Port Saunders Area Celebrates Official Opening
of $13.5 Million French Shore Academy

Representatives of the Provincial Government, Western School Board, and municipal and community leaders joined the extended French Shore Academy community today to mark the official opening of the new K-12 school, located in Port Saunders on the Northern Peninsula.

“This $13.5 million facility offers modern amenities for students and teachers in an environment which reflects educational delivery in the 21st century,” said the Honourable Joan Burke, Minister of Education. “The Provincial Government is committed to providing all of our students, both in rural and urban regions, with the highest-quality learning opportunities in safe and comfortable environments. I congratulate the school community on the official opening of this state-of-the-art facility, which will serve the educational needs of students for many years to come.”

The new school was built to accommodate 250 K-12 students. There is a music room, computer room, learning resource centre, science/arts lab, home economics room, a multi-purpose/lunch room, kitchen, gymnasium, theatre arts lighting system for the stage, change rooms, showers and a fitness centre. There is also a guidance suite, a skilled trades suite, medical room, and areas to accommodate students with diverse learning needs. The school also houses a family resource centre which provides a variety of community-based activities and resources for children and families.

“This new school has been designed to offer the very best learning opportunities for all students,” said Donald Brown, Chair of the Western School Board. “The Western School Board thanks the Provincial Government for their tremendous investment in education, and especially for this new facility. I wish students, staff, and the communities the very best in their new school.”

Designed to incorporate new, environmentally-friendly initiatives, the school features energy-efficient lighting, occupancy-based heating and ventilation control, and water conservation features. Students are also able to monitor the school’s green initiatives through an interactive kiosk displaying the school’s environmental and energy efficient features.

“I am extremely pleased that our students will have the opportunity to learn in such a beautiful and modern environment,” said St. Barbe MHA Wallace Young. “This new school, along with its amenities and wonderful teaching staff, will help young minds blossom and provide them with a top-notch education.”

Budget 2011 Standing Strong: For Prosperity. For Our Future. For Newfoundland and Labrador, provides $94.5 million for new and ongoing K-12 infrastructure projects. Over the past eight years, more than $504 million has been approved for school infrastructure, a level of investment which is unprecedented in this province’s history. Seven new schools have opened, seven more are in various stages of construction, nine major extension and renovation projects have been completed, and nine more are underway or in the planning stages.
 

- 30 -

Media contacts:

2011 06 06                                                                                   1:30 p.m.