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An educator is celebrating a years-long effort to build a new English Catholic elementary school in Espanola.
Syndy Withers is principal of Sacred Heart in the community of 5,000 that’s 240 kilometres east of Sault Ste. Marie.
Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board has wanted to replace Sacred Heart, built in 1919, since at least 2007.
“Former director (of education) Jack Stadnyk used to always say to me, ‘Syndy, we need to land this project,’” said Withers during online meeting of HSCDSB trustees on May 19. “Well, Jack, it has landed. We will continue to pray and grow because of the gift of this new facility.”
The board partnered with Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvel-Ontario to build the 78,000 square foot building on Mead Boulevard. Construction cost was $25.2 million. Sacred Heart students start their studies at the new site in September. The original Sacred Heart was demolished in 2016. They are now attending classes at the former A.B. Ellis school on Park Street.
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“(Withers) is one of the very few people who have been able to follow that journey from the very beginning conversations of the new build through to the culmination of the beautiful new building that you will see in her presentation,” said superintendent of education Christine Durocher when introducing her to trustees.
The official groundbreaking was in June 2018. The new school includes a learning commons, daycare, chapel, kitchenette for special events and breakfast program, stage for drama productions and school band performances and a gym that, with partitions, can be used by three classes at the same time.
“It was a bit sad to see the rubble, but we know this was the start of the progress,” said Withers of the destruction of the original Sacred Heart. “We really appreciate that the board kept our school name. Sacred Heart honours our history as a Catholic school and we are very attached to this identity in our community.”
On Twitter: @Saultreporter
Principal celebrates new school's completion - Sault Star
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