Nineteen months after construction began, students and staff have moved into the new east wing at Valleyview Secondary School in Kamloops.
Work on the $35-million expansion got underway in September of 2020, and Principal Barb Hamblett says she is especially excited for the current group of Grade 12 students.
“All you have to do is talk to one of those students who was here when the minister came and made the announcement,” she told NL News.
“They’ve seen everything right from the very beginning to this. They never though that they were going to be here. So for me, as a principal when I see that for Grade 12 students, that is actually quite heartwarming.”
One of those Grade 12 students is Lucas An, who told NL News he is glad to be able to spend some time in this new space before he graduates.
“I think it is better than nothing, he said. “I wasn’t expecting to be back here but I am really liking the design and all the new spaces we get to hang out with friends and eat our lunch or study.”
Hamblett says the new wing has been a long time coming for Valleyview Secondary, which will see its capacity go from 675 to 1,200 students.
“The majority of the regular classrooms are all used way ahead of schedule,” she said, noting work on some lab spaces and the gym is still ongoing. “The grand opening is still scheduled for September but the crew has just worked incredibly hard to get us in here.”
“This is really a contemporary feel to where schools should be,” Hamblett added.
“[It is a place] where classroom learning can spill out into other spaces, where kids can hang out in small groups that work for them socially and emotionally, where we can move inclusively through the entire building. It’s quite an honour actually to be here as the principal with all of this.”
With the added capacity to Valleyview Secondary, all of the twelve portables that were on site were removed over spring break to allow the last bit of construction to go ahead.
“The weather is not going to affect my schedule anymore just because I don’t like walking to a portable when it is raining or snowing outside,” Lucas added. “That feels amazing.”
It is not just students, teachers at Valleyview Secondary are also excited to move into the new spaces.
Senior Math and Physics Teacher Roger Turner tells NL News he is excited to be in the main building after spending the last seven years in a portable.
“It was kind of isolating for both the kids and myself to be out in a portable,” he said. “Just to be able to feel like part of the whole Valleyview community, and just to be able to connect with colleagues and kids being able to feel like they actually belong here instead of being stuck out in the yard [is great].”
French Teacher Emily Gillis also noted that the new spaces will help improve learning outcomes when compared to portables.
“I mean even in terms of just being able to spread students out when they are working on projects,” she said. “It is nice to have options for where to move as opposed to feeling a little bit stuck in terms of ‘well, there’s a human in every square inch, so you can’t move.”
She adds she is also glad to see the move take place now, instead of in September as first expected.
“I think it just means when we get to September, we’ll be more prepared. Because it is a little bit hectic right now being like ‘okay, is that technology working?’ or ‘where is that thing that I put in that box?'” Gillis said.
“[I’m glad to be] able to not have that also be a part of the start up of a new school year [because] that would be a little overwhelming.”
There are about 80 staff and 960 students that call Valleyview Secondary School home.
#Kamloops media got a sneak preview of the new $35 million expansion to Valleyview Secondary, which opened its doors to students today as kids returned back to class from spring break. @Kamloops_SD73 pic.twitter.com/aoao2XIkrl
— Victor Mario Kaisar (@supermario_47) April 4, 2022