Open Roads School Principal Syrena Lalonde cuts the ribbon marking the official opening of Open Roads School. She is joined by students who participated in the process of selecting the school’s name from over 100 submissions. Photos by Chris Marchand

New school designed for next generation of learners

By Chris Marchand

Liam Wood (left) and Sean Wood (no relation) pose in front of their handiwork on the new floor of the Open Roads gynmasium revealing the school’s mascot.

Once in roughly 50 years, a school is built to prepare its students for the next 50 years, remarked former school board director Janet Wilkinson.

Students and community members gathered in a newly completed gymnasium to mark the official opening of Open Roads School, Nov. 10.

Backed up by the Grade 8 Fine Arts Band who opened the event with O’ Canada and traditional selection Land Of the Silver Birch, a selection of speakers offered their thoughts and congratulations to the first generation of Open Roads students and staff.

Master of Ceremonies and local Keewatin Patricia District School Board (KPDSB) trustee Dave Wilkinson introduced KPDSB Director of Education Jack McMaster and former director Janet Wilkinson who spoke on the modern vision for the school and its several unique design features, such as the stage/drama classroom from which they addressed the crowd. They also remarked on the involvement of students from the former Riverview, Pinewood, and Wabigoon Schools on the selection of the school’s name from over 100 submissions.

LM Architects owner Terry Danelley presented a gift of a unique piece of art to vice-principal Kelly Schollie which will take up residence in the library.

The Ministry of Education’s Dawna Johnson presented principal Syrena Lalonde with a memento of the event.

The crowd heard brief remarks from the Mayor and well as trustee Barb Gauthier before cutting a ribbon.

Breaking ground in April of 2009, the school was constructed at an approximate cost of $14 million.

Facilities manager for KPDSB, Kim Carlson says much consideration went into the building’s efficiency and carbon footprint.

“We’ve done a redesign of the heating system — a high displacement volume heating system that is in no other school. It is extremely quiet. We have an environmental control system in the school — there are no open windows. All the floors are polished concrete which cuts down on the use of cleaning fluids and waxes, which helps us reduce our carbon footprint.”

Carlson adds the building makes use of light harvesting, adjusting the output of interior light levels as ambient light levels from outside increase or decrease.

With demolition expected to begin at the old Riverview School in the new year, Carlson says upcoming landscaping efforts will be focused on having managing groundwater on the school property without taxing the city’s storm sewer systems.

On the learning side, the school is the first in Dryden to issue laptop computers to student’s in Grades 4-8 and is wired throughout to link students into a school-wide network.

It’s an innovation that Grade 8 student Emily Loewen says is a natural fit.

“The computers are really cool,” said Emily. “It makes it easy to do your homework because if you forget to bring a textbook home, it’s usually on the computer. There’s spellcheck!”

She adds group work can also be completed without being in the same place as other students.

“There’s Google Docs (document), so if you can’t go meet with that person you can both work on something at the same time over the computer.”

As a social environment, Emily says she finds having new classmates from other schools very interesting.

“I mostly love that there is more than one school here,” says Emily. “I grew up at Pinewood and it was a very small class. I like that there is new people that you can get to know. I play sports too, so it’s nice to have good teammates here.”

Open Roads celebrate the official opening of their new school, Nov. 10.