A brand new wing is going to make students more comfortable as well as give them more opportunities to succeed.
Cites des Jeunes High School in Kapuskasing today presented its brand new Grade 7 and 8 Youth Wing to the local area, as on hand were members of the Conseil Scolaire Catholique de district des Grandes Rivières and even local MPP Guy Bourgouin.
Director/Principal Natalie Joncas-Raymond says the initiation of having these students welcomed into the school this year has been a positive process.
Joncas-Raymond says the decision was originally made three years ago to add a pair of grades to Cites des Jeunes, and from there the project to add more space around the school and a whole new wing began.
She says the additions and the wing itself is for all students.
“For example the library here and the different uses that we will have it for is for seven to twelve so every grade will be able to use it. To do that we just wanted to try it out first year, see what the students want, like and didn’t like and then we can plan for the years ahead.”
She says the updated technology in new classrooms within the wing as well as the library will also benefit all students from Grades 7 through 12.
Joncas-Raymond says they feel the environment is both integrated but also allows for younger students feeling overwhelmed to have their own space.
“I think we created an environment that’s integrated and at the same time has their own space, so they have their own space that they need for the learning environment but they have access to the entire school as well.”
She says one of the great positives of being a student who now enters Cites des Jeunes at the Grade 7 level is that they can take a more direct path through to Grade 12 with their education. She also mentions that nerves will dissipate quicker with students being integrated younger, and they will be able to take a more focused approach on their future from a younger age.
Joncas-Raymond says they are proud to see the integration having been so smooth thus far, a big part of that goes into the preparation they put in with architects as well as students and parents prior to the construction getting underway.
