HANOVER COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Some of Hanover County's youngest and new contractors grabbed their shovels and hard hats on Monday, March 24 as they broke ground on their new Beaverdam Elementary School. According to Hanover County's Interim Superintendent Lisa Pennycuff, it's more than a new buildi ng. "This building will be a beacon in our community," Pennycuff said. "It will be a place where young minds grow, where curiosity is nurtured and where some lifelong friendships will begin." As its name suggests, Beaverdam is known for its beaver dams, so the school is keeping that namesake; however, everything else was entirely re-imagined. Officials told 8News that this vision goes back to 2018 after a study found that the current building needed some updates. The Hanover County School Board later decided that just renovations wouldn't cut it. This began the conceptualization of the new building right in the current building's backyard. "The students of Beaverdam Elementary School will receive the greatest gift for their life when they leave this school...the gift of education," said Hanover County Board of Supervisors Chair Bob May at the groundbreaking event. This isn't the only major project Hanover County Public Schools has taken on recently. The district broke ground on the new Battlefield Park Elementary School across the county just the week prior. Hanover officials added this project to the district's "Capital Improvement Plan." A home for thousands of students to come, school board members said building this new "dam" for the county's favorite beavers was a no-brainer. "We are proud Team Hanover!" May said. An architect with the project emphasized that, while this will be a physical new building for students to enjoy, it will still hold the same students and culture as the existing one. He added that it's the people inside who make the school so special. ...read more read less