The opening of Smiling Creek elementary school on Burke Mountain next Tuesday means one thing for Rosey Manhas and quite another for her son, Nevin, who is going into Grade 2.
Manhas is busy planning a welcome barbecue for teachers, parents and students, and, as the chair of the new school’s fledgling parent advisory committee, already has fundraising goals and a long to-do-list.
Nevin? He can’t wait for the playground to open.
When The Tri-City News visited the school last Friday, teachers were busy moving into their new classrooms and a playground had just been deposited onto the school grounds, still behind a blue wire fence.
Nevin, like his mom and hundreds of other families on Burke Mountain, has been waiting patiently for the new school — the neighbourhood’s first — to open.
“When we moved up here, 10 years ago… when we bought the property, we were told there was going to be new schools. We were told in five years," Manhas said, adding, "Better late than never."
Now that the $20.5-million school is about to open and the wait is almost over, both Nevin and his mom are excited to start fresh.
In addition to classrooms for 430 students, Smiling Creek boasts a sports court and a soccer field, exterior washrooms and a multi-purpose room with a kitchen the community can use when school is not in session, thanks to an agreement between School District 43 and the city of Coquitlam, which contributed $5.15 million to buy land for the project.
As for the PAC, meetings have been underway since May and, with no fundraising history, Manhas said her team is starting from scratch and looking at how other PACs raise funds for new equipment and books.
The plan is to hold a welcome barbecue later in September and a grand opening for the school will be held in October.
Meanwhile, parents will be helping with hot lunches, selling coupon books and popcorn, and looking at other ways to make the school more welcoming.
“We want our kids to have the very best experience possible,” Manhas said, noting that some children might be nervous about coming to a new school or moving from Leigh elementary without some of their friends.
But with a new playground, kids will have lots of opportunities to make new friends, something that Nevin appears to be looking forward to.
