WATCH ABOVE: All 300 students from French elementary school École Sainte-Catherine-de-Sienne began the school year at their new home, but parents aren’t entirely happy with the process. Global’s Paola Samuel reports.
MONTREAL – All 300 students from the French elementary school École Sainte-Catherine-de-Sienne began the school year at their new home, École Saint-Raymond.
The move from the original location was necessary due to mould and water problems; and it was announced last June that it would be closed for three years.
The move did not come without resistance, as many parents believe the new school is too far from home.
“We have no place and the anglophone schools are almost half empty,” said Simard, whose two sons attend Sainte-Catherine-de-Sienne.
The French elementary school had originally requested a move to Saint-Ignatius of Loyola, a former elementary school belonging to the English Montreal School Board (EMSB).
The EMSB declined, stating the building is already being used by a special program for high school youths at risk of dropping out.
“While there may be only 50 kids, this is a specialized school that requires very small class sizes,” said Mike Cohen, EMSB spokesperson, adding it would cause too much disruption if they had to relocate.
“Without that school, these kids might not graduate. The school is being used to its max, and it’s not something we could just give up.”
One of the main concerns for parents is the traffic getting to and from the new property during rush hour.
“We had seven school buses coming to drive the children here, and they were all here on time,” Principal Anne Goudreau told Global News.
“The average transport time at this point is around 15 to 20 minutes. We could have been taken to another suburb, another neighbourhood that could have been further.”
The new Saint-Raymond site is a $7.8 million project, equipped with many upgrades like new SmartBoards, computers and high ceilings; Goudreau promised the students will love it.
Most importantly, all of the teachers have made the move too.
“The main criteria for the quality of this school is obviously the team of teachers that remain the same,” said Goudreau.
The only incomplete piece of the school is the outside, which Goudreau said will be finished soon.
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