Tuesday was a big day for young Yakub Aden. The Erin Ridge student was not only starting school in a new city, but also seeing his new digs for the very first time.
“It looks way more expensive than my old school,” said the Grade 8 student upon stepping into Joseph M. Demko School Tuesday morning – he missed the open house earlier this year, so it was his first look at St. Albert’s newest school building.
“I’m kind of scared, but excited,” he said of the coming year, adding that he was looking forward to science class.
Aden was one of the thousands of St. Albert and Sturgeon County students who headed back to class Tuesday to start a new year of school. He was also one of about 360 students taking part in the inaugural school year at Joseph M. Demko, the construction of which wrapped up this summer.
School namesake Joe Demko was outside with teachers greeting kids and parents with a smile as they came in. It was the first time since the 1990s that he’d been at a school on the first day it opened.
“It’s great. It’s wonderful. The kids look happy, the teachers and staff look happy, and everything’s done,” he said.
Grade 6 student Mackie Suitor was busy running around hugging old friends she hadn’t seen all summer prior to the first bell, complimenting them on new glasses and earrings.
“I was going to Leo Nickerson with basically everyone here,” she said of her five-strong posse, so this first day was basically a reunion for her.
Students Chloe and Katie Leong also came over from Nickerson, but had a bit more dread mixed in with their excitement as most of their classmates didn’t move with them.
“At our old school we knew a lot of people and had a ton of connections. Now, we know no one here,” Chloe said.
Inside the school, Principal Les Kirchner was busy guiding students to class and reading announcements over the PA system.
“The importance of that first day is to just start building those relationships,” he said, both between students and with school staff.
Kirchner said students would spend their first day doing options orientations, textbook rentals, and scavenger hunts to help them learn the building’s layout. Kindergarten students would get their start Friday, with school clubs, a Grade 6 camp, and the Terry Fox run to follow in the weeks to come.
Kirchner said it took a lot of work to get to this point, but that it was worth it to see the place come alive.
“This is the rewarding part: seeing the kids come in.”
Traffic reminder
The first day of school means school zones are back in effect, noted Cpl. Tim Gaultois of the St. Albert RCMP’s traffic unit. Expect police and bylaw to be out in force these next few weeks enforcing that 30 km/h limit, which applies in marked school zones on school days from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in St. Albert.
“It’s going to be hectic,” he said, especially with all the road construction, and he expected to see a lot of parents confused about where to drop off their kids.
Gaultois asked drivers to pay close attention to students at crosswalks, and advised students to walk in groups, wear bright clothes, and follow the “point, pause, proceed” rule before crossing.
