Penhold Waskasoo grand opening celebrates a beautiful new school
Penhold Waskasoo Middle School (PWMS) is officially open! The school celebrated with a grand opening ceremony on September 12.
“It was a great day,” says Lisa Baird, Principal of PWMS. “We are so happy to be able to celebrate this amazing facility with our students and community, and with all of the people whose hands have touched something in this building. It was exciting to mark the start of a new chapter that will be filled with exceptional learning opportunities, a caring and inclusive culture, with strong relationships all dedicated to the success of every student.”
“The grand opening was a moment to reflect on the journey of the last three and a half years,” says Giselle Meyer, Vice Principal of PWMS. “Seeing all the pieces come together was amazing. It seems so long ago that we were walking through an empty building talking about where everything would go.”
Meyer says, “The final result is even better than we anticipated. Just seeing all the students enjoying the school, and then coming to the ceremony wearing their new Red Wings shirts, felt really good.”
Among the invited guests were Burton Bailey, Member of Parliament for Red Deer, Devin Dreeshen, MLA for Innisfail-Sylvan Lake and Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors, as well as representatives from the Town of Penhold including Mayor Mike Yargeau and councillors, Red Deer County councillor Dana Depalme, and community partners.
Elder John Sinclair spoke to the students and guests about the name of the school. Waskasoo means Elk. Sinclair shared how animals like the Elk were a part of his First Nations culture growing up, how he was pleased to see the animal reflected in the school’s name.
Superintendent Ryan Sawula thanked the many partners and individuals who contributed to the project. He said, “I’m so excited to help officially open this magnificent new school”.
“A project like this is a testament to what we can accomplish when we work together. Building a school of this caliber is a monumental effort, and it simply wouldn’t have been possible without our incredible community partnerships. I want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who contributed,” said Sawula.
Chinook’s Edge Board Chair, Holly Bilton, extended thanks, on behalf of the Board, to everyone who worked on the project. “Whether your role was large or small, you are appreciated,” she said.
Sherry Cooper, Chinook’s Edge trustee for Penhold and surrounding area, thanked the community of Penhold, the Town of Penhold and Red Deer County.
She said, ‘thank you for fundraising for our playground and for the vision you have for supporting families here.” She also thanked parents who worked to fundraise for the playground.
Both Bilton and Cooper thanked the province of Alberta for its support of the project. Cooper said, “Thank you for investing in our community. We appreciate your support for the design and construction of this facility.”
Dreeshen said, at the event, that the project was years in the making. He said the province funding the $39 million project shows the importance of Central Alberta, and he encouraged the students to be proud of being the Red Wings.
MLA Dreeshen presented a plaque to Principal Baird. Also, a number of students and some of the dignitaries participated in an official ribbon cutting.
Verity, a Grade 7 student, says “being in this school is fun. It’s really brand new. I like that we are the first people here.”
Autumn, also in Grade 7, says, “I think the school is neat. It’s so big. I’ve never seen a school with two floors before. It’s way bigger than I thought it would be.”
Kiera, in Grade 7, says, “I like how colourful the school is. It’s a good place for people to learn, and I like all of our teachers.”
“I’m very grateful to have this school,” says Skylar, a Grade 7 student. “Today I was thinking about how much was put into it.”
PWMS welcomed more than 400 students in Grades 4 to 8 this fall. The facility has a 560 student capacity. In the future, if Chinook’s Edge was to add portables, the core structures are in place to expand the capacity to 725 students.
