Feature Article September 4, 2002
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Back to school at Prince CharlesBy Inie Platenius In a small village like this, the big news this time of year is back to school stuff; and boy is there a lot of back to school stuff to talk about at Prince Charles! First of all, the place is changing physically. Limestone Board workers rearranged walls, installed windows, revamped ramps, and painted and wired like crazy to get the new space ready for the first day. Helen Peterson, the new Vice Principal says, All the Limestone personnel have been tremendous in the renovation process. She is especially grateful for the hard work and cooperation of Prince Charles caretakers, Jim Hicks and Ken Topping. When I dropped by, Jim was patiently working around five or six renovators and a steady parade of staff, quietly cleaning as much as he could as the construction progressed.
Much of the reconstruction focuses on the office area. It is now possible for the principal, vice principal and secretary to all be within earshot of each other and very importantly, theres space inside the office for students to sit while theyre waiting to see an administrator. In the past, the only place for kids to wait was in a line outside the office door. The main entrance has been moved to the middle door, north of the previous entrance space. Helen stresses that this reconstruction is just phase one of a project that will continue next summer.
In the middle of all this bustle, tucked into the corner of a little cubbyhole, sits Donna Gallagher, the ever-helpful secretary. When I visited, she was surrounded by extension cords to run all the electronics at her makeshift station. Helen Peterson says that Donna gave four weeks of her summer holiday time to make sure things would be ready for the new term, and the day I was there, she never had more than 30 seconds without some interruption like a phone call from a parent wanting to know who her childs teacher will be (the school can no longer post class listings on the door, because its now considered private information), or a new staff member popping in to ask for some piece of information that only a great secretary can know.
And new staff members abound. Of the 19 staff (not counting Educational Assistants) 8 are new: Dawn Diamond Grade 6; Shirley Wildenbeest Grade 6 and Grades 7 & 8; Alan Hasketh Grade 7; Helen Peterson comes in from Loughborough PS as the Vice Principal; there are two new French teachers Sara Lasko and Monica Curtis; and Sheri Campbell is the new teacher in School to Community Services. That last position works with special needs students, especially focusing on life skills.
When I stepped into the library to meet the new vice principal, I was suddenly in a different kind of bustle a group of teachers planning together, easing the new staff into some of the routines, working at schedules and exchanging information. On my way out of the building, I peeked into the classrooms. No confusion there. Desks were grouped, bulletin boards decorated, and there was a sense of readiness and calm. Ready? Set? Go.
