By Lara Fominoff @fomsy1 on Twitter

Lethbridge’s newest elementary school is officially opened- and already packed

Sep 8, 2017 | 1:33 PM

LETHBRIDGE – There are some remarkable differences between the brand new Coalbanks Elementary School on Lethbridge’s west side, than most others in the city.
 
For starters, the grounds boast a wind-protected outdoor classroom, complete with giant flat topped boulders for students to sit or play on. There’s also a picnic area outside, and a small- elementary school sized amphitheatre.
 
Inside, everything is shiny and new. There’s a large common area- or gathering space for the children, a commercial kitchen, tall lockers for the kids and a fully-interactive video board. 
 
Principle Joey Gentile says it’s a remarkable new ‘green’ school, which also boasts some collapsible walls that can be opened up to create four large classrooms for collaborative teaching opportunities, and students will also design a new recycling room.
 
He also explains that they have some new programming for students.
 
“One is the Spanish bilingual program. So we’re starting with Kindergarten and Grade 1, and every year hoping to add another grade level until we’re Spanish bilingual from K to 5. We’re also offering an Arabic language and Islamic culture piece. We’ve got 22 students enrolled in that program from Grades 1 to Grade 5.”
 
Gentile says the school is already full, one week into its first year.
 
“We’re about 460-470 students right now. We’ll probably be having conversations about expanding the building already…. it’s a problem, but a good problem to have.”
 
Construction on the new school began in the summer of 2015 and cost abouit $13.3 million dollars.