Stay informed with the LNN Daily Newsletter

Numbers rising as west-side school nears completion

Apr 24, 2017 | 4:33 AM

LETHBRIDGE – A new elementary school on the city’s west side is approaching capacity — and it hasn’t even opened yet.

Numbers are not yet confirmed for the fall at Coalbanks Elementary School. But principal Joey Gentile said in an interview the school is already anticipated to have more than 420 kindergarten to grade five students when it opens in September. Projections last November were for 300-350 students.

“The building is built to be able to house 500 students,” Gentile told Lethbridge News Now. “Obviously if the numbers down the road increase then you’re looking at expanding the building already with portables.”

The school is located in the new Copperwood neighbourhood. Gentile said it will also help relieve pressure on west-side schools like Mike Mountain Horse, Nicholas Sheran, and Dr. Probe.

Gentile and an administrative assistant are moving into their new offices Monday, April 24 as work nears completion on the state-of-the-art facility. Members of the public are being invited to an open house April 26 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m, which will include tours.

He said the school, officially classified as “green,” will be filled with natural light, and the parking lot will have electric car charging stations. Recycling and carpooling will also be promoted.

He said there will be a focus on inquiry-based, or problem-based learning. Two project-centred rooms will be available to teachers and classes for school-wide project work

One change that might raise eyebrows at first is that the school will not include a computer lab.

“(We’re) definitely moving to portable devices, so we will be having laptops and iPads that will be accessible to students throughout our learning commons and signed out there,” Gentile explained. He added another focus will be on robotics.

About 25 students from around the city have registered for the school’s Arabic curriculum, which will include cultural and language instruction. Coalbanks Elementary will also offer a Spanish-language bilingual program for kindergarten and grade one students. Gentile says the goal is to add a grade in each subsequent year.

Gentile stresses everyone in the community is invited to the open house, as the school takes its place as a hub for the neighbourhood. The school is located at 230 Coalbanks Blvd. W.

For local news delivered daily to your email inbox, subscribe for free to the Lethbridge News Now newsletter here. You can also download the Lethbridge News Now mobile app in the Google Play and the Apple App Stores.