Construction of Saskatoon’s first joint elementary school is underway.
Young families living in Willowgrove have been waiting anxiously for shovels to break ground on the new building. It will house 1100 elementary students between two schools, a plethora of community programs, and a daycare for 50 youngsters.
On the north end will be Holy Family School. Diane Boyko, chair of the Saskatoon Catholic School Board, says the building will be state-of-the-art.
“We're doing groupings of grades together, and then there will be common rooms in between the groupings that are going along. One of our libraries is going to be great, it's going to have a two-storey concept with the older kids using the upper level and the younger grades using the lower level.”
On the south end, a larger Willowgrove School.
“It's going to be a little different than the schools we've built in the last number of years. In the classroom area, a two-storey school. Likely the senior grades upstairs and the primary grades on the main floor. It's designed to have a very open entrance with an atrium type area with a walkway above,” says Ray Morrison, chair of the Saskatoon Public School Board.
The two schools will be linked by a shared gymnasium, daycare, and common meeting area.
There's still a lot of details that have to be worked out yet over the next two years, including whether or not they will incorporate a full French immersion program. But parents say they don't really care what it will look like. They're just happy it's in their neighbourhood.
“Working with a daycare facility and developing a playground in a park that has already been built, it’s been quite interesting and has created some challenges. I think the architectural team that's designed our school has created a very inviting environment for students and very welcoming for parents,” says Morrison.
