The Sooke School District started its new school year with about 200 more kids than last year. Good thing they have 27 new classrooms.
With the introduction of full day kindergarten in SD 62, the Ministry of Education funded new 27 classrooms worth $22 million, including additions to four school buildings and eight modular buildings on six school grounds.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 like adding two elementary schools in one year,B次元官网网址� said Jim Cambridge, SD 62 superintendent. B次元官网网址淚 am so excited about our new learning spaces. They are gorgeous.B次元官网网址�
About 560 five-year-olds are entering kindergarten in SD 62 this week. About 9,000 full-time equivalent students are registered across the district, about 200 more than last year.
Last year two-thirds of the kindergarten classes were offered for the full day. B次元官网网址淔ull-day K was one of the smoothest innovations thatB次元官网网址檚 happened in year,B次元官网网址� Cambridge said.
By extending the learning time for kids, he said it gives the teachers more time to work through kindergarten curriculum, although no extra curriculum is added.
B次元官网网址淭his more space for our children to learn and have a positive learning environment,B次元官网网址� noted Lakewood principal Freida Morgan.
B次元官网网址淭hey are learning through play and now they have enough time to do that.B次元官网网址� Cambridge said. B次元官网网址淏efore they had to compress that. Now they have been given the gift of time.B次元官网网址�
John Stubbs, Crystal View, Happy Valley and Lakewood elementaries had additions built onto the schools. Sangster, Willway, Sooke and Hans Hegesen received one modular each and Wishart and 脡cole Poirier have two each. Modular classrooms are treated as permanent buildings and have concrete foundations and plumbing.
Extra classrooms buys the district about three years before elementary students become cramped for space, Cambridge said, based on predicted population growth rates for the West Shore and Sooke.
The districtB次元官网网址檚 longstanding capital plan to build two new high schools to replace Belmont secondary is before the provincial treasury board, the superintendent noted B次元官网网址� as are capital plans from 60 other school districts.
Building two new schools and shifting grade 9s into those schools is key to the district's plan to make way for a West Shore baby boom.
B次元官网网址淭he Belmont plan has gone all the way in. Now itB次元官网网址檚 up to the goverment to decide,B次元官网网址� Cambridge said. B次元官网网址淲here we are in the priority rankings weB次元官网网址檙e not sure. We are hopeful to hear something this fall.B次元官网网址�
--with files from Edward Hill
reporter@goldstreamgazette.com
