School is out for the summer, but construction is in full force on the Jasper Joint School Facility.
As of June 30, “the backfilling of the foundations are about 85 per cent complete,” said Nikki Gilks, communications manager for GYPSD. “They’ve started erecting the structural steel and all the planning for the interior finishes are moving forward, also.”
Once complete, the school will house Jasper Junior/Senior Secondary School and École Desrochers. Both schools will have spaces of their own and will share the gym, atrium, drama room, library, home economics lab and other multipurpose rooms.
Each school will be distinguished by its own colour. Red accents will represent the English school and yellow for the Francophone school. Additionally, a blue accent will be used in the common areas as a way of uniting both schools. Lockers will be dark blue, red, yellow, and beige.
Jasper’s landscape inspired the joint school facility’s “warm and rustic” colour scheme and the use of exposed wood beams and decorative rock. The school’s exterior colours are dark blue, red and two shades of green.
Jasper is one of 35 Alberta communities receiving new or renovated schools. The $21.3-million project is on schedule and should be ready to open for the 2014-15 school year, said Gilks.
Soon it will be possible to view the school’s progress via webcam on GYPSD’s website. The webcam is mounted on the Jasper Elementary School roof and “we’re hoping to have it up and running by next week.”
Sarah Makowsky
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