New Main Building Opens at GNS Junior School

On September 9, 2020, Glenlyon Norfolk School Junior School students and their parents had the opportunity to enter their new Main Building for the very first time. The 28,000 square foot building with an oceanfront view was completed well ahead of schedule, allowing the school to welcome back students in the new facilities for the 2020/2021 school year.

“The building reflects the quality of teaching at the school,” said Mrs. Jean Bigelow, Junior School Principal. “The classrooms are bigger, kids can spread out more and we can do more in the space with our students.”

The building was designed to create a school atmosphere that centres around inquiry- based learning and collaboration. As an International Baccalaureate World Continuum School, GNS focuses on the development of the whole child as an inquirer both in the classroom and the world outside.

The Main Building includes two large classrooms per grade and each pair of rooms shares a bathroom, features that have proved even more valuable this year with the current requirements for physical distancing. Each classroom also has floor to ceiling windows and a view of the ocean. The new Learning Commons, located on the second floor, has become the hub of the school with plenty of room for students to spread out and explore the many resources.

Students also have access to a new Innovation Lab, a space that will enhance the IB Primary Years Programme by allowing students to demonstrate their learning in interesting and creative ways. The gym is 1.5 times bigger than our old one, providing ample room for students to enjoy their Physical Education and activity blocks. The large art room has two walls of windows that look out over the water to provide ample scope for artistic innovation.

Getting the building ready for the start of the 2020/2021 school year was no easy task and Knight Contracting Ltd. (KCL) and their crews worked incredibly hard to make the September 9 opening possible.

“Our work with KCL has been a partnership in the truest sense of the word. Wayne Knight doesn’t wait for things to happen, he makes them happen, and this approach was fundamental to us reaching the September 9 completion date,” said Mrs. Chrissy Rainseth, Chief Financial Officer at GNS.

“Paul Heron, the project manager, understood every detail that led up to the finished project. The efficiency with which he works and his professionalism made him a pleasure for us to deal with, and frankly, for my role, made this enormous project manageable.”

The District of Oak Bay also played an important role in making the September 9 opening for students possible. Their willingness to work with the school and KCL is commendable.

“This has taken many years to come together and we are excited to honour and celebrate those who contributed to this incredible facility,” says Mr. Chad Holtum, Head of School. “We have many heroes in our community who have worked tirelessly to make this transformation possible.”