By Kellah Lavoie

Stobart Communtiy School welcomes elementary students

Jan 31, 2011 | 8:27 AM

Elementary students at Duck Lake’s Stobart Community School will be starting a new semester in a new building.

Today is their first day in the new location.

“A lot of people are very excited to be moving into a brand new space,” said Jim Shields, superintendent of finance and administration with the Prairie Spirit School Division.

The teachers and staff took Friday to move resources across the street to the new location.

The new Stobart Community School has been in the works since 2009. As of last week, both the high school and elementary school were taking classes in what used to be Stobart Elementary School – they have been sharing the space since the start of the school year. The old high school is being renovated and expanded to become the new community school. It will house all grades.

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Denis Poirier, Duck Lake mayor, said the elementary school was too small for the students. While they tried of make the best of it, some students had classes in the space which was supposed to be a day care.

“I think the only burden is they don’t have everything at hand that they normally would have,” he said explaining the teachers were coping as well as possible and making it the best experience they could for their student.

“I have nothing but praise for the teachers working in those conditions and doing the job they are.”

The project has been falling behind since work originally began, but Shields said things are getting back on track with phase one being complete.

He said phase two – the high school section, common area, mini-gym and administration area – should be done by the time the 2011-12 school year comes around. It would put them back on schedule.

There are still some inconveniences.

The high school students have to go across the street to the building that is being renovated, for industrial arts and home economics, Shields said.

He said the construction on phase two of the community school might be a little distracting for the elementary students.

“We’ve taken precautions — we’ve created a barrier between the construction zone and the classroom space. Obviously it is not ideal, but it wouldn’t be any different than what we’ve had over the course of this last year,” he said.

Poirier is just happy with how things are going in his town. He said it is bring in more people to work, and while things were moving slowly he believes the new school is a great benefit.

Shields said he agrees.

“It’s going to be a great place for people in the community for people to go to,” he said.

klavoie@panow.com