COEUR d’ALENE — At 65, Lakes Middle School is looking good for its age.

Yes, it's had some work done. But students and teachers alike are enjoying the new 'do.

"The school has definitely improved," eighth-grader Maddie Harris said. "It makes us feel like we’re more of a community. We have more attention to our school."

Maddie and her peers in Marcus Ross' math class soaked in the sunshine in the new courtyard area Wednesday morning as they participated in ice breakers and introduction activities. Maddie has been a Lakes student since sixth grade, so she's seen the school transform from what it was to what it will be when the $5.7 million construction overhaul is complete in or by November.

"The second gym is definitely something that we needed really bad just because of all of our sports,” she said. "It will improve the school a lot."

Maintenance and grounds crews from the Coeur d'Alene School District are pleased with the project's progress. Although the gym, media center and front parking lot are still under construction, and some concrete floors are yet to be polished, the majority of the school was ready for its students on the first day of class.

"It's great to see kids back in the classrooms and see everything put together enough where we can accommodate the classrooms," said district operations director Jeff Voeller.

“I think it’s great," said outgoing maintenance and operations director Bryan Martin. "It’s going to be beautiful, it really is."

Architect Cory Trapp, of Longwell + Trapp Architects, said this project is the culmination of work that began in 2009 with the first phase of the remodel.

"We tried to do the additions so they compliment the existing construction, so they don't look like additions," Trapp said.

One teacher who has a lot to smile (and sing) about is choir and music teacher Kimberly Cunningham. Rather than squeezing her choir students into a tiny classroom, her program has been able to grow thanks to the 18,300 square feet added to Lakes during the expansion.

"It’s the biggest choir I’ve ever had at Lakes Middle School," she said. "It literally would not have fit in our old classroom."