Winkler’s oldest school got a welcome facelift this summer, and last week they got the chance to show it off.
Garden Valley School Division staff and trustees gathered at Winkler Elementary School Oct. 29 to cut the ribbon on the new main office.
“This has been a long time coming, and we know that it’s definitely something that WES has needed for some time,” said superintendent Dan Ward.
The renovation, which transformed two classrooms located beside the school’s main entrance on 8th St., not only provides a larger, more modern space for staff and visitors, but also addresses safety concerns.
The old office was located in the heart of the building, a good walk down the hall from the nearest entrance. The new office’s interior windows now look out over the entrance foyer.
“Of course, the esthetics is amazing. However, what struck me was the safety,” GVSD board chair Leah Klassen said. “The fact that when we walked in I was in the complete eye line of who was working at the desk—you can see who’s coming in.”
It also makes it easier for visitors, who must check in when entering the school, to find the office, Klassen noted.
The office includes a spacious main desk area, a row of student study carrels, a nurse’s office, offices for the principal and vice-principal, and, new for the school, a dedicated board/meeting room.
WES principal Jordan James said the project has gotten a big thumbs-up from staff and students alike.
“We feel just very fortunate,” he said. “It’s something that was really needed, and now that we have it up and running and we get to see it in use, we realize how needed it was and we just appreciate it very much.”
The board room, for one, is a welcome addition, James said, as now “we have a place where we can meet with the staff and the families. It makes a huge difference in our day to day.”
The old office space will eventually be turned into a new classroom and also be used to expand the teacher’s lounge, which WES has long outgrown.
“We have a pretty large staff here at WES, and we would like a space where we could all be able to gather together,” James said, noting there’s no timeline yet on when those renos will begin. “That’s the goal down the road. For now, we’re just grateful for the office.”
Klassen noted that while GVSD has built a number of new schools in recent years, it’s important to ensure its older facilities—part of Winkler Elementary was built in the 1950s—are continually maintained and upgraded to meet current needs.
“The board of the day as well as boards previous have absolutely been concentrated on making sure that all our schools are functioning well,” she said, “and that they are looking nice, that people can be excited and proud of going to school in whichever school that you’re going to.”
Some of the improvement projects—new roofs, heating/cooling systems—aren’t all that flashy or even noticeable to visitors, but they are integral.
“Those are all items that the school board grapples with, and they’re all big-ticket items,” Klassen said, noting another major project this past summer was redoing the link between J.R. Walkof School’s main building and the set of portable classrooms that have become a permanent part of the campus.
“Our contractor and our own staff did a great job there,” added Ward. “As they did here [at WES], they worked through the summer.”
