SSRSB News Releases

Classroom Space for Class Afloat

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 3^rd, 2010

Lunenburg Academy Space Provided to Class Afloat

Bridgewater, NS – Students from the Class Afloat program will soon be returning to classes after their vessel, the S/V Concordia, sank off the coast of

Brazil

District 9 By-election

Friday, February 26, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

South Shore Regional School Board to hold by-election

Bridgewater, NS – The South Shore Regional School Board will be holding a by-election for a representative from District 9 on Saturday, April 17^th 2010

Dr. J. C. Wickwire Academy Renovation Feasibility Study

For Immediate Release

February 11^th 2010

Dr. J.C. Wickwire Academy Feasibility Study Released

Bridgewater, NS – A report commissioned by the South Shore Regional School Board to examine options for the Dr. John C. Wickwire Academy in Liverpool has been presented to the Board and is now available to the public.

The feasibility study was conducted by Connor Architects and Planners Ltd. to determine the appropriateness of renovating the Dr. John C. Wickwire Academy to address the need to replace the existing South Queens Junior High School. Currently Dr. John C. Wickwire Academy includes grades two to six in a 45,000 sqft building that was constructed in 1995.

“The school was not designed to accommodate expansion,” said Director of Operations, Barry Butler. “Because of this, and a number of other major obstacles, including environment and limits of the existing building, the study does not recommend renovating and expanding the school to accommodate the need for a middle school in the area.”

The architects suggested a new middle school could be constructed for approximately the same cost as the renovation to the Dr. John C. Wickwire Academy. “Considering the massive costs and disruption to our students, the renovation is not an appropriate option,” said Board Chair Elliot Payzant. A renovation of this size would require relocation of students for one full school year.

In response to the recommendations by the architects, the South Shore Regional School Board passed a motion to reiterate its request to the provincial government for a new grades six to eight middle school to replace South Queens Junior High, a request which was originally made in 2008. A meeting with the Minister of Education to discuss this matter has been requested.

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For more information, contact:

Trish Smith

Communications Manager

South Shore Regional School Board

tel. 541-3005

cell. 523-1664

email. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

January 12, 2010: Architect Selected for New Lunenburg School

The award-winning Halifax firm of WHW Architects has been selected by the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal to design the new Primary to Grade 9 school in Lunenburg.

The firm met with members of the School Steering Team late last week to discuss design requirements for the new school.

The new facility will be constructed on the site of the existing school. Construction is scheduled to start in July 2010, so that students at Lunenburg Junior High will be able to finish the current school year without moving.

The new school is expected to be completed by December, 2011. During the construction phase, Grade 6 students who would normally attend Lunenburg Junior High will go to Lunenburg Academy. Students in other grades will attend Centre Consolidated School.

The new school will be built to the gold standard in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Building Rating System. LEED is a third-party certification system which has become an internationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

December 8, 2009: School Improvement Efforts Recognized by Province

Liverpool Regional High School and Lunenburg Junior/Senior High School have become the most recent South Shore schools to be awarded accreditation under the provincial government’s school improvement program.

They join New Ross Consolidated School, Forest Heights Community School, Dr. J.C. Wickwire Academy and Park View Education Centre in receiving provincial recognition for their work in setting higher standards, increasing student achievement and improving overall performance.

Eight schools – including Dr. J.C. Wickwire – were selected to pilot the Nova Scotia Accreditation Program in 2002. Since then, the number of schools participating in the province-wide program has been gradually increased. It will be mandatory for all Nova Scotia schools in 2010.

November 26, 2009: Elliott Payzant Named Board Chair

Elliot Payzant was named to a second term as Board Chair at the annual general meeting of the South Shore Regional School Board November 25.

Mr. Payzant thanked his fellow Board for their confidence in him and said that his focus as Board chair will continue to be on “the students of the South Shore and their education needs”

Herbert Seymour was elected Vice-Chair of the Board, moving into the position previously held by Gary Mailman.

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