • About us
  • Events
  • Natick Report
  • COVID-19
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Athlete of the Week
  • Seniors
Needham Bank, Wellesley
Write Ahead, Wellesley

Beyond Wellesley: sneak peek at Riverbend School’s newest buildings in S. Natick

July 9, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Riverbend School the construction zone has made its final leap to becoming Riverbend School, the campus. Located at 33 Eliot St., the K – 8, 200-student Montessori-method institution has finished the Upper School building and the gymnasium, the last of three major building projects that kicked off in 2014. Let’s just say it’s been a busy six years at Riverbend, which has had a presence in South Natick since 1986.

Designed by Piatt Associates Architecture, the Upper School contains three purpose-built lower elementary classrooms, as well as dedicated design and art studios. A stand-alone, full-size gymnasium provides plenty of space for indoor recreation, and will also generate revenue through rentals of the space. Both new buildings are located on the field adjacent to the Middle School, which is part of the historic Peletiah Morse Tavern, on Rte. 16.

“All of the buildings for the campus were intended, as designed, to be respectful of the character of the John Eliot Historic District and I hope the new buildings will be seen that way as well,” says architect Jim Piatt.

The two previous building projects, both also designed by Piatt, were Children’s House, completed in 2014; and the Middle School, attached to the tavern, completed in 2017.

Head of School Whitney Slade took time out of his day to give me a tour of the campus, which he said is “geared toward our kids, Montessori kids, the way they’re taught and the way they learn. In the Montessori method, big open spaces are needed.” Here are a few pics of how that was achieved:

Riverbend School, Natick
Children’s House, completed in 2014, is what drivers-by would likely identify as the main building of Riverbend. The 13,000 square-foot building houses the approximately 100 students in the toddler-kindergarten program, as well as administration offices.
Riverbend School, Natick
The Middle School was built using red cedar boards, which already have faded and darkened to evoke the barns of colonial New England. The building is attached to the white clapboard tavern and the design was kept simple so as not to compete with the historic post and beam structure. This building houses the middle school classrooms for math, science, general curriculum, and a music and band room.
Riverbend School, Natick
Riverbend broke ground on the Upper School building in October 2019. The new structure contain three purpose-built lower elementary classrooms, as well as dedicated design and art studios. Architect Jim Piatt chose white as the predominant color for the structure to maintain a feeling of cohesiveness across the campus. This building is for the lower elementary students, grades 1 -3, and contains art and design space.
Riverbend School, Natick
A stand-alone, full-size gymnasium also was part of the construction project. 

Riverbend School
Interior of the gym, which is air conditioned, as are all of the Riverbend buildings. “We’ll be renting out the gym to Natick Rec, Dover-Sherborn basketball, and others, so the gym is also a revenue opportunity for us,” Slade said.
Riverbend School, Natick
This shot is facing east from across campus. The white building, left, is Children’s House. The cedar-clad building, right, is the Middle School. The steepled building, center, is the former Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Although it appears that the church is part of the Riverbend campus, it’s actually across Route 16. After over a decade of standing vacant the church recently sold, and the new owners have been putting hours of sweat equity into the building daily. But that’s another post….
Riverbend School, Natick
Skylights, teacher-controlled lighting system, radiant heated floors and a flat roof for hidden solar panels, were all part of the building projects.
Riverbend School, Natick
A classroom waits for set-up.

All told, the school has put over $5 million into creating its new campus. The Natick-owned brick building the school worked out of for decades is now vacant. But with grades 4-6 located in Memorial Hall, Riverbend hasn’t completely crossed Eliot Street.

Slade is now focused on what September will look like for Riverbend. “We’re developing protocols to keep everyone separate,” he said. “We’re working with the Natick Board of Health with the goal of providing a safe learning environment for our students, their families, and our staff. We’ll miss out on field trips this year, unfortunately. Maybe we’ll go over to Elm Bank, since we can walk there.”

“And there’s always Forest Friday,” Slade said, pointing to the wooded conservation land the school abuts. “That’s very big here.”

Riverbend School, Natick
Head of School Whitney Slade was masked up during our tour, of course, but I convinced him to drop the face covering for this pic.

Other sneak peeks:

Sneak peek: we get a look at the Babson College globe

Sneak peek: the renovated Hood Museum at Dartmouth College

Sneak peek: an early look behind Door No. 7 in Wellesley

print

Share

Filed Under: Beyond Wellesley, Education, Kids

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You have to agree to the comment policy.

Linden Square, Wellesley
Dedham Country Day School
Wonderful Wellesley, see what's new

Tip us off…

Please send tips, photos, ideas to [email protected]

 

Advertisements

Wellesley Square
Wellesley, Jesamondo
Edge on Science
Sexton test prep
Feldman Law
Fay School, Southborough
Wellesley Theatre Project
Volvo
Cheesy Street Grill
Admit Fit, Wellesley
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
Never miss a post with our free daily Swellesley Report email
Name: 
Your email address:*
Please wait...
Please enter all required fields Click to hide
Correct invalid entries Click to hide

You can subscribe for free, though we appreciate any contribution that supports our independent journalism.

Click on Entering Natick sign to read our Natick Report

Entering Natick road sign

Most Read Posts

  • Wellesley Business Buzz: Merchants raise 'Parking, parking, parking' concerns in Wellesley Square; Lockheart Restaurant sign goes up
  • Wellesley public works taking fresh look at RDF give-and-take area
  • You might wanna sit down before you open that Wellesley tax bill
  • The Wellesley aqueduct bathrooms at Hunnewell Field have landed
  • Little Free Libraries in Wellesley

Upcoming Events

Jul 6
10:00 am - 11:00 am

Open House at Boston Outdoor Preschool Network

Jul 16
9:30 am - 4:30 pm

Wellesley Square July Jubilation Sidewalk Sale

Jul 19
8:00 am - 9:00 am

Fay School admission information session

Jul 20
10:00 am - 11:00 am

Tour at Boston Outdoor Preschool Network

Aug 12
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Fay School admission information session

View Calendar

Popular pages

  • Wellesley’s 7 official scenic roads

Recent Comments

  • J. Staffier on Supporters gather to wish all the best to retiring asst. fire chief Jeff Peterson
  • Dennis McCormick on Wellesley public works taking fresh look at RDF give-and-take area
  • Mary Bowers on Supporters gather to wish all the best to retiring asst. fire chief Jeff Peterson
  • Ian on Wellesley Business Buzz: Merchants raise ‘Parking, parking, parking’ concerns in Wellesley Square; Lockheart Restaurant sign goes up
  • Katalin on Wellesley public works taking fresh look at RDF give-and-take area

Links we like

  • Great Runs
  • Jack Sanford: Wellesley's Major League Baseball Star
  • Taquitos.net
  • Tech-Tamer
  • The Wellesley Wine Press
  • Universal Hub
  • Wellesley Sports Discussion Facebook Group

Categories

  • 2021 Town Election (24)
  • Animals (416)
  • Antiques (49)
  • Art (577)
  • Beyond Wellesley (47)
  • Books (366)
  • Business (1,503)
  • Camp (11)
  • Careers/jobs (48)
  • Churches (79)
  • Clubs (229)
  • Construction (295)
  • Dump (127)
  • Education (3,109)
    • Babson College (250)
    • Bates Elementary School (16)
    • Dana Hall School (34)
    • Fiske Elementary School (9)
    • Hardy Elementary School (44)
    • Hunnewell Elementary School (42)
    • MassBay (55)
    • Schofield Elementary School (24)
    • Sprague Elementary School (19)
    • St. John School (2)
    • Tenacre Country Day School (11)
    • Upham Elementary School (35)
    • Wellesley College (608)
    • Wellesley High School (962)
    • Wellesley Middle School (203)
  • Embracing diversity (69)
  • Entertainment (788)
  • Environment (749)
  • Fashion (141)
  • Finance (14)
  • Fire (163)
  • Food (344)
  • Fundraising (612)
  • Gardens (157)
  • Government (557)
    • 2020 Town Election (47)
    • 2022 Town Election (14)
  • Health (850)
    • COVID-19 (200)
  • Hikes (3)
  • History (388)
  • Holidays (406)
  • Houses (154)
  • Humor (47)
  • Kids (850)
  • Law (8)
  • Legal notices (6)
  • Letters to the Editor (62)
  • Media (70)
  • METCO (4)
  • Military (11)
  • Morses Pond (108)
  • Music (568)
  • Natick Report (29)
  • Neighbors (273)
  • Obituaries & remembrances (73)
  • Outdoors (642)
  • Parenting (62)
  • Police (757)
    • Crime (386)
  • Politics (551)
  • POPS Senior Profile (9)
  • RDF (6)
  • Real estate (331)
  • Religion (131)
  • Restaurants (332)
  • Safety (151)
  • Scouts (2)
  • Seniors (120)
  • Shopping (144)
  • Sponsored (6)
  • Sports (980)
    • Athlete of the Week (6)
  • STEM (107)
  • Technology (164)
  • Theatre (392)
  • Town Meeting (23)
  • Transportation (230)
  • Travel (17)
  • Uncategorized (1,230)
  • Volunteering (346)
  • Weather (177)
  • Wellesley Election 2019 (21)
  • Wellesley Free Library (276)
  • Wellesley's Wonderful Weekend (19)
RSS Feed Icon Subscribe to RSS Feed
Deland, Gibson Insurance, Wellesley

© 2022 The Swellesley Report
Site by Tech-Tamer · Login