While the road to building the new 65,000 square foot kindergarten to grade 12 Granite Ridge Education Centre (GREC) in Sharbot Lake and relocating 500 plus students and staff there has been a bumpy one, the official dedication ceremony that took place on May 22 was one of celebration. The event packed close to 600 people into the school’s new gym/cafetorium, which is a testament to the fact the new school is indeed a place where hundreds of people can now gather comfortably for special large-scale community events.

The ceremony, which was headed up by the school’s principal, Heather Highet, was a formal chance for her to recognize and thank all of the parties involved in the $15 million project, which was designed by +VG Architects in association with Shoalts and Zaback Architects Ltd. and built by Pre-Eng Contracting Ltd.

The new facility ,which the students refer to as GREC or "The Ridge", brings together the former school communities of Sharbot Lake and Hinchinbrooke under one shared roof. While Heather Highet did not gloss over the many challenges along the way, namely the delay of the opening until January 2014, the less than satisfactory outdoor play areas for the younger students, and other logistical challenges faced by students and staff, the ceremony was more focused on the many positives of the new school.

Highet first thanked staff and students for their “flexibility and patience” along the way and then highlighted the school’s big pluses. She mentioned the school’s eco-friendly design; its abundance of natural light; the cutting edge educational tools and facilities it houses, like its Snoezelen room, double gym and stage; the smart boards in every classroom; the auto/wood shop; its music/drama, school to community and family studies/technology rooms; the 2000 square foot library/resource centre and more.

Following Heather Highet’s remarks, local resident elder, Danka Brewer, gave an Aboriginal welcome and blessing to the school. Next, a video of the school's construction put together by teacher Eric Wotherspoon was presented, after which a number of guest speakers from the Limestone District School Board had a chance to speak. These included Board Chair Laurie French, Director of Education Brenda Hunter, Trustee Ann Goodfellow and the education officer with the Ministry of Education, Michel Chartrand, who was one of six who unveiled the new school plaque.

The highlights of the ceremony of course came from the students themselves. Grade nine geography students under the leadership of Danka Brewer sang a traditional Cree honour song. Grade eight students participating in the School of Rock program under the direction of grade eight teacher Julia Schall performed “Boston” and the cutest of all was saved to the last when the school’s primary/junior choir under the direction of Norman Guntensperger and Mr. Christopher Davison performed the Gryphon Medley, in which the school's Gryphon mascot appeared from the wings and led a final rousing school cheer.

While the road to GREC was not a easy one, students and staff seem to be settling in comfortably to their new digs, which by the next academic year school should have all of the surrounding outdoor work completed, making it look as good from the outside as it does from within.

Two machines have been slowly, steadily, inexorably dismantling the former Sharbot Lake High School over the past few weeks. The school, which was built in three stages over decades, is being taken apart one attached building at a time.

Its replacement, Granite Ridge comprehensive school, built in a style that could be called 'modern institutional', is just a few feet away.

Although the process was announced in advance, it has still been disheartening to see the building where so many children grew into young adults being torn open and turned into piles of rubble.

Even though the school principal told the school community that removing trees was a regrettable part of a process that will be setting the stage for a new parking lot and playground for Granite Ridge Education Centre, it did come as a shock when the large oak that graced the front lawn in front of the main doors of the school was chopped down last week. It is laid out on the ground in pieces, as if it were nothing more than the rubble gathered in piles beside it.

A number of maples behind the school have come down as well, but this tree was a major feature of Sharbot Lake High School, and judging from its size, it was likely far older than the school that was built around it.

There is, I hope, a good reason why this particular tree had to go, because any replacement tree will not attain anything like the majesty of that oak in the lifetime of even the youngest JK student at GREC.

When the landscaping is being done around the school, we will see whether the Limestone board is bringing some vision to the process that justifies removing this particular tree. Hopefully it has not just been jettisoned in the same way that the contents of the school were tossed into dumpsters when the school was being emptied before being demolished.

Whether the reason is a good one or just a matter of lazy expediency, it is sad to see that tree laying in pieces on the ground.

Demolition crews have begun to pull down the 60 year old Sharbot Lake High School building.

The process began two weeks ago, and this week the demolition crews are working in earnest, removing the walls where the former wood and auto-shops were located.

A letter to parents from Heather Highet, former Principal of Sharbot Lake High and now Principal of the new Granite Ridge Education Centre located just north of the former school, said that the project “is expected to take about 8 weeks.”

“There will be some noise associated with the demolition, but we shouldn't expect any more noise than was experienced during the construction of Granite Ridge,” she said.

As part of the demolition, the removal of some trees behind the old building will be necessary

“Any trees that will be removed will be provided to our forestry program, which can use these trees inn several school projects thanks to a recently acquired sawmill.”

Additional trees are gong to be planted around the property.

Officials with the Limestone District School Board are still working towards welcoming Kindergarten to grade 12 students to the brand new Granite Ridge Education Centre on the first day of classes after the Christmas holidays.

But it will take a lot of work for a lot of people before and during the holidays for that to happen.

A newsletter went home to parents of children who have been attending at the former Sharbot Lake public and high schools this week. It outlined some of the features of the new 65,000 square foot school, and said that the board still hopes that the students will have an opportunity to “tour the new building and become familiar with the new surroundings before the holiday break.”

In order for that to happen - indeed in order for the new building to open on January 6 - an occupancy permit needs to be issued by the Central Frontenac Township building department. An inspection is scheduled for Monday, December 16, but Jeremy Neven, Chief Building Official for Central Frontenac Township, said he will make himself available after, even through the holidays, in case all the requirements for an occupancy permit are not met when he does his first formal inspection next Monday. “There are so many details, so much that needs to be in place and fully functional before the health and safety requirements are met for an occupancy permit to be issued,” he said.

He also said that he will need the Ministry of the Environment to complete their inspection of the new septic system on the site before he can issue the occupancy permit.

School board employees are presently able to enter the site in order to move in equipment and begin setting up the school, but they are wearing hard hats and work boots and working under the supervision of Pre-Eng, the company that is responsible for the construction.

Heather Highet, the principal of Granite Ridge, has been seconded to work directly on the transition to the new building since November 1.

She said that all the new furniture for the school is being delivered and put in place this week, and 25 SMART boards, one for each of the classrooms in the new school, have already been installed. Teachers are also well into preparations to move their materials over to the new building as soon as the occupancy permit is issued.

“The kids finish on the 19th and the moving is planned for Friday the 20th and the weekend following. Then the board shuts down for a week over Christmas, and we will be back at it on January 2, so we will be ready to welcome students to the new building on January 6.”

Among the features of the school that will be popular with students and community members alike is one that young athletes and their fans in North and Central Frontenac have been waiting decades for - a 6,300 square foot gym with bleachers that will hold 150 spectators. There will also be a weight room capable of holding Powerfit classes with all new equipment. And thespians and theatre lovers will have access to a 1,000 square foot stage in the new cafetorium with seating capacity for 250 for concerts and performances.

The new building will also include a number of features that should ensure its comfort and efficient operation into the future.

Once the students are in place in the new building, work will begin on the demolition of the existing building, a process that will take a couple of months to complete. In the spring, final landscaping work will take place to complete the elementary school sports field and the parking lot.

Heather Highet said that a further newsletter is planned for next week to provide parents with details about how to access the school in early January. The board expects to hold public tours of the new building once the dust, and the students, teachers and staff, have settled in the new building.

With over $15 million in the bank and a team of architects from Kingston and Toronto on the job, the design committee for the new JK-12 school at the current Sharbot Lake High School site held public consultations last week.

Ray Zabac from Shoalts and Zabac (Kingston), and Terry White from the Venton group (Toronto), were on hand, as were officials from the Limestone District School Board (LDSB)

“We have not looked at the site in too much detail, but from what we've seen and from the template provided to us, we believe this project is very workable,” said Ray Zabac. “Probably the best site to put the new school on is the parking lot. We realize this will create a parking issue for the year when the building is being constructed.”

Terry White presented some preliminary options that the architects have developed, which will fit an elementary wing, a secondary wing, and an administrative hub into the current parking lot. The architects have met with Central Frontenac Township staff to make sure the permitting process is completed in time, and they said there has been a high level of co-operation.

“They appear to be quite willing to work with us. For example, in order to fit everything in the building, we might be looking at a third storey in one section. The township has a height limit of 10.5 metres, which would limit us to two storeys, but the township says they can change that in this case. This is a kind of flexibility we don't usually see in the city,” said Terry White.

Among the school's attributes will be a full-sized double gym, which is lacking in the current building.

After hearing from the architects, and the school board administration, the 50 or so participants at the meeting split into groups to provide their input into the design and functions of the new building.

When the groups reported back, a number of issues were raised, including the lack of a music or dramatic arts room in the initial plans.

It was also mentioned that while the elementary and secondary sections of the school need to be distinct, the hope is that some of the advantages of the secondary school, such as shop and technical classrooms, would be available for the younger students.

“There should be a maximum amount of space for the students. Not too many architectural touches,” said Anne Howes, a community member on the design committee.

Another group was concerned that the school should accommodate both school needs and community needs, as well as the North Frontenac Little Theatre.

“It is important that the building is beautiful; that it reflects our landscape, our heritage, outdoor spaces, fields, garden, art work and sculpture,” said the reporter from one of the groups.

It was also mentioned that artefacts from the two schools that will be closing, Hinchinbrooke and Sharbot Lake Public School, be integrated into the new building.

The design committee will meet for the next few months behind closed doors and a draft design will be presented to a public meeting later in 2011.

The principals of the schools that will be integrated into the new building, including David Allison (Sharbot Lake Public School), Emily Yanch (Hinchinbrooke), and Heather Hyatt (Sharbot Lake High School), are all on the committee, as is the school trustee for the region, Anne Goodfellow. Members of the public with ideas and concerns about the new building are encouraged to contact them or their local parent council

However, as was pointed out by Peter Lynch, Manager of Financial Services for the LDSB, the basic parameters of the project have been set by the Ministry of Education.

“The template is for a 69,000 square foot building with five regular classrooms for secondary students, 10 smaller classrooms, a full-sized 6,400 square foot gymnasium, two tech rooms, science rooms; all the facilities a good JK-12 would offer,” Peter Lynch said

The budget for the project is $15.7 million.

“That's a lot of money but still quite a challenge because of the site and what needs to be in the school,” he added, “and with site and demolition costs taken out there is $13.9 million for construction.”

Although the idea of co-locating other community facilities with the school was mentioned when the project was first envisioned, any additions to the building would have to be funded by a business, community group, or the township, and thus far no one has come forward.

Peter Lynch said that the timelines for completing the design and doing all the preliminary work so a construction project can proceed in time to complete the project in two years and three months will be tight, but that the school board is planning to complete the project in time for the 2013-2014 school year.

“This year's grade 9 students will graduate out of the new school,” he said, “and there is a lot of excitement in the school about this.”

Photo: Austin (left), a student in Aaron West’s grade 5/6 class at SLPS, rehearses a presentation on outer space that he will give to his class using the SMART Board.

Aaron West’s grade 5/6 class at Sharbot Lake Public School is abuzz with the latest addition to their classroom; a cutting edge piece of computer technology known as SMART Board. The device, which combines the simplicity of a white board with the power of a computer, is the first and only one at the school, and ever since it arrived in mid-November has been a focus for students in Mr. West’s class. The tool functions essentially as a giant, oversized computer screen, the difference being that it allows students to interact with the latest computer technology by manipulating the screen and the information displayed on it by either using their fingers or a pointer. The device offers students interactive teaching tools in a limitless number of subjects. “The beauty of the SMART Board is that it increases student engagement and interaction and increases their attention,” Mr. West said.

“The fact that the students have a chance to get out of their seats, come up to the board, touch it and manipulate it has really increased their understanding in a number of different areas. It's also a great tool for students who tend to be more physically active and who may have trouble staying in their seats and focusing for longer lengths of time. The other bonus is that it is a tool that can be 100% student directed so instead me standing at the front of the class making a presentation, students can use it on their own, creating, presenting, and discovering new things on their own.”

Right now in math the students are studying three-dimensional shapes and with the board have the ability to investigate the shapes in various dimensions. They are able to manipulate them and view them from various angles. “The SMART Board also gives the students a chance to experience the type of technology that they will go on to use in high school, university and college at later date,” Mr. West said.

The board comes with various applications and software and also includes a website where SMART Board lesson plans can be shared amongst teachers who have developed lesson plans specifically for it. For Mr. West, who concedes that he is “heavily into computers and the latest cutting edge technology”, the new $3,000 device was “a logical next step and addition to the classroom and the possibilities it offers are absolutely endless.”

SLPS principal David Allison had seen the device at Clarendon Public School in Plevna and was won over. “We felt it would be a great addition to the school. The learning opportunities are limitless and we are seeing the kids become engaged in ways that they were just not before.”

The new device has been welcomed enthusiastically by the students, which is the ultimate proof in the pudding. When I visited the classroom students were rehearsing their upcoming multimedia presentations about outer space and many will be using the SMART Board to make their presentations. “I love it”, said Alexi. “You can do so much with it; you can write and draw on it. It’s just a lot of fun to use and it’s bigger and better than what we had before.”

There was much community interest early last summer when the Limestone District School Board’s Program and Accommodation Review Committee (PARC) process for the Sharbot Lake Family of Schools completed its work and the Board of Trustees announced that a new K-12 school would be built in Sharbot Lake by the fall of 2013.

Ever since then there has been silence from the board, publicly at least.

Behind the scenes, however, planning has proceeded, and this week Ann Goodfellow, the trustee for the northern schools, let is be known that an architect has been chosen for the project.

“Within the next month or so a design team will be appointed. The team will include the principals from Hinchinbrooke and Sharbot Lake Public Schools and Sharbot Lake High School, as well as parent reps from those schools, the architect, Roger Richard from the board office and other board staff as needed,” said Ann Goodfellow.

Goodfellow will chair the meetings, which will take place about twice a month until a preliminary design is completed. The representatives from the schools will bring comments and suggestions from their school communities to the meetings, and once the preliminary design is complete later this spring or summer, at least two public meetings will be held before the architect starts working on the final design.

“We are going to be open to all sorts of suggestions, but in the end we can only build what we have funding to build,” Goodfellow said.

The final design will undergo a detailed costing review before it is sent to the Ministry of Education for final approval, a process that will take a considerable amount of time.

The new Sharbot Lake comprehensive school will replace Sharbot Lake High and Intermediate schools, Sharbot Lake Public School, and Hinchinbrooke Public School in Parham.

Land O’Lakes Public School in Mountain Grove and Clarendon Central School in Plevna will remain open.

The new school is slated to be built on or around the current parking lot at Sharbot Lake High School, and the existing school will be demolished.

Limestone District School Board officials were being optimistic in July when they targeted a November opening for the new Granite Ridge Education Centre (GREC) in Sharbot Lake.

That would have required the building to be substantially complete by the end of September to allow six weeks to finish up and co-ordinate moving students into the new building.

As late September came and went it became clear that the building was taking longer to complete than had been hoped, and last week the board sent a letter home to parents informing them that the new target for move in is the first day of classes in January, 2014.

And even that target is now being called a hope rather than a firm move-in date.

In the newsletter that was released last week, the question on all parents’ and students’ minds of when GREC would be ready for students was answered with the following statement:

“We hope to have students and staff begin classes in the new building on January 6, 2014. We are still on track to get into the building in November but contractors and facilities services staff will need a few extra weeks for finishing touches, and to completely clean and equip the building before moving in furniture, equipment and resources, and eventually students and staff. We plan to complete the installation of these items in phases throughout early to mid-December. We then hope to have students and staff tour the new building before the December break.”

Initially, the plan had been to move the students in in stages, with the primary students remaining at their temporary quarters at the former Sharbot Lake Public School site until the existing Sharbot Lake High School is demolished and the necessary landscaping can be done in order to create outdoor recreation areas for the exclusive use of primary-aged students.

That plan has now been scrapped. If all goes according to the latest plan, all 400 students will move in to the completed Granite Ridge on January 6, but the existing Sharbot Lake High School will still be in place.

While the board has acknowledged that “not all elementary play areas can be finished until the demolition is complete … we have revised our plans so that elementary students will have access to the field/wooded area at the east of the school as well as the gym during inclement weather.”

The board now expects the demolition will take place sometime in the spring of 2014.

In a letter to parents, Granite Ridge Principal Heather Highet said the delayed opening came about because some phases of construction took longer than expected.”

The newsletter added a bit more detail, saying “A province-wide roofers' strike in early spring delayed our progress. Approvals for the new septic system also took longer than anticipated."

On the Thanksgiving weekend, volunteers with the North Frontenac Food Bank will be working with Mike Dean’s Grocery Store and other local businesses for the first of what they hope will become an annual food drive.

Even the local school children are getting involved. Students from various junior classes at the Granite Ridge School are creating autographed autumn leaves which, over the next 2 weeks, Mike Dean’s Grocery Store will be displaying with each cash donation of more than $3. All proceeds will go to the food bank.

Food bank volunteers will also be at Mike Dean’s on Friday & Saturday, Oct 11 and 12 collecting cash, as well as your food donations. Food donations can also be dropped off any time at the Sharbot Lake Marina.

With the start of school this past month, the food bank is facing one of its busiest times and the cupboards are looking bare.

“We’re asking the community to help where it can” said the North Frontenac Food Bank’s new president, Kim Cucoch. Whether you donate food or make a cash donation, every little bit helps. And as you close up your cottage for the season, please keep the food bank in mind for any left over food products you might have.

Helping the food bank is a great way to help your neighbours and your community. Also, if you make a cash donation the food bank, upon request, can provide you with a charitable donation slip for your taxes.

There are also other ways to help. The food bank is in need of new volunteers. With the retirement of long-time president, Brenda Piat, the food bank is currently looking for a new coordinator who can work a few hours, one or two weeks per month, dealing with client intake and requests. The coordinator position requires discretion and confidentiality.

The food bank is also looking for people willing to volunteer an hour or so on a Tuesday and Friday morning, once every month or two. As some of the volunteers are retired and go away for the winter, the food bank will be short of volunteers to hand out food boxes on those morning and to repack the boxes. “The work is not difficult and it really feels good to help out” said local volunteer Tracy Bamford. “As my Nanny Mary said, many hands make light work.”

The North Frontenac Food Bank serves a wide region from north of Plevna to south of Parham, and east of Arden and west of Sharbot Lake. The food bank relies on your donations and is staffed by community volunteers. In 2012 the food bank provided food assistance for more than 650 people in our community, many of whom were children.

The septic system for the Granite Ridge Education Centre, currently under construction in Sharbot Lake, has been the subject of consultation between the Limestone District School Board and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment for a year.

Because the school is located within 300 metres of the west basin of Shabot Lake, which has been identified as a Trout Sensitive Lake by the province, an environmental compliance approval from the ministry was needed before the septic system could be constructed.

On August 23, that approval was granted.

Sarah Dick, Senior Environmental Officer at the Kingston MoE office, said in an email: “On August 23, 2013, the Environmental Compliance Approval for the Granite Ridge Education Centre was issued. 
The approval permits the establishment of sewage works for the collection, transmission, treatment and subsurface disposal of domestic sewage, with a rated capacity of 17,000 litres per day. The new system is equipped with phosphorus treatment, which is a significant improvement to the previous system.”

The septic system will need to be constructed and approved before the new school will be able to receive an occupancy permit from the Central Frontenac building department.

The Limestone Board is aiming to have the building ready for students in early November.