Work is getting close to completion on a major facelift for a Belleville elementary school.
Ground broke on the expansion and renovation at St. Joseph Catholic School in March of 2022.
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Political dignitaries, students and staff at St. Joseph Catholic School, and staff and board members for ALCDSB at the 2022 ground breaking for upgrades/renovations/expansion at the east end Belleville school (Photo: Tim Durkin/ Quinte News)
The work includes 481 new student spaces, new learning commons and studios, breakout spaces, additional 49 licensed childcare spaces and more.
Director of Education David DeSantis describes some of the changes.
“Open, with collaborative learning spaces, nooks for kids to do their work together in pairs, charging stations and technology-oriented areas, where kids can plug in their technology to do their work. Also teachers can create classrooms, where they can combine classrooms.”
DeSantis says studies have shown the incredible benefit of sunlight and the school will allow Mother Nature to shine in.
” … the natural light coming in the building. There’s going to be a place on the roof that kids actually can go up and do outdoor learning in, the patio roof. Staff can congregate out there, so it’s a real innovative design.”
DeSantis says the hope is the school opens this fall.
“Unlike the brand new school that we’re opening up in the fall in Kingston, merging and bringing kids from two or three different schools, you can pack up a whole school and move them in on a weekend. So, if we’re not open in the fall, and it happens to be Thanksgiving weekend, we can do it over a weekend no problem. “
The project is anticipated to cost about $23 million.
Side of St. Joseph Catholic School under renovation. June 24, 2024. (Photo: Zach McGibbon/Quinte News)
