Released on October 21, 2014
Today Education Minister Don Morgan joined students, teachers, members of the community and representatives from the Prairie Valley School Division to officially celebrate the opening of the new $22 million Emerald Ridge Elementary School. The Government of Saskatchewan has contributed more than $14 million toward this project.“Our government has committed to meeting the demands of a growing province, and this school will address the needs of students here in White City,” Morgan said. “Many people deserve credit for dedicating their time and energy to help build a school that puts the student first by providing them access to a modern, safe and state of the art learning environment that will encourage their passion for learning.”
The school will accommodate up to 475 students from kindergarten to Grade 8. The innovative design creates more room for programming, including flexible walls that can turn smaller individual classrooms into larger spaces, tutorial rooms between each classroom, and a large common area that can be used for collaborative learning, lunchroom space or assemblies. Emerald Park Child Care will also be connected to the elementary school with 50 spaces for preschool children.
“We are grateful to the Government of Saskatchewan for providing the necessary funding for Prairie Valley School Division to build this new school,” Prairie Valley School Division Board Chair Janet Kotylak said. “This project has exemplified the co-operation, consultation and innovation that are the foundation for all we do in the school division. The school will serve the community for many years to come, and we thank everyone who worked so hard to make it a reality.”
“It is so exciting to work in this school as its structure is at the forefront of 21st century education design,” Principal Bev Kowalchuk said. “The flexible design of the school allows teachers to tailor the space to student needs and accommodates different approaches to education delivery.”
“It is exciting to attend Emerald Ridge Elementary School,” Grade 8 student Mikayla Dovell said. “The open atmosphere allows us different ways to learn.”
Since November 2007, the Government of Saskatchewan has committed approximately $700 million toward 47 major school capital projects and numerous smaller projects such as portable classrooms and preventative maintenance and renewal.
-30-
For more information, contact:
Kelly Johnston
Education
Regina
Phone: 306-787-1069
Email: kelly.johnston@gov.sk.ca
Cell: 309-533-7506