Flexible space, larger classrooms and theming are some of the features of the new elementary school coming to town.
On Monday evening, members of the joint school council for Arthur Meighen, Central, DCVI and South Perth Centennial schools got a sneak peak at the preliminary layout and some of the features of the yet-to-be-named K-6 facility, scheduled to open in Nov. 2010.
Superintendent of business and treasurer Janet Baird Jackson was at the meeting to show parents and staff the general layout, as well as discuss some of the potential environmental initiatives for the school.
The general design of the new school comes from a series of meetings with the affected schools’ principals, which began in late June and wrapped up in December, so that tenders could close by the end of March, and construction could begin in May, Baird-Jackson explained.
The board is still discussing some issues with the town. “The space is tight,” she said of the Pyramid Centre location, considering that one baseball diamond and the soccer fields are being preserved.
The space is also tight for potential future expansion if the “shiny new school” mentality kicks in, and students from the north end of the Thames Valley board decide to head to St. Marys — especially since Plover Mills school is slated to close, with some students heading to a new facility in Thorndale.
That being said, the new school has 21 classrooms that, at 800 sq. ft. each, are slightly larger than the Ministry of Education standard of 750 sq. ft.
“We made a point of saying we wanted 800 sq. ft.,” Baird-Jackson said, explaining that it allows for more activity in the classroom, especially considering that there is no storage space in the classrooms; students will have cubbies for coats and bags in overwide hallways.
The classroom window configurations  are based on a new system that’s currently being tested at Clinton Public School. Windows will edge the walls and ceiling, with centre wall space available for bulletin and reflectors to direct light downward onto students’ workspaces.
There are also five kindergarten spaces, on the southeast end of the school, to allow for easy pick-up and drop-off. While Baird-Jackson doesn’t anticipate using all of the rooms for full-day education, she explained that the board  received provincial funding for “full day programming” for four- and five-year-old students.
“Our interpretation is that it will be like Best Start, but provincial,” she said.
The school’s main entrance will be at the southeast corner, with a stone-look wall similar to those on the Pyramid Centre “to pick up the feeling of the community,” Baird-Jackson explained, adding that there are blank areas to allow for theming of the school.
The school will have a gym that’s slightly larger than Arthur Meighen’s current one — but will not have a stage. Rather, the design includes a large multipurpose room, and modular staging is being viewed as an option.
“We’re trying to think about flexible and multiple uses,” Baird-Jackson explained, adding that the staging is used in other schools, and is easy to set up in different configurations, and can be used outdoors.
Two sets of doors are included in the design to create secure areas during off-school hours to allow for community use while keeping classrooms private.
In a similar sense, Baird-Jackson said  the existing parking spaces directly south of the building will likely be cordoned off during the school day for playground space in a “sympathetic use” agreement with the town, to meet parking bylaws.
Existing playground equipment at Arthur Meighen and Central schools will be evaluated in the near future to determine if it can and should be moved to the new site; Central’s pavilion will be moved to the northeast end of the school.
Baird-Jackson is optimistic that the school will be set up for wireless Internet services; as such, there is no computer lab in the design, but rather, a portable laptop cart will likely be used.
Wiring for smart boards, touch-sensitive screens that allow computer content to be displayed, will also be done in advance, although Baird-Jackson admitted that an all smart board school is too expensive — and unfair to other board schools.
“Part of our challenge is that we have to be equitable with all of our schools (in terms of capital funding),” she explained, adding that above standard desires for the new school does leave the door open for community fundraising.
Baird-Jackson added that the board hasn’t developed a fundraising “shopping list” — but it could be done so parents could start early.
In regard to naming rights for donors, Baird-Jackson said that “so far, (the board) is OK with signage — I would suggest discreet plaques.”
Green initiatives
Baird-Jackson said the board is willing to be as green as possible — where it makes fiscal sense.
The board will be following a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) checklist, but will not seek certification because “certification is expensive — why would we spend hundreds of thousands for a plaque on the wall.”  
Transition timeline
Plans for moving students, supplies and staff will begin in earnest about a year before the actual opening of the move — the fall of 2009. A transition committee will be formed to determine the process.