April 16, 2010
Neighbourhood Learning Centres Coming to Chilliwack

CHILLIWACK - Yarrow Community Elementary and the consolidated Rosedale Elementary/Middle School will become Neighbourhood Learning Centres with services and programs offered on-site to benefit students and the community, Chilliwack-Hope MLA Barry Penner and Chilliwack MLA John Les announced today.

"Our schools are the centre of our communities and can serve a wider population beyond K-12," said Penner. "We want all schools in B.C. to move towards the Neighbourhood Learning Centre model that includes programs and services to serve both students and members of the community."

"These new facilities will provide safe, modern learning environments for our students during the daytime, and will continue to be useful to the community outside of school hours."
said Les.

In December 2008, the Province and school district announced plans to replace and consolidate Rosedale Elementary and Rosedale Middle into a single school, and to replace Yarrow Community Elementary. The new schools will be constructed to the latest seismic safety requirements and both will meet LEED Gold or equivalent standards. In addition, the project agreements have now been revised to include space for full day Kindergarten and Neighbourhood Learning Centres.

With a revised capacity of 510 students from Kindergarten to Grade 8, the new Rosedale Elementary/Middle School will have an additional 810 square metres of space for day care, youth and Aboriginal services, and an additional 100 metres - funded by the Municipality of Chilliwack - for community multi-purpose use.

The new Yarrow Elementary will be designed to include 460 square metres of additional space for preschool, before and after school care, performing and visual arts space, community education, support offices and agency offices. The school's capacity will be expanded to accommodate 375 students from Kindergarten to Grade 6.

"Our government is working towards an even brighter future in education," said Education Minister Margaret MacDiarmid. "Making schools into Neighbourhood Learning Centres will better support families and communities in B.C."

"Making these schools into Neighbourhood Learning Centres helps facilitate the delivery of complementary services for our school district and the Rosedale and Yarrow communities," said Chilliwack board of education chair Silvia Dyck. "These two new, safe, green schools will be ideal places of learning and growth for students and community members alike."

Construction at both sites is expected to begin this spring.

The Neighbourhood Learning Centre website, www.neighbourhoodlearningcentres.gov.bc.ca,includes examples of some of the community services and programs already offered in schools around B.C. All school districts are now being encouraged to move toward this inclusive approach to planning the use of new school space and including elements of Neighbourhood Learning Centres in all new and replacement schools.

Since 2001, the Province has invested more than $46 million to complete eight capital and seismic projects in the Chilliwack school district. During that same time, government has spent more than $1.7 billion to complete 80 new and replacement schools, 148 additions, 26 renovation projects and 22 site acquisitions across B.C. By the end of 2009-10, the Province will have committed more than $3.8 billion in school capital and maintenance projects.

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To view renderings for the new Yarrow Community Elementary school, click here:
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/news/photos/construction/2010/yarrow/yarrow-exterior.jpg
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/news/photos/construction/2010/yarrow/yarrow-courtyard.jpg

To view renderings for the new consolidated Rosedale Elementary/Middle school, click here:
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/news/photos/construction/2010/rosedale/rosedale-exterior.jpg
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/news/photos/construction/2010/rosedale/rosedale-back.jpg
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