Principal Marcus Toneatto and vice-principal Tracy Harrington from Southern Okanagan Secondary School are as excited as the
students to start working and learning in their new, high-tech school, which opens September 3.
Lyonel Doherty photo
If new families haven’t moved to Oliver yet just to enrol at Southern Okanagan Secondary School, they should, says the principal.
“This is a grand building; I haven’t seen any school built like this in the last 20 years. It will be a jewel of the province,” Marcus Toneatto pointed out.
He and vice-principal Tracy Harrington gave the Chronicle a tour of the new school, which is “ready to roll” on opening day on Tuesday, September 3.
Every classroom will have Smart Board technology that two people can utilize at the same time.
Windows have automatic shutters on them, rooms have automatic lighting, and the school will be heated and cooled via geothermal technology.
A monitor outside each classroom has the teacher’s name on it, and there will be plenty of iPads and laptops to go around.
Classrooms on the main floor include math, counselling, learning assistance, and life skills. The second floor will cater to English, social studies and languages, while the downstairs houses a large open area and the home economics room.
“All the kids are very excited; they say it’s so big they don’t know where to go,” Harrington said.
But for Grade 11 student Mackenzie Ekelund, the biggest deal is finally having a locker to call her own.
“I’m pretty excited. It’s good to have lockers and not have to carry your books anymore.”
All of the locker doors on the main floor are made of birch wood. Fancy.
Ekelund also loves the fact she won’t have to spend another minute in a portable, which she said were “stinky and gross.” In fact, some teachers had to use Febreze to air them out.
Toneatto admitted the school was fragmented and displaced after the devastating fire in 2011. But the community came back strong, leaving a much morwe cohesive group, he stated.
“People have stepped up far and beyond as far as keeping the school together.”
During the tour, Toneatto pointed out the many meeting rooms and open spaces for students to gather. He showed off the beauty of the library with the high ceiling and sunk-in presentation area where students can learn.
Director of Facilities Mitch Van Aller said School District 53 and the contractors have worked diligently to meet the deadline for opening day.
He didn’t hesitate to state this is the number one school in BC built for a capacity of 550 students.
“I don’t think there is a school in the province that can match it in design, size and technology.”
Teacher Maurizio Basso won’t argue with that, saying the technology is state-of-the-art.
“It (the new building) has been a long time coming. The kids will be inspired.”
Philomena Lang, who has taught science at SOSS for 22 years, is wearing a new hat now as the home economics teacher.
No doubt the Oliver Women’s Institute will be thrilled to hear that sewing and food preparation are making a return to SOSS.
Lang said she only has one box of fabric in the classroom, so she’s hoping people will donate some cotton material to make aprons.
She too is impressed with the new school, saying she loves the amount of light, open space and the library’s high ceiling.
“It (the school) has been cleverly designed to match the hillsides in the background.”
Toneatto said there are three areas that are still under construction: the courtyard, community theatre and drama studio. (An outdoor amphitheatre is also on the way.)
The drama studio, slated to be completed in mid-October, is behind the theatre, giving students a state-of-the-art area to act up.
Drama teacher Alison Podmorow said it will be a full-functioning mini-theatre, with professional lighting, sound and curtains.
“I couldn’t ask for more. It’s going to be absolutely phenomenal.”
Toneatto said the 400-seat auditorium should be completed by the end of November.
He acknowledged the tremendous amount of work done by contractors and maintenance staff who put in extra hours on weekends to get the school ready for September 3.
He noted that parents should be aware of a few things before the big day. Students can be dropped off in front of the school on Gala Street only, and on Spartan Street behind the school. Parents are asked not to use the staff parking lot for this purpose. Students bringing their own vehicles can park in the public parking area in front of the school.
Traffic monitors will help direct people where they need to go.
Students will be let out of school at 11:20 on September 3.
Toneatto said there is one new teacher at SOSS; her name is Lauren Ibaraki and she will be teaching science and physical education.
Also new is an “advanced placement” class that will give students a taste of what college or university will be like. This fall, Basso will teach world history.
Toneatto said this new program will demonstrate the rigors of such a course. “It’s one more thing we can do to better prepare students for post-secondary education.”
Another new program is Grade 8 rotations, where students can sample a variety of elective courses. Toneatto said they want to get more pupils to think about skilled trades.
Parents are reminded that teachers and administrators will be participating in inquiry time on the last Wednesday of every month. Students will be dismissed about 90 minutes early on these days. This inquiry time will enable staff to use best practices to help students achieve excellence, Toneatto said.
Superintendent of Schools Bev Young agreed the new facility is quite “stunning.”
“Students, staff and parents can look forward to a modern, student-focused facility with lots of bright spaces for working, learning and student activities.”
Young said they are planning a “soft” opening in September and a grand opening in December.
Lyonel Doherty
Oliver Chronicle
