Sydney school, Community Facility Opens
The official opening of the Centre scolaire communautaire etoile de l'Acadie was held today in Sydney. Construction of the $4.2- million school and community facility was jointly funded by the governments of Canada and Nova Scotia.
"This centre will serve as a meeting place and as a place where the region's Acadian community can celebrate their culture. The centre will also enable francophone parents the opportunity to offer their children a quality education in French," said Sheila Copps, Minister of Canadian Heritage, who is responsible for the development and growth of minority francophone communities.
"A vibrant community life as well as access to education in French are the best guarantee for the future success of Acadians in the region,"
"This event will be remembered as a great day for the Acadian community in industrial Cape Breton," said Education and Culture Minister Wayne Gaudet. "The opening of the Centre scolaire communautaire etoile de l'Acadie will help ensure the Acadian star continues to shine in Cape Breton."
The centre can accommodate 150 Primary to Grade 12 students. Facilities include 10 classrooms, a library, a cafeteria, a gymnasium and a technology laboratory. The cafeteria and gym will be available for rental by community groups. They can also use conference rooms, a video conferencing system, rooms for social activities, offices and a preschool and day-care centre that includes an outdoor playground.
Internet-connected computers are found in every classroom, with an average of one computer for every three students. Computers are used in a variety of functions. For instance, in a creative combination of technology and the arts, computers can be used to teach piano and to compose music.
The teaching of classes in French had humble beginnings in the Sydney area. The first foothold in the process to obtain French education began in the basement of Cornwallis School in 1989 with 47 students. Dedicated Acadian and francophone volunteers put in countless hours during the past 10 years to realize their dream of a homogeneous French school and community centre for the area. The official opening of the centre also marks the 10th anniversary of homogeneous French-language education in the Sydney area.