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t' 8 -The Canadien Champion, Tueeday, Oclobar 12, 199 /New Holy Rosary School more user-friendly By IRENE GENTLE The Champion A fter a full year of construc- tion, the new $6 million 1lHory Rosary elementary school is complete. Its triumpbant opening il marred only by con- tinuing construction on what will soon be its parkting loi. But there are goodies for everyone in the new building that bolds 485 students attending junior kindergarten to grade 8. Teachers, for example, have their own staff work room for the firal time in 45 years. And wheelchair accessibility is spread throughout the building. This time around, students even have a real gym, equipped with rubberized floors and a ceil- ing high enough to allow interference-free activi- ties. "The last gym had a very low ceiling," said principal Rick MacDonald. 'If you played vol- leyball in it tie bail would bounce off the roof." There la even a sweet surprise for the Halton District Catbolic School Board (HDCSB). The new building boasts a heating and cooling systemn that not only bolds the temperature at a stcady 70 degrees, but also introduces energy- saving measures that will slaah operating costa by 25 per cent. That will save the HDCSB more tirai $6,000 a year in heat and hydro bills. The new Holy Rosary has risen out of the duat ahd ashes of the former scbool, which waa torpe- doed last year. Buiît in 1954, it was a relic compared to the structure currently standing in its stead. Now with the construction ail but complete, they are playing catch up inside the achool. That meana plugging in the extras, like con- necting the wires for Holy Rosary'a firat ever specially-deaignated computer lab. But what students tend 10 notice are the lock- ers that line the walls - unlocked, since the school's motto proaches respect. And respecting each othor's belonginga means not needing to lock them away, said Mr. MacDonald. Boundary changes have pruned enrolment slightly, down from 515 last year. The achool is built on a flood plain, so there is just no roomn for portables. That means the studont population wilI likely always hover around the 500 mark no matter how much Milton balloons in the future, said Mr. MacDonald. But the new claasrooms are airy and spacious, surrounding classes that, this yoar at least, tend te top out at 25 students. Juat getting around was difficuit in the old scbool whicb, though not exactly falling apart, suffered from leaky roofs and other ailments. A stoady strearu of additions tacked on over the years created a disjointed atmosphere. 'It served the commumty well over the years but it waa dysfunctional. There were four or five levels to it," said Mr. MacDonald. "I tbink the new building is a lot more user- friendly for students and parents, once we gel all the construction complete." Building a new structure had been a high pri- Photo by GRAHAM PAINE Rubberlzsd floore and high cailin ge are juat somb of the benefits grade 6 etudenta --Il --ot C-e .maron SmIth eiiioy In Holy Rousave iw gym. Photo by GRAH-AM PAINE Grade 4 studant Aianneh Campbell, 9, taes advantae of the new librery et the frehly-conatructd Holy Roeary School. ority on the school counicil list for about a decade bufore thc first shovel bit the dirt.' Their lobbying finally paid off, and the achool is built mostiy on Minîstry of Education money. Inside the school, little oxtras abound that were paid out of the pocket of thc council. The small bunches scatlored around are cour- tcsy of the council. So is the new gold and red icon, Uic Virgin and baby Jesus, unveiled at a ceremony last week and now hanging pmoudly in Uic achool lobby. Though Mr. MacDonald only became princi- pal of Holy Rosary last year, lucre is a history butweois them. Ho arrived in its halls 19 years bufore as a neophyte teacher. In thse first flush of bis careor, ho harely noticed Uic buildings deficiencies, bu recalled. "Back Uion, you teok wbat you got," ho said. "You were juat excited about doing thc job." Today, ho acknowledges Uiat Uic structure is still bass important than Uic teacbing Uian goes on inside of it. But toiling in a building Uiat doesn't languish in leaks, lack of natural light and extremea of temperature doesn't burt. conducive to leamning, I think it can only be a positive experience for the studenta," ho said. It works for Devais O'Connor, a grade 2 stu- dent who cheerfully confesses that she's just 6, will not in fact tumn 7 for montha and montha, which toms out te bu December 26. 'I like thse new lockers," said Devan. "1, ve nover had a locker in my life before." She's also a fan of Uic new gym, from which she had been wrested only moments before is order te give ber estimation of Uie new school. "Last year's gym juat had wooden floors. This one is rubberized," she said. "*You could get cut really easily.on the wooden floor. Now, you juat get an Indian rubber humn." Devais, she continued, is uaed te Indian rubber bumas, since ber brother gives themn te ber ail the time. Curtis Campbell also gives the gym a vote of confidence, along with tome praise for Uic reat of Uic scbool. -"The gym is wickcd," ho said. -I feel good about it. This year it is butter and fumner and bigger." (U NIeÉ:)jl: tN Cabieworks 1.4 Programmiflg Schedule - October l2th - October lBth, 1999 5300073»~f Fiish 530.&X7:Wf» PtupIrJ 530,00,71» PWlh 4 tUUs~aoe 53.3ta7:M Ptdt * Eé 4I 7 r W O U. tDM E & 6 0<o r s M M s Ctd0»em5 6.. P i lteld 52 sesb 60 M nemd.. www.cogeco.cUt U M 70 wT &0»t IME Acton 21 Main Street North, Feature of the week: Swap Talk has returnedl Watch for Edge Lîve Wednesday, 7 pm Aton, ON LuJ 1V9 519.5341270,0or853-4700 T aki1 ng y ou r ca& bis fu r th e r rater cpur%é