The long-awaited opening of Airdrie's newest school has finally arrived, as Northcott Prairie School (NPS) in Hillcrest welcomed students through its doors for the first time Sept. 2.
While the school in southwest Airdrie was originally scheduled to open in January, construction delays pushed the opening back until April. The COVID-19 pandemic kept NPS students out of the new building, as they were already learning at home by the spring.
“It hasn’t been without challenges,” said the principal Lindsay Adams.
NPS students were spread out among three separate schools during the 2019-20 school year, Adams said, with those in kindergarten and Grade 1 attending Cooper’s Crossing School, grades 2 to 4 attending Heron’s Crossing School and grades 5 and 6 being bussed to Muriel Clayton School.
“We’re in a situation now where the kids have overcome a lot of challenges and were separated on three different sites for the entire school year last year,” she said “They’re really excited to come together with their siblings – who they may have been separated from – and their peers. They’ll be under the same roof and are excited to build a new school culture.”
In preparation for the school year, Adams said the summer was a busy time for administration as they raced to hire staff and secure supplies.
“We hired eight or nine new staff in the spring because our enrolment continues to increase and we’re adding a new grade level every year," she said.
“It’s been really busy in terms of staffing and adding some dynamic people to our team, but also super busy in terms of procurement and getting the furnishings and resources we need.”
Another project the school undertook this summer was the construction of a playground, which Adams said wrapped up in July. The playground was made possible through the fundraising efforts of NPS’ school council, as well as a grant from the Alberta government.
“We’re the first new school to open in [Rocky View Schools] with the playground being complete already – it usually takes a year or two of fundraising to get to that point,” she said.
This year, the school will serve students in kindergarten to Grade 7, Adams said, with plans to add Grade 8 classes next year. The students will attend from neighbourhoods in the city's southwest including Hillcrest, Southpoint, Osborne and some parts of Windsong Heights.
NPS will also receive students from Cooper’s Crossing School once they finish Grade 5.
According to Adams, 451 students are enrolled at NPS this year, though she added many have opted for at-home learning due to the pandemic.
Originally, Adams said a grand opening celebration was planned to take place once the school finally opened. While that celebration will have to be modified due to the pandemic, she added the goal is to still host some kind of celebration during the third week of September.
“What that’s going to look like, we’re uncertain of at this point,” she said. “It will look different than what we had envisioned, just with the restrictions on the number of people we can gather. Whether it’s virtual or we broadcast to each classroom, we’re not sure, but I want the community to know we’ll be celebrating.”
Scott Strasser, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @scottstrasser19
