As she walked away from the stage, Millie Campbell, with a big smile plastered across her face, did a little jig to pipe music filling the gymnasium of the school named for her late husband.
She was joined by David Eggen, Alberta education minister, and her daughter Jan Ludwig to cut the ribbon to open Don Campbell Elementary School.
Two months into the school year, the new school in Inglewood celebrated it’s opening on Friday.
Don Campbell was the first principal of the G.H. Dawe Community School, which opened in 1976. The kindergarten to Grade 5 cost $13.4 million.
“It’s marvelous,” Millie said after the ceremony. “It’s like a dream. I’m right here in the middle of this wonderful celebration. It’s lovely.
“Don would have been right in the middle of it all and thought it was the best day ever.”
Ludwig, who teaches second grade at the school, said it was the easiest job to accept.
“I know he would be proud,” said Ludwig. “He could really motivate people and he able to lead, through example, but also by motivating a building energy and bringing people along. He chose to empower kids, family and staff.”
As part of the school’s construction, the Red Deer Public School District worked with the city to build the neighbourhood’s community centre. Mayor Tara Veer said the city used to provide community centres to each subdivision, but over time that became cost prohibitive. That led to the partnership to build community space at the school.
Stu Henry, Red Deer Public School District superintendent, pointed out that most classrooms have an attached outside space so teachers can take students for a lesson outside.
“We have a beautiful fine arts room, a wide open learning space in the middle that really acts as the learning hub for the school,” said Henry.
In its inaugural year, the school has a population of 358 students. In the long run, it will be able to accommodate 500 students.
Eggen called the atmosphere of the ceremony “electric.”
“We opened 53 new schools this fall and we’ll have another contingent again in January,” said Eggen. “It’s a sign of a healthy economy. We have a very young population here, youngest in the country, people are staying and they’re putting down roots.”
mcrawford@reddeeradvocate.com
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