News Release Archive
NEWS RELEASE (CNS634) -->> EDUCATION/CULTURE--SCHOOL GROUND BREAKING EDUCATION/CULTURE--SCHOOL GROUND BREAKING -------------------------------------------------------------- Communities are beginning to see concrete benefits of a new approach to school construction, with today's ground-breaking ceremony for the province's first elementary school to be built through public-private sector partnerships. Porters Lake-Lake Echo Elementary, set to open next September, will feature up-to-the-minute technology. As well, the school will be built with an open, flexible design to accommodate enrolment growth and create a comfortable, welcoming environment for students, teachers and visitors. Education and Culture Minister Robbie Harrison, who used an excavator instead of the traditional shovel, said the ground-breaking ceremony was appropriate. "We're literally breaking new ground in how we build schools in this province," Mr. Harrison said. "We're building better schools, more quickly, and creating jobs in the process." The private sector partner, Nova Learning Futures Inc., will keep the technology current long after the school opens. Technology in the school will include computers in every classroom, with Internet access and networked for voice, video, data and e-mail communications. Teachers can also access multi-media resources at the touch of a button, without leaving the classroom. As technology is continuously upgraded at Porters Lake-Lake Echo Elementary, the existing technology will be shared with other schools throughout the Halifax Regional School Board. School board vice-chair Sheldon Doyle said this school represents a true partnership. "The school board and government continue to set the standards to ensure quality in the classroom, while the private sector brings the very latest in innovation, design and enhanced technology to the school." Nova Learning Futures Inc. president Bill Wade said when government partners with the private sector, sustainable jobs are created. "Together, the private sector and the province are building and investing in a better future for Nova Scotia. As a result of the expertise being developed in the province through partnering on schools, Nova Scotia architects are currently designing an international school in China. This will lead to more jobs and further business opportunities for Nova Scotia." The school is designed around a landscaped and skylit "village square", where the common and community-oriented facilities are located. These include the main entry, library, labs, cafeteria, gymnasium, theatre, and special rooms for art, music and small group meetings. Oversized classrooms and corridors, and movable walls, are other design features making the school more adaptable to changing space and learning needs over the life of the school. The Halifax-based consortium, Nova Learning Futures Inc., brings together a team of experts, including Fairwyn Developments Ltd., Lydon Lynch Architects, Ellis-Don Atlantic Ltd., and Deloitte and Touche. SHL Systemhouse, in collaboration with ABL Interaccess Consulting Inc., is spearheading the technology planning for the school. -30- Contact: Donna MacDonald 902-424-2615 Denise Monchamp-Joudrey 902-423-8090 Cathy O'Connell 902-864-1928 trp Oct. 10, 1996 - 4:20 p.m.