DONGDUCHEON, SOUTH KOREA — September 13, 2010 — Students, parents, faculty and support staff will be joined by senior leaders, dignitaries and community members for the Casey Elementary School opening ceremony on Sept. 15 at 2 p.m.

The ceremony follows the successful opening of the new school to students on Aug. 30. The ceremony will feature a student musical performance, remarks by school administrators and special guests, and a special culminating ribbon cutting in celebration of the first Department of Defense school in Area I of South Korea—previously a family member-restricted area near the demilitarized zone.

 Casey ES is a K-8 school comprised of major renovations to building S-2400 on USAG-Casey which previously served as barracks. The approximately $5M, 31,000 square-foot renovation provides state-of-the-art education facilities for military families living in Area I. Features include modern classrooms with interactive white-boards, a 2:1 computer-to-student ratio, cutting-edge science lab, art room, large information center, and ample parking for employees and visitors.

A second construction phase will renovate building S-2409 by adding a cafeteria and additional classrooms, computer labs and support space. The current enrollment capacity is 250 students and the phase II construction—due for completion in August 2011—will expand capacity to a total of 500.

Casey ES is led by 20-year teaching and school administration veteran Shelly Kennedy. Kennedy joined the DoDDS Korea team in March to oversee the final stages of construction, staffing and outfitting.

The ceremony will be followed by student-led school tours. The event will take place at the school on Camp Casey and is open to anyone with base access.

About Camp Casey
Camp Casey was named and officially dedicated in 1952 in memory of Maj. Hugh B. Casey, who died in a plane crash here in December 1951.

Casey arrived in Korea in 1951 as a Second Lieutenant, and served as a company commander in the 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division. He received the Distinguished Service Cross—the nation's second highest award for valor—for heroism at the Hungnam beachhead.

About DoDEA Pacific
DoDEA Pacific provides a comprehensive preK-12 education to the children of military and eligible civilian personnel families serving throughout Asia. The 48 schools in DoDEA Pacific are comprised of more than 24,000 students and 3,100 full-time professional educators and support staff. The schools are geographically organized into four districts: Guam, Japan, Okinawa and South Korea.