Kitchener elementary school marks first year
A new elementary school in Kitchener is commemorating its first full school year open.
The Waterloo Region District School Board opened Oak Creek Public School in September and marked its grand opening with a special ceremony on Thursday.
"The first school year is always one of such tremendous excitement,” said Evelyn Giannopoulos, superintendent of Oak Creek Public School. "We are really pleased with the success so far."
School officials said they chose the grand opening date of June 1 to coincide with the kickoff of Pride month and National Indigenous History Month.
The ceremony included musical performances and students from each classroom contributed something to a time capsule, which staff said they plan to reopen in 25 years.
There was also a key dedication, where facility and project managers symbolically handed the school over to the students.
“The children are why we exist, the children are our future,” Giannopoulos explained. “This key symbolizes an opportunity for them to unlock their true potential, and their dreams and pathways to their futures."
The school’s principal, Jeff Johnson, said the school had a number of special features installed that have been tools for learning and inclusion over the past nine months.
“We have flow happening within our classrooms, there's lots of movement within the space," said Johnson.
There are student-height white boards as well as desks that can be raised and lowered.
“Not having a front of a classroom, not having a teacher's desk, it's very much about learning as a process. It's not about the stand and deliver model or sitting in desks in rows,” said Johnson. “That has stayed the course and it has been very positive and very great to see."
The building, located on Tartan Avenue, is over 80,000 square feet and includes childcare space used by Rising Oaks Early Learning and EarlyON Child and Family Centres.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Woman with liver failure rejected for a transplant after medical review highlights alcohol use
For nearly three months, Amanda Huska has been in an Ontario hospital, part of it on life support, because of severe liver failure. Her history of alcohol use is getting in the way of her only potential treatment: a liver transplant.
B.C. man 'attacked suddenly' by adult grizzly near Alberta boundary: RCMP
A B.C. man is recovering from multiple injuries after he was "attacked suddenly" by an adult grizzly bear near Elkford Thursday afternoon.
Box tree moths have infested Ontario and experts say more are coming. Here's what to do to protect your garden
An invasive moth species is on the rise in Canada and, if you've planted a certain shrub, it could stand to ruin your garden.
His SUV was stolen on Montreal's South Shore. Then he got a $156 parking ticket
A couple is frustrated after their SUV was stolen from Montreal's South Shore in March and they received a parking ticket for the same vehicle last week.
Jesus is their savior, Trump is their candidate. Ex-president's backers say he shares faith, values
As Donald Trump increasingly infuses his campaign with Christian trappings while coasting to a third Republican presidential nomination, his support is as strong as ever among evangelicals and other conservative Christians.
To plant or not to plant? Gardening tips for May long weekend
May long weekend is finally here, and with the extra time off you may be getting the itch to head out to your garden and plant. However, the old debate whether you should plant now, or wait, is still ever-present.
Impaired driver sentenced to 7 years after double-fatal Cambridge crash
A man who killed two people in a drunk driving crash was sentenced Friday to seven years behind bars.
Banking mogul suing government after intelligence leaks leave him shut out of Canadian economy
Chinese Canadian banking mogul Shenglin Xian has launched a $300 million lawsuit against the federal government. It’s a means to find the source of intelligence leaks which Xian says has cost him his livelihood.
Backlash over NFL player Harrison Butker's commencement speech has reached a new level
The NFL is distancing itself from controversial comments by Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker during a recent commencement address.