A newly renovated gym, with a weight room, three new science labs and an updated commercial kitchen for use by cafeteria staff and students are among the renovations recently completed at Wm. E. Hay Composite High School in Stettler.
The $12.25-million project took place over the past year and a half and involved improvements to all of the classrooms in the school, with the installation of new windows, electrical wiring and technology consisting of SMART boards and Sympodiums in each room. Videos can run to all students at once on monitors installed in every classroom.
Principal Norbert Baharally said the newly-modernized school means lots of new opportunities and a comfortable environment for the 550 students between Grade 9 to 12 at the school.
“We’re trying to create an atmosphere for our students that is going to be able to meet their individual learning needs, whether it’s going to be a traditional classroom or a classroom with flex seating or you want to organize it in just a different part of the school,” Baharally said.
The library has been relocated to the central part of the school and there are a couple of gathering areas where students can meet to do course work or teachers can put students to work on projects.
Besides the weight room, a new floor has been put in the gym, there is a cardio area and the balcony seating has been re-done. There is a math area and a newly renovated cosmetology area.
The Wm. E. Hay Composite High School has a new north entrance, which serves as the new main entrance, as well as having another main exit at the west side of the school. Baharally said it has helped with the flow of students into and out of the school.
Students and teachers remained in the high school while the work was being done.
sobrien@www.reddeeradvocate.com