Edinburgh Elementary students are settling in to the school’s brand new modular classrooms.
The first classes in the new building began this week.
After bursting at the seams for years, the elementary school in Montreal West added four modular classrooms to deal with overcrowding.
School officials say the change has made a difference.
“Students were absolutely amazed, surprised and smiling,” Edinburgh principal Mauro Zampini said. “They were ecstatic.”
READ MORE : Montreal West’s Edinburgh School gets modular classrooms amid overcrowding
Construction on the portable classrooms started in August.
“We were surprised at how quickly this all happened.” Zampini said.
“Within six months the school board mobilized, the contractors came and it was done.”
The new attachment will add two classrooms for Grades 3 and 4, a resource centre and a gym fitness class.
READ MORE: Overcrowded Edinburgh elementary school in Montreal-West to get modular classrooms
With over 365 students, the lack of space plagued the west end school, which had a capacity of 330.
Classes in the school had to be shared. Often the gymnasium was used as the music class.
Students had to play outside or go into a classroom, when two gym classes were scheduled at the same time.
For four years one teacher in the school had to wheel around his science class on a cart because of the lack of space.
The four new classes have opened up a new permanent space for the science class to be held.
“Now he has a full-sized working science room which will bring science to life for students,” Zampini said.
The new attachment to the school is only temporary.
The school has four years to find a permanent solution .
“Today we’re celebrating the modulars,” said Joseph Lalla a commissioner with the English Montreal School Board.
“In terms of what is going to happen in the future, we have plenty of time to look at that when the times comes.”