Royal Bay secondary may be little more than a skeletal framework, but its future occupants are already planning out the school they envision heading into in September 2015.

Administrators are talking to students, staff and parents in preparation for the eventual move.

B次元官网网址淲e donB次元官网网址檛 have a history or a culture or a climate yet,B次元官网网址� said future principal Windy Beadall. B次元官网网址淲e want the students to start getting jazzed about Royal Bay.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e a new school so we have to start from scratch building that culture and getting the kids on board,B次元官网网址� said Mike Huck, vice-principal. B次元官网网址淭he Royal Bay wave has started.B次元官网网址�

With the name decided, next up is the schoolB次元官网网址檚 mascot/team nickname. A discussion last week with Grade 10 Belmont students, the first class that will graduate from Royal Bay, led to many ideas including the Wranglers, Stingrays, Knights and, most popular so far, the Ravens.

Students at Dunsmuir middle school, the feeder school for Royal Bay, will also be included in the conversation.

At the first Parent Advisory Council meeting for the new school on April 7, an executive was elected and members volunteered for the School Planning Council. The council is responsible for many decisions which need to be made while the school is being built.

Part of moving forward is dispelling the myth that Royal Bay will be an arts-focused school and the new Belmont sports-focused, Beadall said. While the idea was thrown around in early planning stages, she said it will not be the case.

Each school may offer a few classes or activities the other doesnB次元官网网址檛, but both will be comprehensive schools, offering a wide variety of arts and sports programs.

Unique to Royal Bay will be a teaching kitchen, allowing for college-prep culinary arts classes, and a 350-seat theatre, a highly-prized resource for its drama and music departments.

Sports teams will be offered based mostly on desire from the students. The football program will likely be carried on at Belmont, for example, but if enough Royal Bay students want to play, Beadall said, one will be started. There are already plans for basketball, field hockey and even pickleball, plus the school will likely be home to a soccer academy.

B次元官网网址淚t wonB次元官网网址檛 be Royal Bay versus Belmont, unless weB次元官网网址檙e playing each other in sports,B次元官网网址� she said.

Administrators at both schools hope to work together to come up with a class scheduling system that allows students to take a course at the other school if itB次元官网网址檚 not offered at their own.

B次元官网网址淩ay (Miller, Belmont principal) and I will work very hard to make sure that both schools arenB次元官网网址檛 competing, but theyB次元官网网址檙e helping each other,B次元官网网址� Beadall said, B次元官网网址渟o that the students can feel like theyB次元官网网址檝e got opportunities in both schools.B次元官网网址�

Establishing the school as a centre point of the community developing around it is also a primary focus for administrators as they move forward with planning. The school is intended for other uses by community groups and itB次元官网网址檚 hoped students will see other residents coming to use spaces in the school and feel a part of something bigger.

B次元官网网址淜ids see that and they recognize itB次元官网网址檚 not just a place where they spend six hours a day going to math class and English class,B次元官网网址� Huck said. B次元官网网址淭hey have a voice in whatB次元官网网址檚 happening in the community.B次元官网网址�

kwells@goldstreamgazette.com