SD 57 Looks for Space for Highglen Students
Tuesday, April 23, 2013 @ 5:00 AM
Firefighters look at the gaping hole leading into the burned out north end of Highglen Elementary – photo 250News
Prince George, B.C. – There will be no school today for students at the Montessori School at Highglen Elementary which was the scene of a fire on Monday afternoon.
School District 57 Superintendent Brian Pepper says his team will be huddling this morning to see what space could be made available for the 250 students and 25 staff of that school. There are another 40 students in the pre-school that is operated by the Montessori Education Society.
“We hope to have an update by noon” says Pepper. He says there may be some room in some existing schools, and there are some vacant properties. The vacant properties will be part of the analysis in that School District 57 will looking at what space might be best suited to reopen and operate as a school and just what it would take to reopen a school. For example, Austin Road Elementary is one of the schools that was closed in the last round of school closures, but part of that facility has been leased. That is the kind of challenge the School District will be examining in an effort to find space for the students.
Pepper says one thing is certain, Highglen School won’t be opening any time soon. “We weren’t allowed into the building as of late yesterday, but I could see soot had run down inside all the windows at the back of the building. So it will be some time before that facility is cleaned and ready to be reoccupied.” The building suffered extensive smoke damage as well.
Pepper says the School District 57 website will have an update by noon.
Comments
Haldi Road Montessori School?
Haldi road school is empty.
Echo!
Salmon Valley School is empty
There is a lot of shuddered school real estate around. Can`t be a problem picking one.
“So it will be some time before that facility is cleaned and ready to be reoccupied.â
Judging from the picture it’s going to require a bit more then a ‘cleaning’.
Gladstone elementary most logical. Rocky mountain rangers use it very part time otherwise its unused.
There is a half empty open school a short walk from Highglen: Lac des Bois. Only one classroom is being used on the top floor. The former Lakewood Jr had 600 students at one time, they would have around that if the Highglen students moved over. It would save the cost of opening a mothballed school as they already heat and maintain Lac Des Bois.
It will be a waste of money to rebuild it considering the number of closed/empty schools in town.
There is a nearby school which was the election voting place. Can it accommodate the students? They should find a nearby school considering the age of students in the elementary school; even if they are forced to relocate a high school to another place and make the high school the new elementary school.
The news this morning said that counselling will be available for students. The fire was at 3:30 so most students were long gone already. At the risk of sounding callous, what kind of generation are we raising if a kid needs counselling after something like this? If your little Johnny needs to speak to a therapist because the hamster in his classroom died then I think little Johhny is in for a long, sad life…
interceptor, I can’t believe that they would call in a counsellor for that. My god, what have we come to. Life can be disappointing and sad, along with a host of other things, get used to it kids.
I figure the sooner kids learn that life isn’t all roses and sunshine, the better off they will be when it comes to adapting to bad situations.
One would think that students in Syrian schools would appreciate “counselling” much more after their school gets “blowed up real good”. This could be a career booster for the same counsellors if parents let their kids watch the news on tv.
interceptor: “The news this morning said that counselling will be available for students. The fire was at 3:30 so most students were long gone already. At the risk of sounding callous, what kind of generation are we raising if a kid needs counselling after something like this?”
Agreed. We sure have gotten soft. Nobody can cope with anything themselves anymore. Where are the parents?
We’re talking about kids as young as five who just had a fire at the place they spend a significant proportion of their waking hours at every day and likely have an emotional connection with the place, the things, and the animals. These are impressionable young people who don’t necessarily even have the life skills to understand what has happened. Saying it is good for them to accept it, to get used to it, is pretty damn callous!! I hope you never have the misfortune of having your home or your workplace destroyed by fire. Certainly the workers at Lakeland were given a lot more respect that you’re giving children. Pretty disgusting.
Fair enough, ‘irritated’. By way of disclosure, my school also burned down when I was in elementary school. But that was back in the 70’s. I guess we weren’t as enlightened back then as we are now.
Johnnybelt, Harbinger, bornandbred and interceptor. I cannot believe you would comment in such a away. As someone close to the situation I will inform you that these “hamsters” as well as the rabbits and fish etc: play a huge part in helping the kids cope with their daily lives. It may be the only time some of these kids will ever see something like that. Schools have plenty of children who are troubled or may have learning issues and need help (I know of one who has a fear of fire so this doesn’t help. Everything from pictures on the wall they created, animals and the hard working teachers and teaching assistants play a huge part in keeping them engaged and focused. You guys are on here all the time barking about something. Best you stick to politics , bad drivers and city issues cause you obviously no nothing about children…
There’s no question such an event is traumatic on different levels to different people. I just see this as the job of the parent(s), and not some councillor. Just my two cents.
To follow the theme of ongoing irrationalism & insensitivity on this site, I think we need to blame the fire on the Haldi Road residents causing bad karma for PG.
@ johnnybelt.. Unfortunately a lot of the difficulties some of these children face are because of the parents. They need the councilors and teachers…. In some cases that’s all they have….
The word is counsellors. Councillors “work” at city hall. How much money does a counsellor get paid ? What training is needed? In a union? Who pays them? If it is a “sympathic ear” call me a counsellor (for a buck).
That’s your response?? question my spelling? wow….
It’s a strart….
Faulty computer keyboard, I swear.
On the topic of counseling. This school also housed a LOT of animals. Every classroom had multiple call pets, some that did not survive including a 25 year old bird. For children loss of an animal can be very devastating, some of the kids have been going to this school for years and losing these animals is like losing a family pet, family member. I do t think counseling or the offer of it is out of line.
I too went through a fire at a school when I was 12 years old and did not need counselling. Maybe that’s the root cause of all my problems as an adult (tongue-in-cheek). Come on people, it’s a building. Really not that smart to teach children to get sentimental about a building. The pets are another story but I don’t believe people (or children) need counselling for when a pet dies. I too get very attached to pets but their passing is what happens in life. A lot of parents get pets because they want their children to learn about life and death.
Wouldn’t it be part of the teacher’s job to talk about the “change” in classrooms. Don’t focus on it; treat the “change” as something new and possibly exciting. I really believe that to keep life in perspective one needs to look around and see what others are experiencing in life e.g. Syria, children in Africa who can’t even go to school. This sort of thought pattern helps with dealing with life’s ups and downs.
I don’t understand what is the fuss about counseling, the kids had their second home, where they spent most of their time, burnt down and are now moving to another unfamiliar environment many miles away. I have teachers of elementary school kids in my family and some of those kids cannot even hold their piss in the class in normal circumstances and have fear of school.
I think we all benefit from some counseling here too ;-)
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