Education
April 15, 2011

Torbay Community Celebrates New School Opening

Students, teachers and the entire Holy Trinity Elementary school community in Torbay celebrated their new learning environment today, during official opening ceremonies at the school.

“In 2006, I joined the late MHA Jack Byrne in announcing government’s plan to build a new school for Torbay, and it is gratifying to know that plan has become a reality,” said the Honourable Joan Burke, Minister of Education. “This new facility, with all its modern amenities, offers an environment which reflects educational delivery in the 21st century, and will no doubt serve this growing community for many years to come.”

The $17 million school, opened in September 2010, is designed for 700 students. It includes 30 classrooms, two music rooms, a library/resource centre, multi-purpose room with kitchen, and more. Designed to incorporate new environmentally-friendly initiatives, it features energy efficient lighting, occupancy-based heating and ventilation control, water conserving features, and a geothermal ground source heat pump system. Students are also able to monitor the school’s green initiatives through an interactive kiosk displaying the school’s environmental and energy efficient features.

“This is indeed an exciting day for the students and staff of Holy Trinity Elementary, as they celebrate the official opening of their new school,” said Cape St. Francis MHA Kevin Parsons. “This environmentally and energy efficient facility will provide an engaging, clean and safe learning environment in which young minds will be able to thrive and grow.”

Since 2004, almost $465 million has been approved for school construction, repairs and maintenance. This level of infrastructure investment is unprecedented in this province’s history. Seven new schools have been opened and seven more are in various stages of construction. In addition, nine major extension and renovation projects have been completed and five more are underway or in the planning stages.

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Photo #1: MHA Kevin Parsons, students Shelby Francis (Kindergarten) and Jessica Patey (Grade 6) and Chris Hammond, Eastern School Board trustee, cut a cake to mark the official opening of Holy Trinity Elementary in Torbay.

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2011 04 15                                                                                                   10:20 a.m.