New Glasgow Academy Officially Opened

Students, staff and community members from the New Glasgow area celebrated the official opening of their innovative new school, New Glasgow Academy, today, May 25.

Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Karen Casey, was joined by representatives from the Chignecto-Central Regional School Board, the Town of New Glasgow and departments of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal and Education and Early Childhood Development, for the official opening.

"Any time we make investments in our youngest citizens, we all reap the rewards," said Ms. Casey. "Working with the community ensured a vibrant, new facility for students that will serve them well for years to come.”

The province invested $18.1 million with additional contributions from the Town of New Glasgow and local community to enhance the cafeteria, gym, music room and the nature play area. The school also features break-out rooms for group work, a science lab and tech-ed production lab.

"Our first year at New Glasgow Academy has been an exciting one," said Allison McNeil-Wilson, principal. "We brought three schools together and the community we have built is an amazing one."

The school features a natural playground with a sledding hill for physically active time during the winter. The natural playground is a nature-based space that features a fallen-tree climber, a vegetable garden and a 100-square asphalt snakes and ladders.

"New Glasgow Academy is a modern school, built to accommodate a wide range of learners and an advancing curriculum," said Trudy Thompson, chair, Chignecto-Central Regional School Board. "Differentiated learning spaces, built-in Wi-Fi and an amazing natural playground are only a few of the advancements that will be enjoyed by thousands of students."

New Glasgow Academy is targeting Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold designation.