Back to school!
Posted Sep 4, 2012 04:43:26 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Today is the day thousands of kids across Waterloo Region go back school. This year, after three years of construction, the new Grand View Public School in Cambridge is opening its doors for the first time to teach children between kindergarten and grade 6.
The Principal of Grand View P.S., Robert Rebellato, tells 570 News one of the main reasons for the new building was the need for more space and higher enrollment. “We had 185 last year in the old building and we’re going to be opening up with about 315 this year, so we’ve gone up quite a bit as far as our enrollment goes”.
A second focus for the school was being environment-minded. Rebellato says, “We used a lot of material in the new school that is environmentally friendly and … you’re going to have a low level of allergens… a lot of natural light … your carbon footprint is dramatically reduced.”
The new elements of the school include a two-story library, a green roof, and a glass wall in the gymnasium. That being said, there are also aspects of the old building incorporated into the new school, such as the front entrance and gargoyles. “The old school was a beloved building to the community. We felt it was necessary to capture the key elements of the old school … and imbed them into the new school so that way there’s always a memory.”, says Rebellato.
Overall, Rebellato concludes, “it’s turned out to be a really really beautiful school.”
