Mary Bergeron Elementary: Open for learning
Aug. 23 meeting
Grande Yellowhead is proud to announce that their newest elemen¬tary school, Mary Bergeron Elementary, will be open for learning for the 2017-18 school year as sched¬uled. Although there will be some work that will need to be completed over the fall, the division will be working closely with the construction contractor in order to maintain a productive learning environment during the completion of the last construction phases.
GYPSD’s Board believes that construction of new schools as well as the modernization of other facilities are vital to enable children to receive the educational services to which they are entitled. However, in or¬der to limit any learning disruption that these projects can create, and to protect the health and safety of the staff and students that use a school setting undergoing construction, the division has procedures in place to ensure that health, safety and educational standards are maintained during any school capital projects. Over the last few months, construction on the MBE site has been going at full steam ahead to ensure that the core school is ready to welcome students on September 5.
“The weather this summer put us a little behind on some of the external work that needs to be complet¬ed, but our goal is for the project to be completed before winter hits,” noted Carolyn Lewis, Superinten¬dent of Schools. “Inside the school, classroom floors are freshly waxed and waiting for excited students to enter on the first day of school.”
Although the majority of the school will be ready, completion of the gymnasium and the new learning commons (library) will not be finished until the end of September/ October. The school will have two playgrounds installed on site: one is scheduled for the last week of August, and the other after the dem¬olition of the A.H. Dakin facility. The new bus lane will then be constructed after the demolition alongside 46th street. Until built, the bus drop-off lane will be temporarily located on 8th Avenue. Parents can use the lane in the front of the school beginning September 5th but everyone is cautioned to watch out for buses and other traffic on 8th Avenue as this area will be very busy in the mornings and after-school until the separate bus lane is constructed. The school will have extra bus supervision during this period as well to help all our little ones stay safe.
“To accommodate the students, fenced pathways will be put in to keep kids safe and out of restricted areas to ensure safe passage as they travel back and forth from the school building to the playgrounds and fields outside,” Lewis said. “This is our third major capital project in the division over the last few years with the completion of the new Jasper Joint Facility and the major modernization of Grande Cache Community High School which is just wrapping up its final phase this month. We know that working during construction can sometimes be challenging but our staff have been exemplary in accommodat¬ing any inconveniences. We’re just so happy and pleased with the approval of these great new learning facilities. Our students deserve it.”