It may not look like your typical classroom, but the Morinville public elementary set up is well underway.
About 60 kids will be going to the new school which has to set up in two different locations for now. The Sturgeon Division public school is the only one in town, and at the moment has no permanent home. Kindergarten and pre-school teachers are setting up shop in the parish community hall. Grades one through four will attend class at the town's brand new community cultural centre.
Like their students, teachers say they’re excited and also a bit nervous to start the year.
"I think it's that aspect of starting from nothing.” says Wayne Rufiange, the principal fo the new school. “Certain things you take for granted, you know when you come in to start a new school year you know the admin assistant has already set up class lists.”
"Teachers are looking at what resources they have and what kind of furniture and all those sorts of things.” says Rufiange.
"It's really exciting and it's been a long time coming,” says Monique Webb, a teacher who is also sending her son to the school. She also likes that families have more options for education now. “I think the parents are going to be excited to have something close.”
The unique class arrangements right now already have teachers creative juices flowing.
"It gives us lots of opportunities to think outside the box. We think that's going to be our slogan and we're just going to try and grow.” says Webb.
The physical things like walls and desks will surely come in time, but Rufiange isn't worried about that at the moment.
"Things don't make the education,” he says, “the teachers that we've got, they're the ones that are going to care and value the children and provide the quality education and make the kids feel special.”
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