News release

Tender Awarded for St. Anthony Daniel School

Education (July 1999 - March 2013)

Construction of a new elementary school to replace St. Anthony Daniel School in Sydney will soon be under way. The tender to build the new school was awarded Sept. 20 to Maxim 2000 Ltd.

The new school will be located on property behind the old school, at 135 Alexandra St. Construction will cost nearly $6 million. The school will house approximately 375 students in grades primary to 6 and is scheduled to open next fall.

"While our resources are limited, we're doing our best to provide quality facilities for our children's education," said Education Minister Jane Purves. "Often, renovation is the best option to improve a school on a limited budget. In this case, a new school makes sense, and we're pleased to see the construction process is beginning."

Initial design of the school calls for two wings joined by a central area, which will house the library, gymnasium, cafeteria, and music, art and community rooms. The gymnasium will be flanked by the cafeteria on one side and the music and art rooms on the other. Moveable walls will allow the three areas to be joined for performances, gatherings and learning.

The library will be a focal point in the school, with a curved wall visible from both inside and outside. It will also have a movable wall to connect or close off a seminar room.

Traditional classroom space will be supplemented by rooms for multimedia and small group work. Another room will be dedicated to reading recovery, a part of the Active Young Readers program designed to help students having difficulty with reading and writing. An amphitheatre and a natural science area on the school grounds will offer additional learning opportunities. Other outdoor spaces will be developed to encourage healthy living. They include a soccer field, playgrounds, basketball courts and an outdoor patio adjacent to the cafeteria.

"In addition to having a quality building, we want our children to learn in an atmosphere that reflects the cultural diversity of this community," said Elizabeth MacPhee, chair of the Cape Breton Victoria Regional School Board. "Our new school community planning committee has been working with the department and the board to include Mi'kmaq and immigrant traditions as part of the interior design of the new St. Anthony Daniel School."

Crews will begin preparing the site for construction early in October. Foundation work will follow in November.