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Student vision guiding modernization of St. Patrick’s Community School

Jan 31, 2018 | 10:05 PM

The modernization of St. Patrick’s Community School will not happen without input from students.

The north Red Deer school is undergoing a makeover worth $13.5 million, all of which has been provided by the Alberta government.

Planning and design work for the modernization is currently underway, with students themselves being approached for some of their ideas. 

“We very much appreciate it,” says Maggie Hutchinson, a grade nine student at St.Pat’s. “Sometimes students feel like we’re not involved with the school as much as we should be. We complain about the lights, how cold one classroom is and how hot another is.”

On Wednesday, Hutchinson was one of a large group of students between grades three and nine taking part in workshops designed for students to have a say in how the school will look once the modernization is complete.

She added one idea is to convert classroom doors into garage door style openings, which is common in new schools. Hutchinson says it would help students collaborate on their work.

St. Pat’s Principal Terri Lynn Mundorf says the students have come up with some other unique ideas like a swimming pool, a bigger gym and a cafeteria, but ultimately they want spaces where they can work and socialize together.

She notes that while a larger gym is likely not in the cards, there could be some enhancements to the ceiling which material falls from, as well as moving the dressing rooms into the gym.

“We’re thrilled the students are part of it. Students are the ones living and breathing in this school and they’re often more creative than we give them credit for,” she admits.  “They’ve done more thinking than we realize and the opportunity to put their ideas from pen to paper is exciting.”

Ken Jaeger, Supervisor – Support Services with Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools, says on top of getting student feedback, the state of the school during construction is front of mind.

“As we continue to move forward with developing the plans and with construction, a communication plan with parents, students, and staff is going to be really important,” he says. “We’ll be making sure safety is our number one priority and making sure students have a safe environment to come to and a good learning environment during the renovations.”

One goal of the modernization, he adds, is to increase teaching spaces by six. Construction could start as early as July 2018 and is expected to last about 18 months.

The school also held a meeting for parents on Wednesday so they could also provide feedback on the modernization.