Students eager to get under same roof at Moncton's newest school

Construction may still be underway, but the future students of Maplehurst Middle School in Moncton are already building school spirit.

The $26.5 million new school for students in grades 6 to 8 is to open in January.

The student population for the new school will be drawn fromEvergreen Park and Northrop Frye schools, where the students are now.

"That's been our biggest challenge is not being able to work as one family for the fall, and we've worked out lots of good communication tools with technology, but it's not the same as being together," said principal Liz Nowlan.

Nowlan saidMoncton's north end is growing, and the new school is being built to address overcrowding at Evergreen Park and Northrop Frye, which will change to K-5schools when Maplehurst opens.

The new school will have 30 classrooms, a triple sized gym that can be sectioned off, a common area for students, science lab, music and art rooms and high tech spaces.

Nowlan said the school will have 600 students when it opens but is equipped to hold 700 or more.

Even though the students are in two locations now, they've already chosen their student council, and have sports teams up and running.

Moncton's newest school already working on building school spirit

5 years ago

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Moncton's newest school, Maplehurst Middle School, is to open in January, but its future students have already picked a student council, and sports teams are up and running.

Other efforts are underway to unite theMaplehurst Huskies, she said.

"They run a shuttle bus every day between our two locations so that students can participate in activities," she said.

"We bused the students together for their assemblies, so that they do get a chance to be together once in a while not enough, but we were able to accomplish that. Everybody is very excited and looking forward to being together."

At Evergreen Park, the future middle school students are together in one area.

Grade 7 student Preston Goodwin said he was excited when he heard about the new school.

"I was just sitting up playing some games in my basement and my mom yelled down to me. It's like 'Oh, by the way, you're going to a new school next year,'" Preston said. "Iwas super-excited."

For fellow Grade 7 student Erica Park, it took a little longer to embrace the idea.

"I didn't really think it was happy news when I first heard it because I really liked our old school," Erica said. "But when I started to come here and listening to all the news, well, I actually felt very excited for it."

The students will keep the same schedules and home rooms when they move.

At Northrop Frye, Grade 8 student Emmett Pike is ready.

"I'm part of the spirit for student council, so I arrange the dances and get everybody all hyped for stuff and make people all excited for the new school," he said. "I am very pumped."

Grade 8 student Tara Lawson is helping to plan the grand opening of Maplehurstand is ready to leave Northrop Frye.

"I was really excited about this school when it first opened because I was one of the first kids to come here so that was really exciting," she said. "And getting told I was going to a new middle school that was even more exciting."

For Amelia Tingley, the draw is new technology.

"It's going to be really modern, so that'll be great. And new computers, so we won't be running Windows 7."

At both schools, students are in planning modeand are able to offer ideas about their new school.

One group of students is looking at playground design, and there are plans for an outdoor classroom.

Nowlan, the principal, is shuttling between the two schools.

"I drive by the opening, the access road, and I often wave to the school in the morning, which is silly, but I'm so looking forward to it."

Nowlan saidthe actual date of the opening in January is still being finalized.