‘There’s a lot of positive buzz’ about new school
Students and staff at F.H. Collins Secondary School had a smooth transition from the old school to the new school on Tuesday.
Students and staff at F.H. Collins Secondary School had a smooth transition from the old school to the new school on Tuesday.
“There’s a lot of positive buzz about it,” principal Darren Hayes said in an interview at mid-day today.
There’s a sense of vibrancy in the building’s colours and an open-aired quality to the foyer that captures people’s eyes when they enter the building, Hayes said.
Compared to the old building, the similarities end at both buildings having front doors, he laughed.
The day started with a short assembly to get students situated with their new room numbers for classes.
The aim was to have staff guide students back to the classroom and get right to teaching after the assembly.
“(About) 10 minutes after our assembly, every teacher was already teaching. It’s as close to zero downtime as you could have,” Hayes said.
The concept of minimizing disruption as much as possible was one of the most important things for Hayes, he noted.
The transition itself was smooth sailing – the only notable disruption being having to move some leftover cardboard out of the hallway.
The building furniture is mostly new, and had already been moved into the building before yesterday.
Students packed up their locks and locker contents and moved them over to the new building before the Christmas holidays.
The classrooms themselves are quite similar to that from the old building, but with some new technological advancements some staff have had to be trained on.
Each classroom is equipped with interactive white boards, which Hayes noted some staff were already well-acquainted with.
For others new to using the white boards, it’ll just be a matter of time to reach a level of comfort with the technology.
“I’m sure there’s angst in a few staff members, but the classroom is still a classroom,” Hayes said.
As for loose ends, the only things that have yet to be finished are mounting hand sanitizer stations and putting up the high school’s wall of fame.
“I call us 99.9 per cent complete, but we’re really 100 per cent operational,” Hayes said.
The high school will host an open house at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 13. It is open to the public – a chance for residents to see the final product in operation.
The $56-million facility replaces the old, adjacent school, which opened in 1963.
Comments (19)
Up 1 Down 0
Jonathan Colby on Jan 13, 2016 at 8:14 am
Bud McGee - I agree about your points re: evolution of bathroom doors and sanitation... but have you seen these bathrooms? It isn't just the lack of a door, it's the line of sight to the toilets from the hallway that is giving some people pause.
Up 2 Down 7
Bud McGee on Jan 12, 2016 at 1:04 pm
Modern public bathroom design is getting away from having washroom doors. You can see the same approach at the Canada Games Centre or any modern airport like Vancouver International Airport. A bathroom door is one more place to spread disease. Everybody touches it after leaving the bathroom. Not everybody washes their hands after going to the bathroom. All the people on here commenting about "no bathroom doors" are in the "idiotic echo chamber" and do not know about modern sanitary bathroom design principles for public buildings.
Up 2 Down 24
Negative people on Jan 11, 2016 at 11:42 am
like to promote negative actions. Must be the far left wing. What do you call them?
Up 37 Down 2
Jack Frost on Jan 9, 2016 at 8:31 pm
First day of class and there is frost and condensation on every merely-double-pane window. Isn't this a LEED building? Anyone for a bet on school closure due to mold by next year?
The librarians are wearing their coats because it's so cold, and the windows are lined with paper towels to prevent the water from reaching the books.
Oh, and they already have a portable in place...
Up 4 Down 22
Can we just move on on Jan 9, 2016 at 2:05 pm
It is good for our children and not one project is perfect. We are lucky we have the money to build schools, hospitals, roads, sport complexes, senior care and it will take revenues from all these mining projects to pay for it.
Up 5 Down 16
As the old saying goes some can find fault with everything and on Jan 9, 2016 at 10:45 am
cannot see good, purposeful solutions but only the negative. It is sad that people can't get along and work together in a much more positive frame of mind.
Wilf Carter say it as it is.
Up 20 Down 6
Lost in the Yukon on Jan 8, 2016 at 4:16 pm
Judging by the comments and the "thumbs up" and "thumbs down" the Pharmacist and the Back Room Boys have turned out the party faithful and political staff a la Steven Harper
Up 8 Down 29
Alex on Jan 8, 2016 at 2:21 pm
Holy man, I bet students in 3rd world countries wish they had your problems. Do people ever have anything good to say these days?
Up 76 Down 31
Jonathan Colby on Jan 8, 2016 at 8:26 am
Everyone wanted a new school. What they didn't want is a school that we would have to work around. We all wanted the school that met our needs, such as the original design with local contractors. Instead we got this too-small atrocity. The YP really donked this project up by meddling, and they saved no money. The money was spread around so that the main bid came in at budget, but the entire project still cost as much as it was going to before the change. A shell game so the numbers would play well in the news.
Those are the facts as they are Wilf. There is negative talk because now we are stuck with what will quickly unfold as a giant mistake. That is negative. Positive thinking won't change that. Maybe you've been huffing too much YP whitewash, Wilf. You don't know anything, but you keep talking, talking...
And, what is with the bathrooms? The insides ARE shockingly visible from the hallways. Gross. Is there a solution?
Up 77 Down 21
Lost in the Yukon on Jan 7, 2016 at 10:31 pm
When they put out tender the first time with the original design/plan the bid came in at around $48,000,000. The Pharmacist said all he had budgeted was $38,000,000. So he cancelled the tender, and went with an off the shelf plan and outside contractor when tendered the second time. Though the Pharmacist bragged about saving Yukoners money and what a terrific fiscal manager he was, he failed to acknowledge the $6,000,000+ he wasted when dumped the original plan and accepted a plan from his conservative buddies in Alberta.
So now with all the inevitable change orders we have a school that is too small, missing key features, costs $8,000,000 more than the original tender which he said was too high and about $18,000,000 more than he said he was prepared to spend.
Up 53 Down 19
me and my husband comment on Jan 7, 2016 at 8:01 pm
So here's something for you to ponder: Why is our jail nicer than this new school? More user friendly than this school? I guess our criminals deserve the best and our children/students…….sigh. Our kids are slated to go there, maybe they should go elsewhere, a school that was built with common sense instead of YP back door deals.
Up 71 Down 35
fh collins student on Jan 7, 2016 at 7:47 pm
I am a grade 11 student and the school is terrible. The science rooms have almost half the storage space needed, the desks are triangle shaped, the chairs don't slide while your on them, the bathrooms have no doors, and finally the gym can't handle a volleyball net. I don't know who Mr. Hays asked for this info, but it's all bs!
Up 26 Down 10
Bud McGee on Jan 7, 2016 at 5:40 pm
Doesn't matter if the new school is an improvement or not. If it is somehow attached to the Yukon Party it will still be criticized by the same perennial posters. The fact is that this school is an exact carbon-copy of Mother Margaret Mary Catholic High School in Edmonton. An issues with the first design would have been tweaked by the second iteration of the same building.
Up 22 Down 11
Liberals and NDP on Jan 7, 2016 at 3:22 pm
did not want this school at all.
Up 13 Down 3
BnR on Jan 7, 2016 at 3:19 pm
Wilf, let me guess. You did a poll, and found that 65.8% of students polled like the place, right? Are these "the facts"?
Up 19 Down 3
Negative talk on Jan 6, 2016 at 8:20 pm
A bit different than what the staff and students say. To bad there is no understanding of the facts.
Up 73 Down 26
hmm on Jan 6, 2016 at 5:01 pm
I have 2 children attending FH Collins and they had nothing good to say. Bathrooms without doors - people passing by can look in and see you.
Weight/exercise room windows to other areas of school - everyone can observe them.
Gym that does not allow for the same lunch hour activity as the old gym - students displaced and not sure what to do at lunch time, hmm go get in trouble.
Hallways that are narrow and don't allow for flow between classes.
Having to go to the old via outside to their shop/art classes.
Small classrooms.
They felt the school was designed for elementary sized students.
Nice work YG
Up 47 Down 6
Lost in the Yukon on Jan 6, 2016 at 3:38 pm
Is this written from a Yukon Party Press Release? Many of us have heard nothing but complaints about rooms with insufficient outlets, hallways that are too narrow and that the public should expect to see portables on the grounds within two years
Up 42 Down 7
Over Budget? on Jan 6, 2016 at 3:05 pm
Uhhhh. $56 Million? I thought the number the YP was tossing around was $25 Million.