CORNWALL, Ontario – Classes will be in session on Sept. 4 for 354 registered students at the new Sacred Heart in the old General Vanier building.
In March, The Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario (CDSBEO) purchased the building for $3 million as part of an exchange with the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) for the Immaculate Conception Catholic School building. After renovations, the school amounted to a $5.2 million price tag.
“It was a beautiful partnership that began,” said Natalie Cameron, Superintendent of School Effectiveness for CDSBEO.
According to Cameron, the planning process started in March and construction of the General Vanier building commenced in May. In June, St. Columban’s Catholic School closed its doors to amalgamate students to the new Sacred Heart.
“It’s going to be a wonderful and beautiful school, and a great opportunity for our students in our board,” said Cameron.
The junior kindergarten to grade six school will consist of 23 teachers and multiple support staff, including teaching assistants and early childhood educators.
Cameron and her colleagues are excited to make the new school their new home next week.
“It’s a state of the art facility,” said Cameron.
The school created and renovated four new junior kindergarten and senior kindergarten classrooms. They also renovated speciality rooms, including a tech-savvy learning common room and a coding and robotics room. There is also a very large, fully equipped gymnasium, a music room, a large outdoor play area with fencing and play structures and an auditorium. Each classroom also has smart boards and white boards.
“You don’t see an 800-seat auditorium that is accessible to elementary schools any time they want,” said Cameron. “That’s a huge advantage for our board and our students.”
The building is also fully accessible for differently abled students with specific mobility needs.
“We’re really excited to welcome our existing St. Columban’s and Sacred Heart families, as well as our new families to our state of the art facility,” said Cameron.
