Students and staff of William E. Hay Composite High School in Stettler are coping and adjusting well during the first week of classes as the building continues a major modernization upgrade.
“We have a facility to provide quality education,” said Norbert Baharally, long-time principal of the school with about 550 students from grades 9 to 12.
“We’re doing our best to ensure the education of grades 9 and 12 students are not affected because they write provincial exams.”
While classes are being shuffled and relocated, the level of education remains the same.
“I haven’t heard any complaints from teachers or students,” said Baharally, who invites any concerned parents to contact him to take a tour of the building.
“Students have all the resources.”
“Every time one area of the school gets shut down, we have a solution.”
Budgeted at over $12,254 million, the project will be totally funded by the provincial government.
Construction noise is kept to a minimum for students and staff.
“We have asked the contractor to limit the level of construction noise during the school,” said Baharally.
While the gymnasium is closed for several months, physical education classes are held outside during suitable weather while many of the community’s indoor facilities will be used during the colder and winter months.
Extracurricular sports activities such as football, cross-country running and volleyball will continue and use other facilities in the area for practices and games.
Since the main entrance on the north side is closed, the school is accessed on the east side of the building.
Expected to take a total of about 18 months to complete, the project will cause some shuffling of classes in various usable spaces in the school and at Stettler Elementary School to accommodate the construction crews.
Under the project, the gymnasium, many classrooms and the part of the building constructed in 1961 will be renovated, with plans to install new hardware to enhance programs.