Written by: Ansley Hall and published in The Martinsburg Journal on August 14, 2025, link to article HERE.
HEDGESVILLE — Before students entered the classrooms at Tomahawk Intermediate School, staff celebrated the opening of a new wing for students on Tuesday.
This is the second wing that is a part of the 2022 bond project. These additions include five classrooms, restrooms and a basketball court.
The first wing was completed in February of this year, providing more fourth-grade classrooms. The school staff put together a special ceremony to celebrate and welcome students to their new classrooms. As soon as that project was completed, construction began on a different section of the building where a second wing was added. This wing includes third-grade classrooms, as well as a new special-needs classroom for students.
Tomahawk Intermediate Principal Krista Ematrudo is excited to welcome students back and show them the new space. As Berkeley County continues to grow, Tomahawk Intermediate and other schools are working hard to adjust and meet the educational needs.
“We are in a growing community and continue to increase enrollment every year,” Ematrudo said. “Having this new wing will help us enhance our view and mission to educate students and give them a space to learn.”
Before these wings were built, several classes were located in trailers on school property. Now, they will be inside the facility in a clean and secure location.
The new wings also include special flooring around the water fountain to ensure safety and charging ports in student cubbies, where they can charge the electronics they use during lessons. During the ribbon cutting, teachers were eagerly setting up their classrooms to get ready students to come on Aug. 19.
“We have a couple of students here today, but the excitement has been building as students have heard the construction,” Ematrudo said. “They knew something great was happening behind that door.”
The extension was designed to blend seamlessly with the existing school. With the new wing, Tomahawk Intermediate also has a new outdoor space where teachers and students can make the most of good weather throughout the school year.