The New Westminster school district is holding a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the official start of construction on the $17.6 million École Fraser River Middle School.
The event is scheduled for Thursday, May 15, at 3:30 p.m. at John Robson Elementary – the site of the new school.
"I would like to welcome students, parents, staff and the New Westminster community to attend a groundbreaking ceremony for École Fraser River Middle School,” board of education chair Jonina Campbell said in a media release. “This is an excellent opportunity for the public to view the designs for the new school and board office and talk to members of the project team.”
“This is another significant step in our multiple capital projects plan to build three schools,” said trustee Casey Cook, chair of the operations planning and policy committee.
École Fraser River Middle School will accommodate 500 students in grades 6 to 8. The new middle school has been designed in accordance with best practices for sustainability and is expected to achieve LEED Gold (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. The school is slated to open in September 2015.
École Fraser River Middle School is the third middle school to be built in New Westminster. It will serve as the west-side catchment school and will be a dual-track school, offering both English and French instruction. The school will offer neighbourhood learning program spaces, including a child-care facility and family services and multipurpose spaces that support the delivery of a broad range of community services, Campbell explained.
The middle school is a part of a plan to build three new schools in the city. The district is currently building an elementary school on the former St. Mary’s Hospital site and hopes to reach a project agreement with the Ministry of Education for a replacement high school.
